What is SATS? Understanding the State Akin to Sleep
SATS, which stands for State Akin to Sleep, is a manifestation technique developed by Neville Goddard, one of the most influential teachers of the Law of Assumption. This technique involves entering a specific drowsy state of consciousness - the hypnagogic state - where the mind is most receptive to new impressions and beliefs.
The hypnagogic state occurs naturally twice daily: as you drift off to sleep at night and as you wake up in the morning. In this state, your conscious mind relaxes its grip, and you gain direct access to your subconscious mind. This is why Neville considered it the optimal time to practice visualization and impress new beliefs.
Neville Goddard on SATS:
"The state akin to sleep is the interval between waking and sleeping... It is a state in which you are conscious and yet not conscious in the normal sense. You feel sleepy, drowsy, and you are still in control. This is the time to construct your imaginal act and feel its reality."
The Origin of SATS
Neville Goddard developed the SATS technique through his study of mystical traditions and his own experimentation with consciousness. He taught this method extensively from the 1940s through the 1970s in his lectures and books, including "Feeling is the Secret," "The Power of Awareness," and "Awakened Imagination."
The technique draws from the understanding that our subconscious mind does not distinguish between real and vividly imagined experiences. When you enter the state akin to sleep and experience your desire as already fulfilled, your subconscious accepts this as reality and begins to reorganize your circumstances to match.
Why SATS Works: The Science and Psychology Behind It
While SATS is rooted in mystical teachings, modern psychology and neuroscience provide fascinating insights into why this technique is so effective. Understanding the mechanics can help you approach the practice with greater confidence.
The Hypnagogic State and Brain Waves
As you transition from waking to sleeping, your brain shifts from beta waves (alert, active thinking) to alpha waves (relaxed awareness) and then to theta waves (deep relaxation, light sleep). The SATS technique targets the alpha-theta border - a state where the critical faculty of the conscious mind is relaxed but awareness remains.
Research in hypnotherapy has shown that this state - sometimes called the "twilight zone of consciousness" - is when the mind is most suggestible. New beliefs and patterns can be installed more easily because the usual mental resistance is lowered. This is the same principle used in self-hypnosis and various forms of meditation.
Bypasses Critical Mind
The drowsy state reduces mental resistance and skepticism, allowing new beliefs to be accepted by the subconscious.
Emotional Integration
The relaxed state allows for deeper emotional engagement with your visualization, which Neville said is the key to manifestation.
Memory Consolidation
The brain consolidates memories during sleep. Falling asleep in the state of the wish fulfilled reinforces these impressions.
Neuroplasticity
Repeated imaginal experiences create new neural pathways, gradually shifting your dominant thoughts and beliefs.
The Role of Feeling
Neville Goddard emphasized that "feeling is the secret." It is not enough to simply visualize - you must generate the emotional reality of having your desire. The subconscious responds to feeling, not to mere mental pictures. This is why SATS practitioners focus on cultivating the sense of relief, satisfaction, gratitude, or joy that would accompany their fulfilled desire.
The hypnagogic state is particularly conducive to generating authentic feeling because mental chatter is reduced. Without the constant commentary of the conscious mind, you can more easily slip into the feeling of your wish fulfilled and allow it to feel natural and real.
Step-by-Step SATS Guide: How to Practice
Follow this detailed guide to practice SATS effectively. Remember, consistency is more important than perfection. Even imperfect practice done regularly will yield results over time.
Prepare Your Scene
Before you even begin to relax, decide on a short scene that implies your desire has already been fulfilled. This is crucial - you are not visualizing the desire itself, but what would happen after you have it.
Example: If you want a new job, do not visualize applying or interviewing. Instead, imagine a scene like a friend congratulating you on your new position, or yourself sitting at your new desk on your first day, or telling a family member about your successful first week.
The scene should be simple - about 5-10 seconds long - and involve sensory details. What do you see, hear, feel, or even smell in this moment? Most importantly, what emotion accompanies this scene?
Get Comfortable and Relax
Lie down in your bed as you would for sleep. Get completely comfortable - adjust pillows, temperature, anything that might distract you. The goal is to reach a state where your body feels heavy and relaxed, but your mind remains gently aware.
Begin progressive relaxation: Starting from your feet, consciously relax each body part as you move upward. Feel your feet relax, then calves, thighs, hips, stomach, chest, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, face, and scalp. Take your time with this - rushing defeats the purpose.
Enter the State Akin to Sleep
As your body relaxes deeply, you will naturally begin to feel drowsy. This is the state you are seeking. Your limbs may feel heavy or you might feel like you are floating. Thoughts may become hazy or dream-like. You might lose track of time or your surroundings.
Do not force this state - simply allow it to happen. If you find yourself too alert, continue relaxing your body. If you find yourself falling asleep too quickly, try practicing earlier in the evening or in a slightly less comfortable position.
Signs you are in SATS: Heavy limbs, slowed breathing, reduced awareness of surroundings, dreamlike quality to thoughts, feeling of floating, time distortion.
Play Your Scene on Loop
Once in the drowsy state, begin to play your prepared scene. Experience it from the first person - you are in the scene, not watching yourself from outside. Engage your senses: see what you would see, hear what you would hear, feel what you would feel.
Most importantly, generate the feeling of the scene. If someone is congratulating you, feel the warmth and satisfaction. If you are at your new desk, feel the excitement and confidence. Let the emotion fill you completely.
Loop this scene repeatedly. It does not need to be identical each time - the feeling matters more than perfect visual consistency. Keep returning to the scene and the feeling until you drift off to sleep.
Fall Asleep in the Feeling
The ideal conclusion to SATS is falling asleep while still in the feeling of your wish fulfilled. Do not try to stay awake to "complete" the visualization - falling asleep is the completion. The last impression before sleep is the most powerful.
If you wake during the night, gently return to the feeling. If morning comes and you remember your session, take a moment to recall the feeling before getting up. This reinforces the impression.
Live From the End During the Day
SATS is most effective when combined with daytime practice of the Law of Assumption. Throughout your day, maintain the attitude and feeling that your desire is already fulfilled. When doubts arise, gently return to the feeling of your wish fulfilled.
This does not mean pretending or denying current reality - it means holding the inner conviction that your desire is already done in imagination, and it is only a matter of time before it appears in your physical reality.
Practice SATS with Guided Support
The Mani app helps you maintain the feeling of your wish fulfilled throughout the day with daily state check-ins, evidence tracking, and doubt protocols based on Neville Goddard's teachings.
Download Mani FreeCommon SATS Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Many practitioners struggle with SATS not because the technique is flawed, but because of common misunderstandings about how to apply it. Here are the most frequent mistakes and their solutions.
Mistake: Focusing on Visual Clarity Over Feeling
Many beginners get frustrated because their visualizations are not vivid or clear. They spend all their energy trying to see perfectly, neglecting the emotional component entirely.
Solution: Prioritize feeling over seeing. Some people naturally visualize clearly, others do not - both can succeed with SATS. Focus on generating the emotional state of having your desire. If you can feel it, you are doing it right.
Mistake: Creating Overly Complex Scenes
Some practitioners create elaborate, movie-like visualizations with multiple scenes and characters. This complexity makes it harder to loop and harder to generate consistent feeling.
Solution: Keep your scene to 5-10 seconds. A simple handshake, a few words of congratulation, a glance at a ring on your finger - simple scenes are easier to loop and allow deeper emotional engagement.
Mistake: Trying Too Hard or Forcing the State
Effort and force create tension, which is the opposite of the relaxed state required for SATS. Trying too hard to relax or to visualize perfectly creates resistance.
Solution: Approach SATS with playfulness and ease. It should feel like daydreaming, not work. If you find yourself straining, take a few deep breaths and simply allow yourself to drift. The state cannot be forced - only allowed.
Mistake: Checking for Results Constantly
After practicing SATS, many people immediately look for signs of manifestation, constantly checking whether it is working. This creates an energy of lack and doubt that undermines the practice.
Solution: After your SATS session, release attachment to timing and how the manifestation will unfold. Trust that what you impressed on your subconscious is already working out. Live from the end - with the quiet confidence that it is done.
Mistake: Inconsistent Practice
Some practitioners do SATS intensively for a few nights, then abandon it when they do not see immediate results, only to return to it sporadically. This scattered approach rarely produces results.
Solution: Commit to consistent nightly practice until the desire manifests or until it feels completely natural (what Neville called "the sabbath"). Even a brief, imperfect session done consistently is better than perfect sessions done sporadically.
SATS vs Other Manifestation Techniques
SATS is one of many manifestation techniques available. Understanding how it compares to other methods can help you decide when to use each approach.
| Technique | Best For | Key Difference from SATS |
|---|---|---|
| SATS | Deep subconscious impression, major desires | - |
| Standard Visualization | Daytime practice, reinforcement | Done fully awake; may face more mental resistance |
| Affirmations | Changing specific beliefs, daytime practice | Uses words rather than imagery; can be done anytime |
| Scripting | Detailed desires, those who think in words | Writing-based; engages different cognitive processes |
| Revision | Changing past events, releasing regret | Reimagines past rather than future; healing focused |
| Living in the End | All-day practice, attitude shift | Mental attitude rather than specific technique |
When to Use SATS
SATS is particularly powerful for significant life changes where you want to make a deep impression on your subconscious mind. It is ideal when:
- You have a specific, important desire you want to manifest
- You have struggled to believe in your desire through daytime techniques alone
- You want to make a powerful initial impression on your subconscious
- You are comfortable with nighttime practice and can maintain a relaxed state
- You want to combine the power of visualization with the suggestibility of the hypnagogic state
Combining Techniques
Most successful practitioners do not rely on SATS alone. They use SATS for the powerful nightly impression and supplement it with daytime techniques. For example, you might practice SATS at night, use affirmations when doubt arises during the day, and maintain a general attitude of living in the end throughout your waking hours.
The Mani app is designed to support this integrated approach, helping you track your emotional state throughout the day, document evidence of your manifestation unfolding, and redirect doubt when it appears - all complementing your SATS practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About SATS
What is the SATS technique?
SATS (State Akin to Sleep) is a manifestation technique developed by Neville Goddard. It involves entering a drowsy, relaxed state between waking and sleeping, then visualizing a short scene that implies your desire has been fulfilled. This state allows direct access to the subconscious mind, making it the optimal time to impress new beliefs.
When is the best time to practice SATS?
The best time to practice SATS is right before falling asleep at night. This is when you naturally enter the hypnagogic state - the drowsy period between waking and sleeping. You can also practice upon waking in the morning when you are still in a relaxed, suggestible state.
How long does SATS take to work?
SATS manifestation timing varies by individual and desire. Some experience results within days, while others may take weeks or months. The key is not the duration but the feeling of naturalness and the ability to feel your wish fulfilled. Neville Goddard taught that once you feel it real, the manifestation is already done in imagination - the 3D reality simply catches up.
What if I fall asleep during SATS?
Falling asleep during SATS is actually ideal. Neville Goddard encouraged practitioners to fall asleep in the feeling of the wish fulfilled. The last thought and feeling before sleep makes the deepest impression on the subconscious mind. If you fall asleep while feeling your desire fulfilled, you have successfully planted the seed.
Can I use SATS for multiple desires?
Yes, but it is generally recommended to focus on one desire at a time for best results. You can cycle between different desires on different nights, but Neville Goddard suggested that focusing your attention on one thing until it manifests is more effective than dividing your attention among many desires.
What is the difference between SATS and regular visualization?
The main difference is the state of consciousness. Regular visualization is done in a fully alert state, while SATS is performed in a drowsy, relaxed state between waking and sleeping. This hypnagogic state bypasses the critical conscious mind, allowing your visualization to directly impress the subconscious. SATS also emphasizes feeling over seeing - the emotional reality matters more than visual clarity.
Start Your SATS Practice Tonight
The SATS technique has helped countless practitioners manifest their desires, from specific persons and relationships to career opportunities, financial abundance, and personal transformation. The technique works because it addresses manifestation at its root - the subconscious mind.
Tonight, as you prepare for sleep, try this simple beginning: Think of one thing you would like to manifest. Create a simple scene that implies it is done. As you drift off to sleep, gently hold that scene in mind and feel what you would feel if it were already true. That is SATS in its essence.
For ongoing support in your manifestation journey, the Mani app provides daily structure based on Neville Goddard's teachings - helping you maintain the feeling of your wish fulfilled throughout the day, not just during your nightly SATS sessions.
Ready to Master Manifestation?
Download Mani to support your SATS practice with daily state tracking, evidence collection, and guidance based on Neville Goddard's methodology.
Get Mani Free