Neville Goddard on State Akin to Sleep (SATS)

Executive Summary

The state akin to sleep is a physically immobilized and mentally relaxed condition that borders on sleep but stops short of it. This drowsy state is crucial because it facilitates change by allowing you to assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled without interference from your senses or rational mind. By experiencing an imaginary act that implies your desire is accomplished, you impress this new reality upon your consciousness, and the sustained assumption will eventually harden into fact.

Key Concepts

• A drowsy, sleepy state where the physical body is immobilized.
• A condition that favors 'attention without effort,' allowing you to focus on your desire.
• The ideal state for assuming a feeling or reality that is denied by the senses.
• A state where you must remain in conscious control of your thoughts, not fall completely asleep.
• The creative state where you mentally participate in an action implying your desire is fulfilled.

Detailed Explanation

The 'state akin to sleep' is a specific level of consciousness between full wakefulness and deep sleep. It is a drowsy, relaxed condition where the tide of consciousness is high, making it receptive to new ideas. Neville describes it as a 'drowsy numbness' where the mind can hold its focus with a minimum of effort. This state was discovered by ancient teachers as a powerful aid for creative acts, as it helps bypass the undisciplined mind's tendency to reject what the physical senses currently deny.

The primary purpose of inducing this state is to successfully assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled. All creation takes place in sleep or a state akin to it. By entering this drowsy condition, you create a controlled environment to change your future. It is a simple but profound formula where you can impress your consciousness with a new reality. People often slight the importance of this simple method, yet it is fundamental to making an assumption feel real.

To enter this state, one must first immobilize the physical body, either by relaxing in a comfortable chair or lying on a bed. The next step is to induce the feeling of being sleepy, but only to the point where you are still able to consciously control the direction of your thoughts. Once in this state, you must mentally feel yourself right into an imaginary action. This action should be an event that would naturally follow the fulfillment of your desire, and you must participate in it as if you are actually performing it HERE AND NOW, not merely observing it.

It is critical to maintain a balance and not push the drowsiness into actual sleep. If you fall completely asleep, you lose the ability to control the movements of your attention, defeating the purpose. The goal is a moderate drowsiness that facilitates 'attention without effort,' allowing you to permeate your mind with the feeling of the wish fulfilled until it has the distinctness of reality.

Important Quotes

Drowsiness facilitates change because it favors attention without effort, but it must not be pushed to the stage of sleep, in which we shall no longer be able to control the movements of our attention...

— Out Of This World

The undisciplined mind finds it difficult to assume a state which is denied by the senses. But the ancient teachers discovered that sleep, or a state akin to sleep, aided man in making his assumption.

— How To Manifest Your Desires

You sit down for the purpose of creating a state akin to sleep, as though you were sleepy, but do not push the drowsiness too far, just far enough to relax and leave you in control of the direction of your thoughts.

— No One To Change But Self

All creation, as we told you last night, takes place in the state of sleep, or that state which is akin to sleep -the, sleepy drowsy state.

— Assumptions Harden Into Fact

Related Concepts

• Law of Assumption: The state akin to sleep is the ideal medium for making an assumption. It helps you feel a state that is denied by the senses, and this sustained assumption will eventually harden into fact.
• Imagination: This state is where you consciously direct your imagination to experience an action that implies the fulfillment of your desire. You must participate in the imaginary action, not just observe it.
• Desire: The process requires you to first define your desire. The imaginary scene you construct is an event that would naturally occur following the fulfillment of that desire.
• Consciousness: This state is a specific level of consciousness, higher than full wakefulness, where you can form the object of your desire out of consciousness itself.

Common Misunderstandings

• The Goal is to Fall Asleep: The objective is not to fall asleep. You must maintain conscious control over the direction of your thoughts. Pushing the drowsiness too far into actual sleep means you lose control and the technique fails.
• It is Passive Daydreaming: This is an active, controlled process, not an idle reverie. You must consciously participate in the imaginary action, feeling yourself performing it 'HERE AND NOW' with sensory vividness.

Practical Applications

To apply this teaching, first define your desire and then construct a short, simple scene that implies its fulfillment—an event that would happen after your wish came true. For example, being congratulated by a friend.

Next, immobilize your physical body by relaxing in a chair or lying on a bed. Induce a state akin to sleep by imagining that you are sleepy, but remain in control of your attention. With your eyes closed, mentally feel yourself right into the scene you constructed. Experience it in your imagination as though you are actually performing the action now. Permeate your mind with the feeling of the wish fulfilled with as little effort as possible. With practice, inducing this state can become a daily habit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the 'state akin to sleep'?

Its purpose is to aid you in assuming a state that your senses and reason currently deny. It facilitates change by allowing you to impress the feeling of the wish fulfilled upon your consciousness with minimal effort.

Do I have to fall asleep while doing this?

No, you must avoid falling completely asleep. The goal is to reach a moderate drowsiness where you remain in conscious control of your thoughts and can direct your attention to the imaginary act.

How do I enter this state?

You immobilize your physical body, relax completely, and imagine that you are sleepy. This induces a drowsy condition while leaving you in control of the direction of your thoughts.