Do fantasies have power?

[Spiderman]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

 

[osgart]

I dreamt of spaceships , so I bought a star trek movie, and watched Interstellar.

I'd really love to ride in a spaceship. The ones I like ain't real though.

Oh well off to rocket science class.

Seriously though dreams come true, and fantasies have no possibility in my book, unless your fantasies are all in real terms.

As far as manifestation goes, what you love you attract often happens if you deserve it. I don't think there are any guarantees of any of it though.

 

[WalterTrull]

Just sooo much subtext. Mental universe - sleeping dream - waking dream How well can you control your dreams? So many beasts in the deep "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Really interesting stuff

 

[metis]

I tend to think that at least most religious narratives are largely fantasies, so yes to the OP.

 

[Sha'irullah]

Of this was true then the world would be really messed up with my dreams coming into fruition. My fantasies ate pretty bizarre and 99% sexual in nature but my dreams . . . well that's a whole other can of tuna

 

[Quintessence]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

To some extent, this is true. One of the principles of magic is the Principle of Attraction, whose basic concept is "like attracts like." It's the root idea behind most correspondence tables - you use particular items and objects in a ritual because they correspond to (and will attract) what you are intending to accomplish with a spell.

That said, only the most novice of magicians would suggest that reaching goals is as straightforward as throwing out some correspondences and thoughts to get what you want. I've heard it described that it's more about shifting probability. Clearly, if you are thinking about something and focusing on something, you increase your probability of obtaining it. Simple awareness and focus can go a long way. But there are also other principles of magic (or forces of nature, whatever) out there with interests and goals sideways to or opposed to your own. Simply aligning thoughts in your direction is an easy thing to do because the ball is in your court - it's getting the rest of the universe to cooperate that often doesn't happen.

 

[Politesse]

I have long felt that such "wishing" is hopeless without a willingness to actually put work into achieving your goals. There is a principle of equivalency and balance in the world also, and frankly if your desire is not reflected anywhere in the world except your private altar, it is not so much an intention as a daydream or fantasy. If what you truly desire is to escape into a daydream for a few minutes, you will get exactly what you desire, and immediately! Your thoughts are your own playground, after all.

But, if you dedicate yourself to a goal in the real world, earn your chance at reaching it through initiative and patience, and beseech the guardians of this world for help, they will lend you their aid. And dreams, even fantastic ones, can act as a mode of communication between yourself and the powers that be.

 

[sun rise]

It's true that the thought is the parent to the deed but that idea can be taken too far into magic invocations that don't work.

Kabir said (of superficial worship but this also applies to the OP):

If saying God gave liberation,
saying candy made your mouth sweet,
saying fire burned your feet,
saying water quenched your thirst,
saying food banished hunger,
the whole world would be free.

The parrot gabbles“God” like a man but doesn't know God's glory.
When he flies off to the jungle, he'll forget God.
If you don't see,
if you don't touch,
what's the use of the name

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

My fantasies usually cost double.

 

[Polymath257]

When you become aware of a concept or start to focus on it, you will see it in your environment.

It was always there before. You just didn't pay attention to it.

 

[joe1776]

When you become aware of a concept or start to focus on it, you will see it in your environment.

It was always there before. You just didn't pay attention to it.

Right.

To keep the kids entertained on a car trip, count the white vans you see. There will be so many that it will seem like you are attracting white vans.

 

[Jeremiah Ames]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

Absolutely.

 

[Nakosis]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

I think it can make you aware of what's already there. Much of the world gets filtered out by the subconscious so never makes it to conscious level awareness. Fantasies might encourage your subconscious to notice aspects of the world you weren't consciously aware of before.

So it may seem like your fantasy made manifest, but it's possible you just became consciously aware of what's always been there.

 

[Dantedeven]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

No, but that does not mean that dreams and fantasies do not have any power. For they determine your desire, which can manifest itself in either Sukha or Dukkha. Which both can determine your state of mind in awakened state, which will have a significant influence in your present Karma. That on itself will change your future for the better or worse. And that change can again...influence your desires, which can manifest in either Sukha...... you get the picture

 

[Twilight Hue]

Some body told me that what you focus on manifests itself in your life. Does that mean dreams and fantasies have power to make your desires manifest in the real world?

Only if people act on their fantasies.

 

[Electra]

It also makes you more aware of what you want, more likely to see it, we see a lot without 'seeing'

 

[Mock Turtle]

I would say so. I will recall an incident at work once. I was walking down a narrow corridor when a youngish female, who I knew of but had no need to speak to, was walking towards me. She was a rather attractive blonde, looking a bit like Dakota Fanning, and was wearing a loose colourful top which no doubt hid some nice breasts. As we got closer, the single fastening to her top, around her neck, suddenly gave way. She was carrying a stack of papers at the time. Her top then dropped to her waist such that her nice pert breasts were fully on display (no bra). She looked at me, and I looked at her breasts, and we smiled politely at each other. She disappeared into a nearby toilet to rectify the situation and I ......... just smiled, trying to ignore all this.

Except of course all this happened in a daydream or perhaps it was a real dream or .....

 

[ajay0]

Fantasies do have power to create bitterness or suffering if they do not come true..
.

Bitterness is the outcome of a wrong mental movement - the attempt to force external events to conform to internal fantasy. The cure is to see fantasy as fantasy, which will reveal it as neither necessary nor rewarding. - Vernon Howard

 

[Dantedeven]

Fantasies are illusion people. Look at this planet, every living being is searching for something. Every.. freaking.. being.. no matter how simple it is is always searching. It doesn't even need a freaking brain to search for something. From ants to elephants, snakes to humans, slugs and plants. All that is alive is always searching. So what does the untrained idle sentient mind do when the body is not searching for something? Fantasize, create something to look for, something perfect. And even if it comes true, it will not be the same.