Our Real Beliefs: The Hidden Power of Assumption – A Neville Goddard Lecture on Manifestation
In this lecture, Neville Goddard explores the profound distinction between intellectual belief and true, lived belief—which he equates with faith. He argues that real belief is not merely accepting something intellectually but experiencing it as reality. Faith, he asserts, is synonymous with imagination: what we truly believe is what we live by, and it is our imagination that brings these beliefs into external form.Neville emphasizes that belief must be fused with experience to be fully realized. Many hear spiritual truths but do not mix them with faith, leading to a lack of transformation. He encourages his audience to test the principle of assuming a desired reality, living as though it were already true, and witnessing the externalization of that assumption.Through vivid anecdotes, Neville illustrates how assumptions shape reality. He shares the story of a woman who desired to visit Egypt but had no means to do so. Years later, after maintaining her assumption, she was unexpectedly gifted an all-expenses-paid trip. Another story recounts how a writer influenced his producer’s vocabulary simply by hearing the desired response in his imagination—eventually shifting the producer’s habitual words from “good” to “terrific” and even “absolutely sensational.”Neville stresses that imagination is the creative power of God in man and that every individual must learn to assume responsibility for their inner world. He warns that when people fully grasp this power, it can be unsettling, as it implies that everything in their world is self-created. However, by mastering this principle, one can systematically reshape their reality, starting with small, tangible changes and eventually transforming their entire life.Ultimately, Our Real Beliefs teaches that faith is not passive but active—it is the art of assuming and persisting in the wish fulfilled until it becomes external fact. Neville challenges his audience to move beyond traditional religious concepts and directly experience the power of their own imagination as God.
