Throughout Scripture, stones and rocks appear as altars, monuments, weapons, and foundations. In Neville Goddard’s spiritual psychology, these are not mere physical objects; they symbolise the skull — the seat of consciousness — and the fixed assumptions or beliefs that shape our reality. What we accept in imagination becomes the substance of our life, and stones in the Bible reflect the inner acts of consciousness that produce outer results.
Joshua’s Twelve Stones: Anchoring the New Consciousness
In Joshua 4:20, twelve stones are set up after the Israelites cross the Jordan River — one for each tribe. Here, the stones represent the establishment of a new state of consciousness. Each stone is an aspect of self now aligned with the promise, a mark of belief fixed in imagination. They are memorials not to physical actions, but to the awakening of the mind’s creative power.
Moses Striking the Rock: Awakening Imagination in the Skull
In Exodus 17 and Numbers 20, Moses strikes the rock and water flows forth to quench the people’s thirst. The rock is the skull, the literal and symbolic seat of consciousness. Striking it is the willful act of imagination — awakening the latent streams of creative life within. Water emerges not from stone but from the mind it represents: imagination flowing into awareness, nourishing thought and life. Later, when Moses is instructed to speak to the rock, he is guided into mastery — the inner command of consciousness that manifests effortlessly, reflecting trust and alignment with the I AM.
The Stone the Builders Rejected: Imagination Dismissed
Psalm 118:22 says, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” This stone represents the imaginative power of “I Am” — initially dismissed by the logical mind, yet essential to the construction of consciousness. What seems foolish or impossible from a worldly perspective is often the very source of life and creation when accepted within the mind.
“Upon this Rock I Will Build My Church”
When Jesus declares to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), he speaks of inner recognition: the skull as the seat of consciousness acknowledging its divine identity. This awareness — the assumption of being what you truly are — is the foundation upon which the structure of life is built. The rock is the inner revelation; the church is the outer manifestation of conscious imagination.
Stoning: The Weight of External Assumptions
Biblical stoning represents the destructive force of collective belief — the mental stones of fear, limitation, and judgment. When we accept assumptions imposed by others, we are “stoned” by their consciousness. The skull becomes both a target and a receptacle of thought: discipline and destruction occur when imagination aligns with limitation instead of life.
David and Goliath: One Stone of Faith
David defeats Goliath with a single stone (1 Samuel 17:49), symbolising concentrated assumption. The stone, an extension of the skull’s imagination, embodies certainty and focus. Outer strength is irrelevant; the victory arises from the inner recognition of creative power within the seat of consciousness.
Jacob’s Stone Pillow: Hardness Transformed into Vision
Genesis 28:11 describes Jacob resting on a stone, dreaming of a ladder to heaven. The hard stone — the skull or rigid state of consciousness — becomes a foundation for vision and revelation. Even our most unyielding states can be gateways to awakening when imagination engages persistently, turning limitation into insight.
Conclusion: Strike or Speak to Your Skull
All stones in the Bible point to the skull, the seat of consciousness, and the act of imagination within. Whether striking or speaking, we activate the living waters of creative awareness. What appears immovable or deadlocked is not a barrier but a reservoir of life waiting for engagement. The Law of Assumption teaches us that life flows where consciousness acts; the rocks are reminders that our inner assumption shapes every outer reality.