Experts Explain What The Spiritual Law Of Detachment Is + How To Use It

If you've ever tried to reach a goal and found yourself struggling to attain it, you probably wondered what you could have done differently. Enter: the Law of Detachment. While relatively straightforward in theory, it can be a tough law to follow—but well worth the effort.

The Law of Detachment states that in order to manifest our desires, we must release attachment to the outcome itself as well as the path we might take to get there.

As spiritual author Shannon Kaiser explains to mbg, the Law of Detachment is a universal spiritual principle that guides many faiths (i.e., Taoism, Jainism, and Buddhism) and comes down to separating yourself and your emotions from your goals.

From a psychological perspective, neuroscientist and author of The Source Tara Swart, Ph.D., adds that "it takes time to build and strengthen neural pathways until you are ready for a new behavior, relationship, or job." And so, we don't want to get caught up in timelines, overthinking, and doubts. "The spiritual Law of Detachment is about trust and surrender rather than control," Swart notes.

As Swart tells mbg, when it comes to working with the Law of Detachment in your professional life, it's all about patience and effort, without attachment to the next step in your career.

It's easy to get swept up in the romance of a first (or even second or third) date, but the Law of Detachment encourages us to take things one step at a time.

As Kaiser explains, "When going on a date, instead of projecting or anticipating is 'this the one,' pivot your attention to the now."

In love, working with the Law of Detachment isn't about "jumping into any relationship just because you don't want to be lonely or the last single person in your friendship group," Swart says, but rather trusting that the more you work on your own personal development, the more whole a partner and relationship you will find.

Stressing about finances can wind up further putting us in a scarcity mindset where we subconsciously repel abundance.

In our interpersonal relationships, both romantic and non, releasing the need to control (and especially to control others) leaves more room for genuine connection and understanding.

Kaiser suggests practicing accepting your partner (or friends, or family) and their habits as they are—instead of how you think they should be.

When it comes to general goal setting, Kaiser breaks down how to work with this law saying, "When focusing on what you want, you can energetically strangle the outcome, [but] the moment we detach from how we want an outcome to turn out is when the universe can start getting to work."

So, what do you do when doubt starts creeping in when things are taking longer than you'd hoped? According to Kaiser, that's your cue to get more comfortable in the unknown. 

According to the Law of Detachment, she explains, wisdom can be found during times of uncertainty. "The more we can trust the space between where we are and where we think we should be, the easier life will be." And that means resisting getting triggered by every little challenge or upset, she adds.

"Take the time to develop a higher state of awareness and you can become aware of the origin of negative emotions and begin to detach from them," she recommends.

The Law of Detachment isn't about not being involved in the world around you or giving up on your goals. Instead, it involves surrendering some control and developing a deeper trust in the universe.