My friend Tanya had been visualizing her dream job for six months. Every morning, she’d picture herself in that corner office, see the nameplate on her desk, imagine the congratulations from friends. She affirmed daily, created vision boards, and even practiced her acceptance speech.
Nothing happened.
Sound familiar? Tanya was missing what Neville Goddard called the real secret to manifestation—and it’s not what most people think.
Neville Goddard famously said: “Feeling is the secret.”
For conscious reality creators, this is more than a catchphrase—it’s the blueprint of manifestation. But what does feeling really mean?
Most people think of feelings only as emotions, but Neville pointed to three distinct kinds of feeling that, when combined, make manifestation inevitable:
- Emotional feelings — the atmosphere generated by your thoughts.
- Living in the end — the identity-level feeling of being your fulfilled self.
- Embodied imagination — the physical sensation of experiencing your desire.
This post breaks down each type of feeling, shows how to apply them in love, career, and health, and gives you a daily step-by-step practice you can follow. Plus, we’ll explore why 90% of manifestation attempts fail (spoiler: they’re missing at least two of these three elements).
Why Feeling Is the Secret in Manifestation
- Thoughts alone aren’t enough. Without feeling, affirmations are like trying to start a car by just talking to it—lots of noise, no movement.
- Feeling convinces the subconscious. Your inner state is accepted as truth and mirrored back as outer reality.
- Three layers of feeling work together. Emotional tone, identity, and sensory realism create the complete blueprint of your desire.
Here’s what modern neuroscience reveals: your brain has something called the Reticular Activating System (RAS)—a network that filters information based on what you’ve marked as important. When you truly feel something is real (not just think it), your RAS starts noticing opportunities, people, and circumstances that align with that reality.
Think of it like a three-part key. Miss one part, and the door to manifestation remains stubbornly locked while you stand there wondering why the universe isn’t cooperating with your excellent intentions.
Emotional Feelings: The Atmosphere of Thought
Every thought you think generates an emotional echo. Repeated thoughts create an emotional climate—the “background music” of your life that plays so consistently you barely notice it anymore.
Why Emotional Feelings Matter
- They set the tone of your consciousness.
- They tell the subconscious what kind of reality you inhabit.
- They shift your experience of the present moment.
- They create the fertile ground where seeds of manifestation can grow (or wither).
Neville’s Teaching
“A change of feeling is a change of destiny.”
When you shift the emotional tone of your inner world, you change the course of your life. But here’s what most people get wrong: they try to force themselves into feeling like they just won the lottery about everything. That’s not the point—and frankly, your subconscious can smell fake enthusiasm from a mile away.
Neville also taught: “The drama of life is psychological.” Your emotional state is the stage where your entire life story unfolds, scene by scene.
The Emotional Thermostat Technique
Think of your emotional state like a thermostat. When the temperature drops below your set point, the heating kicks in automatically. When negative emotions arise, let them be your signal to adjust back to your desired emotional climate—not through force, but through gentle redirection.
How to Shift Emotional Feelings
- Catch the chatter. Notice complaints, doubts, or fears. (Don’t judge them—just notice, like you’re a curious scientist studying your own mind.)
- Flip the script. Replace them with fulfilled thoughts.
- Feel the difference. Don’t force joy—notice the natural shift into relief or gratitude.
- Practice emotional hygiene. Just as you brush your teeth daily, tend to your emotional atmosphere regularly.
Practical Examples (Be Specific)
- Relationship: From “Nobody ever chooses me” → “I feel so grateful for how naturally love flows into my life” (notice the relief, not forced joy)
- Career: From “I’m stuck in this dead-end job forever” → “I love how work energizes me and feels meaningful”
- Health: From “My body is failing me” → “I appreciate how strong and capable I feel each day”
- Money: From “There’s never enough” → “I feel so calm knowing abundance supports me”
Remember: You’re not lying to yourself. You’re choosing which reality frequency to tune into—and the universe has unlimited channels.
Living in the End: The Identity of Being
This is where most manifestation attempts crash and burn. People visualize having their desire while still identifying as the person who lacks it.
Neville taught: “You do not manifest what you want—you manifest what you are.”
Living in the end means adopting the identity of your fulfilled self. It’s not acting, hoping, or pretending—it’s a complete identity shift. This is perhaps the most challenging aspect because it requires you to fire your current identity and hire a new one.
Why Living in the End Matters
- Aligns your identity with your desire (no more internal conflict).
- Dissolves the gap between “wanting” and “having.”
- Turns imagination into natural conviction.
- Eliminates the resistance that comes from feeling unworthy.
Neville’s Teaching
“Dare to assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled and persist in that assumption.”
He also said: “Stop trying to change the world since it is only the mirror. Man’s attempt to change the world by force is as fruitless as breaking a mirror in the hope of changing his face.”
The world you see is a reflection of who you’re being. Change your identity, and the reflection must change—it’s cosmic law.
The Identity Addiction Problem
Most people stay stuck because they’re secretly addicted to their current identity—even when it’s painful. The person who says “I never have enough money” gets to be right about that, and being right can feel safer than being wealthy (which comes with new responsibilities and fears).
Plus, your current identity has an entire support system: friends who bond with you over shared struggles, family who “know” who you are, and your own ego that loves the familiar story.
How to Live in the End
- Ask the key question: “Who would I be if my desire were already fulfilled?”
- List specific traits: How that self thinks, speaks, moves, and makes decisions.
- Step in gradually: Start carrying yourself as that identity for 10 minutes, then longer.
- Drop the old story: Stop rehearsing tales of lack and limitation (even to yourself).
The “What Would They Do?” Method
Throughout your day, when facing decisions, ask: “What would the version of me who already has this desire do right now?” Then do that thing, even if it feels slightly uncomfortable.
- Would they check their bank account obsessively? (Probably not—they trust their abundance.)
- Would they worry about whether their partner loves them? (Unlikely—they feel secure in being chosen.)
- Would they apply for that job with confidence or desperation? (Confidence, obviously.)
Practical Examples (Get Specific)
- Relationship: Move through life as someone who knows they’re deeply loved. When your phone buzzes, you don’t frantically hope it’s them—you smile, knowing it probably is.
- Career: Speak in meetings as someone whose opinion matters. Walk into work like you belong there, not like you’re sneaking in.
- Health: Make food choices as someone who naturally craves what’s good for them. Exercise because it feels good, not as punishment.
- Wealth: Make purchasing decisions from abundance, not scarcity. Tip generously. Don’t check price tags with anxiety.
Embodied Imagination: Feeling Movement
Here’s where visualization gets an upgrade from pleasant daydreaming to reality-creation powerhouse. Instead of watching a scene like you’re at the movies, you enter it and experience it through all your senses.
Why Embodied Imagination Matters
- The subconscious treats vividly imagined movement as genuine experience.
- Physical sensation makes imagination stick in your neural pathways.
- Short, repeated scenes impress the subconscious most effectively.
- Movement creates neural pathways that prepare you for the actual experience.
The Science Behind It
Modern neuroscience confirms what Neville taught: when you vividly imagine performing an action, your brain fires the same neural pathways as if you were actually performing it. Mirror neurons activate, muscle memory forms, and your nervous system literally rehearses for the real thing. Athletes use this technique to improve performance—you can use it to improve your entire life.
Neville’s Teaching
“Think feelingly only of the state you desire to realize.”
He emphasized: “An awakened imagination works with a purpose. It creates and conserves the desirable and transforms or destroys the undesirable.”
The SATS Technique (State Akin to Sleep)
Neville’s most powerful method involves entering a drowsy state—that twilight moment between waking and sleeping when your conscious mind relaxes its death grip on “reality” and your subconscious becomes beautifully receptive to new programming.
How to Use Embodied Imagination
- Keep it short: 10–15 seconds is enough. (Your subconscious has the attention span of a goldfish—make it count.)
- Enter the scene: Look through your eyes, not at yourself.
- Add movement: A handshake, a hug, opening a door, signing your name—something tactile.
- Include multiple senses: What do you hear? Feel? Even smell?
- Repeat until natural: Let it feel ordinary, not forced, or dramatic.
Practical Examples (Ultra-Specific)
- Relationship: Feel the warmth of their palm as they squeeze your hand three times—your secret “I love you” signal. Hear the slight catch in their voice when they whisper your name.
- Career: Feel the weight of the pen as you sign your name on that contract. Notice how confident your signature looks. Hear the sound of the pen scratching across the paper.
- Health: Feel your legs moving easily as you climb those stairs that used to wind you. Notice the spring in your step, the deep, easy breathing.
- Wealth: Feel the smooth leather of your wallet, satisfyingly thick with cash. Or the calm confidence as you make a large purchase without that familiar stomach clench.
Common Embodiment Mistakes
- Making the scene too long (your mind will wander to what’s for dinner)
- Trying to control every detail (trust your subconscious—it’s surprisingly creative)
- Using the same scene for months (switch it up to keep it fresh and believable)
- Forcing emotions instead of letting them arise naturally
- Watching yourself from the outside instead of being inside the experience
The Complete Daily Practice
Here’s a step-by-step routine that integrates all three feelings. Think of it as your daily manifestation workout—consistency beats intensity every time, and you wouldn’t expect to get fit from one marathon gym session.
Morning Routine (15 minutes)
- Emotional Reset: Before checking your phone (seriously, before), flip your first thought of the day into a fulfilled one. Feel genuine gratitude.
- Living in the End: Step into your fulfilled identity. Carry yourself as that version of you from the moment your feet hit the floor.
- Embodied Imagination: Create a short scene—hug, handshake, or movement—and feel it as absolutely real.
The Power Hour Addition
If you’re serious about transformation, add a “power hour” to your routine once a week. Spend 60 minutes in deep meditation, fully embodying your desired state. This intensive session can accelerate results dramatically—like compound interest for consciousness.
Daytime Integration
- Redirect inner chatter: Catch yourself mid-complaint and pivot: “Actually, it’s already mine.”
- Act as your fulfilled self: Make choices from that identity, even small ones.
- Replay your short scene: Use idle moments—waiting in line, walking to the bathroom—for quick mental rehearsals.
- Use transition moments: Every time you walk through a door, remind yourself of your fulfilled identity.
Evening Review (5 minutes)
Before your night routine, spend 5 minutes reviewing your day without judgment. How often did you catch yourself in old patterns? How often did you successfully shift? Celebrate your wins, no matter how small—progress is progress.
Night Routine (15 minutes)
- Emotional Wind-Down: Replace troubling thoughts with fulfilled ones before bed. Your subconscious works all night—give it good material.
- Living in the End: Fall asleep as your fulfilled self, not your current self hoping for change.
- Embodied Imagination: Replay your short sensory scene until sleep takes over.
Neville said: “Never go to sleep feeling discouraged or dissatisfied.” Your last thoughts before sleep have extraordinary power—they’re the instructions you give your subconscious for eight hours of processing time.
What to Do When It’s Not Working (Troubleshooting Guide)
“I’ve been doing this for weeks and nothing’s happening!”
First, breathe. Manifestation isn’t Amazon Prime—it doesn’t come with guaranteed two-day delivery. But here’s what might be going wrong:
- You’re mixing states: Five minutes of visualization followed by hours of worry is like taking one step forward and ten steps back.
- You’re trying too hard: Desperation repels. Assumption attracts. There’s a difference.
- You’re checking for results constantly: It’s like planting seeds then digging them up daily to see if they’re growing.
- You’re not living in the end: You’re visualizing having it while still identifying as not having it.
“I feel ridiculous doing this.”
Good! That discomfort means you’re stretching beyond your current identity. Every successful person felt ridiculous before they felt natural in their success.
“My circumstances look the same.”
Remember: outer conditions are the last to change, not the first. Keep persisting in the inner work. The 3D reality is always playing catch-up to consciousness.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
- Watching, not being: Don’t watch yourself like you’re directing a movie—be the star experiencing the scene.
- Forcing joy: You don’t need fireworks—subtle feelings of relief, satisfaction, or gratitude work perfectly.
- Waiting for proof: Waiting keeps you stuck in lack. Living in the end means accepting it’s done now.
- Inconsistency: Five minutes in the state won’t outweigh hours of worry. Persistence matters more than perfection.
- Perfectionism: You don’t need to maintain the state 24/7. Even Olympic athletes don’t train every waking moment.
- Comparing timelines: Your manifestation unfolds on divine timing, not your impatient ego’s schedule.
- Micromanaging the universe: Your job is to imagine the end result, not write the step-by-step instruction manual for how it should happen.
The “But What If” Trap
The biggest obstacle to manifestation isn’t doubt—it’s the compulsive need to figure out “how.” When you catch yourself planning the logistics of your manifestation, remember: the universe doesn’t need your help with the details. It’s been orchestrating miraculous outcomes since the dawn of time. It’s got this.
Think of it this way: when you order food at a restaurant, you don’t march into the kitchen to supervise the chef. You place your order and trust it will arrive. Same principle applies here.
Neville Goddard on Feeling: Quotes Explained
- “Feeling is the secret.” → The subconscious responds to feeling, not logic or wishful thinking.
- “A change of feeling is a change of destiny.” → Shift your inner tone, shift your life trajectory.
- “Dare to assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled.” → It takes courage to drop the familiar identity of lack.
- “Think feelingly only of the state you desire to realize.” → Imagination without feeling is just pleasant daydreaming.
- “What you feel you are always dominates what you want to be.” → Identity trumps desire every single time.
- “The world is a mirror, forever reflecting what you are doing, within yourself.” → Change yourself, change your world—not the other way around.
- “Assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled and observe the route that your attention follows.” → Let your new state show you the path forward.
Guided Practice Script
Morning Script (10 minutes)
- Sit quietly, eyes closed. Whisper inwardly: “I am already living in my desire.”
- Feel yourself stepping into the identity of the one who has it.
- Create and enter a short, physical scene through your own eyes.
- Let the feeling of fulfilment wash over you naturally.
Night Script (15 minutes)
- Lie down and consciously release the day.
- Replace any troubling thoughts with fulfilled ones.
- Enter your drowsy state and replay your short sensory scene.
- Fall asleep from within the feeling of the wish fulfilled.
Why This Works (The Science and the Magic)
- Emotional feelings shift your inner climate and activate your RAS to notice aligned opportunities.
- Living in the end anchors your identity and eliminates internal resistance.
- Embodied imagination convinces your subconscious with sensory “proof” and creates neural pathways for your new reality.
Together, they create a unified state where your desire isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable. Outer reality must conform to inner conviction because consciousness is the fundamental creative force of the universe.
Modern quantum physics echoes what Neville taught decades ago: consciousness doesn’t just observe reality—it creates it. When you change your state of consciousness using all three types of feeling, you literally change the blueprint from which your reality is constructed.
Your subconscious doesn’t know the difference between a vividly imagined experience and a real one. Give it enough sensory detail, emotional resonance, and identity alignment, and it accepts your imagined scenario as accomplished fact. Then it goes to work making the outer world match the inner conviction.
Final Word
Tanya, from our opening story, learned about these three types of feeling and everything changed. Instead of just visualizing her corner office, she began feeling grateful for meaningful work (emotional), carrying herself as a valued professional (identity), and experiencing the weight of signing important documents (embodied).
Three weeks later, a former colleague called with an unexpected opportunity that led to her dream position.
Manifestation isn’t about effort, chasing, or waiting. It’s about being.
By practicing all three layers of feeling—emotional atmosphere, identity of being, and embodied imagination—you discover the true power of Neville’s words: “Feeling is the secret.”
Whether your desire is love, career success, or radiant health, the process is the same. Step into the state, dwell in it, and persist until it becomes as natural as breathing.
When you do, manifestation unfolds not through struggle but through assumption. And that, dear conscious creator, is when the magic happens—not because you forced it, but because you finally stopped getting in its way.
Remember: you’re not creating something new—you’re simply selecting which of the infinite possibilities you want to experience. The three types of feeling are your selection tools. Use them wisely, use them consistently, and watch your reality reshape itself to match your inner conviction.
The secret was never really a secret. It was always feeling.
