In the unfolding story of the reader's self-perception, we arrive at Joseph, the dreamer. Having explored Praise through Judah, Faith through Abraham, and Persistence through Jacob, we now meet the work-horse (or rather yoked ox) that shapes all desire into form: Imagination.
Joseph’s Hebrew name, Yosef, meaning God will increase, perfectly mirrors this principle. Just as imagination expands and enriches our reality, Joseph’s journey symbolises the imagination’s growth and its power to transform self-perception and experience. From betrayal and isolation to inner vision and ultimate elevation, Joseph embodies imagination—not as idle fantasy, but as the aspect of mind that rises and decidedly and deliberately assumes destiny as true. You'll notice that Joseph's actions are similar to those of Jesus's ministry when he interacts with non-believers such as the Pharisees (Pharoah) and Sadducees.
The Brothers — Aspects of the Divided Self
Before exploring Joseph’s journey in detail, it is vital to understand his brothers. In Neville Goddard’s psychological reading, Joseph’s brothers represent personified inner mental states that resist the assumption of our fulfilled desire: jealousy that fears unworthiness, logic that demands proof, doubt that insists on limitations, and conformity that clings to old patterns.
These conflicting states of mind compete and clash within us, each trying to assert itself as the "truth" of our self-perception. In the earliest story of brothers, Cain killed Abel — a symbolic act of the lower mind destroying the higher ideal. But with Joseph, imagination (the dreamer) is not killed. Instead, it descends, transforms, and ultimately reconciles these divided aspects, leading them to serve rather than sabotage.
The Coat of Many Colours — The Clothing of Assumed Identity
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children… and he made him a coat of many colours." — Genesis 37:3
In a motif similar to the rainbow as the promise in the story of Noah's (Knower's) ark, the coat of many colours is more than a sign of favour; it represents the richness and infinite variety of imagination. Just as colours reveal endless possibilities, imagination allows us to assume any state we desire.
To wear this coat is to clothe oneself in vision — to embody a new self-perception beyond current facts. While others react to circumstances, Joseph lives in the certainty of his assumed end, holding to what could be rather than what is.
The Dreamer — Declaring the End from the Beginning
"And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more." — Genesis 37:5
Joseph’s dreams are not idle wanderings but conscious declarations of the assumed end. Neville taught that the imaginal act is a seed which, if faithfully held, must bloom into fact.
Joseph’s vision of his brothers bowing symbolises the supremacy of imagination over all conflicting inner states. The brothers’ hatred shows how these parts of us resist the boldness of assuming a higher self-perception. The parable on 'whose wife will she be' is a play on this story of psychological brothers.
The Pit and Prison — The Silent Work of Assumption
The pit and prison symbolise the descent into the depths of the self where assumptions are tested and refined.
"Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him." — Psalm 105:19
"The word" here is Joseph’s imagined end, the assumption of his ultimate position. It "tries" him by demanding loyalty in the face of contrary evidence. Neville insisted that "persistence in assumption hardens into fact" — and Joseph’s story embodies this fully. Even when outer appearances scream defeat, he holds fast within.
Along with the cup, Joseph places money in the brothers' sacks. This money signifies divine provision—the abundance that flows naturally when we assume the state of the wish fulfilled. It is not earned but appears as a by-product of living in the assumed end.
The Breakthrough — When Assumption Conquers Appearance
Joseph’s release from prison and rise to interpret Pharaoh’s dream marks the moment when long-held assumptions become visible reality. Pharaoh is a psychological character repetition of Cain and his hard-heartedness.
"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 is the moment when the inner assumption demands recognition by the outer world. What was once dismissed or mocked is now essential and exalted.
The Rise — The Crown of Self-Perception
"And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Seeing that God has made all this clear to you, there is no other man of such wisdom and good sense as you. You, then, are to be over my house, and all my people will be ruled by your word; only as king will I be greater than you." — Genesis 41:39-40
Joseph’s rise shows that the sustained self-perception, held as already true, eventually rules over all life’s circumstances. Imagination, once hidden, is now enthroned as ruler.
Joseph’s authority mirrors the mind’s power: outer life must conform to the inner assumption held persistently and faithfully.
Nourishing All Other States
As dispenser of bread during famine, Joseph becomes the source of nourishment — illustrating that imagination sustains all other aspects of self. Faith, persistence, and praise all need an imaginal image to guide them.
During spiritual drought, imagination offers the "bread" that sustains. Joseph’s giving of food to his brothers symbolises how imagination reconciles and supports all states of mind, even those that once opposed it. It's a foreshadowing of Jesus ministry and the parables of breaking bread and feeding the 4'000 and 5,000, among others
The Reunion — Integration and Inner Harmony
"But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good..." — Genesis 50:20
Joseph’s reunion with his brothers symbolises the final reconciliation of all conflicting inner states. Imagination does not seek revenge; it integrates. The states that once resisted are now harmonised and bow to the assumed self. The evil thoughts are those that begin to run counter to the new assumption
The brothers become servants to the dream they tried to destroy — just as every limiting belief eventually supports the fulfilled assumption.
Conclusion:
Joseph is not just one of Jacob’s sons; he stands as one of the four foundational Fathers of the Law of Assumption, each revealing a core quality of consciousness necessary for spiritual creation:
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Abraham reveals Faith: the willingness to trust in the unseen.
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Jacob imparts Persistence: the determination to hold to the assumed end.
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Joseph embodies Imagination: the creative power that shapes all inner visions into outer form.
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Judah represents Praise: the final and crowning force that gives vitality, devotion, and life to the assumption.
Joseph is the dreamer who dares to assume, even in a world of denial, betrayal, and delay. His life symbolises the movement of consciousness itself: imagining wisely, holding firm through trial, and bringing forth the harvest in due season.
Without imagination, there is no vision to persist in, no faith to cling to, and nothing worthy of praise. Joseph shows that all transformation begins with the dreamer who dares to live from within.
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