Over the past several weeks Ive received dozens of email solicitations for books, CDs and videos that promise to reveal newly discovered techniques to improve my life. These emails promise a wide variety of benefits: how to get rich, lose weight, meet the woman of my dreams and buy a million dollar mansion with no money down. In some cases the salesman will throw in a Ginzu knife or pocket fisherman if I order immediately!

While some of these marketers may actually believe theyve invented a whole new system of creating a life anyone would want, the truth is there is nothing new under the sun. Mystics have studied the underlying principles that manifest reality for centuries. These same principles existed in the time of Socrates and they existed before the establishment of many of todays religions.

Whether its money, love, health, or anything else, the principles are the same. In mystical terms, the Law of Attraction specifies that you will attract to yourself those experiences that match your beliefs. In the words of quantum physics, the observer affects that which is observed. Since you are the observer, its you who affects your life, that is, its you who creates your experience of reality.

You create your experience via your underlying beliefswhether they are conscious or unconscious. If youre not conscious of your beliefs then you must make them conscious. As Carl Jung said, Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. Or, as mystics will say, Know thyself. This includes your beliefs.

Before you begin to manifest your ideal life, you must get clear on exactly what you want. Examine your desire from a mystic perspective. Is it something that would be of benefit to many people or is it a purely selfish desire? If you are attempting to manifest your desire at the expense of someone else, there will be a steep price to pay in the future. Remember, As ye sow, so shall ye reap, so why saddle yourself with additional burdens? If your desire seems selfish, reframe it so that its of benefit to others.

Once you are clear on exactly what you want, then it is a straightforward matter to manifest your desire. There are three steps:

Step 1. Visualize exactly what you want for 5 minutes per day. Lets say you want to go sightseeing in Paris. You may want to visualize the Eiffel Tower. Why 5 minutes? Because any longer and your mind will wander. Any shorter and you may not be fully fleshing out your vision.

Step 2. Put yourself in the picture, with detail and emotion. You have a clear view of the Eiffel Tower. But, if you dont visualize yourself in the picture, the universe will manifest your desire, but perhaps not in the format you anticipated. For example, you might get a postcard of the Paris skyline in the mail. To avoid any misunderstandings, picture yourself standing in front of the tower. What are you wearing? Are you there with your spouse or some new love interest? Add details, employing all your sensory data. Youre eating a delicious croissant. The wind is blowing gently on a beautiful, sunny spring afternoon. You hear conversations en franais and you smell the perfume of the petite jeune fille standing near you.

Dont forget to add emotion. Are you enjoying the taste of your croissant? Do you feel the joy of exploring a new country? Are you reveling in the sense of freedom as you travel the world? The more realistic you make it, the better.

Step 3. At this stage, focus only on the end result. This is very important. Dont worry about how you get there. You cant possibly imagine all the ways that your goal might manifest, so dont limit yourself to people you know or the most obvious avenues to attain your goal. Let the universe worry about the details.

When you are done with your meditation, release it to the universe. Continuing to hold it in your mind will prevent its manifestation. You have to let go. To ensure youve let go, occupy yourself with a completely unrelated activity after you complete your meditation.

Youre ready to go; but first, a brief note of caution. This is an extremely powerful technique, so keep in mind the old adage, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. An example, an acquaintance of mine was remarking on how lucky a friend of hers was to receive a $100,000 settlement for a personal injury she suffered. Within two weeks, my friend was involved in a moderately serious auto accident that left her with a bad back and a subsequent $50,000 settlement. Was it worth it? I dont think so.

To ensure that you dont manifest something similar, I recommend you close each meditation by saying, If it pleases God, then so be it, or If this is for my highest good, then so be it. This is an extra form of protection that will help you avoid needless headache.

Lastly, dont think that because youre busy visualizing you dont have to take any action on the physical plane. For example, if youre looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend, you cant just sit inside and visualize your ideal mate, you still need to get out. You must go about your business, but be alert to opportunities that the universe is presenting to you.

The Law of Attraction is the basic underlying principle at work here. If youre not manifesting what you desire then there are two possibilities: you arent clear on exactly what you want or youre not aware of a certain belief, probably unconscious, that is contradicting your conscious desire.

So, manifest your dreams, the mystics way!