Who is Mike Dooley? 👨‍🦲

 

New York Times best selling author Mike Dooley is a metaphysical teacher and creator of the widely popular ‘Notes from the Universe’. His books have been published worldwide in 27 languages and include The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You, A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe, and Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams.

He was one of the featured teachers in the international phenomenon ‘The Secret‘ and is the founder of TUT’s philosophical Adventurers Club that’s now home to over 1,200,000 online members. Mike lives what he teaches on manifesting change, inspiring audiences the world over, so far in 156 cities, 34 countries, on 6 continents.

He often talks about how he was at a real low point in life and felt everything was going against him. Also that this mindset was acting as a self fulfilled prophecy making things worse. This is an example of how the law of attraction works both ways (i.e. if you think positively, more positivity will come, if you think negatively, more negativity will come). He jokes about this now and makes light of it, but advocates that if he was able to change his mindset, fortunes, achievements, and whole life around, then anyone can. This gives his followers strong motivation and self belief to achieve the things that they want.

Mike Dooley created a ‘Matrix Chart’ as part of a central component of his program ‘Playing the Matrix’, designed to help individuals manifest their dreams and create fulfilling lives. This chart serves as a visual tool to guide users in focusing on desired end results without becoming overly attached to specific details or “cursed hows” (the limiting beliefs about how goals must be achieved). The Matrix Chart encourages clarity in purpose and desire, helping to avoid contradictions and self-sabotage. It emphasizes the importance of fuelling dreams with passion while maintaining flexibility regarding the paths to their realization. Here is Mike Dooley’s ‘Matrix Chart’:

By utilizing this chart, individuals can better understand the mechanics of manifestation, aligning their thoughts and actions to effectively create the life they envision. This approach has been shared in workshops worldwide and is detailed in Dooley’s book, ‘Playing the Matrix‘.

 

Mike Dooley Quotes 🗣️

 

He has many famous quotes, some favorites from his books are listed below:

“Thoughts become things, choose the good ones!”

“There are only 3 things that can make your dreams come true: your thoughts, your words, and your actions.”

“The one thing all famous authors, world class athletes, business tycoons, singers, actors, and celebrated achievers in any field have in common is that they all began their journeys when they were none of these things.”

“Pretending is the fastest way to believing, and believing is the fastest way to receiving.”

“Most of the time you don’t know how close a dream is to coming true, until after it has.”

“In the beginning, the price of giving great love is risking that it won’t be returned. Until you understand, of course, that great love is always returned. With interest.”

“In all tests of character, when two viewpoints are pitted against one another, in the final analysis the thing that will strike you the most, is not who was right or wrong, strong or weak, wise or foolish…. but who would go to the greatest lengths in considering the other’s perspective.”

“Step number one for changing the world is falling in love with it as it already is. The same is true for changing yourself.”

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Mike Dooley’s Books and Videos 📚

 

Mike Dooley has a number of publications, including the highly acclaimed ‘The Complete Notes from the Universe‘, ‘Playing the Matrix‘ and ‘The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU: Answers to Inspire the Adventure of Your Life‘. You can check out some of his videos below, including his 2 hour ‘crash course’ based around his book ‘Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living your Dreams’ (at the bottom).

Video 1 – How 5th Dimensional Manifestation Really Works! (Mike Dooley)

This interview with Mike Dooley is essentially a deep dive into his philosophy of manifestation, often framed as “5th-dimensional” awareness or reality creation through thought and feeling.

He argues that reality is shaped from the “inside out”; our thoughts, beliefs, and emotional states create the experiences we later perceive in the physical world (the Law of Attraction). Because of this, he encourages people to stop relying solely on physical senses (since they only reflect current conditions) and instead consciously design an inner world aligned with desired outcomes. This includes imagining the life you want as already real, speaking (affirmations) and feeling from that state (“I am abundant”, “life flows easily”), and practicing it consistently until external reality begins to shift.

A major theme is his belief that “thoughts become things”, which he popularized through his work and later through his newsletter ‘Notes from the Universe’. He describes how his teachings emerged from a difficult personal period in the late 1990s, when he lost business stability and relationships. During that time, he began writing motivational messages (which eventually became his daily emails) that emphasized imagination, trust in the universe, and alignment with positive expectation.

He also connects his ideas to broader spiritual and metaphysical concepts like unity consciousness, higher selves, and guidance, suggesting that humans are multidimensional beings temporarily focused in physical reality (linking to teachings from ancient texts, as well as lessons learned from DMT and near death experiences). From this perspective, intuition and inspiration are forms of “channeling” higher awareness.

The interview links his ideas to mainstream pop-spirituality, including the influence of ‘The Secret‘, which helped bring manifestation and the Law of Attraction into global awareness. However, he adds nuance by stressing that visualization alone is not enough, action matters too. He repeatedly emphasizes taking small, practical steps in the physical world while maintaining an inner sense of alignment.

Overall, his message is:

• Your internal state shapes external reality.
• Assume the feeling of your desired life now (Law of Assumption).
• Take inspired action, even in small steps.
• Difficult life periods can be “redirects,” not failures.
• Helping others and serving life helps shift your own momentum.

The core takeaway is a blend of spirituality and practical encouragement; change your thinking and emotional alignment first, and your life circumstances will reorganize to match it.

Video 2 – You Live Your Life Behind Bars

In this video, Mike Dooley is speaking in a highly philosophical, metaphorical style about what he calls “truth”, “illusion”, and spiritual awakening.

He begins with the idea that life is essentially perfect, “like the Garden of Eden”, but humans don’t recognize it because they are constantly resisting reality and trying to force outcomes. In his view, the physical world already contains everything we need, but we misinterpret it through struggle, fear, and misunderstanding.

A central theme is that reality is shaped by perception. He argues that we live “behind bars” created by our own beliefs and assumptions. These mental limitations make life feel difficult, even though (in his view) life is fundamentally infinite possibility and “automatic miracles”.

He retells the story of Adam and Eve as a metaphor; the “fall from grace” is not a punishment, but the moment humans became so immersed in physical experience that they forgot it is an illusion-like projection of consciousness (linking to teachings of ancient texts and Simulation Theory/the Holographic Universe). Once we started treating the world as separate from ourselves (something to compete with or survive) we entered the experience of struggle, duality, and fear.

From this perspective, suffering comes from forgetting that life is a unified creation and that we are “God expressing itself” in physical form. The purpose of life, then, is not to escape the world, but to wake up within it; to recognize that we are always in a state of creative power.

He repeatedly emphasizes:

• Everything is ultimately “illusion-like” and shaped by perception.
• Problems exist to reveal unseen understanding, not as fixed obstacles.
• The “truth” is that we are unlimited and connected to a creative source.
• Shifting awareness changes experience and outcomes (linking to the Law of Attraction).

He also reframes spiritual enlightenment as something practical and life-affirming, not withdrawal from the world. In his view, enlightenment is not about leaving life behind, but engaging with it more joyfully, abundantly, and consciously; improving health, relationships, creativity, and prosperity.

A recurring idea is that challenges are invitations; when something feels wrong, it simply means there is something you are not yet seeing clearly. By asking “What am I not seeing?” instead of “What do I believe I should do?”, a person can shift perception and resolve problems more easily.

He concludes with a practical exercise; take a personal problem and reinterpret it not as a blockage, but as a clue pointing to a deeper truth. By shifting perception and behavior, the “problem” dissolves and new opportunities appear.

In summary, reality is a projection of consciousness, problems are misperceptions, and awakening comes from shifting awareness rather than struggling against life.

Video 3 – Infinite Possibilities: FREE Crash Course, with +20,000 attendees

In this crash course, Mike Dooley teaches the core principles of his “Infinite Possibilities” philosophy and how to apply them in daily life. Life is shaped from the inside out; thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions influence what we experience externally, even if the process is gradual and not always obvious in real time.

1. Reality reflects consciousness

• Your outer world mirrors your inner beliefs (linking to the Law of Correspondence in the Hermetic Principles of the Universe; “As within, so without” and the Law of Assumption).
• If something isn’t changing, it doesn’t necessarily mean nothing is happening, it may be unfolding elsewhere or at a different pace.

2. Don’t overinterpret results

• If progress appears in one area but not another, don’t assume something is “wrong” with you.
• Avoid concluding “I must have a limiting belief here”.
• This kind of interpretation often creates unnecessary self-judgment.

3. Keep going instead of analyzing

• The advice is consistent; don’t overthink it, keep practicing.
• “Baby steps”, affirmations, and visualization all accumulate momentum over time.

4. Visualization should feel good, not rigid

• There is no “correct” method.
• You can focus on one goal or multiple areas.
• The key is emotional alignment (joy, excitement, ease), not technical precision.

5. Happiness is the ultimate goal

• Rather than obsessing over specific outcomes, aim for a general state of happiness.
• Happiness already implies that many areas of life (money, health, relationships etc.) are working well.

6. Details are flexible

• You can visualize specifics, but don’t cling to them.
• The “how” and exact form may differ from what you imagined.

7. Action matters

• Visualization alone isn’t enough.
• You must take “baby steps” in real life, even if small or imperfect.

8. Relationships and outcomes cannot be forced

• You cannot control other people’s choices.
• If something doesn’t work out, something better may replace it.

In summary, stay emotionally aligned (especially in happiness), take consistent small actions, and avoid overanalyzing why certain results haven’t appeared yet.

Video 4 – Q&A with Mike Dooley, Creator of Notes from the Universe

This video is essentially Mike Dooley answering audience questions about manifestation, goals, and progress. Some of the key insights shared are listed below.

1. Don’t overanalyze lack of results

• If something isn’t manifesting:
  • Don’t assume you’re “doing something wrong”.
  • Don’t assume hidden blocks or lessons.
  • Don’t assume it’s a spiritual failure.
• Instead keep going, stay positive, and trust timing.

2. Progress is uneven and normal

• Some areas improve faster than others.
• This is not meaningful evidence of failure.
• Avoid comparing areas or drawing conclusions.

3. Focus on big-picture goals, not micro-goals.

• Big-picture goals – Happiness, financial abundance, health/vitality, good relationships, and fulfilling livelihood.
• Avoid over-focusing on – Specific people, exact job titles, precise outcomes, or “This exact person must behave this exact way” because:
  • Specifics can limit outcomes.
  • You may block better possibilities.

4. Happiness is the “master goal”

• If you focus on happiness, everything else aligns naturally.
• Happiness implies abundance in other life areas.
• You don’t need to micromanage every category.

5. Visualization should be flexible and enjoyable

• You can visualize one area or many.
• You can rotate focus.
• You don’t need to do it “perfectly”.
• Even imperfect visualization works if it feels good.

6. Baby steps and action are essential

• You must still take real-world steps.
• Action signals engagement with life.
• Momentum builds over time.

7. Don’t attach meaning to “signs”

• He warns against overinterpreting events as cosmic signs.
• Feelings and intuition matter more than external messages.
• Clarity comes gradually, not through dramatic signs.

8. If feeling overwhelmed, simplify

• Pick a direction and move.
• You can always adjust later.
• Action itself creates clarity.

9. Failure is often reinterpreted success

• What feels like failure may actually be redirection.
• Progress often looks messy in real time.
• You only understand it later.

10. Relationships & control of others

• You cannot control or manifest specific behavior from others.
• If alignment isn’t mutual, something else will come in.

11. Mental health/low mood

• Some people face real emotional or medical challenges.
• Use both practical help (therapy, support etc.) and mindset tools.
• Even small positive practices can help over time.

12. Business/career manifestation

• Keep overall intention (success, fulfillment, abundance).
• Be flexible about the path.
• Don’t cling to a single route (job title, company etc.).

You can read more on Mike Dooley via his category here and on Mike Dooley’s website here.