In Neville Goddard’s interpretation of scripture, names are never arbitrary. They function as psychological markers, revealing the states of consciousness at play in the soul’s journey of awakening. Two recurring syllables—“El” and “Bal”—stand out in this symbolic narrative, encoding either the alignment with divine power or the entanglement in illusion and misbelief.
“El”: The Seal of Divine Awareness
The suffix or inclusion of “El” in biblical names points to Elohim—the creative power of God, which Neville taught is none other than your own imagination. When a name includes “El,” it signals a state of consciousness in harmony with divine authority, spiritual clarity, or inner strength.
In this understanding, names such as:
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Israel — “He who rules as God”
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Emmanuel — “God with us”
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Elijah — “My God is Yahweh”
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Gabriel — “God is my strength”
…are not historical references. They symbolise inner states of awareness in which the “I AM” is consciously assumed and exercised. These are modes of being where the divine pattern is acknowledged and embodied. The presence of “El” indicates that the self has awakened to its own nature and is functioning in alignment with assumption.
In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image”—and in Neville’s interpretation, these male names represent not individuals, but states of consciousness shaped in the image of the mind. Each name is a symbolic mode—an identity the reader is invited to assume.
“Bal”: The Signal of Confusion and Separation
By contrast, names containing “Bal” often symbolise the psychological condition of misalignment—where one has turned away from imagination and placed faith in external appearances or fixed beliefs. This root is closely associated with Baal, the false god whose worship in the Old Testament represents the mind’s descent into idolatry of outer conditions.
Examples include:
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Balaam — a prophet who heard the word of God yet resisted it, representing inner division
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Babel — the city of confusion where language (expression) was scattered, from external association to aligning with the law of Assumption.
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Baladan — “He has given (to) Baal,” reinforcing misplaced worship of false authority
In these states, the “I AM” is still present but buried beneath layers of fear, doubt, or contradiction. “Bal” names symbolise the subconscious identification with what Neville called the outer shadow-world—a world mistaken for cause rather than effect.
Neville’s Insight: The Split in the Mind
Neville often referred to the conflict between the true God and Baal as the internal war between the creative imagination and the enslaved mind. The names marked by “bal” are not evil figures—they are psychological warnings. They depict the states that must be recognised and transcended to regain the inner clarity of “El”.
To move from “Bal” to “El” is to shift your identification—to stop reacting to the world as cause and begin to imagine boldly from the end. It is to move from disempowerment to self-realisation, from scattered thought to focused assumption.
Table of Contrast
| Element | “El” Names | “Bal” Names |
|---|---|---|
| Symbolises | Divine power, conscious creation | Confusion, false belief |
| Root Meaning | “God” (Elohim) | “Baal” (false lord, idol) |
| Conscious State | Spiritual clarity, awakened imagination | Doubt, division, external dependence |
| Mode of Action | Aligned with I AM | Distracted by appearances |
| Examples | Elijah, Gabriel, Israel | Babel, Balaam, Baladan |
Living the Transition
When you read scripture through this symbolic framework, every name becomes a mirror. Are you in a state of Israel—ruling with God? Or have you fallen into Babel—confused and scattered? The invitation is constant: return to the “El” within you.
To do so is not to believe in a distant deity, but to embody the truth of “I AM”—the God of your own being.
“You must dare to assume you are what you want to be… and remain faithful to that assumption.”
— Neville Goddard
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