As I discovered recently Neville Goddard I found this text (in excerpts) which explaines from his point of view the truth of I AM: I may conceive of myself to be a rich man, a poor man, a beggar man or a thief, but the center of my being remains the same regardless of the concept I hold of myself. At the center of manifestation there is only one I AM manifesting in legions of forms or concepts of itself and „I am that I am.“
I AM is the self definition of the absolute, the foundation on which everything rests. I AM the first cause of substance.
Man is actually the arbiter of his own fate, and that it is his concept of himself that determines the world in which he lives [and his concept of himself is his reactions to life]. In other words, if you are experiencing ill health, knowing the truth about cause, you cannot attribute the illness to anything other than to the particular arrangements of the basic cause-substance, an arrangement [was produced by your reactions to life] is defined by your concept. „I am unwell.“ This is why you are told, „Let the weak man say, „I am strong.“ [Joel 3:10], for by his assumption, the cause-substance — I AM — is rearranged and must, therefore; manifest that which its rearrangement affirms. This principle governs every aspect of your life, be it social, financial, intellectual, or spiritual.
{josquote} I AM is the first cause of substance{/josquote}I AM is that reality to which, whatever happens, we must turn for an explanation of the phenomena of life. It is I AM’s concept of itself that determines the form and scenery of its existence. Everything depends upon its attitude towards itself; that which it will not affirm as true of itself cannot awaken its world. That is, your concept of yourself, such as „I am strong,“ „I am secure,“ „I am loved,“ determines the world in which you live. In other words, when you say, „I am a man. I am a father. I am an American,“ you are not defining different I AMs; you are defining different concepts or arrangements of the one cause-substance — the one I AM. Even in the phenomena of nature, if the tree were articulate it would say, „I am a tree, an apple tree, a fruitful tree.“
When you know that consciousness is the one and only reality — conceiving itself to be something good, bad, or indifferent, and becoming that which it conceived itself to be — you are free from the tyranny of second causes, free from the belief that there are causes outside of your own mind that can affect your life.
In the state of consciousness of the individual is found the explanation of the phenomena of life. If man’s concept of himself were different, everything in his world would be different. His concepts of himself being what it is, everything in his world must be as it is.
Thus it is abundantly clear that there is only one I AM and you are that I AM. And while I AM is infinite, you, by your concept of yourself, are displaying only a limited aspect of the infinite I AM.
It is only by a change of consciousness, by actually changing your concept of yourself that you can „build more stately mansions“ — the manifestations of higher and higher concepts. [By manifesting is meant experiencing the results of these concepts in your world.] It is of vital importance to understand clearly just what consciousness is.
The reason lies in the fact that consciousness is the one and only reality, it is the first and only cause-stance of the phenomena of life. Nothing has existence for man save through the consciousness he has of it. Therefore, it is to consciousness you must turn, for the only foundation on which the phenomena of life can be explained.
Books
Feeling Is the Secret, Revised Edition
Power of Awareness: New Edition Incorporating Neville’s Later Notes
Your Faith is Your Fortune
At Your Command
