Neville Goddard’s teachings on manifestation centre around the idea that the subconscious mind is the creative force behind all external circumstances. Through imagination, we can create reality — and what we believe to be true about ourselves shapes our experience. The Bible, rich in spiritual symbolism, supports this idea when interpreted as a psychological drama, particularly through the stories of women.
In this post, we explore how the barren women of the Old Testament represent early stages of subconscious development — yearning, disjointed, and incomplete — while the Marys of the New Testament symbolise a unified subconscious that is capable of divine conception. And at the centre of this evolution lies a clue in Genesis 2:23, the moment Adam beholds woman and recognises her as his own emanation.
Genesis 2:23 — The Emergence of Feminine Consciousness
“This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” — Genesis 2:23
This verse is not just about the creation of Eve; it symbolises the emergence of the subconscious from the conscious self. The "woman" is the reflected, formative aspect — drawn from the inner being of man — not separate from him but an expression of him. In Neville’s terms, this is the moment the conscious mind becomes aware of its own creative partner: imagination, intuition, and emotional conviction — all attributes of the subconscious mind.
To "cleave unto his wife" (Genesis 2:24) is to unite consciously with this subconscious faculty, recognising its power to bring forth what the conscious mind impresses upon it. The story is not about gender, but about the two aspects of one being: the conscious selector and the subconscious fulfiller.
The Barren Women of the Old Testament: The Struggle of the Subconscious Mind
The repeated motif of barren women in the Old Testament — Sarah, Rachel, Leah, and Hannah — reflects the subconscious mind in its early stages: wanting to create, but not yet aligned with faith or assumption. They desire children, which represent manifestations — yet they remain fruitless until their faith deepens.
-
Sarah symbolises delayed fulfilment. Her story reminds us that the subconscious can appear unproductive until the assumption is fully accepted.
“And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said…” — Genesis 21:1
-
Rachel represents frustration: the subconscious disconnected from belief. Her conception of Joseph marks the shift from delay to divine memory.
“And God remembered Rachel…” — Genesis 30:22
-
Leah, though unloved, still conceives — showing that neglected subconscious states can still manifest powerfully when engaged.
“The Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb…” — Genesis 29:31
-
Hannah demonstrates persistence. Her fervent, focused desire is rewarded, showing that faith fuels the womb of imagination.
“If thou wilt… give unto thine handmaid a man child…” — 1 Samuel 1:11
These women portray the subconscious as a fertile ground that requires belief, assumption, and inner alignment to become fruitful.
Mary: The Fertile Subconscious of the New Testament
With Mary — the mother of Jesus — the Bible shows a turning point. She does not struggle to conceive. She does not cry out in barrenness. Her subconscious is ready, pure, and aligned. She symbolises the fully integrated, unified subconscious — the one that can receive divine seed (idea) and bring forth God.
“Thou shalt conceive… and bring forth a son.” — Luke 1:31
Mary’s virginity isn’t biological — it is psychological. It means the subconscious is no longer reacting to outer facts, but is still, expectant, and receptive to the imagination. This is Neville’s ideal: the subconscious made fertile through assumption not effort.
Jesus as Manifested Consciousness: The Second Adam
If Eve is taken from Adam (Genesis 2:23), symbolising the subconscious emerging from consciousness, then Jesus is the full return of that union — the Word made flesh. He is the child born of the subconscious that has fully received the conscious assumption. This makes Jesus not only the Son of God but also the Son of Mary — the product of a perfectly joined conscious-subconscious union.
The Many Marys: Unified Functions of the Subconscious
The repetition of the name Mary in the New Testament is not a coincidence. Each one reflects a function of the unified subconscious:
-
Mary Magdalene: The purified subconscious, healed from past error and now devoted.
“Out of whom he had cast seven devils…” — Mark 16:9
-
Mary of Bethany: The receptive subconscious, sitting at the feet of wisdom.
“She… sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.” — Luke 10:39
-
Mary the Mother of James: The enduring subconscious — present even in suffering, holding memory and resurrection.
“And Mary… and Salome.” — Mark 15:40
Each Mary shows a different mode of the subconscious: healed, still, faithful — and ready to bring forth not just desire, but divine transformation.
Martha: The Active Subconscious in Motion
By contrast, Martha reflects the busy, distracted subconscious — the one caught up in “doing” instead of “being.” Neville would say that Martha symbolises a mind trying to force manifestation instead of entering the state of the wish fulfilled.
“Martha was cumbered about much serving…” — Luke 10:40
Her energy is necessary, but not sovereign. The deeper truth is found in Mary’s stillness — the state that receives and conceives.
Conclusion: Genesis 2:23 Fulfilled in Mary
Genesis 2:23 is not just the origin of woman; it is the first recognition of the subconscious mind — a being taken from you, shaped by you, and eventually made one with you (Genesis 2:24). The Marys of the New Testament represent the return to that union, no longer fragmented but harmonised — no longer barren, but fully fertile.
Mary, as the new Eve, embodies the subconscious made whole, capable of manifesting not just outer changes, but divine reality. Jesus, born from this union, symbolises the Word made flesh — the final fruit of conscious assumption fixed in fertile imagination.
“Be it unto me according to thy word.” — Luke 1:38
This is the essence of Neville’s teaching: the creative power of your own being, when united in love and assumption, will produce your world — just as union produced Jesus, the spiritual fulfilment of Genesis 2:23.