State

What Is a State?

In Neville Goddard's teaching, a state is a particular configuration of consciousness. It is the total sum of your beliefs, feelings, assumptions, and expectations at any given moment. A state is not an emotion, though emotions accompany states. It is more like an identity or a lens through which you experience everything.

Neville described states using a powerful metaphor: they are like rooms in an infinite mansion. Each room has its own atmosphere, its own view, its own furnishings. When you enter a room (a state), you see the world through that room's windows. The world appears different not because it has changed, but because you are viewing it from a different state.

As Neville said: "Man is always in a state. The state from which he thinks, the state from which he acts, the state from which he speaks — that state is the cause of all that he experiences."

States vs. Emotions

A common misunderstanding is confusing states with emotions. They are related but distinct:

An emotion is a temporary feeling: happiness, sadness, anger, excitement.

A state is an enduring attitude of mind: wealthy, poor, loved, rejected, successful, struggling.

You can feel temporarily happy while still being in the state of "poor" or "unlucky." You can feel temporarily sad while being in the state of "loved" and "secure." The emotion passes, but the state persists and continues to create your reality.

This distinction is critical for manifestation. Neville did not teach people to chase emotions. He taught them to occupy states. When you enter the state of being wealthy, you do not need to feel excited about it all the time. You simply assume it as your natural condition, the way a wealthy person takes their wealth for granted.

How States Create Reality

Neville taught that your current state determines everything you experience. Your state acts as a filter and a creator:

As a filter: Your state determines what you notice, what you expect, and how you interpret events. Two people can have the same experience and interpret it completely differently based on their states.

As a creator: Your state generates circumstances that match it. The state of "struggle" creates situations of struggle. The state of "abundance" creates situations of abundance. This is not metaphorical. Neville taught this as a literal law of consciousness.

The physical world you see is a mirror of your dominant state. Change the state, and the reflection must change. But the reflection changes after the state changes, not simultaneously. This is why Neville emphasized persistence: you must remain in the new state even while the old reflection is still showing.

How to Identify Your Current State

Your state reveals itself through several indicators:

Your inner dialogue: What do you habitually say to yourself? "Nothing ever works out for me" indicates a very different state than "Things always work in my favor."

Your expectations: When you think about the future, do you expect good things or brace for problems?

Your reactions: How do you respond to challenges? Do you see them as evidence of your bad luck or as temporary bumps on an upward path?

Your self-talk completion: How do you naturally complete "I am..."? The words that follow reveal your state.

How to Change Your State

1. Awareness

You cannot change a state you are not aware of. Begin by honestly identifying your current state regarding the area of life you want to change. Are you in the state of "unlovable"? "Never enough money"? "Always struggling with health"? Name it without judgment.

2. Define the Desired State

Choose the state you want to occupy. Be specific: not just "happy" but "secure in a loving relationship," not just "rich" but "financially free and generous." The more specific the state, the clearer the impression.

3. Enter the State Through Imagination

Use any of Neville's techniques to enter your new state. SATS, revision, inner conversations, and affirmations all serve the same purpose: moving you from one state to another. During your practice, do not just imagine having things. Imagine being the person who has them. Feel what it is like to occupy that state.

4. Persist in the State

This is Neville's most repeated instruction. Stay in the new state. When the old state tries to pull you back, and it will, recognize it as an old habit and choose the new state again. You do not need to fight the old state. Simply redirect your attention to the new one.

Neville taught that states are not destroyed, they are simply vacated. The state of "poor" still exists in the infinite mansion, but you no longer need to live there. Each time you find yourself wandering back into the old room, you gently walk back to the new one.

States Are Not Permanent

One of the most liberating aspects of Neville's teaching on states is that no state is permanent. You are never stuck. You can be in the state of failure today and move into the state of success tomorrow. The person has not changed, only the state they occupy.

Neville used the biblical story of the prodigal son to illustrate this: the son did not stop being the father's child when he went to the far country. He entered a state of lack and suffering, but the moment he decided to return, the father (his true self) welcomed him back with full restoration. The inheritance was never lost. He had simply moved into a state that could not access it.

Common Questions

How do I know when I have shifted states?

You will know by the naturalness of your new assumptions. When the thought "I am successful" feels as obvious and unremarkable as your own name, you have entered the state. It no longer feels like something you are trying to believe. It simply feels true.

Can I be in multiple states at once?

Yes. You might be in the state of "healthy" regarding your body and the state of "struggling" regarding finances. States are not all-or-nothing. You address each area of life by entering the desired state for that specific domain.

What if I keep falling back into old states?

This is normal, especially at the beginning. States have momentum because they are habitual. Each time you consciously choose your new state, you weaken the habit of the old one. Persistence is the key. Neville compared it to a pendulum that gradually settles into a new resting position.