Neville Goddard Word Study: I AM

Executive Summary

In Neville Goddard's teachings, 'I AM' is the fundamental name and nature of God. This is not a being outside of yourself, but rather your own consciousness—your awareness of being. This 'I AM' is the one and only creative power, the formless awareness that existed before the world was and that conceives and becomes all things. To use this power, one must identify with their desired state by assuming 'I am' that which they wish to be, making 'I AM' the very door to the fulfillment of desire.

Key Concepts

• 'I AM' is the name of God, existing in the eternal present tense.
• God is not external but is identical to a person's own consciousness or awareness of being.
• This awareness, 'I AM', is also equated with one's own wonderful human imagination.
• 'I AM' is the unconditioned, formless awareness that is the sole cause and creator of all things.
• It is described as the only 'door' through which a person can enter a new state of being or achieve success.
• To claim 'I AM' a certain state is to assume it into being, even if reason and the senses deny it.

Detailed Explanation

According to the source material, 'I AM' is the name of God, a truth revealed by prophets like Moses, David, and Isaiah. This is not a historical or external deity, but rather the immediate, internal reality of one's own awareness of being. 'I AM' is the unconditioned consciousness that existed before creation—'Before Abraham was, I AM'—and is the foundational reality out of which all conditioned states and forms evolve. It is the formless awareness that conceives of itself as being man, and by its own law, is compelled to express whatever it conceives itself to be.

The creative power of the universe is identified with this 'I AM'. It is one's own human imagination. When a person dares to assume 'I am the man that I would like to be,' they are speaking directly to the only God there is: their own Self. This act of assumption is the creative process. It begins with being aware of something you desire, and culminates in becoming aware of being that which you desire. This makes 'I AM' the absolute truth; it is everything that a person can ever imagine.

Practically, 'I AM' functions as the only way or 'door' into a desired state of success or fulfillment. To enter the 'sheepfold' of your ideal future, you must go through the door of 'I AM.' This means you must cease to see your desire as something separate from you and instead claim it in the present tense. If you desire to be rich or known, you must be able to say 'I am rich' or 'I am he.' To refuse this claim is to 'miss the mark' (sin) and deny the truth of your own creative power.

Important Quotes

Verily, verily, I say unto you before Abraham was, I AM.

— 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

He said: “I am the Truth” – I AM everything in this world; everything man can ever imagine, I AM.

— You Can Forgive Sin

...the only door in to your success, in to your future as you would conceive it or desire it to be, there is only one door, and that door is 'I AM'?

— Barabbas Or Jesus

Related Concepts

• Consciousness: 'I AM' is explicitly defined as consciousness, or man's awareness of being. It is the resurrecting power that brings into form whatever man is conscious of being.
• Imagination: The teachings equate God with one's own wonderful human imagination. The act of claiming 'I AM' a desired state is an imaginal act, and the dreamer—the one having the experience—is one's imagination.
• Law of Assumption: The practical application of the 'I AM' principle is the Law of Assumption. One is called upon to dare to assume 'I am' the person they would like to be, persisting in this assumption despite contradictory evidence from the senses.
• Desire: 'I AM' is the means by which desire is realized. You identify what you desire to be, and then you use the door of 'I AM' to enter that state by claiming you are already it.

Common Misunderstandings

• 'I AM' does not refer to a specific person. The source material corrects the interpretation that statements like 'I AM the way' refer to the man Jesus. It clarifies: 'It is not stated, “I, Jesus, am the way,”... It is clearly stated, “I AM the way.”' The 'I AM' is the universal awareness of being in all people.
• God is not an outside power. The teachings counter the idea of praying to an external God. When you make a claim using 'I AM,' you are asking your Self—your own imagination—to bring it to pass, because that is the only God.

Practical Applications

To apply this teaching, you must first identify a clear desire. Then, you must dare to assume that you are already the person who has fulfilled that desire. This is not a hope for the future but a claim in the eternal present. You must say, in consciousness, 'I am' that which you wish to be, such as 'I am rich,' or 'I am successful.'

This is an act of persistent assumption. Your senses and reason may deny your claim, but you are called upon to ignore them and remain loyal to your vision. You must walk as though you were what you want to be. This inner conviction, this claim of 'I AM,' is the one and only door to making your desire a visible, objective fact in your world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'I AM' a reference to the historical person of Jesus?

No. The source material specifies that it is not 'I, Jesus, am the way,' but 'I AM the way.' 'I AM' refers to the universal awareness of being, which is the creative power in every individual.

According to Neville, is God an external being to whom we pray?

No. God is defined as one's own consciousness or human imagination. When you use 'I AM' to claim a state, you are speaking to your Self, which is the only God.

How do I use the principle of 'I AM' to change my life?

You must dare to assume that you already are what you desire to be. This means claiming in the present tense, 'I am [your desire fulfilled],' and persisting in that assumption regardless of current circumstances.