Christian Nielsen •

The "Universe" Isn't Manifesting Your Goals

Your Subconscious Is Just Rearranging the Furniture.
The myth of the universe vs subconscious reality

The Pitch

We’ve all heard it: “Put it out into the universe, and the universe will provide.” It’s a nice sentiment, but it’s a bit like saying a magic trick happens because of "magic" instead of the hidden strings and sleight of hand.

The truth is actually far more interesting. When you "want something enough," you aren't sending a signal to the stars—you are installing a new operating system in your subconscious mind.

System Update

The Basement of Your Brain

Think of your subconscious as a massive basement where 95% of your mental processing happens. Your conscious mind—the part of you reading this right now—is just the tiny tip of the iceberg.

A dark basement representing the subconscious mind filled with old files

For years, your basement has been filled with old "thought structures":

  • "I’m not a morning person"
  • "I’m bad with money"
  • "I’m just an employee"

But the moment you decide you want something with absolute intensity, you send a new "Macro Thought" (a big-picture goal) down into the basement. This is where the magic—the real science—starts to happen.

How a Subconscious Seed Becomes a Conscious Action

Let’s look at how a thought actually "grows" from the basement to the surface.

Diagram showing a subconscious seed growing into a conscious thought

Example: The Career Pivot

Imagine you’ve spent years in a boring office job, but subconsciously, you’ve started to obsess over becoming a landscape designer.

1. The Subconscious Stage

You aren't actively thinking about landscaping while you're at your desk. But in the background, your brain is now scanning every environment for "green space." You’re subconsciously noticing patterns in the park you walk through or the way shadows hit a garden.

2. The Development

Your "Micro Thoughts" (the tiny, split-second impulses) start to shift. While scrolling through social media, your thumb—almost on its own—stops on a picture of a garden instead of a meme. You don't know why you stopped; your subconscious just flagged it as "important."

3. The "Aha!" Moment

One morning, you’re brushing your teeth. Suddenly, a thought pops into your head: "I should call my cousin who works in construction and ask about his landscaper."

You might think, "Wow, the universe just gave me that idea!" No. Your subconscious spent three weeks gathering data, noticing your cousin’s recent posts, and calculating your desire. It waited until your conscious mind was quiet (brushing teeth) to "upload" the thought to the surface.

Re-alignment

The New Thought Structure

This is the "realigning" of your tasks. Once that thought becomes conscious, your brain applies a new structure to your day.

The Framework

  • Macro Goal: Become a designer.
  • Micro Realignment: You start seeing "dead time" (like your commute) as "research time."
  • Task Alignment: Suddenly, saying "no" to a happy hour to read a design book doesn't feel like a sacrifice—it feels like a natural impulse.

Stop Waiting, Start Programming

The universe isn't a waiter bringing you a meal. It’s a mirror. If you want something enough, you aren't waiting for a miracle; you are training your brain to stop ignoring the opportunities that are already in front of you.

You don’t need the stars to align. You just need to give your subconscious a clear enough set of instructions that it has no choice but to rebuild your reality to match them.

Christian Nielsen Software Developer & Writer

Exploring the architecture of code and the human mind.