Create your own reality
83
Create your own reality
Nancy Ashley’s "Create Your Own Reality" offers a direct, no-nonsense approach to the perennial subject of personal creation. Unlike many contemporary texts that dilute their message with anecdotal fluff, Ashley’s 1984 work focuses squarely on the mechanics of thought and belief shaping experience. The section detailing the "Law of Assumption" is particularly potent, urging readers to live *as if* their desires have already manifested. However, the book occasionally suffers from a lack of nuanced exploration; it presents its principles as absolute truths without fully engaging with potential psychological or external obstacles. For instance, the direct assertion that any desired outcome is achievable solely through mental focus, while aspirational, might overlook systemic or deeply ingrained personal barriers. Despite this, the directness of its instruction makes it a valuable primer for those beginning their journey into conscious creation.
Verdict: A stark, foundational guide to manifesting principles for the determined student.
📝 Description
83
Nancy Ashley's 1984 book argues consciousness shapes material experience through intention and belief.
Nancy Ashley's "Create Your Own Reality" proposes that individuals can influence their circumstances by directing their thoughts and beliefs. Published in 1984, the text outlines a method for understanding how our inner world creates our external reality. Ashley structures the book to include exercises and conceptual adjustments intended to help readers access their own abilities to shape events. The work is for those dissatisfied with their current situation and seeking tangible methods for change.
It appeals to readers interested in metaphysics and the power of the mind. Ashley's approach requires introspection and a willingness to alter one's internal thought patterns. The book focuses on practical application of these principles for personal transformation. It is a guide for those ready to actively engage with the mechanics of manifestation.
Published in 1984, "Create Your Own Reality" appeared during a time of growing interest in New Age thought and self-help. The book aligns with the era's focus on mental sciences, visualization, and positive thinking, drawing from earlier New Thought traditions. Ashley's work offers a direct approach to personal empowerment, distinguishing itself from more academic philosophy or formal religious study. It fits within a broader esoteric current that emphasizes individual agency in creating one's lived experience.
💡 Why Read This Book?
• Understand the "Law of Assumption" as presented by Ashley, allowing you to practice embodying desired outcomes before they appear, a core tenet distinct from mere positive thinking. • Learn to identify and reprogram limiting beliefs, a practical skill that directly addresses internal barriers to change, as outlined in the book’s exercises. • Grasp the significance of emotional congruence, understanding how aligning your feelings with your goals amplifies the manifestation process, a concept crucial for effective personal reality creation.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When was Nancy Ashley's "Create Your Own Reality" first published?
Nancy Ashley's "Create Your Own Reality" was first published in 1984, placing it within the significant wave of New Age and self-help literature that gained prominence during that decade.
What is the central philosophy of 'Create Your Own Reality'?
The central philosophy is that individuals have the inherent power to shape their external circumstances through focused thought, belief, and the assumption of desired outcomes as already real.
Does the book offer practical exercises?
Yes, "Create Your Own Reality" is known for offering practical exercises and techniques designed to help readers reprogram their subconscious beliefs and practice the art of assumption.
Who would benefit most from reading this book?
Individuals seeking to understand the power of their own minds in creating their external world, those interested in manifestation and personal empowerment, and readers exploring esoteric or New Thought principles would find it beneficial.
How does Ashley's work compare to modern manifestation guides?
Ashley's 1984 text is often seen as more direct and less embellished than some modern guides, focusing on core principles of belief and assumption without extensive anecdotal evidence.
Is 'Create Your Own Reality' considered a New Age text?
Yes, given its publication date and its focus on consciousness, personal power, and manifestation, "Create Your Own Reality" is widely considered a significant work within the New Age movement.
🔮 Key Themes & Symbolism
The Power of Assumption
A central tenet of Ashley's philosophy is the 'Law of Assumption,' which posits that assuming a desired state of being or having is the most direct path to its realization. This isn't about hoping or wishing, but about living from the end result. The work guides readers to embody the feeling and conviction that their desires are already present, thereby aligning the external world with this internal conviction. This concept challenges the conventional view of linear progression, suggesting a direct causal link between internal certainty and external manifestation.
Mental Causality and Belief Systems
Ashley emphasizes that our external reality is a direct product of our internal mental landscape, particularly our deeply held beliefs. The book explores how these beliefs, often formed in childhood or through repeated experiences, act as filters through which we perceive and interact with the world. "Create Your Own Reality" provides methods for identifying these often-unconscious belief systems and offers techniques for their revision. The core idea is that by altering the underlying beliefs, one can fundamentally change the experiences one attracts.
Consciousness as the Creative Force
This work posits consciousness not merely as an observer but as the fundamental creative force of existence. It suggests that the universe responds to the quality and focus of our consciousness. By understanding and directing our consciousness—through intention, visualization, and emotional alignment—individuals can consciously participate in the creation of their lives. This perspective moves beyond passive acceptance of circumstances, advocating for an active, intentional engagement with the nature of reality itself.
The Role of Emotion in Manifestation
Ashley highlights that emotions are not just byproducts of our experiences but are powerful energetic signals that influence manifestation. The book stresses the importance of cultivating emotions that align with one's desired reality. Feeling the joy, peace, or fulfillment associated with an already-achieved goal is presented as a critical component in drawing that reality into existence. It’s about generating the feeling of the wish fulfilled, thereby broadcasting a powerful energetic signature.
💬 Memorable Quotes
Direct passages from the work, attributed to the author.
“Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled and live in that state.”
— This core principle suggests that the most effective way to manifest is to internally adopt the emotional state and conviction of already possessing what you desire, as if it were a present reality.
“Your beliefs are the blueprint of your reality.”
— This highlights the concept of mental causality, positing that the structures of our thoughts and convictions directly dictate the experiences and circumstances we encounter in our lives.
“You are not subject to the world; the world is subject to you.”
— This statement underscores the book's empowering message of personal agency, asserting that individuals possess the ultimate power to influence and shape their external circumstances through their internal state.
“Consciousness is the only reality.”
— This philosophical assertion places consciousness at the absolute center of existence, suggesting that all perceived external phenomena are ultimately manifestations or projections of conscious awareness.
“Stop trying to change the world and start trying to change your assumptions about it.”
— This practical advice redirects effort from external manipulation to internal transformation, emphasizing that altering one's internal beliefs and assumptions is the key to changing one's external experience.
🌙 Esoteric Significance
Tradition
Ashley's work aligns closely with the principles of New Thought and metaphysical movements that gained traction in the 20th century. It draws heavily from earlier idealist philosophies and the concept of the 'law of attraction,' though it predates the widespread use of that specific term in popular culture. It departs from more structured esoteric traditions like Kabbalah or Hermeticism by focusing primarily on the individual's subjective experience and mental power, rather than elaborate cosmologies or ritualistic practices. Its emphasis is on immanent divinity and personal sovereignty.
Symbolism
While "Create Your Own Reality" is less focused on overt symbolic systems than some esoteric texts, the core concept of 'assumption' can be seen as symbolic of the internal state of being that precedes external manifestation. The 'world' itself functions symbolically as a mirror reflecting the internal state of the observer. The act of 'creation' symbolizes the divine spark within each individual, capable of shaping experience through focused consciousness, akin to a sculptor shaping clay.
Modern Relevance
Ashley's foundational ideas on conscious creation and the power of assumption continue to resonate strongly in contemporary spiritual and self-help circles. Modern practitioners of the Law of Attraction, 'manifestation coaches,' and proponents of positive psychology often echo her core messages. Thinkers and online communities focused on quantum consciousness, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) for personal growth, and even certain aspects of mindfulness practices can trace conceptual lineage back to the principles articulated in works like Ashley's from the 1980s.
👥 Who Should Read This Book
• Individuals new to manifestation principles seeking a direct, foundational text that explains the 'how-to' of conscious creation. • Personal development enthusiasts looking to explore the intersection of psychology and metaphysics for tangible life changes. • Spiritual seekers interested in subjective idealism and the concept of consciousness as the primary reality-shaping force.
📜 Historical Context
Nancy Ashley's "Create Your Own Reality" emerged in 1984, a central year for the popularization of metaphysical and self-empowerment philosophies. The era was heavily influenced by New Thought traditions, with figures like Neville Goddard (though less widely known in 1984 than later) exploring similar themes of subjective reality creation. Ashley's work contributed to a burgeoning self-help market that was increasingly incorporating esoteric concepts. This period saw a growing public interest in techniques like visualization and affirmations, driven by authors such as Louise Hay and Stuart Wilde. While not directly engaging with academic philosophy, Ashley's text offered a practical, accessible interpretation of idealism and subjective idealism, contrasting with the prevailing materialistic worldview. The book found its audience among those seeking personal transformation outside traditional religious or strictly psychological frameworks, aligning with the broader cultural embrace of spiritual exploration.
📔 Journal Prompts
The feeling of the wish fulfilled: What specific emotion does this evoke for you?
Identify three core beliefs you hold about wealth and analyze their origin.
How does the concept of 'mental causality' apply to a recent challenge you faced?
What does 'consciousness is the only reality' mean in your daily life?
Reflect on a time you unconsciously assumed a negative outcome into existence.
🗂️ Glossary
Law of Assumption
The principle that assuming the feeling and fact of your desire as already true is the most direct method to manifest it into your external reality. It's about living from the end.
Mental Causality
The philosophical concept that one's thoughts, beliefs, and mental states are the direct causes of external events and circumstances experienced in life.
Assumption
The act of internally accepting a desired state or outcome as already real, complete with the associated feelings and convictions, regardless of current external evidence.
Belief Revision
The process of identifying and consciously altering deeply ingrained, often subconscious, limiting beliefs that hinder the manifestation of desired realities.
Feeling of the Wish Fulfilled
The emotional state experienced when one fully embodies the conviction and sensation of having already achieved a desired outcome.
Subjective Idealism
A philosophical stance asserting that reality is fundamentally mental or consciousness-based, and the external world is a manifestation or projection of mind.
Consciousness
The fundamental essence of existence, posited as the creative force that shapes all perceived reality; the ultimate ground of being.
🔮 Readers Also Liked
Browse all →
More Free Occult Philosophy Books
View all →
