When we hear about the “Law of Assumption,” formulated by Neville Goddard, and compare it with traditional Christian theology, at first glance, it seems that a deep abyss lies between them.

Traditional religiosity often teaches a person to perceive themselves exclusively as a helpless creature who must beg a distant God for alms. Neville Goddard, on the other hand, claims that “man’s imagination is God Himself,” and the world is only a mirror of our inner assumptions.

However, if we go beyond superficial dogmas and turn to the mystical depths of Christianity (specifically, to Eastern Christian Hesychasm and the teachings of the Holy Fathers), we see amazing points of contact.

In this article, we will examine whether there is a real contradiction between the Law of Assumption and traditional faith, and how Christian metaphysics helps to combine these two approaches.

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1. What Is “Assumption” in the Biblical Sense?

The essence of the Law of Assumption is that to change your life, you must enter the state of feeling as if your desire is already fulfilled.

Does this contradict the Bible? On the contrary, it is its direct instruction. Let us recall the words of the Apostle Paul:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

The word “confidence” (or “substance” in some translations) in the original Greek (hypostasis) means “substance,” “real basis.” That is, faith is the ability to give the desired image in imagination the status of a real fact before it appears in the physical world. This is pure “assumption.”

When Jesus says: “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24), He is literally teaching us the Law of Assumption. Prayer is not a request for what we do not have. Prayer is the appropriation of the desired state in the inner world of spirit and gratitude for it in advance.

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2. “I AM” — The Divine Name and Human Consciousness

Neville Goddard taught that when God revealed His name to Moses as “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14), He revealed the nature of human consciousness itself. Every time we say “I am,” we address the creative power of God within us.

Traditional Christianity protects the transcendence of God, indicating that man is not the Creator by nature. And this is correct: our ego (the small “self”) is not God. But Eastern Christian theology has the concept of Theosis (Deification). The great teachers of the Church, such as Athanasius the Great, wrote: “God became man so that man might become god”.

When we practice inner contemplation and cleanse the mind through prayer (which the Philokalia describes in detail), we unite our limited human will with the limitless Divine energy. Our consciousness becomes a channel through which God acts.

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3. Difference in Accents: Egoism vs. Synergy

Where does the conflict between the popular Law of Assumption and traditional faith arise? The conflict arises in the question of pride and goals.

• Secular Law of Assumption: often concentrates exclusively on material goods (expensive things, money, manipulating other people for selfish purposes). A person begins to believe that they are an autonomous master of the world who does not need the Creator. This is the path of pride, which in Christianity is considered sinful and leads to spiritual prelest (delusion).

Christian Metaphysics: is based on synergy (cooperation) of human imagination and God’s will. We use imaginative power to create good, heal the soul, and help others, but we always leave the last word to God: “Thy will be done”*.

We understand that our ability to imagine and create is a gift from God. We do not manipulate God or the universe, we tune our mind to His wave of abundance and love.

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4. Practice: How to Combine Faith and Assumption in Life

To keep your spiritual practice harmonious and safe, use the Law of Assumption through the prism of Christian contemplation:

1. Start with silence and gratitude. Before imagining your goals, enter a state of deep prayer (for example, using the experience of The Way of a Pilgrim). Cleanse the mind of anxiety.
2. Imagine noble goals. Test your assumptions with love for your neighbor. Will your desire bring good to the world?
3. Thank for the result in advance. Instead of anxious waiting, rest in the confidence that God has already prepared the best solution for your life. When praying the Our Father, feel that His Kingdom of peace and harmony is already acting in your reality.

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Conclusion

There is no contradiction between the Law of Assumption and deep Christian faith, if we remove selfish pride from the former and slavish fear from the latter. When the law of imagination serves love and trust in God, it becomes a powerful tool of Christian life that helps materialize Divine harmony on earth.

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This article was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and edited by the author of the pray.ee project.