Neville Goddard on John 8:32

Executive Summary

Neville Goddard reinterprets the scriptural phrase "the truth" to mean the reality of a desired state of consciousness, rather than the facts of the external world. To "know the truth" is to rise in consciousness to a desired state and identify with it so completely that it becomes your inner reality. This act of knowing and assuming a new state of being is the very principle that sets you free from your present limitations, as it is an everlasting law of expression.

Key Concepts

• Truth as Consciousness: The operative "truth" is not external fact but the reality of a state of consciousness you choose to occupy.
• Knowing is Being: To "know the truth" is to ascend in consciousness to a desired state and remain there until you become one with it.
• Freedom from the Senses: This principle frees you from the limitations imposed by your senses and current circumstances.
• Challenging External Reality: The teaching directly opposes the common belief that a true judgment must conform to the external world.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard's interpretation of John 8:32 hinges on a radical redefinition of "truth." He challenges the conventional idea that a true judgment must align with external, observable reality. Instead, he posits that the truth that brings freedom is an internal one—the reality of a state of consciousness that you successfully believe.

To illustrate this, he presents the example of an imprisoned person who suggests to themselves that they are free. While external facts contradict this, the act of succeeding in believing in freedom is, in itself, a truth. This inner conviction is the operative truth that has the power to change circumstances.

The process of "knowing" this truth is an active, imaginative one. It involves rising in consciousness to the level of the state you desire to express. One must remain in that elevated consciousness until they become one with it, feeling and knowing that they possess it. After successfully identifying with this new state, one can return to the physical world and act with the positive assurance of being that which they have assumed. This inner transformation, based on an everlasting law of expression, is what produces results that others might view as miracles.

Important Quotes

Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you fre,e.-John 8:32.

— Your Faith Is Your Fortune

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." —John 8:32

— Out Of This World

Related Concepts

• Consciousness: The entire principle is based on the power of consciousness. The "truth" is a state of consciousness, and freedom is achieved by rising in consciousness.
• Imagination: The act of suggesting to yourself that you are free while imprisoned is a direct application of imagination to create an inner reality contrary to external facts.
• I AM: To become "one with the consciousness to which He ascended" and to act with the assurance of "that which He was conscious of being" is to embody a new sense of I AM, or self-concept.

Common Misunderstandings

The primary misunderstanding this teaching corrects is the belief that truth must conform to external reality. Neville teaches that one should not judge based on the evidence of the senses. The truth that sets you free is the one you establish within your own consciousness through belief, even if it is currently denied by the outside world.

Practical Applications

To apply this principle, a student must first identify a desired state of being. The work is then to rise in consciousness to that level, imagining and feeling the reality of that state until they become one with it. For example, a person feeling imprisoned by circumstances would suggest to themselves that they are free and persist in that belief until it feels true. They must then maintain this inner conviction and act with the assurance that it is true, regardless of external evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this context, what does Neville Goddard mean by 'the truth'?

He defines 'the truth' not as external facts, but as the reality of a desired state of consciousness that you accept and believe in through your imagination.

How does knowing this 'truth' make you free?

Freedom is achieved by becoming one with your desired state in consciousness. By assuming and living from the feeling of this new reality, you are freed from the limitations of your previous state, which allows the new state to express itself in your world.