The Power of Awareness by Neville Goddard Summary

The Power of Awareness is Neville Goddard's 1952 masterwork on consciousness as the sole creative force in existence. The book teaches that your external reality is a direct reflection of your internal state—your thoughts, beliefs, and self-concept. Goddard presents the revolutionary idea that by changing your consciousness and assuming the feeling of your wish fulfilled, you can transform your physical world. The core principle is that there are no external causes; you are the operant power creating every experience in your life.

Neville Goddard (1905-1972) was a Barbados-born mystic and spiritual teacher who revolutionized manifestation teachings through his Law of Assumption. After studying with Ethiopian Rabbi Abdullah in 1931, Goddard authored ten books and delivered 221 lectures interpreting the Bible as psychological rather than historical truth. His influence extends beyond traditional New Thought teachings, as he emphasized that divinity resides within human imagination rather than as an external force. His work laid the groundwork for modern manifestation practices and influenced countless spiritual teachers.

The Power of Awareness is ideal for individuals seeking to take complete responsibility for their life circumstances and transform their reality from within. This book suits those who have struggled with traditional Law of Attraction teachings and want a more direct, internally-focused approach. It's particularly valuable for people ready to challenge the belief that external forces control their destiny and embrace the idea that consciousness creates all experiences. Readers must be willing to engage in persistent inner work and radical psychological transformation.

The Power of Awareness is worth reading for anyone serious about understanding the creative power of consciousness and self-concept transformation. Unlike surface-level manifestation books, Goddard presents a complete philosophical system that addresses the root cause of experience—your state of awareness. The book's practical techniques for assumption and imagination have proven transformative for readers willing to apply them consistently. However, it requires intellectual engagement and persistent practice rather than offering quick fixes, making it ideal for committed students of consciousness.

In The Power of Awareness, "I AM" represents the fundamental awareness of being and the biblical name of God within you. Neville Goddard describes it as "the feeling of permanent awareness" at your consciousness's core—you may forget who or where you are, but never that you exist. This I AM-ness is the creative power itself, the unchanging center that remains constant regardless of external circumstances. Whatever you attach to "I AM" (such as "I am successful" or "I am struggling") becomes your self-concept and manifests as your reality.

The Law of Assumption in The Power of Awareness states that assuming the feeling of your wish fulfilled causes that wish to manifest into physical reality. Neville Goddard teaches that you must mentally transform yourself by feeling and acting as if your desired state already exists, persisting in this assumption until it "hardens into fact". This differs from hoping or wishing—assumption requires living from the end result emotionally and psychologically. The power lies not in the thought itself but in the feeling that accompanies it, as feeling impresses the subconscious mind and creates manifestation.

When Neville Goddard states "consciousness is the only reality" in The Power of Awareness, he means that the external world is literally consciousness objectified rather than an independent, separate reality. Your life experiences don't happen to you from outside forces—they originate from your consciousness, encompassing your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and self-concept. This challenges the common perception that physical environment exists independently and controls your life. Instead, Goddard teaches that you are the sole creator of your life's contents, and changing your inner state is the only path to outer transformation.

In The Power of Awareness, Neville Goddard teaches that imagination is the redemptive power in the universe and the literal presence of God within you. Imagination transcends mere daydreaming—it's the tool that molds consciousness into physical form by allowing you to experience desired states before they manifest. Goddard emphasizes creating vivid imaginal scenes that produce the feeling that your wish is already fulfilled, then repeating this process until it impresses your subconscious mind. When properly employed with feeling, imagination reshapes what appears as fixed material reality into something flexible and malleable.

"Feeling is the secret" in The Power of Awareness means that feeling is the sole medium through which ideas transfer to the subconscious mind and manifest into reality. According to Neville Goddard, the difference between thoughts that materialize and those that don't lies entirely in the emotional conviction behind them. Even fleeting thoughts manifest when genuinely felt as true, which is why controlling your feeling state is essential. To manifest desires, you must create imaginal scenes that evoke the authentic feeling that your wish is already realized, repeating this until your subconscious accepts it as fact.

To apply The Power of Awareness daily, begin by identifying your current self-concept and the assumptions you hold about yourself and your life. Neville Goddard teaches to "leave the mirror and change your face"—stop trying to change external circumstances and instead transform your inner conception of self. Create vivid imaginal scenes during meditation or before sleep that imply your wish fulfilled, engaging all senses to evoke genuine feeling. Persist in assuming your desired state is already true, monitoring your reactions to life to discover unconscious beliefs, and consistently redirecting your consciousness toward your intended reality.

The Power of Awareness differs from traditional Law of Attraction by teaching that the "Universe" or creative power exists within your consciousness rather than as an external force responding to you. Neville Goddard emphasizes the Law of Assumption—you are the operant power creating reality through self-concept, not attracting from outside. While Law of Attraction often involves asking, waiting, and maintaining positive vibrations, Goddard's teaching requires assuming your desire is already fulfilled and living from that end state. The Power of Awareness eliminates limiting beliefs inherent in many Law of Attraction teachings by placing complete creative authority within individual consciousness.

The Power of Awareness contains transformative quotes that reveal Neville Goddard's core philosophy:

• "Leave the mirror and change your face. Leave the world alone and change your conceptions of yourself"—emphasizing that inner transformation precedes outer change
• "Your world is your consciousness objectified"—teaching that external reality mirrors internal states
• "There is no one to change but self"—highlighting that all transformation begins within consciousness
• "I AM is the self-definition of the absolute"—identifying the fundamental creative power

These quotes encapsulate Goddard's revolutionary teaching that consciousness alone creates all experiences and circumstances in life.