From #manifesting, to #lawofattraction, to #luckygirlsyndrome – these hashtags are all over social media. But what do they mean and where do they come from? The idea that our thoughts can change our wealth, bodies, and fortunes is so pervasive, that we don’t realize how old – and distinctly American – these ideas really are. 

In this episode, we’ll travel backward in time from TikTok to the dawn of Christian Science and unpack the origins of manifesting our desires with our minds – and see how these very popular beliefs pit science against mysticism. 
 
Featuring Susannah Crockford, Sean McCloud, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte students Andrew, Amani, Chris, Eva, Journei, Sam, and Taylor.