When the Unclean Spirit Returns: A Neville Goddard Interpretation of Luke 11:24–26

Scripture:

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
—Luke 11:24–26 (KJV)

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At first glance, this passage seems ominous—warning of demonic return and the worsening of one’s inner condition. But when read through the spiritual psychology of Neville Goddard, a profound symbolic message about the nature of consciousness and the necessity of transformation emerges.

The “Unclean Spirit” as an Old State of Being

Neville taught that every character, event, and image in the Bible represents a psychological state. The “unclean spirit” is not some external entity, but a limiting or destructive state of consciousness—a belief in lack, fear, bitterness, unworthiness, or any deeply held inner pattern that distorts the imagination.

To be freed from such a state is to shift inwardly: to assume a new concept of self, to awaken to “I AM” as the creative power, and to no longer identify with the old, limiting idea.

“You are free to choose the state that you will occupy. But the state has its own consequences. So you must be willing to assume full responsibility for your life.”
—Neville Goddard

“Swept and Garnished”—But Still Empty

Once the unclean state has departed, the man’s house (his mind, his consciousness) is left “swept and garnished.” It looks good—tidied up, morally reformed, perhaps free from the outward symptoms of the former state.

But the warning here is subtle: it is not enough to remove an old state. One must replace it with something higher. The house may be clean, but if it is empty, it becomes a perfect space for the return of the old thoughts—with reinforcements.

Imagination Abhors a Vacuum

Neville constantly stressed that the imagination must be actively and purposefully directed. If you do not consciously fill your awareness with a new, life-giving assumption of self, your subconscious will drift back to what is familiar. And because the old state has been temporarily dislodged but not fully replaced, it often returns stronger—“seven other spirits more wicked than himself.”

This is the relapse of the half-awakened soul. This is why one who momentarily escapes a negative cycle can fall back into it more destructively than before—because the break was outward, not inward; cosmetic, not creative.

True Reformation is Replacement, Not Suppression

In Neville's terms, you must imagine boldly. You must not only say “I no longer dwell in fear,” but rather, “I AM love. I AM courage. I AM secure.” The new state must become your new dwelling, the new habitation of your awareness.

This is the inner meaning of “Let the weak say, I am strong.” You don’t cleanse your mind by resisting darkness—you do it by assuming light.

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The Spiritual Message for Manifestation

Luke 11:24–26 reminds us that you cannot just stop thinking destructively—you must start imagining creatively. You cannot just renounce an old self—you must inhabit a new one.

In Neville’s language:

• You must assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled.

• You must persist in the assumption.

• You must make it your dwelling, not a fleeting moment of desire.

Otherwise, the unclaimed vacuum of consciousness will be filled by what is familiar—and often, what is most unwanted.

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To “cast out the unclean spirit” is not to fight it—it is to rise above it. It is to ascend to a state that no longer includes it. The danger lies not in the evil spirit, but in the empty space left behind when we fail to plant new imaginative seeds in the soil of the subconscious.

So, what shall you fill your house with today?