Neville Goddard Word Study: Awareness

Executive Summary

In Neville's teachings, Awareness is the foundational concept upon which all reality is built. It is not merely a faculty of the mind but is the self-existent, unconditioned reality of God, synonymous with I AM. This formless Awareness is the only creator, becoming conditioned by imagining itself to be something. Your individual world and its circumstances are determined by your 'level of awareness'—that which you consent to and are conscious of being. To change your life is to change what you are aware of.

Key Concepts

• Awareness is God: The prophets discovered that God is man's awareness of being, the great I AM.
• Unconditioned Reality: Before taking any form, there is an unconditioned awareness—a sense of being that is divorced from what one is conscious of being.
• The Sole Creator: Awareness creates by becoming that which it is aware of being. This is the sequence of creation: unconditioned awareness imagines itself into a conditioned state, and becomes it.
• Levels of Awareness: Humanity exists in an infinite series of levels of awareness. Your psychological location in this series determines the circumstances of your life.
• The Power to Move: Man is not restricted to physical movement; he can move to a different reality simply by a change in what he is aware of.
• The Primal Identity: Even with total amnesia, where you do not know who or where you are, you cannot cease to be aware that you are. This fundamental awareness is your I AMness.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard identifies Awareness as the ultimate and only reality, equating it directly with God and the biblical name 'I AM'. He explains that this is the discovery of the ancient prophets: God is man's awareness of being. This awareness is the door through which all manifestations pass into the world of form. It is the fundamental sense of existence itself, the knowledge that 'I am' which precedes and is independent of knowing who or what I am.

This core reality is described as 'unconditioned awareness'. It is a formless, self-existent state of being that was 'in the beginning'. Creation occurs when this unconditioned awareness becomes conditioned. The mechanism for this is imagination. By imagining itself to be something—a person, a state, a condition—the formless awareness takes on that form and becomes that which it has imagined itself to be. The entire drama of creation is a movement within awareness: first, being aware of something, and then becoming aware of being that thing.

Your life is a direct reflection of your particular level of awareness. Neville describes humanity as an infinite series of such levels. Your circumstances, whether rich or poor, are not caused by external forces but are an objectification of the state you have admitted into your consciousness. A poor man is one who is conscious of being poor. To change your world, you must stop reacting to objectified reality and instead change the level of awareness from which you operate. This is achieved by becoming aware of what you are imagining and consciously choosing to identify with your desired state.

The true journey of man is not through physical space but 'up the ladder of awareness'. This implies a deliberate, purposeful use of imagination to move into ever-increasing awareness. You can mentally move from your present reality to one never before witnessed by changing what you are aware of. This is the secret of causation: being aware of your imaginal activity means you know what you are creating.

Important Quotes

In the beginning was the unconditioned awareness of being, and the unconditioned awareness of being became conditioned by imagining itself to be something, and the unconditioned awareness of being became that which it had imagined itself to be;

— Your Faith Is Your Fortune

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

Humanity, understood psychologically, is an infinite series of levels of awareness and you, individually, are what you are according to where you are in the series.

— The Creative Use Of Imagination

By unconditioned consciousness is meant a sense of awareness; a sense of knowing that I AM apart from knowing who I AM; the consciousness of being, divorced from that which I am conscious of being.

— Freedom For All

Related Concepts

• I AM: Awareness is explicitly and repeatedly defined as I AM. It is the fundamental knowing of your own being, which is God.
• Consciousness: The terms 'awareness' and 'consciousness' are used interchangeably. Unconditioned consciousness is a sense of awareness, and the 'light' that makes all things manifest is defined as 'awareness; consciousness'.
• Imagination: Imagination is the creative power or 'eye' of awareness. It is the means by which unconditioned awareness conditions itself and becomes something specific.
• States: A state is a particular level of awareness. To be in the state of poverty is to be aware of being poor. You change your world by changing the state you are aware of occupying.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Awareness is a passive mental function, like being awake.

• Correction: In Neville's teaching, awareness is the active, creative substance of reality itself. It is God in action, constantly forming the world by what it is aware of being.

• Misunderstanding: You must fight against your current reality to change it.

• Correction: Reacting to your current circumstances only binds you more tightly to that level of awareness. The method is to refuse to react and instead change what you are aware of internally, which will cause the external world to change.

Practical Applications

The practical application of this teaching is to consciously manage what you are aware of. Instead of being aware of your problems or lack, you must cultivate an awareness of your wish fulfilled.

This is a process of moving from being aware of a desire to becoming aware of being the person who already has it. This involves using your imagination to feel what it would be like if your desire were already a fact. By identifying with this new state and persisting in the awareness of being it, you impress it upon the formless substance of awareness, which then objectifies it as your reality.

To do this, you must become aware of your imaginal activities, as they are the cause of your life's circumstances. Stop being conscious of unlovely things and instead identify yourself with your ideal. This is how you move up the 'ladder of awareness' and change your world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the relationship between Awareness and God?

According to the source material, they are one and the same. God is defined as man's awareness of being, the eternal 'I AM'.

Is awareness the same as consciousness?

Yes, the provided texts use the terms interchangeably. For example, 'unconditioned consciousness' is defined as a 'sense of awareness', and the creative 'light' is defined as 'awareness; consciousness'.

How does awareness create reality?

Awareness creates by becoming that which it is aware of being. The unconditioned awareness of being becomes conditioned through imagination, taking on the form of that which it imagines itself to be.

What does Neville mean by 'levels of awareness'?

A 'level of awareness' is the state you are conscious of being. Your circumstances, such as being rich or poor, are determined by the level of awareness you occupy. To change your circumstances, you must change your level of awareness.