Ask And It Is Given: Learning To Manifest Your Desires

Abraham offers a description of a typical physical human. Most people, they say, are out of touch with their true selves in ways that impact their lives. A person may know what they want, but they are unable to find ways to achieve their goals. While goals may seem extremely out of reach within the physical world, non-physical beings know that any worthwhile goal can be achieved purely by having the will to achieve it. Abraham concedes that some people are already aware of this, that those few know the true meaning of the physical world. Abraham goes on to offer simple information to help others gain this awareness, while offering a reminder that achieving individual goals will not necessarily make one feel fully fulfilled; instead, such achievements will open up newer and bigger goals.

Abraham says that prior to being born, each human is fully connected to Source. When the Source Energy enters a physical body, a human comes into being. Until the physical world begins to distract someone, they have a deep knowledge of this Source connection. Some may feel completely disconnected from Source, but no matter how deep the disconnection feels, it remains real and possible to rediscover. Abraham goes on to say that by remembering and fostering this connection, the possibilities become limitless.

Chapter 3 claims that every human is born knowing that they are the creator of their own reality. Through time, people become convinced that this is not the case. Society has been built around the idea that reality is stagnant and completely objective. However, Abraham says that deep down, all people know that they can create their own reality, and that the signs of this fact are obvious. As Abraham states, “You have never enjoyed someone else telling you what to do. You have never enjoyed being dissuaded from your own powerful impulses” (12).

Rather than offering new ideas, the book intends to reconnect people with the Source Energy that has become dormant within them due to the pressures of physical life. Abraham states that everyone already creates their own reality, and it is impossible for any one person’s reality to be created by someone else. Those who are disconnected from Source Energy still create their reality, but they do so unconsciously, and from their perspective, that reality appears to be the creation of outside forces.

The chapter ends with a reminder that all people are eternal beings who have chosen to live in this specific reality for a reason. A physical body allows the universal consciousness to be distilled into a single individual, and this process can allow that individual to access thoughts and emotions that may not be possible in a non-physical form. All people occasionally remember that they are a vessel for Source Energy, but through Abraham’s words, people can learn to connect with this energy at all times.

Abraham continues to reinforce the idea that humanity is not cut off from Source Energy; instead, people are resistant to embracing the force’s inherent reality. Abraham claims that most people as “trapped in a vibrational holding pattern” (15). To reestablish a connection and become a master of one’s own connection does not take deep conscious thought or effort, only an acceptance of Source’s existence. This is primarily described as an emotional journey. By letting go of doubt, fear, and other physical emotions, people will be able to access joy and manifest their desires. Physical desires, as important as they may seem, will likely become less meaningful once the connection to Source is discovered.

Abraham acknowledges that the process of reconnecting to Source may seem impossible, and they encourage people to focus on thoughts and feelings rather than on words. The path to a Source connection comes from deeply feeling inherent truths, not from understanding them intellectually.

Chapter 5 lays out the basic formula for understanding and aligning with universal vibrations. It describes these vibrations as a constant flow of current that runs through all things, both physical and non-physical. This vibration is the entire basis of reality.

Abraham says that understanding this force is no different from understanding mathematics. Once the formula and its results are truly understood, people will have a consistent basis through which to acquire desired results and gain complete control over their own reality.

Abraham directly asks readers to think about how they feel. If they generally feel good, that is a sign that they are already aligned fairly well with Source. If they feel bad, they are likely misaligned. Thus, by increasing alignment, a person will automatically begin to feel more at peace. Every human sense is described as a “vibrational interpreter”: an organ through which the Source energy is taken in and interpreted. The most powerful of these interpreters is emotion, but that is also the one over which most people feel the least control. People who truly pay attention to their deepest emotions can take control of their interpretive power.

This chapter introduces the Law of Attraction, the idea that “that which is like unto itself is drawn” (25). Abraham asks people what they find themselves thinking about most. Those thoughts will ultimately become that person’s reality. If a person wants something and dwells on the fact that they do not have it, the vibrational energy will align with the lack, and the person will never be able to obtain what they desire.

Instead, the thinker must envision a world in which they already have what they desire. This mindset shifts their vibrational state, even if the person is aware that they are pretending. Ultimately, the belief that one already has what they desire will manifest that desire in the physical world. Emotion is an important component in this process; by focusing on what they lack, people embody emotions like anger and frustration, deepening their disconnection from Source and weakening their ability to shift their reality.

Abraham gives several examples of this; if someone is frustrated with their partner and focuses all of their energy on that frustration rather than on the things they appreciate, the frustrating qualities will intensify while the good qualities will diminish. Similarly, if someone yearns to be wealthy but focuses only on others’ wealth, their jealousy will cloud their ability to manifest financial abundance for themselves.

The book describes physical humans as existing at “The Leading Edge of Thought.” While physicality can in some ways limit humanity’s connection to source, it also grants physical beings an ability to think that allows specific, tangible desires to manifest. Being born in a physical body is the first desire that every person brought into being.

Chapter 7 serves as a reminder of the strength of people’s natural vibration, stressing the limitlessness of what can happen. Anything that can be desired can be brought into being, and any individual can enter the Stream of Well-Being, which flows through all people and things, whether they realize it or not. Abraham states that the main barrier obstructing the opening of the “floodgates” of Well-Being is individuals’ reluctance to ask the universe for what they want. Nothing in their physical reality has to change; they simply have to want what is being offered and accept it.

Chapter 8 expands on the Law of Attraction. Abraham describes each thought as a point within the field of energy or emotion, where energy is concentrated and transformed into reality. Thinking negative thoughts about something will not prevent it from happening; instead, such thoughts will cause the negativity to become the focus of one’s vibration. Focusing on something negative, such as fearing a bad outcome, strengthens the energy of its potential reality. By contrast, thinking positively about a goal and expecting a good outcome will help to create that positive outcome.

Abraham describes the universe as one of attraction, in which all energies are drawn to all other energies. The chapter also states that Source is aligned more heavily with positive emotions. If a person manifests something while feeling good about it, that thing will be more likely to come to fruition. Abraham claims that by thinking positive thoughts and emotions about what is desired, individuals can align with their Source and bring those desires into reality.

Abraham uses the metaphor of a sculptor shaping clay to discuss the ways in which emotions connect with Source energy, stating that humans employ emotion to sculpt their reality. When a person has a positive emotion about a desire or thought, they become aligned with Source energy and bring that thought or desire into being. When they have negative emotions about a desire or thought, the resulting disconnection from Source energy expands negative emotions like anger or frustration. This negative cycle leads to the belief that reality is static and cannot be changed.

On the other hand, positive emotions connect people with Source energy and allow their desires to manifest. Once a true connection with Source energy is achieved, a person can bring things into existence simply by thinking about them. Every person is a vessel of energy, radiating energy that is immediately felt by others and by the universe as a whole. Even if a person does not realize that this is happening, the world around them is constantly absorbing this energy and responding to it in kind.

This chapter outlines a specific three-step process for manifesting desires. In the first step, the person must ask the universe for what they want. This step is presented as an automatic reaction to life experiences. The second step occurs when the universe answers the request. The answer is always “yes” because the universe is a tool for fulfilling desires. This step is also presented as automatic and constant. The final and most important step is the “Art of Allowing,” which entails accepting the “yes” answer and aligning one’s personal vibration with the request.

To depict these steps in action, Abraham uses the example of a person wanting a new car. If the person focuses on the negative aspects of their old car, they continue to vibrate at a frequency that reflects the old car, which delays the manifestation of the new car. The key to receiving the car is to shift focus exclusively to the new car and align with the vibration of receiving it. This is not always an immediate process, especially if the individual wavers in their vibrational alignment. Abraham explains that people often doubt the truth of manifestation because there is a time gap between the request being made and the desire being fulfilled. Most people are conditioned not to wholeheartedly believe in things that do not yet exist. However, once the Law of Attraction is understood and fully embraced, an individual will realize that the thoughts and emotions they give to a desired outcome are the only factors that determine whether or not that outcome manifests.

The authors admit that controlling emotions in the modern world can be difficult. Abraham suggests thinking of the process as guiding one’s emotions rather than controlling them. They use the metaphor of a radio transmitter. Each person is like a radio antenna, constantly transmitting energy into the world and tuning into a range of different vibrations. In order to tune in to the signal of well-being, a person must align their own vibration with it. By tuning into the frequency that aligns with any given desire, manifestation becomes not only achievable, but a joyous process.

This chapter explains that once a person tunes in to the vibration of well-being, they can use that energy to shape their world. What once seemed uncontrollable now becomes very malleable. However, many people struggle with this concept because they view physical reality as the most definite, objective reality, and they often reject the idea that the universe operates primarily through vibration. However, Abraham claims that with practice, people can tune in to the vibration of well-being and begin creating their desired reality.