Saul to Paul: The Road to Damascus

In the psychological reading of the Bible, figures like Jesus, Saul, and the people around them are not separate historical characters but represent different aspects of our own consciousness. This story is an inner drama — a symbolic journey of transformation within the mind.

The Story of Saul’s Conversion

The story of Saul’s blinding on the road to Damascus appears three times in the Book of Acts. Each retelling reveals deeper layers of the inner transformation taking place:

Acts 9:1–19: The earliest and most detailed version of Saul’s encounter with the divine light and his healing.
Acts 22:6–16: Paul’s personal retelling before a Jewish audience, focusing on the moment of his awakening.
Acts 26:12–18: Paul’s defence before King Agrippa, highlighting his spiritual mission and calling.

Saul’s Old Self: The Resistance to Change

“And Saul, still making threats and full of anger against the followers of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”
(Acts 9:1-2)

Saul here represents the natural man, the old self firmly attached to habitual beliefs and resistant to spiritual change. His threats and anger show the mind’s former state, clinging to the limited self and opposing the awakening of higher awareness.

The Inner Light Awakens

“But while he was on his way, and near Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you working against me?’”
(Acts 9:3-4)

This sudden light is the awakening of the I AM — the divine imagination shining into the mind. It breaks through the old framework, revealing a higher state of consciousness.

The Question of Identity

“He said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the voice said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are working against.’”
(Acts 9:5)

Saul’s question reflects the moment of self-inquiry—the turning point where the natural man begins to recognise the presence of the divine I AM within. “Jesus” here is the living assumption, the higher self calling forth a new reality.

Surrendering to the Change

“Then Saul said, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ The men with him stood there still, amazed, because they heard the voice but could not see anyone.”
(Acts 9:6-7)

Trembling shows natural man shock when confronted by the realisation. The silence of the men represents the parts of consciousness that hear the call but cannot yet fully perceive the new reality. It shows that inner transformation includes moments where awareness is present but understanding has not yet caught up.

Blindness and Withdrawal: The Death of the Old Identity

“Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So the men who were with him took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. For three days he could not see and did not eat or drink anything.”
(Acts 9:8-9)

Saul’s blindness represents the death of the old identity—the natural man losing sight of his formerly perceived self. The three days of fasting and blindness are a symbolic gestation, a period in which the new assumption takes root.

Grace Comes: Ananias and the Straight Path

“In Damascus there was a follower of Jesus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I AM, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Go to the house of Judas and ask for Saul of Tarsus, for he is praying there. I have told him through a vision that a man named Ananias will come and put his hands on him so that he may see again.’”
(Acts 9:10-11)

Ananias is the personification of grace and faith that helps the natural man awaken fully. The “Street Called Straight” is the direct, unerring path of integrity in consciousness. The “House of Judas” (meaning “praise”) shows that awakening arises in a spirit of a elevated and raised assumption

Vision, Healing, and Integration

“Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your people in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.’”
(Acts 9:13-15)

This laying on of hands represents the impression of the new assumption into the mind, restoring spiritual sight and opening the way for the new identity to emerge.

Scales Fall and Baptism: Seeing Clearly and Being Made New

“Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ At once, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.”
(Acts 9:17-18)

The “scales” are the false beliefs and limitations of the natural man. Their falling marks the dawning of clear spiritual vision. Baptism is the cleansing of the old state and the birth of the new assumption in consciousness.

Living the New Reality: Proclaiming Christ

“Immediately, Saul began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”
(Acts 9:20, BBE)

Saul’s immediate proclamation is the outward expression of the new state of consciousness — living as if the end is already fulfilled, the core teaching of Neville’s Law of Assumption.

The Inner Sequence: Jesus → Saul → Paul

Jesus = The assumed state; the divine imagination realised within.
Crucifixion = The death of the natural man, the old identity.
Resurrection = Awakening to the fulfilled, new self.
Saul’s Blinding = The temporary loss of old perception to clear the way for transformation.
Paul Emerges = The new, awakened self active and manifest in the world.

This transformation on the road to Damascus is not simply historical; it is a timeless pattern for every person’s inner journey — the path of awakening and manifestation through the Law of Assumption.

The Way

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