The Role of Imagination in Defining Truth

"What is Truth?"

These famous words were uttered by Pontius Pilate to Jesus, in the Gospel of John (18:38), before he condemned him to death on the Cross. Pilate is the judge and the judge understands reason, not imagination and cannot therefore, understand Truth. But Truth is not based on objective reality, but is found in the mysterious world of the imagination. All things exist in the divine imagination and the secret of creation is to rest in the feeling that you would have if you had achieved what you wish to create or rather manifest, in the sensory world.

How to Rest in the Truth

"Truth cannot be encompassed by facts. As we awaken to the imaginative life, we discover that to imagine a thing is to make it so, that a true judgement need not conform to the external reality to which it relates." Neville Goddard

What are facts? Some definitions say that facts are reality, that they are truth, but 'in fact', they are not. A fact is something that can be proven through objective evidence. Facts are considered true in this world, the world of the senses, as facts depend on the senses to be considered true. However, facts are changeable depending on that which is manifested through the imagination. Things that have been deduced to be facts, originally came from the imagination as everything was once imagined before it came into being. We should not be discouraged by the facts of the world but instead, put our faith in the invisible, the source of all life.

Consciousness is the one and only reality. All we need to do is to think feelingly of the state we wish to realize. As Neville Goddard wrote in his book, 'Feeling is the Secret', we need to impress the subconscious mind with what we feel to be true. The subconscious mind accepts a feeling as a fact and sets out to produce the likeness of that feeling in the objective world. Once we have imagined what it would feel like were our dream a reality, we should remain in that feeling as often as we can. 'The vision has its own appointed hour, it ripens, it will flower; if it be long, then wait, for it is sure, and it will not be late.' (Habbakkuk 2:3) We do not know how long it will take to appear, but if we nurture that feeling and believe that it is 'a fact', it will become so in the objective world.

Live in the Imagination

It is not easy to live continuously in the world of the imagination, no matter how successfully we believe we are doing this. It requires a complete change of attitude that must be developed into a habit that is lived out every single day. Develop regular habits that involve vividly imagining scenes that imply your desire has been achieved and live in the feeling this inspires. Read passages from the Bible referred to by Neville Goddard that back up 'believing that you receive' (Mark 11) and read and listen to Neville Goddard regularly. Lastly, write down any experiences you have where you have first imagined something in this manner and it has then manifested in the world. Reading evidence of faith will help when faith in the imagination is weak.

Conclusion: Embracing the Imagination

In conclusion, acknowledging that truth is the imagination leads us to a more compassionate understanding of one another. We blame less, knowing that all events and conditions of life have ultimately been manifested by ourselves, whether that is consciously or unconsciously.

It is completely normal to be angry, upset and saddened when thing do not go our way for whatever reason. We should not reject those feelings but try to understand them more, and then when we are able to, look towards a different version of 'reality'. Find that crack in the emotions and contemplate the idea that this thing that we do not want in our world, ultimately comes from us. This will help to reduce the emotion and bring a more balanced perspective and then we can use our imagination to change what we do not want. If you have been vividly imagining something that you want in your life and then you are hit with exactly what you do not want, do not despair; keep an open mind as this could be a link in the chain leading to your desire.

Having an open mind is key to living the spiritual life and creating the life you want.

As Neville Goddard said, "Truth depends upon the intensity of the imagination, not upon external facts. Facts are the fruit bearing witness of the use or misuse of the imagination."