Neville Goddard
(1905-1972)
About New Thought Author Neville Goddard
Neville Lancelot Goddard was a spiritual and mystic author and teacher who had an influence on the New Thought movement.
Neville Lancelot Goddard was born in St. Michael, Barbados in the British West Indies, to Joseph Nathaniel Goddard, a merchant, and Wilhelmina Nee Kinkinson. Neville was the fourth child in the family of nine boys and one girl.
In 1922, at the age of seventeen, Goddard came to the United States on board the S.S. Vasari to study drama. He became a dancer around this time, and met his first wife. Together they had a son, named Joseph Neville Goddard. While touring with his dance company in England, Neville Goddard developed an interest in Metaphysics after striking up a conversation with a Scotsman who lended him a series of books on the powers of the mind.
Upon his return to New York, Neville gave up the entertainment industry to devote his full attention to the study of mystic and spiritual matters.
Goddard's interest in the esoteric interpretations of the bible deepened after he met Abdullah, an Etheopian Jew who lectured on Esoteric Christianity who had also been a teacher of Joseph Murphy.
Neville began studying with Abdullah, learning the Hebrew language, a well as Kabbalah, and the hidden symbolic meaning of the scriptures.
After traveling throughout the United States, Goddard eventually settled down in Los Angeles. Thruoghout the 1950's, Goddard gave a series of taks on television and radio, and for many years lectured regularly to audiences at the Wilshire EBell Theater. In the 1960's and early 1970's, he held most of his lectures in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. In his early lectures and books, Neville spoke often about what he referred to as 'the Law', which was a technique for creating one's physical reality through the imagination. It is this portion of his expression that most closely related to the teachings of the New Thought philosophy.
Neville Goddard was also known for his interpretations of the psychological meaning of the Christian Bible, and often referred to William Blake throughout his lectures. He was most active during the 40's and 50's, and was considered a prophet, and a profoundly influential teacher by many followers of the New Thought movement. Neville himself explicitly mentioned he was not associated with any particular label or 'ism'. Goddard focused on conveying the underlying meaning of Biblical allegory through his lectures and books. He also illustrated the teachings of psychological truth intended in the Biblical teachings, for the purpose of restoring awareness of meaning to what the ancients intended to tell the world.
"Learn how to use your imaginal power, lovingly, on behalf of others, for Man is moving into a world where everything is subject to his imaginal power.” --Neville Goddard
Published writings by Neville Goddard:
Resources:
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