On self-motivation, just remember that you're real. You're part of reality. Therefore IM can certainly affect your level of motivation. If IM could not, then it wouldn't be IM.
Also, I notice that you're quite silent about my conference example.
But I also know that if you had to say something, you'd say "Oh, it's a coincidence."
If 50 people on this forum also gave you accounts of how IM had produced remarkable "coincidences" in their lives that led to greater joy, success, achievement, satisfaction etc etc -
you would still say, "Ah, they're all just coincidences."
Wouldn't you?
Your loss, Markus.