Neville Goddard on Deuteronomy 30:15

Executive Summary

According to Neville, the scripture "I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil" is not about a distant God dictating events, but about man's inherent freedom to choose his own reality. This choice is exercised through imagination, which is the ultimate cause of all experience. The imaginative power is completely indifferent, creating either blessings or curses based entirely on what man chooses to entertain in his mind.

Key Concepts

• Freedom of Choice: The verse signifies that God gives man complete freedom to choose his experiences, whether life and good or death and evil.
• Imagination as Cause: The cause of one's experience, or "harvest," is the imagination of man. All outcomes originate from this inner creative activity.
• Man as the Source: Good and evil are not external forces but spring forth from within man himself.
• Indifferent Power: The imagination is an impartial power that waits on us and creates just as swiftly whether our nature is good or evil.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard interprets Deuteronomy 30:15 as a fundamental statement on man's freedom and creative power. He explains that God does not will specific outcomes for individuals but instead grants them absolute freedom of choice. Without this freedom, man would be merely a puppet, and any mandated goodness would be meaningless. The choice presented—between "life and good" and "death and evil," or "blessings and curses"—is a choice that man makes for himself.

The mechanism for this choice is human imagination. Imagination is the cause of everything in man's world. It is the creative power that brings forth his chosen reality. This power is entirely indifferent to the nature of the choice. It serves a person just as swiftly and effectively when their thoughts are evil as when they are good and lovely. Both good and evil spring from the same source: the imaginative activity of the individual. Therefore, man cannot blame an external cause for his misfortune, as he is the creator of his own harvest.

Important Quotes

From us spring forth good and evil. "I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." —Deuteronomy 30:15.

— Out Of This World

God didn’t will it, but God gives man complete freedom of choice. Listen to these words: “I set before you this day life and death, blessings and curses, good and evil. Choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:15) It’s entirely up to man.

— Who Am I

If I were not free in my choice, I were a puppet. If I had to be good, I’m no good!

— Who Am I

It couldn’t happen without a cause, and the cause is in the imagination of man.

— Who Am I

Related Concepts

• Imagination: This teaching is central to Neville's concept of imagination as the sole creative power. The freedom to choose is exercised through the act of imagining.
• States: The choice between "life and good" and "death and evil" can be understood as the choice of which conscious state to occupy. Man is free to imagine himself into any state, and that state will then be externalized as his experience.

Common Misunderstandings

A common misunderstanding is that God actively wills hardship or evil upon people. The source material corrects this by stating, "God didn’t will it, but God gives man complete freedom of choice." The responsibility for one's experience lies entirely with the individual's use of their own imagination.

Practical Applications

The practical application of this teaching is to consciously direct one's imagination. Since imagination creates reality and is indifferent to the nature of one's thoughts, one should follow the advice of the prophet and "think only the lovely and the good." By choosing to imagine desired outcomes, you are exercising your freedom to "choose life."

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Neville, does God choose whether we experience good or evil?

No. Neville states that God gives man complete freedom of choice. It is entirely up to man to choose between life and death, blessings and curses.

What is the source of good and evil in our lives?

The source is within ourselves. Both good and evil spring forth from the imagination of man, which is the cause of all experience.

Why is freedom of choice so important in this teaching?

Because without the freedom to choose, man would be a puppet. True virtue or goodness cannot exist if it is forced; it must be chosen.