He is like a tree
planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. — Psalm 1:1-3
The Garden of Eden, as described in Genesis 2, is a pictorial representation of your inner world. It shows how imagination, the creative power of God within, operates: assumptions are planted, and from them, life flows naturally into experience.
The Trees: Assumptions Planted in Consciousness
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
(Genesis 2:8–9)
The trees are not just physical objects—they are the inner assumptions planted within consciousness by the “I AM.” Each tree represents a state of being that grows from the seed of imagination:
- Tree of Life: The assumption of oneness and creative power. It embodies awareness that life flows from within, that you are the source of all manifestation, and that your imagination is God’s creative principle in action.
- Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: The assumption of duality and separation. It is consciousness divided, judging experience as either “good” or “bad,” and mistaking outer circumstances for the source of power.
In Neville’s terms, the Tree of Life is the inner state aligned with the I AM, while the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is the state where imagination is misdirected outward, producing reactivity rather than conscious creation.
The Rivers: Flow of Life from Inner States
“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.”
(Genesis 2:10)
Rivers follow the trees. They are the pictorial symbol of imagination and feeling in motion, the flowing expression of the inner assumptions. The order is significant: inner states first, expression second. The river waters the garden—the feelings, actions, and experiences that arise naturally from what has been assumed within.
The river divides into four streams, showing the forking of consciousness into varied experiences, yet all flowing from the same divine source:
- Pishon: Overflowing — abundance and expansion of assumed states.
- Gihon: Gushing — vitality and emotional movement, the dynamic energy of imagination.
- Hiddekel (Tigris): Rapid — clarity and focused insight flowing swiftly from inner alignment.
- Euphrates: Fruitful — fulfilment and settled manifestation as assumptions are fully expressed.
These streams illustrate how imagination moves from inner assumption to outer expression, from seed to full manifestation. Water symbolizes the subconscious as the receptive medium, and the rivers show how conscious acceptance (spirit/breath) sets the flow in motion.
The river dividing into four “heads” is conceptually reflected in man, formed to express the principles behind the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This symbolism is echoed in the description of Jesus’ garment, which was woven in four parts: the mind clothed in the teachings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, having prepared the inner awareness to reveal the Christ — the anointed states of consciousness.
"Who hath bound waters in a garment?" — Proverbs 30:4
A Garden of Choice and Return to Unity
The Garden contains both trees. Every day, the choice remains: to live from the Tree of Life, aligned with the I AM, or to fall into duality, “eating” of the Tree of Knowledge. Yet even the experience of duality is part of the divine plan. Both trees were planted by God, demonstrating that all states of consciousness—unity or separation—serve the unfolding of awareness.
The river teaches the ultimate principle: what is assumed within naturally flows outward. The divided streams of experience eventually lead back to the recognition that all originates in one source. Eden was never lost; it is the inner garden that you cultivate through conscious assumption.
Conclusion: The Garden Within
The Garden of Eden is the mind itself. The trees are assumptions planted in consciousness; the rivers are the movement of imagination bringing those assumptions into experience. When you understand that the I AM has already planted the seeds, you see that life flows from within, not from outer circumstances. The return to Eden is not a return in time, but the remembrance of what has always been true: you are the gardener, the river, the trees—and the God who plants.
River Series | Eden Series | Genesis 1:11 Series | Tree of Life Series | Water Symbolism