My Neville GoddardNeville Goddard on Revision: A Neville Goddard Study Guide
Executive Summary
Revision is a foundational practice for changing your life by altering its cause—the past. Neville teaches that the unwanted circumstances of the present are the result of unrevised scenes from the past. By using your imagination to go back and mentally rewrite these events as you wish they had occurred, you change the cause and therefore change the effect. This process, when persisted in, can repeal the consequences of the original event, leading to tangible changes in your world.
Key Concepts
- Definition: Revision is replaying a past scene in imagination as it should have happened.
- Purpose: To find and destroy the causes of present evil, which are the unrevised scenes of the past.
- Result: Revision results in 'repeal,' nullifying the effects of the original event.
- Mechanism: It is a creative use of imagination, which is the divine power within you.
- Requirement: Your inner conversations and assumptions must align with the revised reality to make it a present fact in your mind.
Detailed Explanation
Neville defines revision as the act of going back in memory to identify and alter the causes of any present evil. The technique involves replaying a past scene in imagination, not as it was, but as it ought to have been played the first time. He states that this process of revision directly results in repeal, meaning the negative consequences of the original event are nullified.
The core principle is that to change your life, you must change the past. Neville explains that the past and present together form the entire structure of a person's reality. The unwanted conditions of today are caused by specific, unrevised scenes from yesterday. Therefore, by altering those scenes in the only place they now exist—your imagination—you alter the foundation upon which your present reality is built.
This is not mere wishful thinking but a disciplined application of your creative power. Your imagination is God's power within you, and your state of consciousness determines the phenomena of your life. Revision is a targeted method to change your state of consciousness by replacing the memories that support an unwanted state with memories that support your desired one. This must be accompanied by aligning your inner speech with the wish fulfilled, ensuring your internal world consistently reflects the new, revised reality.
Important Quotes
This going into the past and replaying a scene of the past in imagination as it ought to have been played the first time, I call revision—and revision results in repeal.
— The Law And The Promise
Changing your life means changing the past. The causes of any present evil are the unrevised scenes of the past.
— The Law And The Promise
If you become aware that these inner talks contradict what you would like to achieve, revise them so that they follow along the track that would indicate that you already have what you desire or are already the person you wish to be.
— Imagination Creates Reality
A lady said to me the other night: "Look at my hands! A week ago they were blistered as if with acid; now there is no scar, but it took me five days of revision to bring about what you are seeing."
— How To Manifest Your Desires
Common Misunderstandings
A common misunderstanding is that revision is simply ignoring the past. The teaching is not to ignore the past, but to actively change it. It is a deliberate psychological act of replaying a scene differently in imagination. It requires persistence, as shown by the example of the woman who performed revision for five days to heal her hands. It is not a passive exercise but an active, creative one that results in a 'repeal' of the past event's consequences.
Practical Applications
To apply revision, you must first identify an unwanted aspect of your present life. Then, go back in your memory to find a scene or scenes that you feel are the cause of this 'evil.' Once a scene is identified, you must replay it in your imagination repeatedly. However, you do not replay it as it occurred; you rewrite it and experience it in imagination as it ought to have been played. You persist in this imaginal act until it feels real. This must be supported by watching your inner conversations to ensure they align with the new, revised past, confirming the wish as fulfilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Neville's definition of revision?
It is the act of going back into the past in memory and replaying a scene in imagination as it ought to have been played the first time. Neville states this results in the repeal of the event's consequences.
Why is it necessary to revise the past?
According to the teaching, the causes of any present unwanted condition are the unrevised scenes of the past. To change your present life, you must change its cause, which is the past.
Can revision produce physical changes?
Yes. The source material provides an example of a woman who, through five days of revision, healed blistered hands without leaving a scar.
What is the role of inner speech in revision?
Your inner conversations must coincide with your wish fulfilled. If you notice your inner talk contradicts the revised reality, you must revise those conversations to align with the assumption that your desire is already a fact.
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