>> Hi.

I'm Lewis Howes, New York Times best-selling author and entrepreneur.

And welcome to "The School of Greatness," where we interview the most influential minds in the world to inspire you to live your best life today.

And in this episode, neuroscientist and expert in manifestation Dr.

Tara Swart brings a unique blend of science and spirituality to the table.

We'll dive into the science of manifestation, exploring how neuroplasticity allows us to rewire our brains to achieve our dreams.

Dr.

Swart will break down the practical steps that you can take to manifest your goals, discuss the critical role of belief and self-worth, and reveal how gratitude can transform your brain's chemistry.

I'm so glad you're here today.

Now let's dive in and let the class begin.

[ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ If you had to break down the science of manifestation in the simplest terms, with a few steps on how people could start to apply it to their life.

As a neuroscientist, what would you say that would be?

>> Okay.

So, thank you for the lovely things that you've said about me.

And one of the things I really pride myself on is making complex subjects simple and accessible.

>> Yes.

>> Because I genuinely think what is the point of knowing anything if you can't help somebody to understand it and use it where it's gonna make a really big difference to their life?

And I actually received a similar compliment on Instagram today.

And I don't always write back.

I don't always have time to write back.

But I said, "That is the best compliment.

Thank you."

So, I'd like to approach this in a few ways.

The practical... road to manifestation, which is based on neuroplasticity because of my background -- And that means the ability of your brain to change and grow and therefore your ability to think differently, manage your emotions differently, act differently in the material world.

So based on that, manifestation is really just setting a goal or choosing an outcome and taking the actions that you have to, to make that come true.

It's as simple as that.

But the neuroscience process starts with raised awareness.

So, you know, if your life hasn't panned out exactly like you always dreamed it would, or you find yourself stuck, or you find yourself repeatedly making the same kind of mistake, then you need to understand why, because you can't change it if you don't understand why you're not achieving the things you want, or, you know, what's holding you back, what's a barrier, what's an obstacle... and indeed what you could do differently.

So once you think, "Okay.

This is not working for me.

This is how I would rather my life should be."

>> "This is my vision.

This is my dream, my goal.

This is the outcome that I want."

>> Yeah.

It's not immediately a case of doing something.

>> Really?

It's not about taking action right away?

>> Not right away.

And well, I will, like, you know, use you as an example of all the mental rehearsal that you did when you were doing the decathlon.

>> Yes.

>> You know, you know what you want to achieve with that decathlon, let's say with the pole vaulting.

Then you spend all those hours just, like, playing it over in your head.

Then you actually go out and do the practice pole vaulting, and then you compete.

So it's kind of like that.

>> So it's mental rehearsal, visualization, then the physical practice, then the moment.

>> Yeah.

And that makes sense for sport, right?

And I wanted to use something tangible so that people could get it.

But when it might be something more to do with "I want to manage to regulate my emotions better," or, "I want to stop, you know, choosing the same kind of guy, where the relationship always ends up badly," then, because it's a bit less tangible, the process that I've laid out is start with raised awareness, and then a phase of being, not doing, which is focused attention, which is just notice when you fall back into old habits or notice... either the thought patterns or the behaviors that have, you know, been repeated over time and led to the same outcome that you don't want.

Once you've gathered some data -- because, you know, you have that awareness piece, but then you do kind of want to test, "Is this really true?"

Like, you know, "Is that bad, or will it change if I do something differently?"

Then you do the deliberate practice.

So that is going out, dating, applying for jobs or, you know, looking into starting up your own business, maybe changing some health habits.

You actually then do them and see, like, what changes.

So do you sleep better, or do you meet different types of people?

Does your network increase?

That kind of thing.

And the last part isn't so much a stage, but it's accountability.

Because as we both know, people set a lot of, you know, good intentions and then don't always achieve them.

So it's either that you can achieve that yourself -- Like, I'm really loving this app at the moment called HabitShare.

And I've got 12 micro habits on it, and I have to, like, tick them off every day.

And I find that if I do that and I focus on three for each quarter of the year, then by the end of the year, I'll have at least 10 habits that I don't even think twice about anymore.

>> Wow, yeah.

What are three of the most important habits you're focusing on right now?

>> Eating more protein, doing more weight-bearing exercise.

And... They're all so good.

I'm just trying to pick one.

I think one I'm really into at the moment is, like, listening to chanting or doing a mantra or, you know, doing tapping or, like, a hypnosis audio.

If I do one of those each day, I am quite pleased with myself.

>> What is the ultimate mantra to start manifesting more of what you want?

And do you need to believe you're worthy of manifesting first before you can achieve it?

>> Yeah, so, I'll pick up on that second point 'cause it's a really important factor in why people don't achieve the things they say they want -- because deep down they don't believe.

>> Yeah.

And if you bypass the belief, can you still manifest?

>> I don't think so.

Or not as well.

Let's put it that way.

So, I'll give you an example of visualization and vision boards.

So, you know I call vision boards action boards.

>> Action boards.

I love that.

>> And that's to do with you going out into the real world and, you know, doing the actions that will bring your goals nearer to you, not just sitting at home and fantasizing about things.

But I have come across quite a few people who say, "I've been through the magazines.

I've cut out the pictures.

I know exactly what I want.

I can't bring myself to glue them onto the board."

>> Why?

>> Well, the first time someone said that, I challenged them really strongly, and I said, "I think that's 'cause you don't believe you deserve them."

So we had a whole conversation about that, and it turned out to be true.

So a couple of times, again, when I've heard people say that or I check more now, I'm like, "Have you actually stuck them down and put it somewhere prominent?"

Because they're putting it somewhere prominent is a risk, as well.

I don't know if you recall that my first one was in the bathroom of my apartment.

And I was in a one-bedroom -- well, I was in a studio apartment at the time, so -- >> You see it every moment.

Yeah.

>> But, also, anyone that came to my house could see it.

>> Wow.

>> You know, it's slightly uncomfortable, particularly in Britain, to be putting "This is how much money I want to earn," right?

>> Right.

This is the house I want, the dreams, the relationship.

>> Exactly.

>> The status.

All of it.

Yeah.

>> But I said to myself -- You know, obviously, only my, like, close friends were coming to my apartment.

If you can't even show it to them, how can you tell yourself that that's what you really want and that you're gonna go out into the world and say, "This is what I want."

And what was really lovely was actually my best friend's husband came over once, and he obviously looked at it when he was in the bathroom.

And he said, "Oh, actually, I've got someone I could introduce you to about, you know, one of the things."

So it already helped me that I let other people see it.

>> Yeah.

I've heard different research of, like, don't tell anyone your goals, because when you tell someone, you get a false sense of accomplishment of, like, excitement and joy that it's like... So you don't actually have to go make it happen, because you're talking about it.

And then I've seen the other side where it's like, "Let people know about your goals so that they can support you in accomplishing them.

>> Yeah.

I mean, I think letting people know so they can support you is one thing, but talking about it does not necessarily mean that you don't have to go and do something.

You can talk about it and go and do something.

>> Yes.

>> And because the brain doesn't like uncertainty, you may have some fear around actually grasping opportunities that are related to the things that you want.

But if you've done the visualization, if you've talked about it, if you've felt in all your senses what it feels like for it to be true, and you've given gratitude for that, you have set your brain up to be in the love, trust end of the emotional spectrum, with oxytocin flowing around your blood, making you much more willing to take a healthy risk, to collaborate, think outside of the box, and reducing, because it's kind of a seesaw effect, the cortisol, the stress hormone that will drive your amygdala and hippocampus, the emotional and memory centers of your brain... in fear or stress.

What happens is that your brain will bring to the front of your mind every single time you ask that girl out and she said no.

And it will say, "Don't.

Don't go and ask anyone out, because you remember what happened when you were that geeky teenager."

>> You got rejected.

>> Yeah, exactly.

So we have to really set our brains up to override that, 'cause that's kind of a survival safety mechanism.

So gratitude moves us from cortisol to oxytocin.

And talking passionately about what you want moves you from cortisol to oxytocin.

Yeah.

>> Is there ever too much gratitude someone can express, where it actually hurts you or doesn't benefit you?

>> I don't think so.

I mean [laughs] can you give me an example of that?

I mean, I feel like it's one of those things that is just always good for you, isn't it?

>> Well, yeah.

That's why I'm asking is 'cause I feel like I'm incorporating gratitude throughout my entire day, from the moment I wake up to after activities to when I see people that I'm talking to or in person.

I'm expressing it, feeling it.

When people say, "How's your day?

", I say, "I'm very grateful."

I'm just constantly trying to focus on that emotional state, because I know the more gratitude that I focus on, the more abundance comes my way.

I truly believe that gratitude is the gateway to abundance.

>> Totally.

>> It's the gateway to peace, to health, to freedom, emotional freedom.

And it creates a lot of perspective.

If I'm not grateful, it means something's lacking.

It means something's off.

It means something's negative.

Or it's neutral, which I guess is fine, too.

And so it doesn't mean I should bypass spiritually when something is broken or when something is off or I'm being emotionally triggered or abused or a boundary is being crossed.

You don't just say, "Oh, la di da, everything's okay."

>> Yeah.

>> But it is reflecting on those painful moments and saying, "Oh, those were challenging and hard moments, but I'm grateful for the lessons and the wisdom now."

So it's finding the meaning in the mess, as well.

>> I was going to say exactly.

the same thing.

So I think -- I was going to use the term spiritual bypass, as well.

If something very bad or difficult is happening in this moment, if you are suffering in this moment, of course we are not expecting people to say, "I'm grateful that I'm in emotional pain or loss."

But it is about... getting to the point where you can say, "What did I learn from that?"

>> Yes.

>> And one of the things I've started doing recently -- I've had a gratitude practice for a long time -- is when I've been feeling particularly low and thinking, "I don't know what I can do now to, like... deal with these emotions," I think, "Okay.

What are 10 things I'm grateful for?"

And that really helps.

So it doesn't have to be about the difficult situation itself.

>> Yeah.

I'm not grateful for this pain that I'm going through, but I'm grateful for my dog.

I'm grateful for my parents.

I'm grateful for something else in your life.

>> I mean, to be honest, sometimes it's just I'm grateful to be alive and I'm grateful that my health is in good shape.

Because that's such a -- you know, if you've got those two things, people that don't have those two things would want that so, so much.

>> Would give anything for their health.

>> Exactly.

>> Right, yeah.

I'm curious, are there any secrets?

'Cause I feel like you study the secrets of neuroscience and the secrets of the universe and spirituality.

You kind of blend them all, which I think is powerful with your book, especially "The Source."

Are there any secrets of neuroscience or the universe aren't taking advantage of enough that they could be?

>> This is a very interesting question with potentially a massive, like, you know, array of answers.

Some of the research that I've been looking at recently through my academic position at MIT is about smell.

>> Mm.

>> And so I feel like it's one of the most underrated senses.

But the pandemic kind of made people realize actually when you lose it, it's noticeable.

You know, you kind of take it for granted, but then if you don't have it, it's really noticeable.

And smell, or olfaction, as it's called in neuroscience, is really special because of our five senses, the other four -- So, for example the optic nerve has to travel from here all the way around your skull to the occipital lobe, 'cause our visual cortexes are here.

>> Interesting.

>> Yeah.

But the olfactory bulb, which comes out to the top of our nose, the nerve only goes back about an inch to go to -- It goes through this, like, netting area at the top of our nose called the epithelial cells, or the epithelium.

And then right behind that are the amygdala and hippocampus.

And that's why smell is the most emotive sense that we have.

So if I ask you what smell most strongly evokes a childhood memory for you, what would you say?

>> Oh, man.

Let me think.

Um... I'm thinking of, like... hot chocolate, cookies baking.

I'm thinking of, like, you know, Christmastime, something like that.

>> Yeah.

>> Like pumpkin pie.

Some type of smell like that.

>> Very warm, homely smells.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> And did they remind you of your parents' home or your grandparents' home?

>> My parents' home.

Yeah, my parents' home.

>> So, they say when you smell something that reminds you of your parents' or grandparents' home, you get what's called an avalanche of memory, because there's so much going on in those formative years, you know, and you are learning about the world through your relationship with your primary caregivers.

And so smells that take you back to that time actually, like, release a whole torrent of memory.

>> That's interesting.

And so I guess if you had a traumatic experience growing up around those smells, then that smell could re-create trauma within your nervous system, as well, or it could re-create a nostalgic, loving, homey feeling based on the memory.

Correct?

>> Absolutely correct.

And, so, one of the reasons that kids who got carsick when they had family holidays, road trips usually hate the smell of petrol or diesel or what you call gasoline.

>> Interesting.

Wow.

So it reminds them of that sickness?

>> 'Cause they felt -- Yeah.

>> Wow.

That's fascinating.

>> So, I'm one of those.

I really dislike the smell, because I would get carsick, you know, on those little -- I love a road trip, but I hate that smell.

>> Interesting.

>> Yeah.

>> You got to go electric, then.

You got to get the electric car.

>> Yeah.

I'll have to.

>> So what is it about smell, then, that we should be thinking about and how we can use it as a superpower for our life?

>> So, there are people who are super smellers.

And the professor that I was talking to actually said he thinks I'm one of them, which is really interesting.

>> What is a super smeller?

'Cause I feel like I have a very sensitive nose.

>> Do you?

>> I feel like I do.

Like, I notice smells all the time.

>> Okay.

That's quite unusual, because way more women are super smellers than men.

>> I think a part of it was... I don't know, nurture, because my dad used to smell everything.

So maybe I started picking that up as a kid and being like, "Oh, let me smell everything that I'm, like, drinking or eating."

Or just when I enter a room, I just kind of emulated what he did, I guess.

So I don't know if that's nurture as well as nature, I guess, so -- >> I mean, that's neuroplasticity, right?

So maybe you wouldn't have been such a super smeller if you hadn't learned that as a child.

>> Exactly.

>> So, interestingly, olfactory enrichment is beneficial to your brain, and that means smelling lots of different things like you do.

>> Really?

>> Yeah, it helps to improve memory and cognition as we age.

So it's actually implicated in dementia research now.

>> Okay.

So how does someone develop the -- what do you call it, a super smeller or a -- >> Yeah.

They call it a super smeller, but it may not necessarily get you there.

But in your house if you have flowers or, you know, scented candles, but obviously ones with natural waxes and essential oils rather than false perfumes.

>> Yes.

>> Diffusers.

Maybe in your bathroom you have a lot of, like, you know, products that smell nice, as well.

The more you expose yourself to different smells throughout the day, you're enriching the olfactory senses in that part of your brain.

And because they're so close to your memory centers, it's actually inducing neuroplasticity in that area and improving your memory.

>> Now, how does smell... support you or hurt you when you're trying to enter new relationships... >> [ Laughs ] >> ...either romantically, career, business, you know, friends.

How does smell... How is it incorporated in relationships?

>> Brilliant question.

So, we're very visual.

So I would say that that's probably the top one in terms of attraction, or even if it's not sexual attraction, if it's in a team at work, then kind of knowing who your tribe is, is primarily visual.

Also, secondly, I would say we're auditory.

So if you like someone's voice or accent, that can have quite a strong impact on you, as well.

>> Is that why I like being around you?

>> [ Laughs ] My friend Lily actually sent me a voice note saying, "Tara, darling, I'm listening to you on a podcast, and your voice is, like, up there with David Attenborough.

It's so relaxing."

So that's a huge compliment.

But thank you, yes.

>> Yeah, yeah.

I'm just gonna text you, "Please send me a voice note today.

Tell me something positive."

You know?

>> I'll send you an affirmation every day.

>> There we go.

Yeah.

>> And I think, third, we come to smell because... Because -- [ Both laughing ] I was just thinking about taste and touch.

You're obviously not gonna go there.

You smell the person, right?

So think about it like this.

Let's say there was... Oh, let's keep it real.

Let's say there was a very famous, beautiful actress that you were super attracted to.

And then -- And this is not about Martha.

>> [ Laughs ] >> But then you met her and she had really bad breath.

>> Oh, interesting.

>> That would put you off, right?

>> Yeah.

>> So it's more of a detractor than particularly a primary attractor.

You know, you're not going to choose someone 'cause they smell really nice if you don't like what they look like, probably.

>> Right, right, right.

But if they look good, but they don't smell pleasing to your nose -- >> Yeah.

>> Then it's gonna push you away from them.

>> Possibly.

And there's a scientific explanation for that which is called the major histocompatibility complex.

And that is actually the, like imprint of our immune system.

And non-consciously, we can smell that in a potential partner.

>> So if someone has a bad smell or if they have a smell of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm... do we attract that if we're also overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious, or do we repel that and want someone else who has a smell of peace and a healthy immune system?

>> Well, I just want to be really, like -- I want to stay very -- I love this analogy, but in terms of the science, we're not necessarily smelling those words that you've used.

>> Sure, sure.

>> With the stress thing, I think we talked about this last time that cortisol is contagious.

So you would be impacted by the cortisol having a physiological impact on your stress levels.

>> From someone else.

>> Yeah.

>> So you can smell the stress on someone.

>> No.

I want to separate those things.

So, the stress hormone leaks out around us, and it affects each other's blood levels of the stress hormone.

>> Wow.

>> I wouldn't say that -- We can't say scientifically at the moment that you're actually smelling that, but it's having an impact on your blood levels.

The smell thing is more to do with the immune system.

And so what's super interesting is that we're more likely to be attracted to people who have a very different immune-system pattern to us because of the benefit on potential children of having a much broader immune system.

Also, the people that you live with, you actually start to, like, give each other immune cells.

So usually it goes from the person with the healthiest microbiome to downwards, basically.

And that's because you are either, like, sleeping next to them in bed, you're sharing the same crockery and cutlery, you're sharing the same bathroom, you're kissing, you're having sex.

So there's a lot of exchange of, you know, bodily fluids.

>> Yes.

>> And in that is, you know, the gut microbiome, the bacteria, as well.

>> Uh-huh.

Wow.

So... are we more attracted to people with different immune systems then through our sense of smell?

Is that what it is?

Like, if they have a diverse immune system from us, we will find that more attractive?

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Really?

>> Mm-hmm.

>> That's interesting.

So how do we know if someone has a diverse immune system outside of smell, if we don't have that ability to smell?

>> Well, it's not conscious.

So you're not kind of like saying, "I can smell that you've got a different immune system."

You're just, like, loving the smell of this person.

>> Interesting.

Is that pheromones, or what is that?

Is that like a -- >> Yeah, I guess.

>> Is that hormones?

>> Pheromones, hormones, everything that's, you know, leaking out of the sweat.

>> That's interesting.

>> Yeah.

>> And I sweat a lot, so I'm glad Martha likes me.

>> Yeah.

[ Both laugh ] >> Oh, I hope it smells good.

>> [ Laughs ] As long as it smells good to her.

>> Yeah that's all that matters.

Right?

Yeah, exactly.

What else should we know about smell in relationships?

Is there anything else we should know about this?

>> In relationships, I wouldn't say that there's that much more.

But just bringing it back around to this super-smeller thing, do you know about medical-detection dogs that can detect cancer?

>> I've heard of this.

>> Both: Yeah.

>> So, the research that I'm, you know, very interested in, the reason I was having this discussion with this guy, is that he has actually made a simulated nose that can detect cancer to the same level as -- Yeah.

>> Wow.

>> It's amazing.

>> That's fascinating.

>> I know.

And, also, in nursing homes where they have cats and dogs, you know, just to, like, give people company and comfort, they go and sit outside the doors of people that are about to die in the next few days.

Because when we're dying, our organs start to die off in a certain order, and that lysis of cells, cell death, otherwise known as apoptosis or... lysis... they can smell that, 'cause obviously they're down on the ground.

They've got a lot more smell receptors than us.

Because in the animal kingdom, they're not finding their partner attractive because of visuals.

They're doing it more on smell.

>> Interesting.

>> Yeah.

>> Wow.

So what?

Cats and dogs will sit outside of a nursing home of, like, the door of someone who's about to pass?

>> Yeah.

>> Really?

>> Even if it's not yet known by the medical staff that that person is -- >> They just do this intuitively?

>> Through smell.

>> But why do they -- Are they trained to do this, or they just kind of do this because they want to bring comfort to that person or... >> So the medical-detection dogs are obviously trained to detect cancers.

But what we see in nursing homes is there's no training involved.

It's just because they can smell it, they go and sit.

Yeah, they go and sit there.

They want to offer comfort.

Maybe they want to signal to the staff that this is something that's happening.

>> That is fascinating.

>> I know.

>> Wow.

>> So what I think is in terms of us being able to expand our consciousness is that if there are biological models -- and by that I mean cats and dogs that can smell death, or bats that can hear things that we can't hear.

dolphins, you know, flies that can see things that we can't see -- If there are biological models that can do that, is it possible that we can do more of that?

>> That's interesting.

>> And then beauty is a big one for me since I'm researching the neuroaesthetic stuff.

So just, you know, seeing beautiful things, smelling the flowers, you know, appreciating the beauty in everyone.

>> We hope you enjoyed this episode and found it valuable.

Stay tuned for more from "The School of Greatness," coming soon on public television.

Again, I'm Lewis Howes, and if no one has told you lately, I want to remind you that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter.

Now it's time to go out there and do something great.

If you'd like to continue on the journey of greatness with me, please check out my website, lewishowes.com, where you'll find over 1,000 episodes of "The School of Greatness" show, as well as tools and resources to support you in living your best life.

>> The online course Find Your Greatness is available for $19.

Drawn from the lessons Lewis Howes shares in "The School of Greatness," this interactive course will guide you through a step-by-step process to discover your strengths, connect to your passion and purpose, and help create your own blueprint for greatness.

To order, go to lewishowes.com/tv.

♪♪ ♪♪