At Your Command
Neville Goddard | Summary | Manifestation & Reality
Discover principles to shift your reality and how to create the world that you are willing to manifest.
Read now "At your command" by Neville Goddard book summary.
Neville Goddard's At Your Command (1939) explains a metaphysical approach to achieving desires. Goddard argues that consciousness is the key to manifesting reality, asserting that by shifting one's consciousness to a desired state, individuals can bring about corresponding changes in their external world. He uses biblical stories as allegories illustrating this principle of self-realization through conscious choice and unwavering belief. The text emphasizes the importance of inner conviction and the rejection of limiting beliefs to overcome obstacles and attain desired outcomes. It advocates for a deeper understanding of one's own divine nature to actively shape one's experience.
It asserts that God is not an external being, but rather our own awareness of being. The text encourages readers to claim their desired reality by shifting their consciousness from their current limitations to the desired state of being. This involves revaluing oneself, forgiving others, and tithing through claiming desired qualities like wealth, health, and happiness. Ultimately, the text emphasizes that the world is at our command when we understand and act upon the power of our own consciousness.
Main Themes
God as Awareness: Goddard posits that God is not an external entity but rather our own awareness of being – "I AM." This concept, inspired by biblical passages, forms the foundation of his teachings.
Consciousness as Creative Power: Goddard emphasizes the power of consciousness to shape our reality. What we are conscious of being, we become and manifest in our lives.
Decreeing and Claiming: Goddard advocates for actively "decreeing" or claiming desired states in our consciousness. This involves shifting our focus from current limitations to feeling the reality of our desires.
Faith and Gratitude: Faith in our claims and a feeling of gratitude for already having received our desires are crucial for their manifestation.
Most Important Ideas/Facts
- Identity of God: "Moses discovered God to be man's awareness of being, when he declared these little understood words, “I AM hath sent me unto you.”" This establishes the core principle of God as our own consciousness.
- Creative Power of Consciousness: "Man's world in its every detail is his consciousness out-pictured." This emphasizes that our external reality mirrors our internal state.
- Shifting Consciousness: "The only way to change your expressions of life is to change your consciousness." This highlights the importance of consciously directing our awareness towards desired states.
- Decreeing in Consciousness: "You do not command things to appear by your words or loud affirmations. Decreeing is ever done in consciousness." This distinguishes Goddard's approach from mere positive thinking or affirmations.
- The Importance of Feeling: "To open the door is to become one with that which is knocking by FEELING oneself to be the thing desired." This emphasizes the crucial role of feeling the reality of our desires.
- Turning Away from Problems: "To dissolve a problem that now seems so real to you all that you do is remove your attention from it." This suggests a shift in focus rather than directly confronting problems.
- Tithing as Claiming: "Tithing is necessary, and you do tithe with God. But from now on give to the only God and see to it that you give him the quality that you desire as man to express by claiming yourself to be the great, the wealthy, the loving, the all-wise." This reframes the concept of tithing to involve claiming desired qualities in consciousness.
- Daniel in the Lion's Den: The story of Daniel serves as an analogy for turning away from problems and focusing on desired states.
- The Widow and the Three Drops of Oil: This story illustrates the power of recognizing even small beginnings of joy and abundance, leading to greater manifestation.
Key Quotes
"Can a man decree a thing and have it come to pass? Most decidedly he can!"
"Consciousness is the way or door through which things appear."
"You are told, “Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you.” Get first the consciousness of the things that you are seeking and leave the things alone."
"Praying then, is seen to be recognizing yourself to be that which you now desire."
"You are at this very moment calling out of the infinite that which you are now conscious of being."
"For: “My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Have faith in this unseen claim until the conviction is born within you that it is so."
"The world is AT YOUR COMMAND!"
Key concepts related to this include:
Decreeing: This is not achieved through words or affirmations, but through the state of consciousness one holds. Every person is consciously decreeing what they experience by being conscious of it.
"I AM": This is described as the awareness of being, which is God, and the door through which manifestations of life pass into the world of form
Consciousness as the Father: Consciousness is considered the "father," while the thing one is conscious of being is the "son". This means that the conceiver is always greater than its conceptions
The importance of feeling: To manifest a desire, one must feel themselves to be the thing desired. This feeling is essential for the agreement between the awareness of being and the desire, leading to the birth of the manifestation.
Revaluing oneself: One must revalue their self-concept and feel like a centre of power to change the appearance of problems.
The inner "door": Shutting the door refers to shutting out the current awareness of being and claiming what one desires, thus drawing that evidence.
The role of attention: Directing attention is key, as one draws into their world that which they are conscious of being. Taking attention away from an unwanted state and placing it on a desired state is necessary for change.
The Kingdom of Heaven within: The kingdom of Heaven is within an individual, meaning that transformation occurs within consciousness.
Tithing as claiming: Tithing is not about giving money, but about claiming a quality for oneself, which is then returned. For example, if you claim yourself to be wealthy then you have given that to God, and it will be returned.
The sources use several metaphors to illustrate how consciousness shapes reality:
Mirror: The world acts as a mirror, reflecting one's consciousness.
Shepherd and sheep: Awareness is the shepherd, and the things one is aware of being are the sheep that follow.
Vine and branches: Consciousness is the vine, and the qualities one is conscious of being are the branches.
Fishing: One must fish in the deep waters of consciousness to catch their desires. The bait is one's desire, and the deep waters represent an expanded consciousness, free from limitations.
The process for changing one's reality based on these principles involves several steps:
- Become aware of your current state: Recognize your current awareness of being and what it is manifesting in your world.
- Shift your attention: Take your attention away from what is unwanted and place it on what you desire.
- Claim the new state: Feel yourself to be the thing desired, losing yourself in that feeling.
- Give thanks: Feel grateful for having already received the desired outcome.
- Do not condition the desire: Accept your desire as a given, without trying to control or specify how it will manifest.
- Be indifferent to the problem: Detach from problems and instead focus on the solution.
- Trust the process: Have faith in your claim and let go of doubts, knowing that the manifestation will come.
By consistently applying these principles, the sources suggest that an individual can transform their world by changing their consciousness.
Conclusions
Goddard's "At Your Command" presents a powerful philosophy of self-creation through the power of conscious awareness. It emphasizes the importance of aligning our inner world with our desires to manifest them in our outer reality. Consciousness plays a central role in shaping manifested reality, according to Neville Goddard's At Your Command. He emphasizes that what one is conscious of being is what manifests in their world
Glossary of Key Terms
- Awareness: The state of being conscious; for Goddard, awareness is synonymous with God.
- Consciousness: The totality of one's thoughts, feelings, and beliefs; the underlying reality that shapes individual experiences.
- Decreeing: Bringing something into existence through the power of consciousness.
- Feeling: The emotional embodiment of a desired state; a crucial element in manifesting desires.
- "I AM": The fundamental statement of being; represents the awareness of existence and is equated with God in Goddard's teachings.
- Manifestation: The process of bringing a desire into physical reality.
- Prayer: In Goddard's teachings, prayer is not petitioning but recognizing oneself as already possessing the desired state.
- Recognition: Acknowledging something as true, particularly in consciousness; a powerful force in shaping reality.
- Tithing: Giving a desired quality to God, which is one's awareness of being, by claiming it as true for oneself.