Three of the top manifestation experts to follow in 2026

Ever since The Secret popularised the law of attraction (note: not an actual law of science), the concept of manifestation, aka daydreaming with purpose, has gripped the world’s imagination – and it does seem to work. Probably something to do with quantum physics. But whether or not you believe the universe cheerfully pops out wishes like an ATM, what is certainly true is that inducing a positive mindset helps you stay motivated and focused – and so boosts your chances of actually reaching those goals. Here’s three of the most well-known and successful Manifesters. It certainly worked for them.

Ever since The Secret popularised the law of attraction (note: not an actual law of science), the concept of manifestation, aka daydreaming with purpose, has gripped the world’s imagination – and it does seem to work. Probably something to do with quantum physics. But whether or not you believe the universe cheerfully pops out wishes like an ATM, what is certainly true is that inducing a positive mindset helps you stay motivated and focused – and so boosts your chances of actually reaching those goals. Here’s three of the most well-known and successful Manifesters. It certainly worked for them.

Roxie Nafousi

They call her the Manifesting Qu’Festers on this list, she’s clearly earned those bragging rights. After battling cocaine, booze and self-loathing in her twenties, her turning point came when a friend recommended a podcast on manifestation, which helped her realise her own low self-worth was dragging her down. Manifestation became about rebuilding that self-worth and doing the inner-work required to change her life. Today she’s the author of at least two Sunday Times bestsellers – her Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life has shifted a million copies worldwide and been translated into 37 languages. She even has her own perfume range: Alia, meaning “high” in Arabic, a tribute to her Iraqi heritage, at £60 a bottle. “I wanted to create something that will empower people to step into the best version of who they can be,” she told Vogue, “and to celebrate all the different sides of themselves.”

Aaron Doughty

“My name is Aaron Doughty and I help people expand their consciousness.” So begins Doughty’s website bio – and it’s that modern, matter-of-fact approach to spirituality that’s helped the former shoe-salesman attract more than 1.8 million YouTube subscribers and 192 million video views. You probably knew an Aaron type back in the day – a hippy acquaintance from 1997, who was really into Pearl Jam, transcendental meditation and a new-fangled desktop publishing add-on called the world-wide web. And he’s very much the digital era’s version, with more than 2,200 motivational videos that discus subjects from meditation, to neuroscience, and metaphysics – all with the “intention to help you raise your vibration and create the life of your dreams”. Among today’s manifesters, his fast-talking but down-to-earth approach seems especially suited for younger people, seeking more authentic, relatable voices talking openly about personal growth and spirituality in a manner that’s refreshingly light on jargon and woo. 

Gabrielle Bernstein

On 2 October 2005, “strung out, hungover, and addicted to drugs”, Gabrielle collapsed on the floor of her studio apartment and prayed for a miracle. “That was the day I got sober”, she relates – and over 20 years later, her in-demand keynote lectures, regular spots on Oprah (who calls her a “next generation thought-leader”), and millions of Dear Gabby podcast downloads are testament to a life turned-around. Her speciality is self-love, abundance – and how to get it, through meditation, prayer, and self-affirmation: as a self-described ‘spirit junkie,’ her mantra is: “Happiness is a choice I make”. And, crucially, like Hot Chocolate, she Believes in Miracles. Her 40-day spiritual guidebook May Cause Miracles, a New York Times bestseller, was itself inspired by Helen Schucman’s classic 1976 text A Course in Miracles – dictated to Helen, word for word, she said, by Jesus Christ. Let’s be honest, you can’t get much more of a recommendation than that. 

Ali Catterall is an award-winning writer, journalist and filmmaker whose writing has featured in the Guardian, Time Out, GQ, Film4, Word magazine and the Big Issue, among many others. Ali is also the writer and director of the 2023 film Scala!!!

Further reading

The Seven Rules of Trust - the new book by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

Mary Portas lifts lid on the 90s rebrand of Harvey Nicks in her new book

Empire of AI by Karen Hao: A powerful, troubling exposé revealing tech giant OpenAI’s secretive rise