How would it feel if the power of your future was completely in your hands? How would you feel if you could create your dream life just with the power of your mind? Of course you can’t think that beautiful house into existence, but believing you can get that house is how you start working towards it. If you like how that sounds, let me tell you about the Law of Assumption. 

What Is The Law of Assumption

The Core Focus:

The law of assumption is based on the idea that our assumptions, beliefs, and inner speech shape our external reality. In other words, it is the idea that we should assume that our desires have already been fulfilled. In order to manifest our desires, we must believe that our desire is already fulfilled and act like we already have our manifestations. Dig deeper into yourself and find out what you really want, then give it to yourself. Don’t stress about how the universe will give you your manifestations. There are infinite possibilities for how you could get your manifestation. Your inner world is the god of your reality. Your inner world is the state that you are in. 

What It Encourages:

The law of assumption pushes people to behave how they would if they had all their greatest desires. If you want to make 100k a month, how would waking up without stressing over money feel? If you want to get into a certain program, how would your day be different? What type of clothes would you wear, and what time would you wake up? Don’t count on the world to change; change how you view the world. As Neville Goddard says, “Leave the mirror and change your face. Leave the world alone and change your conceptions of yourself.”

Origin and Creator:

The Law of Assumption was created and taught by Neville Goddard (1905-1972). He taught that the way to create anything you desire is to simply assume the feeling you would get once the desire is fulfilled. Neville was taught the principles of creation by an Ethiopian mystic named Abdullah. 

Scientific Evidence Of the Law Of Assumption

Neuroplasticity—The Brain’s Ability to Change:

• “Neuroplasticity” is a term that refers to the broad notion that the brain can adapt, change, and modify both its structure and function throughout life and in response to different experiences.
•  A neuroscientist named Dr. Michael Merzenich confirmed this when he said, “Neurons that fire together wire together. 
• When it comes to the law of assumption, this means that the more we reinforce a thought, the stronger the neural connections become, forcing that thought into our subconscious. 
• You can change miserable patterns of thinking and behaving to new mindsets, memories, skills, and abilities.
• Shifting beliefs and habits through talk therapy can change your biology and help you overcome depression and anxiety

Reticular Activating System (RAS)—The Brain’s Filter:

• The RAS system has an intense effect on on what we experience; it reinforces what we believe and influences our behavior
• The RAS seeks information that validates your beliefs.
• You give your RAS the parameters to see the world in, and your beliefs are what shape those parameters
• It regulates arousal and sleep-wake transitions 

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy & Pygmalion Effect:

• Robert Rosenthal defined the Pygmalion Effect as ‘the phenomenon whereby one person’s expectation for another person’s behavior comes to serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy.’”
• A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes it to become true
• Rosenthal and Jacobson conducted an experiment to see if a student’s behavior will be shaped a teacher’s prophecy.
• The expectations from the teachers become a part of the students’ self-concept, and they act in alignment with what the teachers believe about them
• The concept of self-fulfilling prophecies and the law of assumption are very similar; the study demonstrates how a teachers expectations of students’ performance influence outcomes

Placebo Effect—Mind-Body Connection:

• Placebo affects are positive assumptions about a treatment process, contributing to the actual outcomes of that treatment
• The placebo effect demonstrates the power of assumption and expectation, which are big parts of the Law of Assumption
• For the past 30 years, neurobiological research has shown that the placebo effect, which is developed through an individual’s expectation to heal, triggers certain brain areas that are associated with anxiety and pain that activate physiological effects, which lead to healing outcomes
• When someone expects positive effects from treatment, that expectation triggers gaugeable biological responses

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Connection:

• Cognitive psychology provides structure that that supports the law of assumption
• CBT for example, is based off the idea that how we think affects our feelings and behavior
• When one changes the patterns of thought that bring them down, they alter their emotional states and behaviors
• It shares the same belief with law of assumption that your thoughts shape your reality

Why is it Important / How May it Benefit You

The law of assumption can benefit you in so many ways. From transforming you into a person capable of living their dream life to getting rid of thoughts that bring you down, the law of assumption is very useful. The law of assumption affects every aspect of your life, from the people you meet, what treatment you get, how much money you make, what type of career you have, your relationships, and literally anything else you can think of. 

A powerful feeling develops inside you when you realize you and your imagination are in control. Your thoughts are the ultimate God. I don’t want to offend anyone, but if your thoughts control your reality, is that not the truth? I mean, let’s say there are two people; they both grew up in the same environments, they both got the same grades in school, they both had the same opportunities, but the first one is a millionaire, and they created a loving family, and the second one is just working a minimum wage job and playing video games in their free time. What separates these two? Isn’t it the way they think of themselves and their lives? The first believes that they can become rich and that they can have a family, while the second person doesn’t believe they are worthy of a million dollars or creating what they want. Which would you rather be? 

As Neville Goddard said, “Your imagination is the only God, and there is no other being greater than He! Claim you are what you want to be. Persist in that assumption. Continue to assume that role until that which you have assumed is reflected in your world.”

7 Powerful ways to Practice The Law Of Assumption

SATS (State Akin To Sleep)

The SATS technique was developed by Neville Goddard. By definition the SATS technique is when you enter a drowsy or relaxed state and create vivid mental images of your desired outcome and reality. Your goal is to reach what Neville called the the state akin to sleep: that pleasurable, drowsy, dreamy state where you are not fully asleep or fully conscious either. Neville created this when he realized that in order to manifest the life you want, you must impress those desires onto your subconscious mind. One way to enter your subconscious mind is through entering a theta brain wave state, which occurs during deep relaxation.

How to:

1. Go somewhere it is easy to rest in. Preferably a quiet, dim room with no distractions to ensure you concentrate fully on your desires
2. Relax your mind and body, Breathe deeply, and do a body scan 
3. Let your consciousness soften a bit. You want to feel heavy eyelids and alternation between wake and sleep
4. Once you’re in that drowsy state, imagine an event you want to happen vividly (e.g., receiving a huge check, walking into a new house, getting a new car) and loop that event over and over again.
5. Don’t just see the event; feel it. Imagine how it would smell, sound, and feel to the touch as if it were happening in the present moment.
6. Let this scene loop until you fall asleep or till you feel satisfied
7. Practice this consistently; the first time you do this, it’ll feel a bit weird, but as you practice more, it becomes natural.

Live In The End

Living in the end means embodying the conscious state of someone who has all their greatest desires. How would you act in this moment? How would you think? How would you talk to yourself and others? How would you eat? What would you be doing differently? Would you be working out, eating healthier, and reading more? There is no feeling of need or lack. Everything you need or want is already in your reality. Own it; it’s already yours!

How to:

1. Define the end clearly
2. Create a vivid imaginary scene of you with one of your desires
3. Feel it with every sense you have
4. Don’t dwell or stick to old states of being
5. As you move on with your day, remember the feeling of that scene you created and act like you already have it
6. Be patient and let the outer world shape to your desired reality

Revision-Rewrite Past Events

Revision is essentially when you rewrite past events to align with your desired outcomes, removing negative feelings from your subconscious mind. By rewriting past negative experiences and replacing them with positive and desirable ones, you can change your beliefs and manifest a new reality. At its core, revision is pulling a negative memory, along with its limiting beliefs, out by its roots. Compare this with affirmations; affirmations are just like running a lawnmower over a set of weeds. Only the surface is taken care of. But revising negative past experiences pulls the weed out by its roots.

How to: 

1. Choose a specific scene you wish you could go and change. This could be something that effects you from your childhood or something embarrassing that happened
2. Choose a time in your day when your conscious guard is low. The optimal times are right before sleep and and right after waking
3. Relax and enter a quiet meditative state. Breath deeply and let your muscles relax
4. Bring the old memory up just enough to place yourself back there. Don’t dwell on any negative feelings that come up; remember you’re about to replace it.
5. Now you should imagine the scene playing out as you wished it would’ve. Make it believable, not some unreal fantasy
6. Feel that memory with every sense you have
7. Replay that scene as many times as needed. When you’re done, end with a grateful feeling as if that was the version that truly happened. 
8. Let the memory go. If you ever remember the original memory, then recall the revised scene once and then release it.
9. Repeat this daily. This is essential, especially for stubborn memories.

Perform a Mental Diet

Performing a mental diet includes consistently monitoring your thoughts and replacing the negative ones with positive ones. You have to consistently practice controlling your thoughts and beliefs. This is essential when it comes to the Law of Assumption. I believe learning how to control your mind is necessary to perform the other techniques well. Neville Goddard’s mental diet was him viewing any negative thoughts as an unhealthy meal; ridding yourself of those thoughts and replacing them with new ones was like eating a healthy meal. Monitor your inner speech; anytime a doubt or limiting belief arises, immediately replace it with a reassuring positive sentence describing your wish as fulfilled. 

How to:

1. Decide what you want your default mode of thinking to be. Maybe you want to feel more confident; decide what being confident would feel like for you
2. Do not judge your thoughts; just observe them. Spend a day just observing all the little thoughts that come up. Pay attention to the thoughts that contradict your desired state
3. When you catch a thought that doesn’t match your desired thought, interrupt it. Dont argue with it and don’t judge yourself
4. Replace the thought with the “healthier food.” Replace it with an inner statement, image, or feeling that aligns with your desired reality. Do this every time. This way you’re retraining the mind through consistent actions
5. Watch the inner conversations you have closely. Watch out for negativity and limiting beliefs
6. Use your feelings as a reflection of your mental diet. If you feel frustrated, then your mental “meals” were probably “unhealthy.” If you feel peaceful, then your meal was healthy.

I AM Statements

Use “I AM” at the start of all your manifestations to affirm that your desire is happening right now. Create statements that imply the fulfillment of your desires and repeat them with complete faith. When you consistently affirm these assumptions, your subconscious mind rewires itself.  Phrases such as “I am healthy” or “I am successful” can be very powerful. Combine your affirmations with vivid visualization of your desired state of being. Whenever triggers arise, use affirmations to reinforce your desired new state of being. 

How To: 

1. Understand what “I Am” means. Every time you say “I am,” you are really claiming the affirmation that comes afterward as your present identity.
2. Use the mental diet rule: whenever a thought contradicts your “I Am” affirmation, replace it. 
3. Don’t just repeat “I Am” half-heartedly; say it with conviction, and believe it. Believe it will come true. Really feel the emotion of being that version of yourself and let it sink in.
4. Repeat “I Am” affirmations as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed
5. Keep your affirmations short, in the present tense, and powerful.

Visualize Everything You Want

I mentioned this a bit earlier, but let me go deeper.  Visualization is when you vividly imagine your desires as if they are happening to you now. Neville Goddard is known for encouraging people to not just see it in their minds but actually smell it, taste it, and hear it. Your subconscious doesn’t know the difference between fantasy and reality. You must assume the feeling of your desire and imagine it till it pushes out all other possibilities from your consciousness. Take some time each day to visualize yourself as the person you want to become. Be detailed in your visualizations. 

How To: 

1. Choose a scene that would naturally happen when your desire comes through
2. Get into an SATS state
3. See the scene through your own eyes. Don’t watch yourself as if you’re an outsider. Use all of your senses to observe what it would be like when you transport yourself to the scene.
4. Don’t force any emotions; just allow yourself to feel whatever feeling is coming from your scene. 
5. Loop the scene a few times till you feel confident that you can embody that feeling for the time coming. 
6. Carry the feeling with throughout your day

Control Your Inner Voice

When you control your inner voice, you are actively monitoring and intentionally shaping your inner voice to reflect your desired state. Your inner speech is the set of words and phrases you constantly tell yourself in the safe harbor of your mind. Inner speech is not only the commentary you have about events; it’s the words you use to shape your personal beliefs. This ties back into the mental diet since it is important to keep track of what you’re thinking throughout your day. Your feeling imagination determines being. Inner speech that is curated as if it is happening now reshapes how you feel about yourself and therefore rearranges your outward experiences. 

How To:

1. Spend time just observing inner dialogue that comes up. Pay attention to the dialogue you hear when you do something wrong or when you hear something you don’t like
2. Identify any contradictions with your desired reality
3. Craft your ideal inner voice. Make it positive and encouraging. Craft it in a way that makes your mind feel like a safe haven, not like a battlefield that should be avoided at all costs
4. Catch your inner conversations in real time and filter the ones that you think are negative, then replace it with something positive
5. Talk to yourself as if you are the end version

I wrote this because I truly believe that you are in control. Giving your power away to luck or chance often leads to the development of resentment for the world. I find that putting power back into your own hands makes you more confident. I also wrote this because I know that self-doubt bothers a lot of us. I know that hearing other people touch on a negative experience makes you feel like you will go through the same thing or that it’s inevitable. I just want to tell you that’s not the case. Your experience is different; you have a choice every single day whenever you hear or witness things. It’s up to you whether or not you should take the belief and run with it or conclude that everyone is entitled to their own and that that statementdoesn’t align with your ideal reality.

I did not create this article to enforce constant optimism. Your goal should not be to never think negatively again; it should be to not stay with negative thoughts for too long.