If you've spent any time in personal development circles, you've probably heard this claim: "Set a clear goal, and your Reticular Activating System will help you spot opportunities everywhere!"
It sounds compelling. It feels scientific. And it fuels what I call the Reticular Activating System myth, a story that's been repeated so often in self-help and coaching circles that it seems like truth. But neuroscience tells a different, more fascinating story.
While there's a grain of truth to it, the real story is far more interesting and empowering than the oversimplified version you've been told.
What the Reticular Activating System Myth Gets Wrong
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a primitive brainstem structure with a straightforward job: keeping you awake and alert. It helps regulate basic arousal states and determines which raw sensory input reaches your conscious awareness.
Yes, it filters information. But the Reticular Activating System myth exaggerates its role. The RAS doesn't understand your dreams, values, or aspirations. It's more like a basic security guard than a personal assistant.
The RAS cannot:
- Recognize meaningful opportunities
- Understand context or goals
- "Activate" your intentions into reality
Meet Your Brain's Real Opportunity Detector
When you set a meaningful goal and suddenly start noticing related patterns everywhere, the Reticular Activating System myth would say it’s your RAS at work. In reality, it’s your salience network.
This sophisticated brain system, centred in the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex, is what actually helps you:
- Detect emotionally relevant information in your environment
- Switch between internal focus (planning, visualizing) and external action
- Prioritize what matters based on personal significance
Think of it this way: when you're shopping for a red car, you suddenly notice red cars everywhere. The cars were always there, but your salience network now flags them as important because they align with something you care about.
Why the Reticular Activating System Myth Won't Die
If neuroscience has moved beyond this explanation, why does the Reticular Activating System myth persist?
- It's simple and "sciencey" - Brain terminology makes advice sound credible
- The experience feels real - People do notice more relevant opportunities after setting goals
- It's been recycled endlessly - Self-help books popularized this decades ago
- It supports magical thinking - Fits neatly with "manifestation" narratives
- Most coaches aren't neuroscientists - They're passing along outdated information
What "Manifestation" Really Looks Like
The late Dr. James Doty, neurosurgeon and author of Mind Magic, offered a grounded view of how goals become reality. It's not magic, it's the alignment of:
- Intention (what you care about)
- Emotion (what makes it feel important)
- Attention (what you notice)
- Action (what you do next)
This process involves multiple brain networks working together, with the salience network playing a starring role in helping you recognize what matters.
A Better Way to Think About It
Instead of repeating the Reticular Activating System myth: "Your RAS will help you manifest your goals."
Say this: "When you set a meaningful intention, your brain's salience network starts prioritizing emotionally relevant information, helping you notice patterns and possibilities that support your goal."
It's more accurate, grounded in science, and far more empowering.
The Bottom Line
Your brain is already wired for growth and change. You don't need mystical explanations or oversimplified shortcuts. Understanding how your attention system really works gives you genuine power to direct it more effectively.
The real magic? Your brain's incredible ability to rewire itself based on what you choose to focus on. That's neuroscience worth celebrating, not the Reticular Activating System myth.
References:
Doty, J. R. (2024). Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything. Avery. ISBN 978‑0593541142
Moruzzi, G., & Magoun, H. W. (1949). Brain stem reticular formation and activation of the EEG. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 1(1–4), 455–473.
Seeley, W. W., Menon, V., Schatzberg, A. F., et al. (2007). Dissociable intrinsic connectivity networks for salience processing and executive control. The Journal of Neuroscience, 27(9), 2349–2356.
Uddin, L. Q. (2015). Salience processing and insular cortical function and dysfunction. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(1), 55–61.
Photo by Birger Strahl on Unsplash