Can human belief and symbolism actually create meaning or influence reality?

I once saw someone say, "The meaning of life is what we give it." The idea was that we, as individuals, determine what life means to us through our own experiences, values, and perspectives.

That got me thinking about how much of human life is built around meanings that we have created.

Early humans gave names, symbols, and meanings to things, and over time many of those meanings became widely accepted. For example, flowers are not just flowers anymore. A rose is often associated with romance, certain flowers represent mourning or remembrance, and even wearing a flower in a certain way can symbolize whether someone is single or married.

These meanings are not necessarily physical properties of the objects themselves. They exist because humans collectively decided they represent something, and generations continued carrying those meanings forward.

So this made me wonder:

Can belief and symbolism actually create something beyond just a shared idea?

For example, people who practice witchcraft or spiritual rituals often use specific objects because of the meanings and energies they believe those objects hold. Some perform rituals or spells for things like love, wealth, protection, or success. If someone strongly believes in something, can that belief itself influence reality in some way?

Is it:

• The power of belief changing our actions and mindset?
• A psychological effect?
• Something spiritual happening?
• Or simply humans creating meaning and patterns where there were none before?

Do you think belief has the power to manifest things, or does it only change how we perceive and interact with the world?

I'd like to hear different perspectives, whether philosophical, scientific, cultural, or spiritual.