“Man, through his imaginal activity, literally ‘calls into existence the things that do not exist’. .”
– Neville Goddard
Using my imagination to call into existence what I desire appeals to my sense of autonomy. Neville Goddard inspires me to use my imagination to influence and mold my reality. I can do this consciously, or allow my thoughts to unfold mechanically. If I choose to live habitually – unconscious of different choices, different paths; I may very well have a fine life. Or a horrible one if I wallow in a half empty glass. Making use of my imagination consciously can bring to life astonishing creations.
“The world moves with motiveless necessity. By this is meant that it has no motive of its own, but is under the necessity of manifesting your concept, the arrangement of your mind and your mind is always arranged in the image of all you believe and consented to as true.”
“Health, wealth, beauty and genius are not created; they are only manifested by the arrangement of your mind – that is, by your concept of yourself (and your concept of yourself is all that you accept and consent to as true). What you consent to can only be discovered by an uncritical observation of your reactions to life. Your reactions reveal where you live psychologically; and where you live psychologically determines how you live in the outer visible world.”
My quest is to understand where I live psychologically and interrupt the habits that create an outer world that is anything less than desirable. Putting into practice Goddard’s teachings and techniques “consciously and deliberately” is fun, challenging and sometimes a rude awakening.
Fun, because I get to dwell on the things I want! Challenging, because I apparently want things that seem to be in direct opposition to each other. The rude awakening comes trying to reconcile my desires with what I believe to be true.
I want to be slim, trim and fit effortlessly — I believe I must eat right and exercise to reach my ideal. Why can’t I just eat a magic bean and *poof* my metabolism goes into hyper drive allowing me to sit on my ass and eat bon bons? Because I don’t believe in the magic metabolism bean. If you do – I’m jealous!
Goddard recommends we use the meditative state to envision the end result of what we desire.
“We must use our Imagination to achieve particular ends, even if the ends are all trivia.”
“Nothing stands between man and the fulfillment of his dream but facts: And facts are the creations of imagining. If man changes his imagining, he will change the facts.”
Meditation allows me to use my imagination to see things in my mind’s eye – things I believe CAN become true, even if they aren’t true in this moment. These imaginings are not magic beans. Goddard contends that “all transformation begins with an intense, burning desire to be transformed.” I must REALLY want to change from the inside out.
I must see myself doing / having that thing I want – feeling with “absolute fidelity” that I am that now. These desires earnestly lived in my imagination can manifest in my outer world.
Or; I can sit back and ride the wave of the life I was born into. Accept the cultural, societal and familial habits I grew up and grew old with. These customs and routines are comfortable; even the prickly and miserable practices. I know what to expect. Changing who I am can be scarier than simply riding the momentum of my life. But with imagination, desire and intent I can act and create magic.
“If the road which I have shown is very difficult, it yet can be discovered. And clearly it must be very hard if it is so rarely found. For how could it be that it is neglected by practically all, if salvation . . could be found without difficulty. But all excellent things are as difficult as they are rare.”
— Spinoza
Sweet beautiful