One of the most transformative insights offered by Neville Goddard is his bold claim:
“Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled.”
At first glance, it may sound poetic or abstract. But for those who put it into practice, it becomes a living key—unlocking the power of the imagination and revealing the divine pattern woven throughout Scripture.
In Neville’s understanding, the Bible is not merely history or morality—it is psychological truth. Every passage points inward, showing how the human imagination, when properly directed and felt as real, brings forth the outer world. And it all begins with one sacred act: assumption.
What Does It Mean to Assume the Wish Fulfilled?
To assume is to accept something as true without question, even before you see any evidence of it. In this case, it means to imagine yourself already being, doing, or having what you desire—and to live from that state, not toward it.
This is not wishful thinking. It is the conscious act of shifting your identity.
You are not trying to get something; you are becoming someone.
Neville insisted that the only thing holding anyone back is their refusal to feel themselves into the new state. We keep trying to change the outer world without first changing being. The secret, he said, is to embody the feeling that the desire is already fulfilled—now.
Feeling Is the Secret: Why Emotion Is the Bridge
"Feeling is the secret. Not emotion, but inward conviction." — Neville Goddard
According to Neville, feeling is the vital ingredient. It is not enough to visualise your desire—you must feel it as though it were already real. Your subconscious does not respond to logic or words; it responds to what you feel to be true.
When you imagine something and then feel the joy, relief, or confidence that would naturally come if it were already real, you are fertilising the subconscious. This is how all creation begins—from within.
The feeling of the wish fulfilled is the seed.
Scriptural Foundations: Where Did Neville Get This?
Neville always pointed back to the Bible—not to support religion, but to reveal spiritual law. Here are the key passages that formed the foundation of this teaching:
1. Mark 11:24
“What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
This is the heart of the law. To “believe you have received” is to feel it now—not after you see it, but before. This isn’t begging; it’s assumption. The having is internal long before it becomes external.
2. Romans 4:17
“God … calleth those things which be not as though they were.”
Neville would often highlight this verse to show how we are meant to create. God does not wait for evidence. He calls things into being by assuming their existence. This is how you, as the image of God, are meant to operate: not by reacting, but by selecting and assuming.
3. Genesis 1:26
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
This passage becomes charged with new meaning when read psychologically. You were made in the image of the Creator—which means you create as He does: through imagination and belief.
You imagine, and you feel. That is creation.
4. Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith is not blind—it is visionary. It sees the unseen and feels it as real. Neville interpreted this as the mental substance of assumption: the conviction that what you imagine is already yours, even though the senses deny it.
5. Matthew 9:29
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
This does not mean reward for moral behaviour—it means your external life is shaped in proportion to your inner acceptance. Your world mirrors your state of consciousness. As within, so without.
Jacob’s Wrestling Match: A Metaphor for Assumption and Inner Transformation
Another vivid biblical example of Neville's principle is the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel in Genesis 32:24-30. This dramatic event symbolizes the struggle within each of us when we are faced with the decision to change our consciousness.
Jacob, in this passage, is not merely physically wrestling with an angel; he is symbolically grappling with his old identity—the Jacob who relied on manipulation, deception, and external strategies to achieve his desires. The "man" or angel he wrestles with represents his higher self or divine consciousness.
Just as in Neville’s teachings, the outer world is a reflection of our inner state. Jacob’s wrestling match represents the internal conflict that arises when we are on the cusp of change—when we decide to move from the old, limiting identity to the new, empowered identity. Jacob’s fight is symbolic of the battle we all face when we begin to assume a new state of being—an identity that aligns with our desires and divine potential.
In this moment, Jacob demands a blessing from the angel, which can be interpreted as the moment of assumption. When he is renamed Israel (which means “he who struggles with God”), he embodies a new identity, one that is no longer tied to his past actions or limitations. This transformation is a direct reflection of Neville’s principle: Jacob assumed a new identity, and the blessing followed.
“And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Genesis 32:30)
Jacob’s encounter with the angel is a perfect illustration of how assumption works in practice: the inner transformation happens when you fully assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled, and in that moment, the change becomes permanent.
Jacob’s hip being put out of joint is no throwaway detail. It mirrors the physical toll that often accompanies inner transformation. Letting go of the familiar, even when it no longer serves us, can feel like dislocation.
How to Practically Assume the Wish Fulfilled
Here is Neville’s simple, timeless method:
-
Define your desire clearly.
Know exactly what you want. Don’t be vague. Clarity makes it feel more real. -
Construct a short scene that implies fulfilment.
Imagine a friend congratulating you, or you seeing your name on a finished work, or waking up in the life you want. -
Enter a relaxed, drowsy state.
Neville advised doing this before sleep. The subconscious is most receptive when the conscious mind is quiet. -
Feel the scene as though it were happening now.
Not watching it—being in it. Engage your senses. Feel the joy, the gratitude, the peace of the fulfilled desire. -
Repeat it until it takes on the tones of reality.
Once it feels natural, drop it. You’ve planted the seed. Let it unfold.
Jesus at the Tomb of Lazarus: A Model of Assumption
In John 11:41, Jesus stands at the tomb and says:
“Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.”
He gives thanks before anything visible has changed. He assumes the outcome. This is the pattern.
Neville saw Jesus as the symbol of awakened imagination. To follow him means to assume your ideal state, give thanks for it, and trust the unseen process.
Final Thought: You Become What You Assume
Your imagination is God within you, and it is always creating based on what you accept as true. If you wish to change your life, don’t wait—assume the new identity now.
Live from the end, not towards it.
You don’t have to force the outcome. You only have to feel the reality of the state and remain faithful to it—even in the face of contradiction. That faith, that feeling, is the real prayer.
Feeling is the secret. Assumption is the act. Your world is the reflection.
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