How to Do SATS Correctly: A Complete Guide for Beginners

What Is SATS?

SATS stands for "State Akin to Sleep." It's Neville Goddard's most powerful technique for impressing your subconscious mind with a new assumption and thereby creating change in your reality.

The technique is deceptively simple: Enter a drowsy, relaxed state (just before you fall asleep), then vividly imagine a short scene that implies your wish is already fulfilled. Loop this scene repeatedly until you fall asleep in the feeling of your wish fulfilled.

That's it. That's the whole technique.

But "simple" doesn't mean easy. SATS has nuances that make the difference between powerful manifestation and just daydreaming. This guide will walk you through every detail.

Why SATS Works

To understand SATS, you need to understand the role of the subconscious mind.

Your conscious mind is your thinking, analyzing, doubting mind. It's reading this sentence right now. Your subconscious mind is deeper—it holds your beliefs, habits, and automatic patterns. It runs in the background, shaping your reality based on what it believes is true.

The challenge is that the conscious mind acts as a gatekeeper. If you try to impress a new belief during normal waking consciousness, the conscious mind often rejects it: "That's not true. You don't have that. You're being unrealistic."

SATS bypasses this gatekeeper.

When you're in that drowsy state between waking and sleeping, your conscious mind's defenses are down. You're relaxed. You're not analyzing. You're just experiencing.

In this state, whatever you imagine with feeling is more likely to be accepted by the subconscious as real. The subconscious doesn't distinguish well between vividly imagined and actually experienced—especially when the conscious gatekeeper is sleepy.

Once the subconscious accepts something as true, it works to make it manifest in your reality. That's the power of SATS.

When to Do SATS

The Ideal Time: Before Sleep

The most powerful time for SATS is at night, in bed, as you're falling asleep. This is when you naturally enter the drowsy state. You're already relaxing. The transition is seamless.

Plus, falling asleep in your desired state means it's the last impression your subconscious receives before several hours of processing during sleep. It's like planting a seed in freshly watered soil.

Alternative Times

Not everyone can do SATS at night. Maybe you fall asleep too fast. Maybe your mind is too active. Alternatives:

Afternoon naps. If you can nap, you can enter SATS during the pre-nap state. Same drowsy quality, same opportunity.

Early morning. When you first wake up, you're often still in a drowsy state. Before getting out of bed, do your SATS scene while still half-asleep.

Meditation breaks. During deep relaxation meditation, you can approach SATS-like states. Not quite as effective as true sleep transitions, but still useful.

The key is the drowsy, relaxed quality—not the specific time of day.

How to Reach the State Akin to Sleep

Getting to the right state is half the technique. Here's how:

1. Physical Relaxation

Get comfortable. Lie down (in bed is ideal). Make sure you won't be interrupted.

Relax your body progressively:

• Unclench your jaw
• Release your shoulders
• Let your arms go heavy
• Relax your legs
• Let your whole body sink

You want to be physically comfortable enough that your body stops sending you signals.

2. Mental Relaxation

Slow your thoughts. Some approaches:

Counting down. Slowly count from 100 to 1, or 10 to 1. With each number, feel yourself sinking deeper.

Breath focus. Simply notice your breathing without controlling it. Let it naturally slow.

Body scanning. Move your attention slowly through your body, relaxing each part.

Imagery. Imagine descending stairs, or sinking into water, or floating in clouds.

The goal is to reach that state where thoughts are still there but they're drifting, not clamoring for attention.

3. Recognize the State

How do you know you're in SATS? Signs:

• You feel heavy, almost like you can't move (but you could if you wanted)
• Thoughts are dreamlike rather than logical
• You're on the edge of drifting off
• You might even lose track of a few moments here and there
• The outside world feels far away

If you're too alert, you're not there yet. If you've fallen asleep, you missed it. You want the edge—the border between waking and sleeping.

Creating Your SATS Scene

The scene is what you'll imagine once you're in the state. This is important—the scene determines what gets impressed.

Rule 1: Imply the End

Don't imagine the process of getting your desire. Imagine a moment that could only happen if you already have it.

For an SP: Not the reconciliation conversation—a casual moment of being together months later.

For money: Not receiving a check—checking your abundant bank balance casually.

For a job: Not the interview—a routine day at the job you already have.

The scene implies the wish is fulfilled. It doesn't show you getting it—it shows you having it.

Rule 2: Keep It Short

Your scene should be a brief moment. 5-15 seconds of action at most. Think of it as a loop—something you can repeat over and over.

Not a movie. Not a whole scenario. A moment.

Examples:

• Hearing your SP say "I love you" and feeling them squeeze your hand
• Looking at your phone and seeing a text that makes you feel loved
• Shaking hands with someone congratulating you on something implied
• Feeling a ring on your finger and glancing at it

Short scenes are easier to loop and easier to make vivid.

Rule 3: First Person

You are in the scene, not watching it. You see through your own eyes. You don't see yourself from outside.

This is crucial. Watching yourself is dissociation—it creates distance. Being in the scene creates reality.

Rule 4: Sensory Detail

Don't just visualize—use all your senses. In fact, feeling is often more powerful than seeing.

• What do you hear? Their voice, background sounds, music?
• What do you feel? Their touch, the ring, the handshake, the texture of something?
• What do you smell? Their perfume, coffee, something from the setting?
• What's the temperature? Warm embrace, cool breeze?

The more senses you engage, the more real the scene becomes to your subconscious.

Rule 5: Include Feeling

Not emotion necessarily—feeling as sense of reality. The feeling that this is real, natural, happening now.

But if appropriate emotions arise naturally—joy, peace, love, satisfaction—let them. They deepen the impression.

The test: Does this feel like a memory of something that actually happened? If it feels like wishful thinking, work on the feeling.

The SATS Process: Step by Step

Here's the full process:

1. Preparation

• Decide on your scene before getting drowsy
• Make sure you're comfortable
• Set the intention that you'll do SATS

2. Relax into the State

• Use relaxation techniques
• Allow the drowsiness to come
• Don't force—let it happen

3. Enter the Scene

• Once you're drowsy, start your scene
• Put yourself in it—first person
• Engage the senses

4. Loop the Scene

• When the moment ends, start it again
• Loop it repeatedly
• Each loop can slightly vary—that's fine—but the core is the same

5. Intensify the Feeling

• With each loop, sink deeper into the feeling of it being real
• Let it feel natural, like a memory
• Feel the gratitude, satisfaction, or peace of having your desire

6. Fall Asleep

• Let yourself drift off while in the scene
• The last impression before sleep is powerful
• It's okay if you lose the scene as you fall asleep—the impression is already made

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Mistake 1: Visualizing from Third Person

If you "see yourself" in the scene, you're watching, not experiencing. Solution: Practice first-person perspective deliberately. You see your hands, not your face.

Mistake 2: Scenes That Are Too Long

A long scene is hard to loop and hard to make vivid. Solution: Simplify. Find the one moment that implies everything. Cut the rest.

Mistake 3: Forcing Instead of Feeling

If you're straining to make it happen, you're not in a relaxed state. Solution: Let the scene unfold. Don't control every detail. Trust that your subconscious fills in the gaps.

Mistake 4: Falling Asleep Too Fast

Some people hit the pillow and are out. Solution: Try SATS when you're less tired (afternoon naps, early morning wake-ups). Or start the scene earlier, before you're fully in bed.

Mistake 5: Not Reaching the Drowsy State

Some people stay too alert. Solution: More relaxation time. Try guided relaxation audio. Or just practice—the state gets easier to reach with repetition.

Mistake 6: Changing the Scene Constantly

If you switch scenes every night, you're sending mixed signals. Solution: Pick one scene and stick with it until the manifestation appears. Consistency impresses more deeply.

Mistake 7: Expecting Instant Results

SATS done once doesn't guarantee immediate manifestation. Solution: Persist. Do SATS nightly until you enter the Sabbath—the knowing that it's done. Then the manifestation follows.

How Long and How Often?

Duration: The actual scene looping might only take 10-20 minutes, or you might fall asleep faster. There's no minimum. What matters is reaching the state and feeling the reality of the scene.

Frequency: Nightly is ideal for a new manifestation. Some people find that after a few nights, they enter the Sabbath—they know it's done—and can reduce or stop. Follow your intuition.

How many nights?: Until you genuinely feel it's done. For some, that's one night. For others, weeks. The feeling of the wish fulfilled is the indicator, not a number of days.

SATS for Different Goals

Manifesting a Specific Person

Scene ideas:

• Lying next to them, feeling their warmth, hearing them say something loving
• Their hand in yours, feeling the familiar comfort
• Looking at a wedding photo together (implying marriage is already fact)
• A casual domestic moment—making coffee together, talking about mundane plans

The key: The scene should feel like established relationship, not new excitement. Normal, comfortable, real.

Manifesting Money

Scene ideas:

• Checking your bank account and seeing the large balance casually
• Paying for something expensive without concern
• Someone congratulating you on your financial success
• Feeling the relief and freedom of having more than enough

Avoid: Scenes of "receiving" money (lottery win, check in mail). Better: Scenes of "having" money.

Manifesting a Job/Career

Scene ideas:

• A normal day at the job you want—the feeling of belonging there
• A coworker calling you by name about something routine
• Looking at your office, desk, or workspace with familiarity
• Getting praise or recognition for your work there

The implication should be: This is where I work. This is my life. It's not new; it's normal.

Manifesting Health

Scene ideas:

• Doing something you couldn't do before (running, dancing, moving freely)
• A doctor telling you great news or discharging you
• Looking at yourself and feeling vibrant, strong, healthy
• Someone commenting on how well you look

Focus on the feeling of health—energy, vitality, freedom—rather than the absence of symptoms.

SATS vs. Other Techniques

Some people ask: Do I have to do SATS? Can I just affirm?

You can use other techniques. Affirmations, scripting, mental diet, visualization during the day—all can work. What makes SATS particularly powerful:

• The drowsy state bypasses conscious resistance
• The sensory detail makes it feel real
• Falling asleep in the state deeply impresses the subconscious
• It's concentrated—a focused practice rather than diffuse throughout the day

Many practitioners find that SATS is the technique that "breaks through" when others haven't. It's not the only way—but it's often the most effective way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I can't visualize clearly?

Most people can't see vivid movie-quality images. That's fine. Focus on feeling and other senses. If you can faintly imagine your scene—even as an impression rather than a clear picture—that's enough. Feeling matters more than visual clarity.

What if I fall asleep before finishing the scene?

You probably impressed enough. The goal is to fall asleep in the feeling, not to complete a certain number of loops. If you drifted off while in the scene, you did it right.

Can I do SATS for multiple things?

It's better to focus on one primary manifestation until it feels done. You can have multiple desires, but SATS is most effective when it's concentrated. Work on one, enter the Sabbath for it, then move to the next.

What if doubts come up during SATS?

Gently return to the scene. Doubts are thoughts—notice them and let them pass. If you're truly in the drowsy state, thoughts have less grip. If doubts are intense, you might not be relaxed enough yet.

Should I set an alarm or let myself sleep through?

Let yourself sleep through. The point is to fall asleep in the state. An alarm would disrupt the process.

What if nothing feels different after SATS?

It might not feel dramatically different immediately. What you're looking for over time: the scene feeling more real, less forced; reduced anxiety about the desire; the Sabbath—a settled knowing. These develop with consistency.

Is SATS the same as lucid dreaming?

No. SATS is done before sleep, in the hypnagogic state. Lucid dreaming is awareness during REM sleep. They're different states with different purposes.

Building Your SATS Practice

To make SATS work for you:

Decide on your scene. Spend time when you're awake crafting it. Know exactly what you'll imagine.

Create a pre-sleep routine. Consistent cues help you relax—dim lights, no screens, maybe gentle music.

Practice reaching the state. If the drowsy state is hard to find, practice relaxation during the day. It's a skill that improves.

Be consistent. Do SATS every night for your main manifestation until you feel it's done. One night isn't usually enough to shift deep assumptions.

Trust the process. You won't always feel like it "worked." Do it anyway. The subconscious processes whether your conscious mind notices or not.

The ladder experiment is a great way to build confidence in SATS. Try it and see that the technique works—then apply it to bigger desires.

Conclusion: The Power of Sleep

SATS leverages something you do every night—sleeping—and turns it into a manifestation practice. You're already entering the state. You're already falling asleep. SATS simply adds intention and direction.

Tonight, as you lie in bed, you have a choice. Drift off randomly, thinking whatever thoughts happen to arise. Or enter a scene of your choosing, one where your wish is fulfilled, and let that be the last impression before sleep.

One choice reinforces whatever your mind habitually thinks. The other begins reprogramming your subconscious toward what you actually want.

The technique is simple. The challenge is doing it. Start tonight.