Leaving the Old State Behind: Genesis 2:24 and the Inner Shift from Laban to a New Imagination

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” — Genesis 2:24

Neville Goddard teaches that the Bible dramatizes changes in states of consciousness. In this verse, the “father and mother” symbolise the old state of consciousness—the inherited, habitual way of imagining yourself and your world. To manifest a new reality, the conscious self (the “man”) must depart from this old state and unite with a new imagined state (“the wife”), becoming fully one with that new reality.

---

The Story of Laban and Jacob: A Metaphor for Transitioning States of Consciousness

Jacob’s experience with Laban illustrates this inner spiritual process perfectly.

• Laban as the Old State of Consciousness:
  Laban represents the old, limiting state of consciousness—the subconscious assumptions and inherited beliefs that bind the imagination and keep one limited. His deceptions symbolise how old mental patterns delay the emergence of new consciousness.

• Jacob’s Labour: The Persistent Work of Imagination:
  Jacob’s long years of labour for Laban represent the effort and persistence needed to impress new assumptions on the subconscious mind. This is the inner work of maintaining faith in the new imagined state despite the subconscious’s resistance.

• Leaving Laban: The Conscious Choice to Abandon Old States:
  Jacob’s decision to leave Laban symbolises the critical moment of consciously rejecting the old state of consciousness and its limiting beliefs to embrace the new.

• Marriage to Rachel: Union with the Desired State:
  Rachel, the beloved wife, represents the new state of consciousness—the pleasurable, fulfilled reality that Jacob (the conscious self) now fully assumes. Becoming “one flesh” means full alignment between consciousness and imagination, bringing that reality into being.

---

Why Jacob’s Story is About Struggle and Wrestling

Jacob’s narrative is famously marked by struggle—his wrestling with the angel (a symbol of divine or higher consciousness) reveals the inner tension involved in leaving behind the old state of consciousness. This wrestling match is not just physical but deeply psychological:

• It symbolises the conflict between the old self (old beliefs) and the emerging new self (new imagination).

• The struggle is necessary because the subconscious mind fiercely resists change; it clings to familiar patterns before allowing transformation.

• This tension reflects Neville Goddard’s teaching that the shift in consciousness requires persistence and sometimes intense inner struggle before one can fully “leave father and mother” and be “joined” to the new state.

---

Summary in Neville’s Terms

• Laban = Old state of consciousness and limiting subconscious assumptions

• Jacob’s labour = Persistent faith and imagination to change subconscious belief

• Leaving Laban = Conscious rejection of the old state

• Marriage to Rachel = Full assumption and embodiment of the new state

• Jacob’s wrestling = Inner struggle between old and new states of consciousness

This story beautifully encapsulates Neville Goddard’s core teaching: transformation requires consciously leaving old states behind, persisting through internal struggle, and assuming the new state with feeling until it becomes your reality.