The Way

“Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. — Judges 13:3 The birth of Samson is a patterned episode in Judges. Before the strongman appears, we meet his parents—Manoah ( 'man knower' ) and his unnamed wife—whose story becomes a parable of the inner conditions that give birth to strength and deliveranc e. Manoah: Rest The name Manoah (מָנֺחַ, Manoach ) means rest or quiet . Manoah represents the calm, settled state of mind needed before any true act of creation. In Neville Goddard’s terms, rest is not inactivity, but a stillness born from conviction—the kind of quiet that comes when you have accepted the end in imagination and no longer wrestle with appearances. His Wife: The Unnamed Receptive State Manoah’s wife , who is never named, symbolises the feeling nature —the subconscious mind as the womb of creation. Her barrenness represents the state before an idea or desire has been impressed upon the subconscious. The ang...

This story from Judges offers an insight Samson’s journey. The awakening self engaging with the outer world, confronting obstacles, and learning to guard the emotional ground where manifestation takes root. At the same time, it reveals a failure of the Genesis 2:24 principal—the difficulty of fully achieving the sacred union of “one flesh” between assumption and imagination , as outer interference disrupts and betrays that unity. Samson goes down to Timnah Samson (the awakened creative self) “goes down” — meaning he descends from a purely inner state into engagement with the outer world of facts and appearances. He sees a Philistine woman (Philistine = the state of mind still ruled by the senses) . The “woman” symbolises the emotional, receptive side of consciousness . Choosing a Philistine woman shows that the awakened mind is about to engage emotionally with something still tied to sense reasoning — perhaps a desire that, on the surface, looks “impossible” according to facts. Now S...

Judges 9 opens with a pattern of declaration from Abimelech to his mother’s family: "Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh." (Judges 9:2) This is a deliberate echo of Adam’s words in Genesis 2:23 when he beholds the woman : "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." In Genesis, this is the poetry of union — the conscious and the subconscious coming together, the self recognising itself in its other half . It leads to the next verse, Genesis 2:24, where man “ cleaves ” to his wife and they become one flesh. But in Judges 9, the same phrase is twisted. Here, the appeal to kinship becomes a political move — a manipulation to gain power. What was once a statement of unity in love is now a tool of self-interest. From Garden to Thorns After seizing kingship through bloodshed, Abimelech’s reign is framed by Jotham’s parable of the trees (Judges 9:7–15). In it, the trees seek a ...

In Neville Goddard’s teaching, the Bible is not a record of external history, but a psychological drama in which every character, place, and event symbolises states of consciousness. One of the most revealing examples is Moab — a nation that, throughout Scripture, stands in tension with Israel. In the language of states, Moab is not “out there” but a condition in us, born when the old self is not truly left behind. The Name and Meaning of Moab The name Moab (Hebrew: מואב) means from father ( mo-ab ). In Hebrew symbolism , the first syllable mo (from the letter Mem ) evokes water, the womb, or the creative mother; Ab means father. Moab therefore carries the idea of the union of mother and father. Yet in the biblical narrative, Moab’s origin is not from a new, free union, but from one bound to the past. Genesis 2:24 declares: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Spiritually understood, this is the law...

"Up to now you have made no request in my name: do so, and it will be answered, so that your hearts may be full of joy.”— John 16:24 When most people think of Jesus, the dominant image often revolves around sacrifice, suffering, and the burden of sin. This traditional Christian narrative paints Jesus primarily as the one who takes on human guilt and pain to redeem us — a heavy, negative image that can subconsciously shape how we experience spirituality and ourselves. The Common Christian View: Sacrifice and Sin The emphasis on Jesus’ crucifixion and atonement can create mental pictures of pain, loss, and “sin” as something shameful and dark. While these themes are powerful, they sometimes fix the mind on struggle, guilt, and the need to atone or suffer for forgiveness. This can limit the believer’s sense of joy, freedom, and creative power. John the Baptist: The Threshold of Limited Imagination Just before Jesus begins his ministry of abundant healing and joyful manifestation , ...

In the brief but potent story of Rhoda in Acts 12, we find a deeply symbolic parable about consciousness — a parable Neville Goddard would have seen as a psychological drama of faith, doubt, and the unfolding of desire. But to fully grasp its richness, we must weave together layers of biblical symbolism: the door that stands between doubt and belief, the dynamic between man and woman as consciousness and subconscious, and the blossoming rose that is the visible fruit of unseen inner work. Acts 12: Rhoda at the Door — The Moment of Recognition and Hesitation Peter has been miraculously freed from prison, and when he arrives at the door of the house where believers pray for him, Rhoda is the one who hears his voice. She recognises him but runs away to tell the others rather than opening the door immediately. The believers inside doubt her claim, thinking she’s mistaken or that it’s an angel, until the door is opened and Peter stands before them, free. Neville would interpret Peter as ...

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." — Genesis 2:24 This verse is is a divine formula for creation through spiritual purity — the virgin birth of a new identity. Leaving Father and Mother To Neville, "father" and "mother" represent more than parents. They symbolise the world’s moulds — your inherited beliefs, traditions, race, culture, class, religion, upbringing — the outer causation that once formed your sense of self. To leave them is to cut the psychic umbilical cord — to become psychologically pure . This is the virgin state : not touched by past impressions or outer instruction. You no longer say, “ I AM this because they said so,” or “This is how the world works because I was taught so.” You become still and empty. A pure womb. The Immaculate Conception is this moment: when the soul no longer looks outward for identity, but inward — to imagination. To ...

John 17 is often read as a conversation between Jesus and the Father, but Neville Goddard teaches that it actually describes an inner dialogue within a single consciousness . In this framework, the “Father” is the deep I AM—the unconditioned awareness underlying all perception —while references to “disciples” or “believers” symbolise the inner faculties of mind—imagination, memory, will, emotion, and intellect— trained to accept the assumption , “the world” represents the outer realm of appearances and attachments that contradict it. This chapter becomes a psychological map for maintaining the fulfilled wish across every facet of the psyche, ensuring inner harmony despite external opposition  — Love. The Hour of Union “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you.” —John 17:1 “Father” addresses the deep I AM , the unconditioned awareness. “Son” represents the conscious self, the perceiving “I.” There is no pleading here, but a confident assertion: ...

“If you do well, will you not be lifted up?” — Genesis 4:7 The early chapters of Genesis are not about two brothers in a field. They’re about you — and what you offer to yourself each moment in imagination. One state of mind is Abel: quiet, assumptive, faithful. The other is Cain: angry, cynical, brooding — convinced that life has wronged him, that others are chosen, that he is overlooked. But the truth is Cain doesn’t understand the law. What law? That your inner assumptions create your world. In Genesis 4:6–7, Cain is depressed , his face fallen. Why? Because his offering is not accepted. But God says something astonishing: “If you do well, will you not be lifted up?” In other words: if you assume rightly — if you bring the right offering — your inner state will be exalted. It is not the world punishing Cain. It is Cain refusing to rise. Anger, sulking, jealousy — these are the signs of an unoffered self. They are the emotional residue of someone still worshipping the facts o...

In Luke 18:1–8, Jesus tells a parable to teach persistent prayer and faith that does not lose heart. Beneath the surface, it reveals a deeper spiritual truth about the state of the feminine mind —the receptive, imaginative aspect—when it is unmarried, uncleaved, and unloved . The Widow: An Unmarried, Unloved Aspect of Mind A widow is more than a woman without a husband; symbolically, she represents the feminine aspect of the mind —the subconscious or receptive imagination—that has been cut off, uncleaved, and unloved by the conscious “ I AM .” She knows desire but lacks the deliberate identity to claim it, standing alone and seeking justice—a plea for recognition and reunion. The Judge: Detached Moral Authority The judge , “who neither feared God nor regarded man ,” symbolizes detached, impersonal moral authority —the evaluative consciousness associated with the tree of knowledge of good and evi l . This authority is indifferent, ruling without love or compassion. Persiste...

For centuries, Matthew 5:27–30 has been quoted to condemn sexual desire, particularly in the form of lust toward women. Jesus’ words, “You have heard it said... but I say to you,” are often used to intensify moral judgment rather than to reveal spiritual understanding. This passage, like much of scripture, speaks not of bodily sin but of the inner workings of the mind—of the fragmentation of consciousness and the urgent need to unify it. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:27–30) At fi...

Few statements in scripture strike as deeply as this line from the Gospel of John. In traditional theology, it’s taken as proof of Jesus’ divinity. But Neville Goddard, the 20th-century mystic and teacher of manifestation, invites us to read it psychologically. To Neville, the Bible is not a historical or religious account, but a symbolic manual of consciousness . Every passage unveils a truth about the divine imagination within man. The Father is awareness itself; the Son is your assumed identity — the state you enter and inhabit through imaginative belief. "Let the earth bring forth... the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself..." — Genesis 1:11 Creation is not external. The seed — the cause — is already within. It brings forth “after its kind” not by outside forces, but because assumption creates reality . Neville taught that this inner seed is your belief — your state of consciousness. Your assumption contains everything needed for its...

“But in the middle of the night there is a cry, The husband comes! Go out to him.” — Matthew 25:6 The bride and bridegroom story in Scripture points to a deeper truth: the inner marriage of your awareness (the bridegroom ) and your imagination or desire (the bride). Neville Goddard teaches that this wedding is not outside you, nor a future hope—it is a spiritual union happening now whenever you assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled , birthing a new state of being. Genesis 2:24 — The Pattern Marriage symbolism starts with: “For this cause will a man go away from his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they will be one flesh.” — Genesis 2:24 Here: The man is Assumption —choosing a new identity. The father and mother are past conditioning, inherited beliefs. The wife is the new state —the imagined desire felt as real. “One flesh” is the union of assumption and feeling; the act of manifestation, and it's hardening into fact. Old Test...

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” — Ephesians 5:32 Ephesians 5 has long been a focal point in debates about the roles of men and women in relationships. With phrases like “ Wives , submit to your husbands ” and “Husbands, love your wives,” it’s easy to see why traditional interpretations have led to rigid and often harmful views of gender roles. Paul specifically calls it a  mystery , so what if these scriptures were never about gender dynamics at all? What if Paul wasn’t speaking of human marriage, but revealing a profound spiritual structure—the inner mechanics of creation and transformation? Through the symbolic understanding found in Neville Goddard’s teachings, this chapter becomes a map of inner alchemy. The “husband” and “wife” are not people—they are states of being . The passage is not social commentary but a metaphysical mystery , rooted in Genesis and revealed through the union of awareness and imagination. Literal vs Symboli...

Jesus gave two teachings that, when read symbolically, speak directly to the spiritual cost of discovering the true creative power within: imagination . “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God .” (Matthew 19:24) “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45–46) The first is a picture of inability: the rich man cannot enter. The second is a picture of success: the merchant does enter—but only by selling everything. The Bible isn't simply warning about wealth or greed. It’s pointing to something deeper. The "rich man" is anyone who is full of external dependencies: knowledge, reputation, traditions, religious practice, identity, logic. These things weigh down the camel. They bulk up the self. And that self is too wide to pass through the eye of the needle. The “eye of ...

The story of Cain and Abel can be seen as a symbol of what happens inside the mind before the promise of a new reality is accepted . Abel represents imagination —the creative power inside us that, when assumed as real, brings new possibilities to life. Cain, on the other hand, represents the negative mind, full of doubt, fear, and resistance. Before the promise was introduced and Sarah initially laughed at it , the mind struggled to believe that what it imagined could really come true. Instead of nurturing imagination, negativity would “kill” it. Cain killing Abel shows this destructive cycle : the imagination (Abel) is attacked by the doubting and fearful mind (Cain). Without the promise—the firm belief that what you assume in your imagination will become real—imagination is fragile and vulnerable. The mind keeps “killing” its own creative power through disbelief and negativity. This is why so many people struggle to manifest their desires; their imagination is not yet protected by ...

The account of Abraham selecting a wife for Isaac is more than a historical narrative. Within a psychological and metaphysical framework — particularly as understood through Neville Goddard’s teachings — it outlines a process of assumption : one that involves faith, imagination, feeling, and divine law working in harmony. This isn’t a story about romance. It is a symbolic account of how the mind must bind itself to the correct inner state in order to bring forth what has been promised. Abraham as the Initiating Authority of Faith Abraham represents the source of faith — the part of the self that sets the foundation for assumption. He embodies the understanding that “whatever you assume to be true becomes your reality.” In the story, Abraham directs the process with clear intention, ensuring the mind binds itself to what is aligned and lawful. Psychologically, this shows that conscious assumption must not unite with just any emotional state . It must be joined to one that is lawful, ...

In the psychological reading of Scripture, Abraham represents the development of pure faith —the kind of faith Neville Goddard describes as “assumption,” or the ability to dwell inwardly in the unseen as if it were already so. His journey is not just about trusting God ; it is about separating from all belief in external causation and surrendering everything that tries to anchor the mind to appearances. Hagar and the Outer Mindset The story of Abraham sending away Hagar and Ishmae l (Genesis 21:9–14) is often misunderstood. But through the symbolic language of the Bible, Hagar is not just a handmaid—she represents the mindset of trying to achieve results by human means. She is the bondwoman , the belief in effort, strategy, and outer causation. Neville Goddard calls this the attempt to “make it happen” instead of “letting it be.” “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had given birth to, playing with Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Send away this woman and her son: ...

In the Book of Ezekiel, a strange scene unfolds. A man clothed in linen, identified as a scribe , is commanded to go through the city and put a mark on the foreheads of all who sigh and cry for the abominations committed within it (Ezekiel 9:4). This mark is not punishment—it is a distinction , a separation between those grieved by the current state and those indifferent to it. But this grief is not meant to stay stagnant. In Neville Goddard’s teachings, sorrow is only useful if it leads to transformation of state . If imagination is God, then to remain in grief is to misuse the gift. Those who “sigh and cry” are being acknowledged—not for their sorrow alone—but for their potential to shift. This act of marking the foreheads is symbolic of awareness . The forehead, the seat of imagination, is where thoughts are impressed. The mark signifies readiness to move beyond grief into assumption. In biblical language, a scribe is not someone who writes with ink, but someone who records and ...