Power And Wisdom
Executive Summary
In this lecture, Neville Goddard distinguishes between two forms of power: the limited power of the physical world and the ultimate, creative power that originates from within. This true power, described as a "life-giving spirit," is accompanied by a divine wisdom that is revealed, not learned. One is clothed with this power and wisdom after experiencing a series of four mystical events, called "reunions with God." While awaiting this spiritual awakening, one can use a lesser, yet still potent, form of this power through the disciplined use of imagination to fulfill desires in the world of Caesar.
Key Concepts
- There are two distinct types of power: the limited power of the physical world and the ultimate "power from on high" which comes from within.
- True power is a "life-giving spirit" that animates reality. One who possesses it can arrest the motion of the world and release it again, because the power resides in the self, not in the objects perceived.
- Divine wisdom is not worldly knowledge or the product of reason; it is God's self-revelation within an individual.
- One is clothed with this ultimate power and wisdom through a series of four divine events: the spiritual birth from within, the discovery of God's son David, the splitting of the body and ascent into heaven, and the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove.
- While in this world, one uses the creative power of imagination to cushion life's blows by constructing and feeling the reality of a scene implying the wish is fulfilled.
Detailed Explanation
This lecture centers on the profound difference between the power man wields in the physical world and the true, spiritual power that is his inheritance. Worldly power is described as mere kindergarten compared to the "power from on high." This ultimate power is not external but comes from within, a correction Neville makes to the biblical translation of the word anothen. It is Christ within you, a life-giving spirit that animates all of existence. Neville illustrates this by describing personal experiences where he inwardly arrested this power, causing the entire external scene—people and objects—to freeze, revealing them as lifeless forms. The power was not in them, but in him, the one perceiving.
This immense power is always paired with divine wisdom. Worldly wisdom, based on logic and reason, is considered foolishness in the divine plan and cannot be used to find God. True wisdom is a direct, inner revelation. God reveals himself progressively: first as sheer power (God Almighty to the patriarchs), then as self-awareness (I AM to Moses), and finally through sonship, when his son David calls you Father. This is the wisdom that prevents the misuse of ultimate power, which is never exercised in this world because it is too great. It is only wielded when one wears the "Human Form Divine" in the New Age.
The journey to embodying this power and wisdom is a predetermined spiritual drama consisting of four great "reunions with God." These are: the birth of God from within you; the discovery of David of biblical fame as your eternal son; the splitting of your spiritual body from top to bottom, followed by an ascent into heaven; and finally, the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, which clothes you with power. These events mark one's redemption and entry into the New Age as a life-giving spirit, no longer merely an animated body.
Until this spiritual climax occurs, man is encouraged to use his creative power in a practical way. This involves the deliberate use of imagination. To achieve a desire, you must construct a scene which implies its fulfillment, endow it with sensory vividness and the feeling of naturalness, and then release it with faith. This imaginal act is a seed that, once planted in consciousness, will mature into a physical reality. This is the power available to everyone to cushion the inevitable blows of life while waiting for the ultimate promise to unfold from within.
Important Quotes
You have no power over me unless it is given you from within.
— Power And Wisdom
What seems to be is, to those to whom it seems to be, and is productive of the most dreadful consequences, to those to whom it seems to be, even of torment, despair and Eternal death.
— Power And Wisdom
Construct a scene which implies the fulfillment of your desire. Give it all of the sensory vividness you are capable of giving, and rest in the knowledge that its implication is the power to bring your desire into your world.
— Power And Wisdom
He who finds me, finds life and receives favor from the Lord. He who misses me injures himself. He who hates me loves death.
— Power And Wisdom
Common Misunderstandings
- Power comes from an external God: The lecture corrects the translation of anothen from "from above" to "from within," emphasizing that true power is not granted by an outside entity but is an inherent quality of your own being.
- The ultimate power is for worldly gain: Neville clarifies that the ultimate, life-giving power is "too great" to be exercised here. It is paired with divine wisdom and used in the New Age. The power for this world is the creative power of your imagination to fulfill desires.
- God can be understood through study: The lecture states that God cannot be found through studying scripture or through worldly wisdom. God must be revealed directly to the individual through inner experience.
Practical Applications
To apply the teachings in this world, you must use your creative power of imagination. This is the power available to you while you wait to be clothed with the "power from on high."
- First, know exactly what you want to experience.
- Second, construct a short scene or an imaginal act that implies your desire has already been fulfilled.
- Third, give this inner scene all the sensory vividness and qualities of reality you can muster. Feel that it is natural and right.
- Finally, release the scene with the quiet confidence that the imaginal seed has been planted and will mature into reality in its own time. You then go about your business, patiently knowing your desire will become a fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between worldly power and the 'power from on high'?
Worldly power is limited and physical, described as a 'little firecracker.' The 'power from on high' is an infinite, life-giving spirit that comes from within and has the ability to animate or still all of reality.
How does one receive this ultimate spiritual power?
This power is not earned but is bestowed when an individual personally experiences the 'four reunions with God': the birth from within, the discovery of David as one's son, the ascent into heaven, and the descent of the Holy Spirit.
Can I use the ultimate power to change my life right now?
No. According to the lecture, that ultimate power is too great for this world and is only exercised with divine wisdom after one's spiritual awakening. For changing your life now, you are to use the creative power of your imagination by assuming the feeling of your wish fulfilled.
What is the difference between worldly wisdom and God's wisdom?
Worldly wisdom is based on logic, reason, and the evidence of the senses. God's wisdom is not learned but is directly revealed from within, culminating in the knowledge that you are God the Father.
Full Lecture Transcript
Read Neville Goddard's complete lecture below — the actual transcript this study guide is drawn from. Highlight any passage and ask the AI to explain it.
Neville 10-04-1968
POWER AND WISDOM
Although man develops more and more power on earth, it is like kindergarten, compared to the power that is his in the New Age. Christ within you as your hope of glory is the personification of this power Knowing himself to be all power, Jesus turned to those who followed him, and said: "Wait in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." You are clothed with that power when the Holy Spirit, symbolized as a dove, descends upon you. Clothed with the power from on high, Jesus entered the synagogue, opened the Book of Isaiah to the 61st chapter, and read: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor and to release the captives." Closing the book, he handed it to the attendant and said: "Today the scripture you have just heard has been fulfilled." The Old Testament predicted the coming of the New Age, called the kingdom of God. By this statement, Jesus claimed to be its fulfillment, for when the dove descended he knew he was the Messiah, the embodiment of power and wisdom. When Pilate, the personification of logic and reason, asked: "Where are you from?" Jesus did not answer. But when he said: "Do you not know I have the power to release or crucify you," Jesus replied: "You have no power over me unless it is given you from within." In other words, if I do not give my power to you, you have none. In the above statement the word "anothen" is translated "from above," but its true meaning is "from within." This same word is used when Nicodemus is told: "Unless you are born from within, you cannot enter the kingdom of God." The power from within is life-giving and entirely different from the power of this world. If you desired to physically leave this room, as an animated being I would have no power to hold you here. But as a life-giving spirit, I could hold and control your actions. As a life-giving spirit, I have entered a scene from within. Those who were present could not see me; yet I was so alive with power in myself, that I knew if I arrested it, everything I perceived would stand still. I did, and instantly everyone and everything was stilled. I examined them to discover that they were dead as though made out of clay. Then I released that power in myself, and everyone once more became animated, and continued to fulfill their intentions. Possessing no power in them, I did not release the power in them but in me.
Only when you wear the Human Form Divine - which is the embodiment of love - will you exercise this power. It is never exercised here, for your power is too great. You could, by arresting an army, rearrange their intention, release them, and they would execute your instructions - even if it meant their death. But wisdom goes hand in hand with that power. Paul asks: "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? In the wisdom of God the world does not know God through wisdom. The foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men." God cannot be found through studying scripture. He must be revealed! God either reveals himself to you, or you remain ignorant as to who he is. God first revealed himself to Moses as destructive power, saying: "I AM the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name I AM I did not make myself known to them." The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew only sheer power, but Moses knew God as I AM. Revealing himself as power, then as I AM, when God's son calls you father, you will know who you really are. This is the wisdom of God as opposed to the wisdom of man. A friend of mine shared this vision with me. He said: "I am driving my car, when suddenly I am airborne, gliding over the treetops. Navigating the car by body-English, it rises as I lighten my body and descend with my body weight. Suddenly I panic, and must have crashed because I lost consciousness and the next thing I knew I was in a humanoid body such as I have never seen. The outside was dead, beige dust like the coals of a fireplace, with two holes where the eyes should be. "I am not alone, there are others but they seem to be mindless water carriers. Asking a question of one, he pointed to a large boulder made of the same substance as my body. I climbed this rock and saw you, Neville, wearing a similar body. At your side was a mindless, brainless automaton. "We began to talk, and I opened my wallet to show you a card which implied I was a writer. The man at your side questioned you and you answered him very superficially, conveying to me with a look that the man was incapable of understanding anything. Then you and I were alone, and you said: ‘No one can deny you the next four reunions with God.’ I did not understand the words, but your manner implied they were very important, and a joy permeated my being as I awoke." These fleshly garments look like the garments he saw, when seen from a certain level. Paul tells us that the first man (Esau, Cain, etc.) is the man of dust, but the second man (Christ) is the man of heaven. (I Corinthians 15) These bodies of dust are moved by a power from within. Blake explained this so beautifully, when he said: "Those in great Eternity who contemplate on death (this world) say thus, 'What seems to be is, to those to whom it seems to be, and is productive of the most dreadful consequences, to those to whom it seems to be, even of torment, despair and Eternal death. But Divine Mercy steps beyond and redeems Man in the body of Jesus.'" Every vision has a single jet of truth in it. My friend who had the vision is now being redeemed; because no one - but no one - can prevent him from experiencing the four reunions with God, at which time Divine Mercy redeems him in the body of Jesus.
The first reunion is God's birth from within. The second is the discovery of his son, David. This is followed by the third mighty reunion, when his spiritual body is split in two and God ascends like a spiral of lightening into heaven. And finally, the fourth act appears, as the Holy Spirit embodies the form of a dove to clothe him - as you - with power from on high. From that moment on, you are aware of an entirely different world. You will no longer be an animated body, but know yourself to be a life-giving spirit, moving through heavenly states, giving life and telling the eternal story. Having joined those in great eternity, you too will contemplate on those who sleep in death and know that what seems to be is - to those to whom it seems to be. You will not raise a finger to change their experiences, as you will know they are necessary in the world of Caesar. Having entered the New Age, where there is no time or space, you will discover that you are every place at the same time if you so desire, and that you are the creator of it all. You see, when you emptied yourself of your power and wisdom to take on the form of a slave in the world of time, it was at once a tragedy and yet a triumph. Just like a sucker, which breathes and feeds on its parent, knows tremendous tragedy when detached and planted separately -but it becomes the parent because of the separation. So your separation is a tragedy and yet a victory, for you do become aware of being God the Father because of it. The fall into decay and death was purposely planned. We are all awakening and returning to the awareness of being the one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father of all. Having fallen into division, we are gathered into the unity of being the one Father, enhanced by our experiences in this world of death. I can describe this power in words, but its true feeling must be experienced. One evening, while sitting in MacArthur Park, I watched a man walk by, stand on a corner, and light a cigarette. Then I arrested that power in me and the match remained lit, yet did not burn beyond the place it was only a moment before. The man, standing as a statue, appeared to be totally unaware of the lighted match, while the park took on the stillness of death. Then I released the power within me and watched the man blow out the match, throw it away, and continue to walk with the others. When you are clothed with the power from on high you feel it, and these things happen to you. Because of his disbelief, man sees this power as foolishness. So Paul told the Corinthians: "Since in the wisdom of God man did not by wisdom know God, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach, to save those who believe." All that you are called upon to do is to listen to the eternal story of salvation, and believe by responding to it. Then go about your business by using your power to cushion the blows of life; and when it pleases God, you will be saved. Although your power here is like a little firecracker compared to your real power, when you know what you want and believe you have it, your power of belief will make it so. Construct a scene which implies the fulfillment of your desire. Give it all of the sensory vividness you are capable of giving, and rest in the knowledge that its implication is the power to bring your desire into your world.
You don't have to be a brilliant scholar to use your creative power. In fact, the more brilliant you are, the less you are likely to try it. The so-called brilliant mind believes only in that which is physical and visible, and therefore does not believe a desire can be fulfilled by a simple imaginal act. But I know the power of imagining, for I have sat quietly in my chair in my living room, constructed a scene which implied the fulfillment of my desire, gave it all of the qualities of naturalness so that it felt right - and let it be. Then, just as I would drop a seed into the ground and wait for its maturity, my seed of desire matured and fulfilled itself in my world. Imagine whatever you desire. Believe you will receive it and go about your business in the world with patience and confidence, knowing your desire will erupt and become a reality. Use the law while you remain in the city waiting to be clothed with power from on high, for it will come. Believe me, for God's pattern of salvation has unfolded in me. The divine drama has reached its climax. Only Caesar's history continues, and every child born of woman is fulfilling it. Moving across the screen of space for thousands of years, man experiences moments of joy and sorrow, sadness and pain, until the dramatic story of Christ unfolds from within. It takes 1260 days from God's first mighty act to the final one. Then, if the brothers decide it is your task to remain and tell the story, you will. Like Paul, I long to depart. I feel as though there is a thorn in my side and I pray to have it removed. But I will remain, knowing my grace is sufficient, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I recall the first night I met Abdullah. I had purposely delayed going to one of his meetings, because a man whose judgment I did not trust had insisted on my attendance. At the end of the meeting, Ab approached me and said: "Neville, you are six months late." Startled, I questioned how he knew my name, when he said: "The brothers told me you would be here six months ago." Then he added: "I will remain until you have received all that I must give you. Then I will depart." He, too, may have longed to go, but he had to wait for me. If you are serious about the study of the Bible, read the eighth chapter of Proverbs. Begin with the 22nd verse, and as you go through to the end you will discover it is all about wisdom. Personified as a little child, wisdom says: "He who finds me, finds life and receives favor from the Lord. He who misses me injures himself. He who hates me loves death." One day, finding life in yourself, you will hold wisdom in your arms and receive favor from the Lord. But if you would rather have more of the world of Caesar, you will hate the idea of the child, because you love death. The world and all of its conflict is essential to the work that is being done in you. But in the end, you will have these four wonderful reunions with God and find yourself in the kingdom of heaven. Your awakening and resurrection takes you from this world of death. The discovery of your Son, your ascent into heaven, and the descent of the Holy Spirit is your entrance into the New Age, where you wear the body of Christ, the power and the wisdom of God. Now let us go into the silence.
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