In the mystical teachings of Neville Goddard, the concepts of marriage, husband, wife, and divorce are not to be taken literally. Instead, they represent profound psychological and spiritual truths about the human imagination and the creative process of consciousness.
Goddard taught that Scripture, when read symbolically, reveals the workings of the mind and the means by which we shape our external reality. The idea of marriage, for example, has nothing to do with legal contracts or romantic unions—but everything to do with the inner marriage between the conscious and subconscious mind.
Marriage: The Union of Conscious and Subconscious
In Neville’s metaphysical framework, marriage symbolises the creative union of the conscious and subconscious minds. The conscious mind, or man, is the thinking, choosing faculty. The subconscious, or woman, is the receptive and fertile ground that receives impressions and gives form to them.
“The conscious impresses the subconscious, while the subconscious expresses what is impressed.” – Neville Goddard
When we impress a thought or belief upon the subconscious with feeling and persistence, it becomes manifest in the world. This inner union is sacred and powerful. It is the true creative act that lies behind every outer experience.
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” – Proverbs 23:7
The Woman at the Well: Misplaced Unions and Inner Confusion
One of Neville’s favourite symbolic examples comes from the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:16–18). Jesus says to her:
“You have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.”
To Neville, this is not about a literal woman. She represents the subconscious mind—our emotional nature—having been united with five different psychological states. These "husbands" are previous assumptions: fear, lack, doubt, resentment, and limitation.
The current man “who is not your husband” symbolises a temporary or casual assumption—something we dwell with but have not fully committed to. Many people flirt with new ideas (wealth, love, peace) but never truly marry them in feeling. As a result, those ideas never give birth to change.
Divorce: Detaching from Unwanted States
In this symbolic language, divorce is the act of withdrawing your belief, attention, and emotional energy from a former state. To “divorce” poverty, illness, or unworthiness means to stop identifying with those conditions in your imagination.
“Let not your heart be troubled...” – John 14:1
You no longer allow that former state to live in your inner world. But many, Neville warned, remain loyal to their misery. They revisit their pain, worry about their problems, and stay emotionally wed to what they claim they want to leave behind.
Faithfulness to the Desired State
To truly marry a state is to live from it consistently. If you desire abundance, you must imagine and feel as one who is already abundant. If you desire love, you must dwell in the feeling of being loved.
“Whatever you desire, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” – Mark 11:24
“Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you.” – Zechariah 1:3
Faithfulness is demonstrated through the disciplined control of imagination. You do not revisit the old state. You stay loyal to the new one, knowing it will externalise in its own perfect time.
Remarrying the Ideal Self
After divorcing the old man—the former self—you must consciously remarry the ideal version of yourself. This is the true resurrection Neville described: to die to what you were, and to live as who you choose to be.
“Put off the old man… and put on the new man, created in righteousness.” – Ephesians 4:22–24
You achieve this not through force or effort, but through inner acceptance and assumption. You imagine yourself already being the person you want to be, and remain faithful to that inner image.
Conclusion: Inner Unions Create Outer Realities
Neville Goddard’s symbolic interpretation of Scripture reveals that your imagination is the husband, and your subconscious is the wife. Whatever you unite within yourself will give birth to your external reality.
Divorce what no longer serves you. Marry your ideal. Be faithful to the state you desire to express, and your world will conform accordingly.
“Live as though your assumption is already a fact, and it will harden into reality.” – Neville Goddard
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment! Comments are reviewed before publishing.