Neville Goddard on I AM: A Neville Goddard Study Guide

Executive Summary

This study path is designed for students of awareness and being. It explores Neville Goddard's teaching that the phrase "I AM" refers to your own consciousness, which is God—the one and only reality. Understanding this principle reveals that your awareness of being is the sole cause and creator of your experience. You are, and you possess, that which you are conscious of being.

Key Concepts

• I AM is God: The sacred writings of figures like Moses, David, and Isaiah reveal that God is man's awareness of being, named I AM.
• The Only Reality: Your I AM, or unconditioned consciousness, is the one and only reality. It is the formless creator in which all formed, conditioned states exist.
• Indivisible Being: I AM cannot be divided. While you may identify with various states or concepts—such as rich man or poor man—the center of your being remains the same.
• Conscious Creation: You automatically express and command into being whatever you are conscious of being. This decreeing is done in consciousness, not through verbal repetition.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard's teaching on "I AM" identifies your fundamental awareness of being as God. This is not a concept of a deity separate from yourself, but the very core of your existence. The source material defines your I AM as your unconditioned consciousness, which is the one and only reality. Everything you can perceive or conceive—spirit and matter, creator and creation, cause and effect—are united as one within this consciousness.

This central I AM is constant and indivisible. While consciousness can be expressed in an infinite series of levels or states, the underlying awareness is not divisional. You may conceive of yourself as a rich man, a poor man, a beggar, or a thief, but these are merely concepts or conditioned states that you hold of yourself. The center of your being, your pure awareness or I AM, remains unchanged regardless of the state you currently occupy.

Creation is the result of what you are conscious of being. At every moment, you are commanding yourself to be and to possess that which you identify with in consciousness. This is the act of decreeing. It is not accomplished through loud affirmations or vain repetition, but by consciously assuming that you are that which you desire to be. The Bible reveals this principle in statements like "Be still and know that I AM God" and "I AM hath sent me unto you," which identify this awareness of being as the ultimate creative power.

Important Quotes

Be still and know that I AM God.

— Your Faith Is Your Fortune

I AM cannot be divided.

— The Power Of Awareness

Unconditioned consciousness is God, the one and only reality.

— Freedom For All

Moses discovered God to be man’s awareness of being, when he declared these little understood words, “I AM hath sent me unto you.”

— At Your Command

Related Concepts

• Consciousness: The source material uses "I AM" and "consciousness" almost interchangeably. I AM is identified as your unconditioned consciousness, your awareness of being. The teaching that "Consciousness is the only Reality" is the foundation of understanding that your I AM is God.
• States: All conditioned states—concepts of self like being rich, poor, healthy, or sick—live and move within the unconditioned consciousness of I AM. Your I AM is the permanent, formless reality, while states are the temporary forms or concepts you occupy.

Common Misunderstandings

• "I AM" is a verbal affirmation: The teaching clarifies that decreeing is not done through words or loud affirmations. Such repetition can often be a confirmation of the opposite. True decreeing is done in consciousness; you must be conscious of being that which you have decreed yourself to be.
• There are multiple powers or realities: The source material emphasizes that consciousness, or I AM, is the one and only reality. There is no other God or cause. Believing in external causes is a misunderstanding of this core principle.

Practical Applications

• To apply this teaching, you must dare to assume that you are the person you would like to be, even when your reason and senses deny it. This is the practical test of the principle.
• The technique involves consciously choosing what follows "I am." You do this by awakening the feeling of your wish fulfilled. If you can feel what it would be like to have your desire realized, you have successfully occupied that state in consciousness.
• At every moment, you are automatically expressing what you are conscious of being. The application, therefore, is to become disciplined in your inner awareness and to consciously claim, in feeling, the state you desire to experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 'I AM' according to Neville Goddard?

It is your unconditioned consciousness, your fundamental awareness of being. The source material identifies this awareness as God, the one and only reality.

Can my 'I AM' be divided or harmed?

No. The source material states, 'I AM cannot be divided.' It is the constant center of your being, regardless of the temporary state or concept you hold of yourself.

How do I use 'I AM' to change my life?

You use it by consciously decreeing in consciousness what you desire to be. This is not done through verbal repetition, but by daring to assume the feeling of being the person you want to be.