We asked ChatGPT to manifest our dream lives and the results were surprising

You wake early up to the sound of waves rolling against the shore of your beachside home. Following a large breakfast rustled up by your private chef, you get to work on your latest book. 

A couple of hours later, you log off, spending your afternoon planning your next far-flung trip with your devoted partner. You spend the evening at the beach, watching the sunset together, enjoying a large glass of wine and reflecting on how far you’ve come…

It sounds like a dream, right? But apparently this could be my life in ten years time — according to AI.

Welcome to the world of manifesting 2.0. By inputting a detailed account of my dream life into ChatGPT, the AI chatbot managed to weave the details into a convincing narrative — something I could genuinely see coming true.

And unlike old school manifestation, this latest version — which is garnering millions of posts on TikTok, not to mention X and Linkedin thanks to the hashtag #chatgptdreamlife — even offers step-by-step tips on how to get there. 

So, how does it work? It’s simple: tell ChatGPT what your dreams are, ask for a day in the life for your future self and then a step-by-step guide on how to make this happen. 

While sceptics might dismiss it, some have been left emotional by AI’s response, even tearfully claiming it’s ‘scary how impactful it is’.

Intrigued by the concept, Metro Lifestyle put it to the test.

We asked for: A day in the life of a 30-something successful writer living by the beach 

Jessica Hamilton, Lifestyle Writer at Metro, said: ‘In an ideal world, ten years from now, I’d be living by the beach in a stunning home, with a pool, thriving as a successful author. I wouldn’t have to worry about money or cooking, and I’d have travelled extensively — sharing it all with my girlfriend. 

‘How realistic this is is another story, but I asked ChatGPT anyway.’

The verdict?

‘Despite throwing ChatGPT some slightly outlandish prompts, I am surprised by how it manages to cling to some sense of realism. No version of my dream day involves waking up at 7am, let alone answering emails. 

‘However, the practical side of it makes the dream seem attainable, a clear vision of what my life could be, one that feels within reach — even if I did ask for a private chef.

‘The step-by-step plan feels slightly vague and could apply to and could be relevant to just about anyone. However, I can see how asking more specific questions could make it slightly more useful.’

We asked for: A day in the life of a 30-something mother and writer living in Oxford

Eleanor Noyce, Lifestyle Writer at Metro, said: ‘In 10 years time, I told ChatGPT I’d like to move to the Jericho area of Oxford and live in a nice colourful townhouse, I would like one daughter, I would like to have published at least one non-fiction book and be working on a fiction book and still working as a features journalist. I would also like to run a marathon.’

The verdict?

‘This is certainly very wholesome — and I love that my husband has stepped up to make me breakfast every morning to sweeten the early wake-up call. I certainly didn’t ask for a 6am alarm but I suppose if I’ve opted to have a daughter then I wouldn’t necessarily get the chance to have a little more shut-eye! And it somehow knew that I do love a chai latte, too.’

We asked for: A day in the life of an online food writer living in the city with a baby and a puppy

Courtney Pochin, Metro’s specialist food writer, said: ‘As I’m already 30, I didn’t exactly want to think ahead into my 40s just yet, so decided to focus on the not-so-distant future with my dream day in the life.

‘Within the next year, I’d like to grow my online presence as a food writer, achieve a promotion at work and travel to New York. In the next three to five years I’d like to have a baby with my husband (this will be via IVF), buy and create a beautiful home in the city and look at getting to a point where we can get a spaniel puppy.

‘I asked ChatGPT to write a day in the life of my dream future reality and to provide a realistic yet relatively succinct step-by-step plan to get there.’

The verdict?

‘While future me sounds like she’s crushing it at work, I’ve got one major issue with this whole thing — what kind of dream day involves going into the office?! If it were up to me, I’d be in New York instead.

‘But if we ignore that, what surprised me the most is that everything it came up with actually sounds pretty attainable.

‘Aside from the swanky house and the puppy, the description of the day-to-day stuff isn’t drastically different from my life as it is now — it’s just an overly romanticised and sparkly version of it. It definitely makes me feel like I’m on the right track with everything, which is nice.

‘I think the step-by-step plan has the potential to be useful, but at the moment some of the action points are a little too obvious/basic for my liking. I’d be tempted to go back to ChatGPT and hammer out a more in-depth version – for someone still figuring out what they want to do with their life, this could be a great starting point.’

Could ChatGPT help manifest our goals?

Simon Bain, AI expert and CEO of Omnilndex, an AI-based cybersecurity company, says AI can be an ‘engaging and thought-provoking sounding board to help users manifest their future selves’. 

He explains: ‘ChatGPT and similar tools work by regurgitating content they have been given to answer questions. As such, the more information a user provides the AI, the more accurate the portrayal will be. For example, if you tell the tool precisely what your dream future is and your current circumstances are, it will have a lot of useful information to use in its answers.

‘One of the biggest challenges people face in manifesting their dreams is not having a clear idea of what they are to begin with. ChatGPT can be a useful tool in helping users work this out as it can be told to ask you questions about your future life to help you narrow down the aspects that truly matter to you.’

Melissa Amos, spiritual psychotherapist and soul mentor, who uses manifestation techniques on clients, adds that AI can be helpful for those who want clarity or to articulate a possible future. ‘You can use it to ask questions, create a vision board or give multiple solutions,’ she explains. 

Should we be telling ChatGPT about our goals and aspirations?

While ChatGPT could help narrow down your future goals, and help you visualise a potential reality, the data you enter into an AI app is potentially not all private, with Simon urging users to be careful in how much information you share. 

He explains: ‘This is because sharing any PII (personally identifiable information) can lead to privacy breaches, identity theft and all other potential adverse outcomes of our privacy being broken. 

‘While ChatGPT has strengthened its privacy controls since initial breaches and the use of our data for training purposes, it is still an online tool, so we need to be careful with what information we share. After all, if you haven’t told your friends about your salary and debt troubles, why tell an AI tool?’

What are the downsides of using AI for manifestation?

It’s important to take AI’s suggestions with a grain of salt, according to Simon. He says: ‘While we may have prompted the AI to tell us we can achieve our dreams in 12 months, it doesn’t mean we should quit our jobs and rely on the first scratch card we buy being the golden ticket – even if that may technically be a possibility.’

Similarly, Melissa warns not to depend on AI tools, especially if it ‘suggests something that feels out of alignment, that takes you away from your vision or that harms any current relationships’. 

She explains: ‘Relying solely on AI will only seek to take you outside yourself and can lead to you trusting yourself less. And even worse, putting your life on hold until your dream manifests. 

‘Manifesting is meant to be a fun journey enhancing your life and connecting you with the abundance of possibilities that are available – and aligned to you. If you feel any of those tools are getting in the way of that. Stop and go within.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.