Neville Goddard Word Study: Faith

Executive Summary

In Neville Goddard's teachings, faith is not directed toward an external deity but is instead a measure of one's confidence in oneself. It is the unwavering loyalty to the unseen reality of an imaginal act. Faith is the essential component, paired with imagination, that allows an individual to live in the feeling of the wish fulfilled, regardless of contradictory evidence from the senses, until that subjective state becomes an objective fact.

Key Concepts

• Faith in God is measured by confidence in oneself.
• Faith is defined as believing what is unbelievable to reason and the senses.
• It is the act of remaining loyal and faithful to an assumption or a new concept of self.
• The combination of "Imagination Plus Faith" is the formula for creating reality.
• The power of belief resides within the individual, not in any external object or icon.
• True faith is faith in your own "I AM" or consciousness as the sole creative power.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard redefines faith as an internal, creative power rather than a belief in an external entity. He states explicitly that a person's faith in God is measured by their confidence in themself. This confidence is placed in one's own consciousness, or "I AM," which is the only reality and the true identity of God. The life one lives is lived by faith in this inner being, the "Son of God" who is one's own wonderful human imagination.

The core function of faith is to remain loyal to a subjective reality. After assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled, one must remain faithful to that new state or concept of self. This involves living and acting on the conviction that the assumption is true, even if reason and the surrounding world deny it. Faith is the bridge between the unseen imaginal act and its eventual objective manifestation. It is described as "believing what is unbelievable."

The creative process is a combination of "Imagination Plus Faith." While imagination creates the scene of the wish fulfilled, faith is the conviction that commits a person to that unseen reality. This commitment is an act of self-commission, where one entrusts oneself to the feeling of the wish fulfilled, confident that the imaginal act must become a reality. Any failure in this process is not a fault in the principle, but in one's own belief in themself and their faith in what they have imagined.

Important Quotes

MAN'S FAITH IN GOD IS MEASURED BY HIS CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF

— Your Faith Is Your Fortune

Faith is believing what is unbelievable.

— The Law And The Promise

remain faithful to your assumption, living and acting on your conviction.

— How To Manifest Your Desires

The title, as you know, is “Imagination Plus Faith.”

— Imagination Plus Faith

Related Concepts

• I AM: Faith is ultimately confidence in your own being, your "I AM." To believe that your "I amness" is He is the foundation of faith.
• Imagination: Faith is the necessary partner to imagination. One must have faith in what one has imagined for it to come to fruition. The creative formula is "Imagination Plus Faith."
• Assumption / Wish Fulfilled: Faith is the act of remaining loyal to the assumption of the wish fulfilled. It is the persistent belief in the reality of that assumed state.
• Consciousness: As consciousness is the only cause, faith is the trust you place in a particular state of consciousness you choose to occupy, believing it to be true until it mirrors itself in your world.

Common Misunderstandings

A common misunderstanding is that faith is directed toward an external God or a physical object. The source material corrects this by stating that faith in God is measured by confidence in oneself. The story of the woman with the St. Christopher icon illustrates that it was her belief in the object that was effective, not the object itself. The power is always within the believer's own consciousness.

Practical Applications

To apply this teaching, you must first determine what you want to be. Then, you assume the feeling of already being it. The practical work is to remain faithful to this assumption. This means you must live and act on this new conviction, mentally entering the state of your wish fulfilled and believing in its reality despite any evidence to the contrary. The secret is to commit yourself to this feeling in faith, believing that this act of self-commission will inevitably become a physical reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is faith, according to Neville?

Faith is defined as confidence in oneself and believing what is unbelievable to the senses. It is the act of remaining loyal to the unseen reality of your imaginal act until it hardens into fact.

Is faith directed towards an external God?

No. According to the source material, faith in God is measured by one's confidence in oneself. The creative power is your own consciousness, your 'I AM'.

How does faith relate to imagination?

Faith and imagination work together. The creative formula is described as "Imagination Plus Faith." You must have faith in what you have imagined, remaining loyal to that imaginal act for it to become your reality.