What started as a TikTok video at the top of the pandemic, has become a full-blown movement. Yes, a little post in June 2020 by influencer Clark Kegley (@clarkkegley) unpacked a little-known practice called the 369 Manifestation Method, and how it can be harnessed to transform one’s life. To date, his TikTok video has more than 190,000 likes and has been shared more than 30,000 times, a testament to its impact. But how exactly does the 369 Manifestation Method work?

When it comes to manifesting, the numbers three, six, and nine are attributed with inventor Nikola Tesla, who believed them to be “divine numbers.” He is known for having said, “If you only knew the magnificence of the numbers 3, 6 and 9, then you have the key to the universe.” The number three is a direct link to the universe, six is strength we have within, and nine helps let go of negativity and the past.

In turn, the 369 Manifestation Method was created by Law of Attraction guru Karin Yee, of ChoosingGratitude.net, who says she manifested $10,165.46 from doing the practice regularly. When you think about it, if you’ve ever wished or longed for something and imagined it happening, like getting a specific job or meeting your soulmate, you’ve manifested — and you may not have even realized it. And now we have the 369 Manifestation Method.

So the key is, before starting the method, figure out what it is you’d like to attract. A new job? A love interest? Money to buy a house? You’ll then come up with an affirmation to hone in on exactly what you want to attract as though it has already happened. For instance, you might write, “I am so happy to be working as an English teacher to adults in Madrid.” And, as you write, envisioning that your affirmation has come to fruition, along with the emotions attached to it, can help solidify it even more so. You can picture yourself in a Madrid classroom teaching — you’re happy and smiling at the students.

Rachel Gibler, a spiritual thought leader, manifestation coach, entrepreneur, and host of the popular It's F*cking Spiritual podcast, says that for someone new to manifestation, you must know how it works energetically and how brains operate. “Our subconscious mind is responsible for 90% of the actions we take in our lives, based on our past experiences, thoughts, and belief systems,” she tells TZR in an email. “To manifest properly, you not only have to state what you desire in the present tense as if it's already happened (the 369 Method does this), but you also must tap into the energy of having it. Essentially, this just means to imagine what you would see, hear, and feel when you have reached the desired goal.” The key is to couple it with visualization and feeling as if you already have what you desire, she adds. “You must believe that it's possible and on its way to you,” she says. “This is what will train your subconscious mind into thinking you already have reached your goal, which will allow you to break past limiting beliefs and actually go to work to reach your goal.”

Once you have your affirmation, you’re ready to begin — so grab your journal. There are three key steps to the 369 Method:

• When you wake up, write down your affirmation three times.
• In the afternoon, write it down six times.
• Before bed, write it down nine times.

Maria Concha, a mindset and manifestation coach, speaker, and founder of the lifestyle brand Manifesting Ninja says the method is worth trying since it can potentially help ground your mind, intentions, and actions in a way that attracts more of what you want to see in your life. “If it’s at the forefront of your mind, you most likely will be able to recognize the opportunities as opposed to going about your day on autopilot, recycling the same old thoughts and feelings, and attracting the same unwanted stuff,” she says.

And because this specific technique is all about repetition, Concha says it can be extremely impactful if done right. “What I mean by ‘right’ is that the power is in choosing affirmations that you can somewhat buy into — otherwise, it’ll feel off, and this process is a mixture of intentions, emotions, and aligned action,” she explains. “Affirmations are simply the tool, and if the tool sparks emotions that do not align with what you want to see manifest, then you won’t see it manifest in your life.”

She says an example of this would be an affirmation like, I am a billionaire. “But if you have $30 bucks in your bank account, I don’t know how many people would feel good about saying that,” Concha says. “So, on one hand, repetition is great to override limiting beliefs, but repeating an affirmation that your brain simply can’t wrap their mind around will be more frustrating than useful.”

Instead, she recommends saying something like, “I am in the process of x, y, z…” So if you’re desiring more money, but your bank account is far from that money goal — you can say something like, I am in the process of attracting financial opportunities to flow into my life. This way, you are open to the possibility because it doesn’t feel so far-fetched, she explains.

Manifestation Is About Taking Action

Gibler says that in addition to writing down your manifestations in the present tense — and visualizing them as though they've already happened — you must take aligned action toward the goal. “A lot of people think manifestation is just writing down what you want, but that's not correct,” she says. “You must also take aligned action toward your goals. The way to know if something is aligned, is to simply ask yourself: Does this feel expansive for me? Even if it feels scary or uncomfortable, if you have a positive gut feeling of expansion, that is a good path to take. If the action feels restrictive or intuitively off, do not take that action, even if it's what you think you should do.”

How Long Will It Take To See Results?

So how long will the 369 Manifestation Method take to produce results? Some say 33 days. However, no one can say for sure — for instance, in the moving-to-Madrid affirmation example, it may take more than 33 days, as moving abroad (and finding that teaching job!) is no small feat. So, instead of being set on 33 days to see an outcome, know that it varies person to person.

“There is no timeline on how fast your manifestations will work,” says Gibler. “It all comes down to the energy that you are bringing behind the actions that you are taking to get to your goal. Always tap into the energy of who you would be if you already had the thing you desire — if you give up or are impatient with the results, you are vibrating at a lower frequency and therefore not a match for your desire. If your manifestation seems to not be working, it's not because manifestation doesn't work, it's because you aren't aligned with the outcome.” She points out that this is a great opportunity for reflection and asking yourself some soul-searching questions: How am I showing up? How am I feeling as I work toward this goal? Do I truly believe I can have this?

Concha points out that, like anything, you must be consistent to see results. “However, I will say that with deliberate manifestation, when done right, you can absolutely see results very quickly,” she says. “On the same token, if you go into the process doubting the outcome, that resistance will most likely attract more of that doubt — which is not what you want. So, it’s not that you didn’t manifest: You just focused and gave more power to what you didn’t want to manifest more than what you did want to manifest.”

Gabby Bernstein, New York Times bestselling author, spiritual teacher, and podcast host also stresses the importance of patience when manifesting. “Patience is everything,” she says. “If you’re in positive alignment with what you are manifesting, it shouldn’t take long. You’ll quickly notice positive momentum and signs from the universe.” She says an important thing to keep in mind is to make sure you’re paying attention to how you feel. “The moment you start to push or control your manifestations, you’ve blown it. Your pushy energy is not in alignment with the magnetic positive energy that’s required to manifest. I call these folks ‘manic manifestors’ — they think, if I’m not pushing, I’m not attracting. Nope! The secret is to feel good and chill the eff out!”

Results Of The 369 Manifestation Method

Andrea Chapman, marketing manager for Nature and Bloom, has been trying the 369 Manifestation Method for the past eight months after she saw others post their successes about it on social media. She tells TZR in an email that she wanted to see for herself if it would work and thought it would be worth the five minutes a day to try. “I found it intriguing, although I did not believe it at first, since we know how such things might be posted [online] just for clout and notices.”

She’ll manifest both little and bigger things, from getting a much-needed day off of work to earning enough money to get a new laptop to her dog getting over a disease. While the traditional 369 Manifestation Method is all about writing the same affirmation, some variations have sprouted up — which still use 3, 6, and 9 as manifesting staples, which Chapman tried. “[Regarding my dog,] I would write three lines of ‘My dog will recover within the next three days,’ during the morning on a piece of paper,” she says. “During the afternoon, I'd write six lines of, ‘The veterinarian will call me regarding the good news,’ and during the evening, in nine seconds, I will visualize how it would happen.” And it worked — Chapman’s dog made a full recovery and is back at home.

However, Chapman points out that her manifestations did not happen because of magic. “It also involved hard work and patience to reach the goals, and I wouldn't have done one thing by just writing it down and doing nothing about it,” she says. “What I have learned so far about this process is really improving your mindset, because if you want to be able to do something, you will wish it. But if you are fully decided on pursuing it, you will start doing something about it.”

But the technique isn’t for everybody, just ask Karisa Karmali, founder of Self-Love and Fitness™ and an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and Online Fitness Coach. “I tried the 369 Manifestation method for a few weeks, as I enjoy trying new methods and I mainly did it for business goals,” she tells TZR in an email. “I liked that it focused my mind in the right direction to be able to sift and sort through the opportunities that truly aligned with my goals. However, the amount of journaling was overkill long-term.” Instead, she went back to checking her list of goals and journaling once a day, reviewing her vision board a few times a week, and watching Abraham Hicks on YouTube. “I think our energy is the most important thing during manifesting, so choosing a method that is not complicated and realistic is a huge factor in sticking with it,” she says. “I can see the benefits of doing this method short-term, but long-term, I needed more simplicity.”

369 Manifestation Method Or Not, You Are *Always* Manifesting

Whether you try the 369 Manifestation Method or not, Concha says to keep in mind that you are always manifesting, even if you don’t realize it. “The process of manifestation is to intentionally create your reality through your beliefs, emotions, and action,” she says. “We’re manifesting all day long, but whether it’s intentional or by default is up to you. Being conscious and deliberate about our beliefs is key.”

Gibler agrees. “The point of becoming good at manifestation just means to know how the energy of the universe works, and have it work in your favor,” she says. “So that life doesn't just happen to you, but you create it.”

This article was originally published on Oct. 17, 2021