If you could live in a different reality, what would you choose? Would you move to a world where you spent your days sunbathing on an exotic island? Perhaps you would marry a minor royal? Or wake up a wizard at Hogwarts?
It may sound silly, but thousands of people on the internet claim they can create and visit other realities at will. The phenomenon known as “reality shifting” has gained popularity in recent years, with TikTok videos about the phenomenon racking up billions of views.
Devotees claim that it harnesses all the benefits of meditation and visualization, allowing them to achieve a positive mindset that improves their everyday lives.
Many of these social media shapeshifters “access” worlds they are already familiar with through popular culture, such as the Marvel comics universe. Others create their own, entirely new reality.
But although it may seem fantastic, even ridiculous, such is the madness to alter reality that the practice has aroused the interest of the scientific community.
So how can we “change” reality? What are the supposed benefits? Is this simply a new version of that age-old behavior of daydreaming by Generation Z?
A 2021 study published in the journal Current Psychology defines shifting as a “trendy mental activity,” predominantly practiced by the post-millennial generation, that involves “being able to transcend one’s physical confines and visit alternative, mostly fictional, universes… The experience of shifting is facilitated by specific induction methods involving relaxation, concentration of attention, and autosuggestion.”
Hypnotherapist and psychotherapist Dipti Tait has developed her own method of guided reality shifting, which she calls “free-flow transformational therapy.”
You might roll your eyes, but hypnotherapist and psychotherapist Dipti Tait says change can be powerful when practiced not as a means of escaping reality, but as a concrete method of change Your reality, in the same way that many believe in the power of “manifestation.” Dipti has even developed her own method of guided reality shifting, which she calls “free-flow transformation therapy.”
“While reality shifting shares some similarities with daydreaming, such as imagining future scenarios, when combined with psychotherapy it is much more structured and purposeful,” she says. “Daydreaming is typically a passive activity, whereas reality shifting involves active, intentional mental exercises designed to bring about real change.
“If we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel, which in turn alters the way we behave. This change is what ultimately changes our reality.”
‘Shifting reality in this way is absolutely essential to maintaining a positive state of mental health and balanced emotional well-being. Daydreaming in this imaginative way empties our brain’s stress bucket and refreshes the mind.’
According to Dipti, changing reality is not just about adopting a more optimistic outlook, but about completely rewiring the brain. “Studies have shown that the brain can change and adapt throughout our adult life. MRI scans have shown changes in brain activity patterns associated with positive thinking, as well as a reduction in anxiety and fear,” she says.
‘For example, one client who was previously paralyzed by anxiety and constant worry about future failures, after just a few sessions began visualizing successful outcomes and found herself changing much of her life in incremental steps, so that eight weeks later, she was literally living a different life.’
How can we practice this kind of change? Ideally, we should do so with the guidance of a hypnotherapist, rather than relying on the dubious wisdom of a teenager posting on TikTok.
Dipti recommends a program of positive visualization (vividly imagining the desired outcome), deep relaxation and rapid eye movement (REM) inductions (aka entering a hypnotic trance state), and turning off the “critical mind,” the protective part of the brain that rejects ideas, stifles creativity, and is often negative.
The “Alice in Wonderland” method of change involves visualizing yourself chasing someone from your desired reality and then jumping down a rabbit hole after them.
Dipti says that if done correctly, the benefits of this kind of reality shift are profound and can lead to better mental health, improved problem-solving skills, better interpersonal relationships, and increased motivation and productivity.
“When we have a clearer mind, we can shift our perspective,” says Dipti. “This shift in perspective helps my clients eliminate self-doubt, mental blocks, and limiting beliefs, and helps us break free from old patterns that have kept us stuck.”
But while changing reality can be powerful, it’s important not to let it become too intoxicating.
According to some TikTok users, reality-shifting can be addictive, with some even claiming to feel out of control when doing it, which is totally the opposite of the desired effect. Naturally, many of those drawn to this practice are more mentally suggestible, so it’s essential to stay grounded in reality, even when trying to shift it.
Dipti says anyone trying to change reality must be careful to avoid “toxic positivity” (the belief that we must maintain a positive attitude no matter the situation, avoiding all negative thoughts) and maintain realistic expectations. “It’s critical to acknowledge and process negative emotions rather than ignore them,” she says. “Genuine positive thinking involves facing challenges realistically, not dismissing them. Change takes time and effort.”
Homemade methods recommended by social media experts
The Crow Method: Lie face down, with your arms and legs in a starfish position, and count down from 100 to zero while visualizing your desired reality.
The elevator method: Imagine that you are in an elevator and that the reality you desire is on the top floor of a tall building. Focus harder and more intensely on the reality you desire as you visualize the elevator ascending each floor. When your energy is high enough, the elevator doors will open and allow you to enter the reality you desire.
The Alice in Wonderland method: This is said to be the most suitable technique for visiting a fictional universe and is a bit more frenetic. Visualize yourself chasing someone from your desired reality and then jump down a “rabbit hole” after them, like Alice does to get to Wonderland.
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