Joseph — The Dreamer’s Ascent: Awakening the Power of Imagination

In the evolving story of manifestation, we now turn to Joseph, the dreamer. Having explored Praise through Judah, Faith through Abraham, and Persistence through Jacob, we arrive at the essential and creative force that breathes life into all desire: Imagination.

Joseph’s Hebrew name, Yosef, meaning "God will increase," is a fitting reflection of his role in the narrative. Just as imagination expands and increases our reality, Joseph's journey mirrors the process of imagination unfolding and growing to bring about divine transformation. His story, rich in symbolism and prophetic power, is a journey through betrayal, isolation, inner vision, and eventual elevation. From the moment he dreams of greatness to his rise as a leader in Egypt, Joseph embodies the development of imagination—not as escapism, but as the divine creative faculty that shapes and directs our destiny.

In Neville Goddard’s teaching, imagination is God. It is not a passive quality, but the active power by which the world is made. Joseph, adorned with the coat of many colours, and gifted with dreams, represents the individual who learns to trust the unseen, hold to the vision, and allow imagination to lead them through the darkest valleys into divine fulfilment.

The Coat of Many Colours — The Symbol of Inner Richness

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children… and he made him a coat of many colours." — Genesis 37:3

The coat of many colours is often regarded as a sign of favour, but symbolically, it represents the vibrancy and diversity of imagination. Just as colours reflect light, imagination reflects possibility. Joseph is clothed in the ability to see beyond what is and into what could be.

To wear this coat is to be clothed with vision—to walk in awareness of potential rather than limitation. While others lived reactively, Joseph carried within him the images of things yet to come.

The Dreamer — Imagination Speaking in Symbols

"And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more." — Genesis 37:5

Joseph's dreams were not mere night wanderings. They were visions of the future, symbolically revealing his divine purpose. Neville often spoke of dreams and imaginal acts as messages from the deeper self, communicating what is to be, if faithfully accepted.

Joseph’s first dream, where his brothers’ sheaves bow to his own, is a perfect image of the inner vision conflicting with outer appearance. He dares to speak his imagined end, and is mocked, dismissed, and betrayed for it. This mirrors the inner battle faced by those who trust imagination: the world may laugh, reject, or betray—but the dreamer knows his truth.

The Pit and the Prison — Darkness Before the Birth

Joseph’s fall into the pit and his later imprisonment in Egypt are not just literal events—they are symbols of descent into the inner self. The pit is the silence where imagination begins to take root. The prison is the confinement of belief where imagination must be refined and strengthened.

Neville taught that every external setback is a shadow cast by inner resistance. Joseph must learn to hold the vision even when he appears forsaken. His imagination is tested, not to destroy it, but to make it unshakable.

"Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him." — Psalm 105:19

Here, “the word” is the promise—the inner image Joseph received. And it tried him. He was forced to live inwardly in the truth of his dream, long before it became fact.

The Breakthrough — From Prisoner to Governor

Just as Perez symbolised a breakthrough born of Judah's praise, Joseph's breakthrough comes at the moment he is summoned from prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. This is when imagination is no longer hidden or suppressed—it is recognised and exalted.

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon... And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it." — Genesis 41:14–15

This marks the divine moment when the power of inner vision becomes indispensable to the outer world. Joseph, who had persisted in faith and imagination through suffering and silence, is now called forth to speak the language of the unseen. This is the breakthrough: the world bows to imagination.

In Neville’s understanding, this is the moment when the imaginal act, faithfully nurtured, blossoms into reality. The prison of doubt gives way to the palace of fulfilment. Joseph steps into rulership because he never ceased to dwell in the dream.

The Rise to Power — The Manifestation

When Pharaoh dreams and none can interpret, Joseph is called forth. This is the moment imagination is recognised and given authority. He interprets the dream not through logic, but through his intuitive understanding of symbols. Pharaoh exalts him, saying:

"There is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house..." — Genesis 41:39-40

Here, imagination is crowned. What began as personal vision becomes collective influence. Joseph’s rise mirrors the process of manifestation: what we persist in inwardly will, in time, take outer form and command power.

Joseph as a Symbol of Developed Imagination

Joseph’s entire journey is the story of imagination maturing. At first, it speaks freely but is unguarded and misunderstood. It is cast down, tried, and imprisoned. But it does not waver. Eventually, it is acknowledged as divine and is given dominion.

In Neville’s words: "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, and then you believe it to be true."

Joseph not only imagines, he believes. He lives the truth of his inner world even in the face of outward rejection. And it is this unwavering loyalty to his vision that brings about the manifestation.

Imagination Nourishes All Other States

Joseph doesn’t just rise to power—he becomes the source of bread in the famine. This is more than a political role. Bread is symbolic of spiritual nourishment. The imagination, when properly directed, feeds all other faculties. Faith, persistence, and praise all require an image to hold, a form to long for, a vision to worship.

In times of spiritual drought, imagination supplies the sustenance. Joseph gives his brothers food—not just grain, but a path to reconciliation and a new identity. This is the turning point in the Bible narrative, where the children of Israel become a people, united and elevated through the role of the dreamer.

Just as Egypt was fed in the famine, our lives are nourished when imagination is enthroned.

The Reunion with His Brothers — Inner Reconciliation

The culmination of Joseph’s story is his reunion with the very brothers who betrayed him. Rather than seek revenge, he speaks these powerful words:

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good..." — Genesis 50:20

This moment marks a spiritual triumph—imagination does not retaliate. It reconciles. In Neville’s framework, this scene symbolises the integration of all fragmented parts of the self. The brothers represent opposing thoughts, doubts, fears, and old beliefs that once rejected the dream. But now, they bow to it. The imaginal act has fulfilled itself.

What Do the Brothers Symbolise?

In Neville’s symbolic interpretation, Joseph’s brothers represent the parts of us that resist the dream: jealousy, logic, disbelief, comparison, and conformity. They cannot see beyond what is. They reject the dreamer within because they fear the unknown.

Yet, through Joseph’s unwavering inner work, these states are eventually brought into alignment. The dreamer is no longer dismissed—he is essential to their survival. Likewise, when we honour imagination, even our limiting beliefs must give way. They come to serve the vision they once opposed.

Conclusion: The Fourth Son — The Power of Imagination

In our journey through the four sons of manifestation, we have uncovered:

Abraham — the birth of Faith

Jacob — the emergence of Persistence

Judah — the power of Praise

And now, Joseph — the triumph of Imagination

Each son is a birth of new consciousness, a stepping stone in the spiritual ascent of the individual. Joseph’s story reminds us that imagination is not a luxury or fantasy—it is the very substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

To manifest your desire, you must dream it, dwell in it, and persist in the assumption that it is already so. Like Joseph, you must be willing to wear the coat, walk the pit, wait in prison, and trust that your dream is divine.