Neville Goddard vs Abraham Hicks: Comparing Two Manifestation Teachers

Neville Goddard vs Abraham Hicks

Neville Goddard and Abraham Hicks are two of the most influential manifestation teachers, yet their approaches differ in fundamental ways. Neville taught from direct mystical experience and biblical interpretation, while Abraham Hicks channels teachings focused on emotional guidance and vibrational alignment.

Understanding both perspectives can deepen your manifestation practice, even if you ultimately resonate more with one teacher.

Who Was Neville Goddard?

Neville Goddard (1905-1972) was a Barbadian-American mystic and author who lectured extensively in Los Angeles and New York. His core teaching: imagination creates reality. Consciousness is the only reality, and what you assume with feeling and conviction must manifest in your outer world.

Neville's teachings are rooted in mystical interpretation of scripture, where biblical stories are seen as psychological allegories about the creative power of imagination. His key books include Feeling Is the Secret, The Power of Awareness, and Awakened Imagination.

Who Is Abraham Hicks?

Abraham Hicks refers to the teachings channeled by Esther Hicks, who claims to receive wisdom from a group of non-physical entities called "Abraham." Since the late 1980s, Abraham Hicks has taught the Law of Attraction through books, workshops, and recordings.

The core teaching: you are a vibrational being, and the universe responds to your vibration. By focusing on feeling good and following your emotional guidance system, you come into alignment with your desires and the universe delivers them.

Key Philosophical Differences

Source of Creative Power

Neville teaches that you are God—your own wonderful human imagination is the creative force of the universe. There is no external entity to ask or align with. You are the sole operant power. When you assume a state, the world must conform because you are its creator.

Abraham Hicks teaches that you are an extension of Source Energy. The universe (or "Source") is a responsive entity that delivers what matches your vibration. You co-create with the universe, and your emotional guidance system tells you whether you are in alignment with Source.

Role of Emotion

For Neville, feeling is the secret—but "feeling" means the feeling of the wish fulfilled, a deep inner knowing and naturalness. It is not about emotion in the conventional sense but about a settled conviction that your assumption is true.

For Abraham Hicks, emotion is the primary navigation tool. Your emotions tell you whether you are in alignment (feeling good) or out of alignment (feeling bad). The goal is to consistently move toward better-feeling thoughts and states.

Dealing with Negative Experiences

Neville teaches revision—mentally rewriting negative events as you wish they had happened. He also teaches that everything in your experience is a reflection of your assumptions, so you change the outer by changing the inner. There is no need to avoid negative thoughts; simply return to your desired state when you notice you have drifted.

Abraham Hicks teaches the emotional guidance scale—moving gradually from negative emotions toward positive ones. Rather than jumping from despair to joy, you reach for the next better-feeling thought. The "emotional scale" provides a roadmap from the lowest emotions (fear, grief) to the highest (joy, love, freedom).

Specificity of Teaching

Neville's teachings are remarkably specific and actionable. He gives exact techniques—SATS, revision, mental diet, living in the end—with clear instructions on how to practice them. His lectures often include real-world success stories from audience members.

Abraham Hicks teaches broader principles—alignment, allowing, appreciation—with less emphasis on specific step-by-step techniques. The focus is on general emotional management rather than targeted manifestation exercises.

View of Others

Neville teaches EIYPO (Everyone Is You Pushed Out)—every person in your reality reflects your assumptions about them and yourself. If you change your assumption about someone, their behavior toward you changes.

Abraham Hicks teaches that you cannot create in another person's reality, and that others have their own vibrational points of attraction. While you can influence your interactions through your own alignment, each person is their own creator.

Technique Comparison

Neville Goddard's Core Techniques

• SATS (State Akin To Sleep) - visualizing in the hypnagogic state
• Revision - rewriting past events in imagination
• Mental diet - monitoring inner conversations
• Living in the end - assuming the wish is fulfilled now
• Inner conversations - deliberately imagining conversations that imply fulfillment

Abraham Hicks' Core Techniques

• Emotional guidance scale - reaching for better-feeling thoughts
• Appreciation and gratitude practices
• Segment intending - setting intentions for each part of your day
• Focus wheels - gradually building positive beliefs
• Rampage of appreciation - listing things you appreciate
• Meditation for alignment with Source

Which Teacher Is Right for You?

Choose Neville Goddard if you want a direct, empowering approach that places all creative power within you. If the idea that you are the sole creator of your reality resonates, and you want specific, actionable techniques, Neville is your teacher.

Choose Abraham Hicks if you prefer a gentler, emotion-focused approach. If the idea of working with universal energy and using your emotions as a guide feels more natural, Abraham Hicks may be your entry point.

Many practitioners find value in both. Abraham Hicks provides excellent tools for emotional management and feeling good day-to-day. Neville Goddard provides the deeper framework for understanding why and how reality is created, along with more targeted manifestation techniques.

Can You Combine Both Teachings?

Absolutely. In practice, many people use Abraham Hicks' emotional guidance to maintain a positive general state, while using Neville Goddard's specific techniques (SATS, revision) for targeted manifestation. The teachings are not contradictory—they operate at different levels.

The progression from Abraham Hicks to Neville Goddard is natural. Abraham Hicks teaches you to feel good and align with your desires. Neville Goddard teaches you why that works—because your state of being (your assumption) is the creative cause of your reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Neville Goddard know about the Law of Attraction?

Neville was aware of New Thought teachings, which are the foundation of the Law of Attraction. However, he went beyond them, teaching that you do not attract from an external universe—you create from within. He considered the Law of Attraction an incomplete understanding of a deeper truth.

Is Abraham Hicks a real entity?

This is a matter of personal belief. Esther Hicks claims to channel a group consciousness called Abraham. Whether you view this as literal channeling or as a teaching framework, the practical value of the teachings can be assessed independently of their claimed source.

Which teacher produces faster results?

Practitioners of both report success. However, Neville's techniques (particularly SATS) are often cited as producing faster, more specific results because they directly target the subconscious mind. Abraham Hicks' approach may produce a more gradual, general improvement in life satisfaction.

Can I manifest a specific person with these teachings?

Neville Goddard explicitly taught specific person manifestation through EIYPO (Everyone Is You Pushed Out). Abraham Hicks generally discourages focusing on specific people, suggesting instead that you focus on the feelings you want and allow the universe to bring the right person.