Dark Matter Mind

The funny thing about the game is that you’re actually in complete control of it. Not only did some vast version of you choose this particular instance of the game before you even began playing, but you also have complete control over how you respond to experiences within it and what you choose to build moving forward.

This isn’t just a spiritual idea. It’s a perspective that also holds significance in the scientific world, particularly in studies of consciousness, physics, and perception. The brain, as neuroscience has shown, is not simply reacting to the world but actively constructing it. Our experiences are shaped by predictive processing models: the brain is constantly forecasting what it thinks will happen based on past experiences, then updating its internal world when those predictions don’t align with incoming data. Reality, as we experience it, is filtered through layers of expectation, belief, and attention. What we consistently focus on shapes the neural pathways that determine our emotional and cognitive responses. In this way, we are not just passively experiencing reality. We are generating it, moment by moment.

Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist and philosopher, offers another powerful lens through his interpretation of quantum mechanics. In Rovelli’s view, there is no absolute state of anything. Reality is not made of static things, but of dynamic events that only exist in relation to one another. Consciousness, then, becomes a participatory force in this web of relationships. If reality is composed of interactions rather than isolated entities, and if consciousness plays a role in how those interactions are observed or even selected, then consciousness has the power to influence how reality takes shape. The way we attend to the world may actually change the structure of the world we perceive.

This interpretation finds footholds in quantum physics, where the act of observation is known to affect the behavior of particles. Although popular science has often exaggerated this point, Rovelli helps ground the idea in something more nuanced. He invites us to let go of the illusion of a single, objective world and instead consider that the self and the world are in continuous exchange. “The world is not a collection of things,” he writes, “it is a collection of events.” He suggests that the difference between past and future exists only in our perception, not in the fundamental workings of the universe. If time is not fixed and reality is relational, then our consciousness is not a passive bystander. It is part of the event structure itself.

This is why practices like meditation, visualization, and mindful awareness hold such profound power. They are not just forms of emotional regulation or spiritual practice. They are methods for shifting how we relate to the world. When we understand consciousness as something that shapes experience rather than simply recording it, manifestation becomes less about wishful thinking and more about a process of integrating our internal state with the possibilities that surround us.

Awareness

Though the notion of awareness might seem fairly straightforward, there are many different forms and expressions of it that deeply influence how we move through the world. Our conscious awareness is shaped by the scope of our attention at any given moment. That attention may be steady or scattered, fixed on a single thought or shifting rapidly between distractions. It may be focused on what is right in front of us, or considering what lingers on the periphery. All of these inputs shape how our unconscious awareness takes form. Through repetition, this unconscious space begins to settle into patterns: habits, assumptions, and conditioned responses that continue to operate beneath our awareness.

Meditation is one of the most direct ways to work with this system. It allows us to train attention in intentional and restorative ways. With practice, we begin to reshape the underlying structures of the mind by gently adjusting the quality and direction of our focus. Neuroscience supports this fully. Neuroplasticity shows us that repeated patterns of thought and attention create new neural pathways, reinforcing the very realities we expect to encounter. Attention becomes a tool for construction. The more deliberately we use it, the more clearly we begin to participate in building our experience.

Personally, I practice meditation with the goal of tuning my unconscious awareness more closely to the collective consciousness. I believe that when I keep the collective at the forefront, not as an abstract concept but as something real and shared, I naturally develop a steadier relationship with mindfulness. The more I build that relationship, the more intentionally I can shape my experience of the game. This, to me, is the whole idea. I am not just a player in the game. I am a co-creator of it. The more aware I become, the more I notice where old patterns are shaping my path and the more choice I have to create something new.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the natural extension of awareness. It is how we choose to apply it. Dr. John Yates describes mindfulness as the ability to recognize our options, choose our responses wisely, and take control over the direction of our lives. He explains that this practice gives us the power to change our conditioning and become the person we want to be. While that might sound like a sentence out of a self-help book, it captures something essential. Plus, being mindful is helpful, so maybe that’s ok! Mindfulness is the practice of continuously returning to the collective with patience.

For me, mindfulness is about remembering the bigger picture. When I can hold the constructed nature of experience in my awareness and remember that I am not just reacting to the world but also shaping it, I find more space to respond accordingly. That awareness of the game helps me approach each moment with curiosity instead of fear. Whether the moment is difficult or joyful, mindfulness gives me the ability to pause and ask what this experience is here to teach me.

When I feel overwhelmed or anxious, it often seems like those emotions are in control. The negative thoughts and emotions begin to spiral out of control. I lose perspective and feel stuck. I tell myself I’m subject to these emotions without any way to change them. This usually makes me feel as though I can’t move past this experience. Over time, though, I have come to understand that these moments are not meaningless, they are purposeful. They’re placed in my path as lessons. I’m meant to cultivate the awareness and mindfulness to move through them, rather than continuously running into the same wall over and over again. However, it’s only when I recognize the cycle that I’m able to begin moving out of it. That realization is mindfulness. It is the act of bringing myself back to the bigger picture. Keeping the purpose of the game at the forefront of my awareness allows me to pause. “I am experiencing anxiety again, that means there is something in this that I am supposed to be pulling apart, unraveling, meditating on, learning from, and shifting through.” Meditation, in all forms, becomes the way in which I learn how to shift. I’m able to recognize these moments of resistance more quickly and untangle them in such a way that my psyche evolves.

This also aligns with what we know from neuroscience. The brain constantly tries to predict what will happen next by relying on past experiences. Mindfulness allows us to step into that predictive cycle and interrupt it. It creates a space to change the expectation, and by doing so, we change the outcome. In that space between experience and response, we begin to rewrite the pattern.

Rovelli reminds us that reality is not made of static things but of relationships. Time is not fixed or linear. The future is not predetermined. Each moment is an open field of potential. When I’m mindful, I step into that field as an active participant. My presence becomes part of how the moment unfolds. My awareness becomes part of the event. And in that participation, the reality I experience begins to change.

Manifestation

I once listened to a wonderfully intelligent person say that we think we are manifesting a particular person, place, or thing. We believe we’re calling these specifics into our lived experience, assuming that once we’ve attained them, we’ll have reached some kind of goal or milestone. However, it’s not actually the object itself we’re manifesting. What we’re really calling in is a version of ourselves. You can only manifest you.

So, what is the version of you who already has that thing? How does she think? What does she wear? How does she speak to others? More importantly, how does she speak to herself? What does she spend her time doing? What does she eat? How does she move through her days? Eventually, through conscious practice, you become that version of yourself. And that becoming is what leads to the arrival of the person, place, or thing, not the other way around.

The woman I learned this from described it as a call and response with the universe. You tell the universe, “I want this thing,” and the universe replies, “Then show me you are the kind of person who has it.” You begin living as though what you want is already yours. You become the version of yourself where that thing fits easily and naturally into your life. You don’t wait to feel ready. You practice being ready. In doing so, you bring your outer reality into alignment with your inner world. You prove to yourself that you are capable of holding what you are asking for, and then, often without forcing or grasping, you find that it begins to show up in your life.

And this isn’t just an abstract or spiritual idea, your brain is constantly predicting and shaping reality through patterns of belief and expectation. What you imagine, rehearse, and embody sends signals through neural circuits that begin to carve out that version of reality in your inner and outer world. In Rovelli’s terms, you are not separate from the event of your life, you are entangled with it. Manifestation, then, is not about manipulating the world from the outside. It is about participating in the construction of reality by becoming an active agent in the unfolding event.

Sometimes I pause here, because this idea can feel a little off-putting, as though the universe is some godlike figure keeping score, waiting for you to become worthy enough to receive the thing you’re asking for. But that’s not what this is about. The universe is not some external judge. You are the universe. You are the godlike figure. You are not proving anything to anyone but yourself.

You are the only one keeping yourself from the things you believe you deserve. And when you begin to embody the reality you wish to experience, you no longer have to chase it. You’ve already made it real. The thing you were manifesting arrives because you’ve already become the version of you who holds it. It’s not magic, it’s embodiment. It’s remembering your power and granting that life to yourself through the act of living it.

Practical Integration

So what do awareness and mindfulness have to do with manifestation? Everything! The more you practice awareness and cultivate mindfulness, the more effectively you can manifest new versions of yourself. These three practices—awareness, mindfulness, and manifestation—work together to give you freedom. They allow you to shape the game in ways that feel intentional and meaningful.

Enjoyment is absolutely part of the goal, but so is evolution. This path is about growth and facing the lessons you chose to learn in this lifetime. The better you become at molding your own experience, the more clearly you begin to confront those lessons. And as you do, you don’t just elevate your own consciousness, you elevate the collective.

The internal shifts you cultivate ripple outward.

What an incredibly intricate and beautiful way to spend a lifetime. I truly can’t emphasize that enough. The fact that the energy of our collective consciousness allows us to shape our reality through intention, attention, and care is extraordinary. I am so grateful for this awareness, and for the challenge of becoming the next version of myself, again and again.