The Story of Sodom and Gomorrah: The Beginning of New Beliefs and the Transformation of Consciousness

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible is often misinterpreted as a tale of divine punishment for immorality, particularly targeting the LGBTQ+ community. However, seen through Neville Goddard’s understanding of consciousness and imagination, the story becomes a profound metaphor for the transformation of the inner self. At its heart is the revelation of creative power—and the initial resistance to it. The narrative symbolises the burning away of old, fixed beliefs and the emergence of a new way of thinking, one that aligns with creative freedom and delight in the imagination.

The Discovery of Manifestation: Abraham and Sarah as States of Awareness

Abraham and Sarah represent symbolic states of consciousness within the individual. They are not historical figures but inner postures—states that wrestle with belief, imagination, and the limits imposed by reason or experience. The biblical promise that Abraham will become the father of many nations is a metaphor for the birth of expanded possibility through belief in the unseen.

When this new idea arises—that something greater can be manifested—it is met with laughter. But this is not laughter born of joy; it is the laugh of disbelief. It is the inner reaction that occurs when we encounter the suggestion that reality can shift based on assumption and inner conviction rather than outward evidence. The state symbolised by Sarah, in particular, embodies this disbelief. It reflects the part of the self that has become entrenched in logic, habit, and the notion that change is dictated by external conditions.

In Neville Goddard’s teachings, the key to manifestation lies not in external circumstances but in the inner feeling of the wish fulfilled. Abraham and Sarah, as symbolic states, begin to shift—from resistance and doubt to receptivity and faith. This inner transformation is the conception of Isaac, the symbol of fulfilled desire. The shift is not about biological change, but about a new acceptance of possibility.

Sodom and Gomorrah: The Destruction of Limiting Beliefs

As the inner self begins to align with the idea of manifesting through imagination, an internal conflict emerges. Old beliefs—those rooted in limitation, unworthiness, or disbelief—begin to feel the strain of a new truth emerging. Sodom and Gomorrah represent those deeply ingrained patterns of thought that resist transformation. They are mental states rooted in fear, separation, and a belief in punishment and lack.

The fire and brimstone traditionally interpreted as divine wrath are, from a symbolic standpoint, the burning away of mental rigidity. These cities represent the structures of thought that no longer serve. The destruction is not punishment—it is a necessary clearing. Imagination cannot flourish where limitation is revered. For new awareness to take root, the old mental architecture must fall.

Lot’s Escape: Transcending a Fixed Mindset

Lot, too, is a symbolic figure—an extension of Abraham’s consciousness. His journey from Sodom represents the movement away from outdated beliefs. He is the part of the mind that begins to move, but hesitates. The warning not to look back is clear: to entertain the former state of disbelief is to solidify it once again.

Lot’s wife, who turns into a pillar of salt, symbolises what happens when we cannot release the past. Salt, in this context, is a symbol of preservation—of keeping something frozen in time. Looking back signifies a return to the familiar, even when it is no longer fruitful. The transformation cannot complete itself if we remain fixed in old definitions.

Even Lot’s reluctance to fully leave Sodom speaks to the part of our own minds that cling to limitation. Despite the pull toward higher belief, there is often a part of the self that stalls, hesitates, or rationalises its way back into the familiar. The destruction of the cities is not about punishment—it is about the severing of ties with what can no longer support the birth of a new reality.

Abraham and Sarah: The Emergence of Creative Faith

As the symbolic states of Abraham and Sarah move from disbelief to belief, a shift occurs. Imagination is finally allowed to act without contradiction. The idea of Isaac—once laughed at—is now accepted, assumed, and brought forth.

This is not a story of an old couple overcoming physical odds. It is the story of consciousness itself discovering the creative power of faith. Through assumption and the disciplined use of imagination, the new reality begins to emerge. The “impossible” becomes possible—not through struggle, but through inner alignment.

Isaac represents the manifestation born of belief. It is the offspring of imagination made fertile by conviction. This is the turning point in consciousness: the acceptance that we are not victims of circumstance, but creators of our inner and outer worlds.

The True Transformation: From Fear to Creative Dominion

When read through the symbolic framework of Neville Goddard’s teachings, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is not about condemning identity—it is about liberating the imagination. It is a call to burn away false ideas of powerlessness, punishment, and unworthiness.

The tragic misuse of this story to marginalise LGBTQ+ individuals reveals how damaging literal interpretations can be. When we see the cities as metaphors for states of mind, the emphasis shifts entirely: the “sin” is not identity, but the clinging to limiting beliefs that deny the divine creative power within all.

The transformation of Abraham and Sarah—from doubting states to believing ones—is the transformation available to every individual. It is a map for manifestation: to feel, assume, and live from the wish fulfilled, regardless of what the senses report.

Key Takeaways:

• Abraham and Sarah symbolise inner states of awareness—from doubt to belief—not literal people or physical circumstances.

• Their laughter marks the resistance we all feel when new, empowering beliefs first challenge the status quo.

• Sodom and Gomorrah represent mental patterns of limitation, fear, and disbelief that must be “burned away” to allow new awareness to grow.

• Lot’s wife turning to salt symbolises the paralysis that comes from clinging to the past.

• The traditional reading of this story as anti-LGBTQ+ is a tragic misinterpretation of a powerful metaphor about inner transformation.

• The story affirms that creative faith and imagination are the forces through which all transformation occurs.

• To manifest a new reality, we must assume the wish fulfilled, abandoning the inner cities of doubt and disbelief.