As a life coach, the most common question I'm asked is: "I've been practicing manifestation for a long time—visualization, affirmations, gratitude journaling—so why hasn't that job, that relationship, that sense of peace I want ever arrived?"

In the past, I might have discussed "frequency alignment" or "limiting beliefs." But now, after deep conversations with countless clients, I've discovered a more fundamental, yet often overlooked, key. This key is like a locked door. No matter how hard you shout outside or how precisely you describe the treasure behind it, you cannot enter until the lock is opened.

That lock is unhealed trauma.

Today, I want to guide you to understand this from a more scientific and intimate perspective. You'll discover that manifestation is never just about "positive thinking"; it's a reconstruction project of the nervous system.

Trauma Is Not an "Event," But a "State of Survival in the Body"

First, let's redefine "trauma." It isn't necessarily war or major disaster. Any experience that leaves us feeling helpless, overwhelmed, and unable to respond as our authentic self can leave a traumatic imprint. It could be childhood tears that were ignored, trust betrayed in a past relationship, or the humiliation of being treated unfairly at work with no voice.

I want to share a personal experience. Not long ago, while walking my dog, we were violently attacked by two dogs that charged out from a house. This wasn't a simple warning bark, but a real biting incident where both my dog Ollie and I were injured. Since then, whenever we hear dogs barking in the distance while walking, my body tenses up instantly, my heart races. My dog is even more affected; he panics and shrinks back because he was the one who was bitten and held onto.

My rational mind knows those attacking dogs were targeting "another dog invading their territory," not "me, the person." But this logic completely fails to calm the instinctive fear that gets triggered. My body remembered that moment of helplessness and danger and developed a new survival strategy: "Hearing dogs bark = Danger = Must immediately pick up my dog , prepare to flee or defend."

This is the core idea Dutch psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk illustrates in his classic book The Body Keeps the Score: Trauma is stored not just in the brain's memory center (the hippocampus), but is deeply etched into our bodily sensations, emotional responses, and automated survival instincts. For some events, our mind might say "it's over," but our body and subconscious never forget.

The Science Perspective: When trauma occurs, our "prefrontal cortex," responsible for rational thought, goes offline, while our threat-detecting "amygdala" becomes highly active, triggering fight, flight, freeze, or fawn survival responses. If this reaction cycle isn't completed and safely processed, it gets stuck like a broken record in our nervous system.

What does this mean? It means a person emotionally wounded may still have a body "living in the past." Their subconscious might still equate "intimacy" with "danger," or link "success" with "abandonment." So, no matter how much their conscious mind desires love and abundance, their entire body and subconscious survival blueprint is sounding the alarm, preventing them from stepping into that "dangerous" state.

How Trauma Specifically Blocks Your Manifestation Circuit

Manifestation is a circuit of "setting intention — believing it's possible — taking aligned action — receiving the outcome." Trauma sets up invisible roadblocks at every stage.

1. Obstructs "Clear Intention": Trauma often brings confusion, shame, or numbness. It's hard to discern what you truly desire from a fog of emotions. Your wishes might just be a "reaction" to past trauma (e.g., wanting to make a lot of money may stem from deep survival fear, not genuine feelings of abundance).
2. Paralyzes "Genuine Belief": The core feelings of trauma are "powerlessness" and "unworthiness." This fundamentally shakes the "unshakable belief" needed for manifestation. Your affirmations may be on your lips, but a louder inner voice says, "I'm not worthy," "This can't happen for me," "I'll lose it even if I get it."
3. Distorts "Effective Action": Actions stemming from trauma are often "compulsive repetitions" or "avoidance." You might repeatedly attract people who hurt you similarly; or, when opportunity arises, you "self-sabotage" out of deep fear, pushing it away. This isn't a lack of effort; it's your nervous system running the old program it learned was the only way to stay safe.

A well-known psychological concept, Internal Family Systems (IFS), explains this well. Our inner world is like a family, with "Manager" parts trying frantically to control everything (overworking, perfectionism), "Exiled" parts carrying pain and shame (feeling not good enough), and "Firefighter" parts that emergency-suppress pain when it surfaces (addiction, binge eating, sudden rage). When we try to manifest, these parts can conflict and hold us back because their ultimate goal isn't achieving dreams, but protecting the system from being hurt again.

Healing Is Not "Erasing the Past," But "Expanding Your Window of Tolerance in the Present"

So, what does healing do? It is absolutely not about forgetting or denying the past. The goal of healing is to "widen the range within which your nervous system can feel safe in the present," known in psychology as your "Window of Tolerance."

Let me return to the dog example. For a month after the incident, every bark made us tense. But healing began the moment I started taking concrete actions to "create safety" for myself. I didn't stay stuck in mental fear; I made a plan: 1. Immediate Action: Another time when a dog seemed to charge, I scooped up my 20kg dog to create physical distance. 2. Preparing Tools: I decided to buy a dog deterrent whistle or an extendable defense rod. This knowing that I had a way to respond was key.

The crucial point is this: The moment I knew I "had the capacity to respond," healing had already begun. I was no longer the completely helpless victim. The act of picking up my dog wasn't just protecting him; it was telling my body, "Look, we have a way now. We can protect ourselves." This "empowered action" directly soothed the nervous system's alarm.

Now, when I hear barking, my reaction has changed. My body still alerts me (that's healthy vigilance), but I'm no longer flooded by panic. I first assess the situation: How far is the dog? Is it behind a fence or loose? What action do I need? This shift from "panic reaction" to "assessment and choice" is proof that my "Window of Tolerance" has expanded.

The Science of Hope: Neuroplasticity: Our brains can change and reshape throughout life. Through mindfulness, somatic therapies, EMDR, or simply sharing within a safe, healing relationship, we are creating new neural pathways. We are telling the brain, "Look, this time feels different. This emotion is here, but it's not destroying me. I can be with it, and it will pass." Just like my actions of "picking up the dog" and "planning to get tools" created a new experience of "danger being manageable," overwriting the old memory of "total helplessness."

How to Begin? Gentle Practices to Integrate "Healing" and "Manifestation"

1. Start with the "Body," Not the "Mind": Before setting an intention, spend 5 minutes on a body scan. Simply feel the solidity of your feet on the ground, the rise and fall of your breath. This anchors you in the "safe present," building a stable foundation for your manifestation.
2. See "Triggers" as Intelligence: When you find yourself stumbling on your manifestation path (e.g., saying something self-negating again), don't rush to judge. Pause and ask with curiosity, "Which part of me is triggered right now? What does it need?" This trigger point is precisely where you need to offer compassion and healing.
3. Manifest "Safety" and "Self-Compassion": On your manifestation list, include the most fundamental items: "I manifest a profound sense of inner safety." "I manifest unconditional self-acceptance." When these foundational frequencies are established, other external forms of abundance will naturally flow to you.

Dear friend, the ultimate secret of manifestation may not lie in how hard you strive to look toward a brilliant future, but in how bravely and gently you turn around and embrace the part of yourself left in the dark corner of the past.

When you can listen to the whispers of those wounded inner parts and give them the acceptance and safety they've always longed for, they no longer need to scream in destructive ways to get your attention. Your internal conflict quiets, and energy is no longer drained inward.

Then, the frequency of your entire being gradually shifts from "fear for survival" to "openness for growth." You are not "fixing" a broken self; you are "integrating" all parts to become a more whole, more powerful being.

At that point, you don't need to "struggle" to manifest. Because you have already become the person capable of holding abundance. Your peace, your wholeness, your compassion for yourself—these are the most powerful magnets, attracting everything that matches this internal state.

This journey, from healing to manifestation, is essentially the process of moving from "living to survive" to "living for life itself." Are you ready to unlock that long-locked door for yourself?

Manifestation Begins with Healing Yourself.
My e-book, Manifestation Start with Healing , is now available in Chinese. The English version will be released in the future. If you want to dive deeper into how to heal, how to uncover your feelings and stumbling blocks for better manifestation, be sure to follow and become a member. Don't miss all the latest articles and the upcoming e-book.

BONUS READS:

Why “Just Believing” Isn’t Enough: The Science of Manifestation

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Stop Wishing. Start Rewiring. (The Neuroscience of Change)

Did you know your brain can’t tell the difference between visualization and reality? From the “Forest Path” of neuroplasticity to the “Search Engine” of your RAS, here is the science behind why your thoughts shape your life.

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