Assumption

What Is an Assumption?

In the context of manifestation and Neville Goddard's teachings, an assumption is a belief you hold to be true about yourself, others, or the world. Unlike casual opinions, assumptions operate at a deeper level of consciousness. They are the silent convictions that shape your thoughts, reactions, and ultimately the circumstances of your life.

Neville Goddard made this concept the very foundation of his philosophy. His most quoted principle is: "An assumption, though false, if persisted in will harden into fact." This means that even if your current reality shows no evidence of your belief, holding it persistently in consciousness will eventually produce corresponding evidence in the physical world.

Assumptions are not the same as wishes or hopes. A wish acknowledges that you do not have something. An assumption declares that it is already so. This distinction is critical because your subconscious mind does not differentiate between an assumption backed by physical evidence and one held purely in imagination. It accepts both equally and works to manifest them.

How Assumptions Create Reality

Neville taught that consciousness is the only reality, and the physical world is its shadow or reflection. Your assumptions act as the blueprint that consciousness uses to build your experience. When you assume something consistently, you are programming your subconscious mind with a new set of instructions.

Consider how this works in everyday life. A person who assumes they are unlucky will unconsciously focus on negative events, miss opportunities, and interpret ambiguous situations pessimistically. Their assumption filters their perception and influences their behavior, which in turn produces outcomes that confirm the original belief. This is not mere psychology — Neville argued that the assumption literally creates the events themselves through a deeper metaphysical mechanism.

The reverse is equally true. When you assume that things work out in your favor, you begin to notice opportunities, take confident action, and interpret events through a lens of expectation. Your outer world reorganizes around your inner conviction.

The Difference Between Assumption and Positive Thinking

Positive thinking involves consciously choosing optimistic thoughts. Assumption goes deeper. You can think positively while still fundamentally assuming the worst. True assumption lives in the feeling tone of your consciousness — the background hum of what you believe to be true about your situation.

Neville illustrated this difference clearly. He said you must "feel after" the state you wish to inhabit. Feeling, in his vocabulary, does not mean emotion alone. It means the total inner sense of reality — the conviction that something is so. When you truly assume a new reality, there is no effort involved. It feels as natural as assuming the chair beneath you will hold your weight.

How to Change Your Assumptions

1. Identify Your Current Assumptions

Before you can change your assumptions, you need to see them clearly. Pay attention to your inner monologue, especially the statements that feel like facts rather than opinions. Phrases like "I always," "I never," "People don't," and "That's just how it is" reveal deep assumptions at work.

2. Choose a New Assumption

Decide what you want to be true. Frame it as a present-tense statement of fact, not a future hope. Instead of "I will find love," assume "I am deeply loved." Instead of "I hope to get the job," assume "I am already chosen for this position."

3. Impress It on the Subconscious

Use Neville's recommended methods to plant the new assumption in your subconscious mind. The most effective approach is to create a short mental scene that implies your assumption is fulfilled and replay it in the state akin to sleep (SATS). Repeat it nightly until it feels natural and real.

4. Persist Through Contradiction

Your old assumptions will not surrender quietly. The physical world will continue to reflect previous beliefs for a time. This is the bridge of incidents at work — your new assumption must cross from imagination into physical form, and this takes persistence. Do not waver when evidence seems to contradict your new belief. As Neville said: "Persist in your assumption and it will harden into fact."

Common Questions

What if I cannot believe my new assumption?

Neville addressed this directly. He taught that you do not need to believe it intellectually. You need to feel it in imagination. Enter your scene during SATS, make it vivid, and let the feeling of naturalness develop over repetition. Belief follows feeling, not the other way around.

Can negative assumptions manifest too?

Absolutely. Neville warned that assumptions work in both directions. Fear is a powerful form of assumption. When you fear something consistently, you are assuming it will happen, and that assumption carries the same creative power as a positive one. This is why Neville stressed the importance of mental discipline.

How long does it take for an assumption to harden into fact?

There is no fixed timeline. Neville observed that it depends on the naturalness of the assumption and the degree of persistence. Some assumptions manifest in days, others take weeks or months. The key factor is not time but the depth of your conviction. When it feels completely natural and you stop questioning it, manifestation is near.