Neville Goddard
In this review, we will be exploring the profound teachings found within Neville Goddard’s book, “Prayer: The Art of Believing.” Prayer is often seen as a master key, fitting all doors and claiming to be a solution to all earthly problems. However, prayer is an art that requires practice and a controlled imagination.
In Chapter 1, titled “Law of Reversibility,” Goddard emphasizes the importance of understanding the laws that govern prayer. He explains that prayer is not about vain repetitions or ceremonies, but rather about having faith and understanding. The essence of prayer is faith, but faith must be permeated with understanding to be effective.
Goddard introduces the concept of the universal law of reversibility, which states that all transformations of force are reversible. He uses examples such as the phonograph and electricity to illustrate this point. If heat can produce mechanical motion, then mechanical motion can produce heat. This law is important because it allows us to foresee the inverse transformation once the direct transformation is verified.
The injunction to pray, believing that you already possess what you pray for, is based on the knowledge of this law. If your realized prayer produces a specific feeling or state of consciousness, then that feeling or state of consciousness must produce your realized prayer. In other words, if you can imagine and feel the joy of your wish fulfilled, then that feeling will manifest the state that would have created it.
Chapter 2, titled “Dual Nature of Consciousness,” delves into the importance of understanding the dual nature of consciousness. Consciousness includes both a conscious and subconscious part, with the subconscious being the most important. The subconscious is what a person is, while the conscious is what a person knows. The subconscious is where everything is known and possible, and it is the cause of voluntary action.
Goddard explains that our subconscious assumptions influence our behavior and shape our objective existence. The subconscious mind is completely controlled by suggestion, and ideas can be best suggested when the objective mind is partly subjective. This state of controlled revery allows for the subconscious mind to be receptive to suggestions.
Chapter 3, titled “Imagination and Faith,” highlights the importance of imagination and faith in prayer. Imagination is the beginning of all forms, and faith is the substance out of which they are formed. By using the power of imagination and having faith in the truth of our mental assertions, we can create objective conditions.
Goddard explains that prayers are not successful unless there is a rapport between the conscious and subconscious mind. This rapport is achieved through imagination and faith. By mentally representing the desired state and imagining that it has already been achieved, we can awaken corresponding states in ourselves and others.
Chapter 4, titled “Energy and Power,” explores the idea that everyone is amenable to the same psychological laws that govern the ordinary hypnotic subject. The objective senses may be suspended in hypnosis, but the subjective faculties remain alert. This understanding allows us to realize that anyone who is not objectively aware of us is in a profound hypnotic state relative to us.
Goddard explains that prayers depend on our attitude of mind for their success, not on the attitude of the subject. The subject has no power to resist our controlled subjective ideas unless the state affirmed is one they are incapable of wishing for themselves. In that case, the affirmation returns to the sender and will manifest in them instead.
Chapter 5, titled “Thought Transmission,” delves into the idea that thoughts can be transmitted to others. Goddard uses the analogy of the photophone, a device that transmits sound through light, to explain how thought transmission works. By mentally speaking to the subjective image of another and imagining that they are confirming what we want them to hear, we can transmit our thoughts to them.
Goddard emphasizes that prayers depend on our beliefs and assumptions. Whatever we believe to be true of others, we will awaken within them. Giving is receiving, and our beliefs shape our reality. By disregarding appearances and affirming the truth of what we desire, we can awaken that truth within ourselves and others.
In conclusion, Neville Goddard’s book “Prayer: The Art of Believing” offers profound teachings on the power of prayer and manifestation. By understanding the laws that govern prayer, harnessing the power of imagination and faith, and transmitting our thoughts to others, we can unlock the secrets of manifestation. Prayer is not about vain repetitions or ceremonies, but rather about having a controlled imagination and a deep understanding of the subconscious mind. With these tools, we can transform our reality and manifest our desires.