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The I of Man

A 46-minute talk by Neville Goddard, restored from an archived recording

Neville Goddard explains that the Christ of scripture is not an external historical figure but the personal pronoun "I" within each individual. He describes his own visionary experiences of the Son of Man being lifted up, the splitting of the Mount of Olives, and the birth from above, all as internal events occurring in human imagination.

Filed under The Promise, Self-concept and Scripture.

Key passages

“The whole thing is taking place in you, the individual. It's not taking place on the outside at all, but how to convince man that this is true?”

at 0:45

“For dominion means complete control of all human human and non -human forces. Complete control. That's dominion.”

at 1:50

“I put my head through the little opening and I pushed it and then I squeezed myself out like a little child coming through the womb of a woman, only instead of through the womb of a woman, I was out of my own self.”

at 28:59

More Neville quotes on self-concept →

0:00 / 46:02 restored original recording

Transcript

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Unraveling the Christ Mystery

To unravel the mystery of Christ, all the interpretations put upon it, is quite a difficult task. We're up against all kinds of misunderstanding of the mystery. Most people believe that it's secular history, the story is something to do with some historical occasion, and it isn't. It's salvation history. The whole thing is taking place in you, the individual. It's not taking place on the outside at all, but how to convince man that this is true? Well, tonight we will try. I'll try to explain what I know from my own experience. The story is told of Christ and the term called Son of Man is the term used most to describe the Christ, the Messiah. We are told in the book of Daniel: And one like a son of man came to the ancient of days, and was presented before him, and he was given dominion, and glory, and kingdom.

For dominion means complete control of all human human and non -human forces. Complete control. That's dominion. Glory is God himself, as told us in the book of Exodus: I make my glory pass before you. And when I pass by, so he equates glory with I. So here it is God himself. And now kingdom is simply the realm where a monarchical ruler dominates all things. The king. In the New Testament it is said of him, which is the central figure, that he is the son of man. So he asked this question: who do men say that the son of man is? And they answered, for some say John the Baptist come again, others Elijah, others Jeremiah, and still others one of the prophets.

Son of Man Defined as I

Then he turned to them and said, but who do you say that I am? So he creates himself with the Son of Man. Then Peter answered, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. He accepts that definition. So here we find the Son of Man, the I, and then Christ, all equal, they are one and the same, so here tonight we speak of this in you, and when the son of man as we are told in the third of John, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up. Now you just seen that the son of man is the I of man, the pronoun I.

It means I or it means one, so here we can say, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must I be lifted up, or so must must one be lifted up. I'm not thinking of anything outside of you. That I is the one spoken of in Scripture. You must be lifted up. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me. This is the drama of Scripture. Today the world, I hear it on TV, I read in the papers, and these very prominent and very popular teachers from the politics and from the TV screens are speaking of the signs, and they tell you that we can see the signs of the end of the world.

There aren't any signs. You're told in Scripture that of that day and hour no one knows but the Father. It is not for you to be given the time or the sign. When the sign comes, you'll understand it, everything will happen in you just as described in the story of Christ. But earthquakes and convulsions of nature, cosmic capacity has nothing to do with the end. This is a unique story all about you. Has nothing to do with the end of the world. It's the end of your journey through the tribulation of human experience. When you pass through the entire tribulation of human experience, that's the end. then comes the shotgun service the hour awakening in you and it's not another it is you you are the Lord Jesus Christ you are the Lord God Jehovah you are the thankful figure of sickness it has not a thing to do with another so catastrophe Well, a year ago in Central District, I read in the New York Times that every 24 hours, we have approximately 1800 what is called natural catastrophes in the world, like volcanoes, earthquakes, storms, typhoons, all kinds of horrible things.

but earthly 24 hours there are at least 1800 of these normal natural convulsions of nature and yet here are our religious leaders interpreting an earthquake interpreting some convulsion of a war and you are told there are wars and rumors of wars, but that is not it if anyone should ever come to you saying saying, look, here is the Christ, or there is the Christ, believe him not. There is no outside Christ. Christ is very in you. And when he comes, he can only come by awakening in you. Even though one has actually had him completely awake within himself, don't believe he is the Christ. He has awakened in me, the speaker. But I am not the Christ that you're looking for.

Christ Within, Not Outside

The Christ that you're looking for is now buried in you. And must awaken in you. As you. It's the I of you. The personal pronoun I. That is Christ. But man doesn't know it. And he's looking on the outside for Christ. And there is no other Christ. So when anyone who tells you because of an enormous following that he's an incircuitous sign, there aren't any signs on the outside. Let me show you one simple little story. In the 13th chapter of Mark and the 24th chapter of Matthew, this. He says that he turned after having heard from his disciples. They said look at these buildings speaking of the temple. Aren't they wonderful meaning that they are forever.

When you can you see these buildings I tell you not one stone will be left standing upon another but what will be thrown down. Not one stone all will be thrown down. Then they ask, when will it be? Now this is called the little apocalypse in Christmas. Whether these are words of the evangelist or words of the central figure, but they're all words of the evangelist anyway. They're only relating their own experiences. These buildings are not on the outside. So when Blake says cities, mountains, valleys, all are human, he meant it. In your own wonderful imagination, these structures are erected. These are the beliefs by which you live, and they're powerful in your mind. The day will come, you will see it, there will seem to be to you, external to yourself, and they are structures, they're buildings.

In my own case, on the 21st day of December, 1960, I saw this city. So not enormous buildings like the Empire State, say 12, 15, 16 story buildings, but they seem to be overlapped. At that very moment, I knew everyone is going to fall. And here came the first one. It all crumbled before my eyes. I knew the next one. It crumbled. I knew the next one. It crumbled. Everything crumbled. humble because prior to that day which is the 21st day of December 1960 I had had the experience of the birth from above and the discovery of the fatherhood of God and the son of God who actually called me father revealing who the father really is.

I had the experience of that a saint of the Son of Man, then all of my previous beliefs by which I live, they all collapse. I too believe, as the whole vast world of Christians believe in the historicity of Christ, in the secular history of Christ, and suddenly the whole thing was not that at all. It's all about me. It is all about you. And when I arose from within myself then all that I formerly believed in had to collapse. These are the structures spoken of. He is not speaking of these buildings falling. If the whole vast city tonight moved into the Pacific, it is not the end. The end comes to the individual; it doesn't come to us collectively; it comes to us individually.

Be to him. And all the things that you throughout the centuries have erected within you by which you live and believe. When it actually happens in you and you realize you are the central being of Gipsy. You are the God spoken of. You are the Christ Jesus spoken of. All the things on the outside that you turn to for comfort, they collapse. But they are now projected within you as buildings. So you should see these buildings, not one stone will be left standing upon another. Not one. It should all come down.

The Son of Man Lifted Up

Then it happens within you. Now we are told, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up. Well, we just heard the son of man is the eye of man. The person who pulled down the eye. So it's not something on the out side, you are lifted up just in the same manner that Moses in the wilderness lifted up the serpent. And that is true. You actually find yourself, now we have heard the story, he was standing on the Mount of Olives as you read in the 13th of Mark and the 24th of Matthew.

Now we go back to the 13th chapter of Zechariah. Zechariah means Jehovah remembers. This is the last chapter of Zechariah. And he was standing on the month of Olives. And this expression, month of Olives, is only used twice in the Old Testament. Here is the month of Olives. It is used first in 2 Samuel concerning David, but here is the second use of it in almost the end of the Old Testament, the 14th chapter of Zechariah. Remember the word means Jehovah remembered. This is his place, his covenant.

Now the Lord is standing upon the Mount of Olives, and the Mount of Olives was split from east to west, forming a very wide valley. And one half of the monks moved north, and one half moved south. And then came out of Jerusalem, for the monks of Olives faced Jerusalem, came living water. Came living water.

Now, I tell you the month is yourself. Everything about the story is all within means. On the morning of the 8th of April 1960. Currently, I am split from east to west, meaning my body, from the top of my skull to the base of my spine, and it's parted about six inches, a vast valley between the two sections of my body. At the gate which would be the sun is a pool of living golden light, living water. When I looked at it and I could say with Blake, I knew it was myself: I am looking at it and I not only knew it was myself, I knew it was my own creator and redeemer, and I am my own creator and redeemer.

I fused with it. And then like a fiery serpent, I went up into my star. That's heaven. For the kingdom of heaven is within me. That's where the kingdom is. It's all within me. and when I entered I made every attempt I can't tell you the force I used to get through myself but I couldn't get through myself for that is reality it's within you don't get out of it the whole thing takes place within the best I can use on earth to illustrate it would be a river have you ever seen someone take a hot hot river and throw it to the one who catches it and then takes it and actually puts it into the steel to make it secure.

It's a fascinating sight to see them rivet these steel structures. Well, I actually felt myself being moved right into it. If I could just describe it, it's right here. ¶A little less of the straight line down my forehead. Just a tiny fraction less of this area. That's where I felt myself riveted. I made every effort to penetrate and go through, but I couldn't. I was stuck right there. So you're told in Scripture, the 11th chapter of Matthew, and the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence. And the violence, take it by force. That's how you take the kingdom. The whole All kingdom is in your soul. The whole thing is being constructed in your own wonderful human soul.

¶So here I am talking only about you. I am not talking about any converging of nature. Let them have all their so -called enormous cows telling people how they can leave the side. We are the end of the world. End of what world? It is a unique reconstruction of the temple of God. And it's reconstructed out of living stone, not dead stone. For when the temple fell, it was made of simply living but not life -giving stone. ¶Now we are being turned into life -giving stone. and every soul must be fitted into that temple and every one will be called in order. Not one will be risen, may I tell you. Not one in eternity can fail to be called and it goes through the same identical process.

You are called and then you are raised from within yourself and it's not any the outside Christ being raised. Christ is the eye of man. You are raised. You are awakened. And when you are awakened you see no one but yourself. You are all alone. That's the Christ. Intuned in your own power. And you and you alone come out by an innate wisdom as to how to do it. ¶It's built in within you. For Christ has got only the power of God. He is the wisdom of God. So there There's an innate wisdom how to do it. I know exactly how to do it. And you push the date of your star. And something new.

And you come out. When you come out and I ask, who did it? You say, I. That's Christ. That is the Son of Man. That is the Son of God who can claim, I and my Father are one. ¶In the world, yes, I seem to be less than my Father. For I am now doing a job. I am in the world as one that is sent. But the sender and the saint are one. I am only inferior to myself, the sender, when I am playing the part of the saint. But I will return to myself, the sender, and I will be one with myself, the sender.

So I will leave the world and return to my Father. And I and my Father are one. But how to explain that to those who believe in a Christ on the outside? Throughout the centuries, they've been taught to believe in some external faces, and there is no external faces. You and you alone decided to do what you do. who collectively decided to do it. To come into the world of death and die, literally die, and then be victorious and overcome death. That's who we are. And everyone in spite of what he has done, what he is doing, or what he may do, he is that Christ spoken of of death. And so, how to tell a man that although the imagery seems strange, it is actually true.

Mount of Olives Split

You rise just like a fiery serpent. Who would believe that? Who would believe that the monk of Olives is my own body? I stand on the monk of Olives and I face the ruse. And then it splits from top to bottom as told in the great 13th of Mark and the 24th of Matthew as the lightning comes from the east and shine towards the west, so shall the coming of the fellow man. ¶2675|Take a boat of lightning, and you give it, and you strip yourself right down the middle, and the mountain taught in two. So the month of olive is now cut in two, from east to west, and one half moves northward, and one half moves southward.

and then out of Jerusalem because you can view Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives comes living water and I tell you it is living water is golden lixie pulsing living life and as you look at it you know it is so how can I a man know I am lixie light but I am and I feel for it and as I fused with it like a fiery serpent right up into my scarf so as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up in the same manner after the monk is flitted in two from top to bottom and when they're looking out as they are they go off to Jerusalem physically to have these enormous productions where foundations give them millions to excavate all kinds of things to try to find where he was buried.

Where he was buried. The only place where Christ was ever buried is in the human skull. And it's called in Scripture, Dalgotha. In the book of Luke, they actually call it by our name, skull. And when they got into the place called skull, there they're buried. Now God also means power But it's the Hebrew form of God We speak of power For power is the Latin form of power And so the whole thing is simply Your own wonderful human power That's where the whole drama takes place It all takes place in the imagination of man There is nothing but God And God is the human imagination and the drama of God is unfolding within us.

So let no one tell you that they can see signs of the end of the world. The end of the age. But the end of the age is the end of the tribulation of human experience. That's the end. There is no other end. You and I have gone through hell. And when we come to the end of the tribulations of human experience, then suddenly, this shocking suddenness, the whole thing erupts within us. For your tolls do not end. It comes like a thief in the night. When you least expect it, he will come. Therefore be alert, but there shall be no sign. This generation seeks the sign and there shall be no sign. I tell you, it will come just maybe tonight.

I hope so. I know in my own case, I went to bed as innocent as I had in any previous day. I had a lovely day. I elected to an audience of maybe 1, 100, 1, 200. I went out to brunch, because I didn't have breakfast, with two Two friends, husband and wife, we went to a simple little place and had what I would call breakfast. There was no liquor store, and I didn't feel like a drink at the time. I had a normal, simple breakfast. Orange juice, bacon and eggs, and coffee. And we went riding all through San Francisco. And that night, a friend of mine who worked as a checker in the Fairmont Hotel, who had to be up early in the morning to check in the waiters and check in the produce that came through.

So we had to be on the job, I think between 4 .30 and 5, to check in all the food coming in. And so we had a very early dinner, as early as the restaurant would allow. And we dined at the Sir Francis Vick, where I was living. And here we had a roast beef dinner, simple dinner, roast beef and a baked potato. I did have a couple of martinis. But may I tell you that is only a beginning with me. I can go many. It doesn't save me at all. I can take five or six. It doesn't bother me. I had two martinis. They were simply wrecking my little town. So I went upstairs because he had to go early.

And then about nine o 'clock I told my wife, who was living in Beverly Hills, and then put him on the wire because we're all friends. And then he said goodbye a little after nine. After he left, when I undressed and got ready for bed, but it's too early, I read a little late and then I turned to my Bible. And I must have turned in about eleven. And four in the morning, this strange, peculiar vibration in my head. Something I never felt before. and my interpretation of what I felt was this must be a massive memory. I never had anything wrong with me physically of that nature but I thought this must be what they call a massive memory.

Awakening Within the Tomb

This must be it. Because I couldn't see how I could survive what I'm feeling. My head began to vibrate and the whole thing is simply like an enormous vibration. Instead of blowing my brain I began to awake. But instead of awakening on the day as I thought I would, I awoke within myself. And here I am completely entombed in myself. And I knew myself to be a tomb. It was a sepulcher. And I'm completely entombed within it, all alone. And then from the horizontal on the position. I rose within myself, and my one consuming urge was to get out, and I knew exactly what I ought to do to push the base of myself from within.

But may I tell you, all things being relative, when I awoke within myself, it was a trace, digging enough, say, well, a quarter of this room here, and it was my cell, and I stood up within my cell in a place, the area would be about a quarter of this room. I knew exactly where the base was, and I pushed it from the inside, and something rolled away from the outside, as you're told, and the stone rolled away. Then I knew what to do. I put my head through the little opening and I pushed it and then I squeezed myself out like a little child coming through the womb of a woman, only instead of through the womb of a woman, I was out of my own self.

And when I was almost out, I pulled the remaining portion of me out of myself. Then I stood up and looked back at this out of which I came and it was ghastly pale. I told it in Jeremiah. Can a man bear a child? Obvious answer is no. Why then do I see every man drawing himself out of himself just like a woman in labor? And why has every face turned ghastly pale? Well, the face was just as white as snow as I came out of it. and then the entire drama unfolded around them. The witnesses to the event and they could not see me because God was born that moment. The sign of my birth was there, the child they had saved.

And I saw the child and took it into my arms but they could not see me because God is spirit and no mortal eye can see him. So they could not see the one that was born that moment. It is God in man that is buried. It is God in man which is the I of man. The personal pronoun I. That's God in man. And that is born in a wiccan in man and comes out. And the pattern by which he does it all is told in scripture. And we call it as the story of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ refers to himself constantly as the son of man. Who do men say that the Son of Man is?

And when they answered concerning men, he did not answer, he asked another question, but who do you say that I am? For he equates himself with the Son of Man. Then one answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Blessed are you, That's what he said. That same drama takes place in you. So I am telling you, everyone in this world is going to awaken. Not only as the Lord Jesus Christ. but as God himself for the Lord Jesus Christ is God that is the story of scripture but man has not understood it and today when you like Monday morning paper you will read all this salada all this nonsense concerning scripture concerning the signs of the coming because some Some rumor of war.

This goes on forever. This is the conflict. It is after the tribulation of human experience that it happens. And if you can only now remember what you've gone through, you've gone through hell. You will have the answers of it at the very end, because then you can send it. But all the things you have suffered in this world, the things you have gone through, it is good and merciful that you cannot remember them. In the end you can take it but you have to pass to all. As you are told in scripture I have tried you in the furnaces of affliction for my own sake I did it. For my own sake. For how should my name be profaned?

My glory I will not give to another. And glory is himself. He cannot give himself to another. He has to make you himself to give himself to you. Because there is only God. In the end there is only God. Firstly through the end there is God. And there is nothing but God. So here you are trained not to argue. When someone brings up all the stories concerning Scripture, You are trained to answer. And you can confront them, even though you have not had the complete experience. Many of you have had many of these experiences. Not the complete, all right. You will have the complete. I am not alone. I am only at the moment one who has been sent to tell us.

I have been sent to tell us, so that seventh chapter of Daniel. When one like the son of man came before the ancient of days, and was presented to him, what happened to me in 1929. I was taken in spirit into the divine assembly, and having gone before the recording angel, where my name was checked off, there was a huge letter, as told you in the twelfth chapter of Daniel. ¶Here, if your name be written in the book, well everyone's name is in that book. And she simply looked at me, this angelic being. Not one word was spoken between us. She just looked and just made a check against the name. Then I was taken into the presence of the ancient of days.

Before the Ancient of Days

He is the ancient of days. In full of love. Nothing but love. As I stood before him, You can't think of anything but love. And he asked me, what is the greatest thing in the world? And I answered, love. He had no other answer. How could you answer anything when you're actually looking at infinity of love? And it's man. Just man. ¶Then he embraced. And that embrace refused. He became one body. And he who is united with the Lord becomes one spirit, living him. One body, one spirit, one Lord, one God and Father of all. Then he sent me, tempting into this world, but he didn't send me as a love. The one who sent me was himself because God is a protean being.

He assumes everything. And the one who sent me was infinite infinite power. I could not feel in him compassion at all. I could not feel in that one love, but he felt it. And the words rang out in my ears, done with the blue blood. That means those who call themselves prominent social heroes, or that's trivia anyway, done with. With all church protocol. All the toppings of the outside world. Mean nothing. They mean nothing. All the ceremonies. All the rituals. All the things on the outside. Done with it all. Don't tear it down. But do not become a part of it. Just completely ignore it. For I can tell you how many opportunities. I have had.

From those who are encranged. ¶In the protocol of churches, to join. I didn't have to go to any school. They said, I will now ordain you now. Then you can do all the things that we do by law. You can marry, you can marry, you can do all these things. I said, no, no part of it. ¶These words ringing out in my ears, and I would simply disobey the order. John, Mr. Blueblood, which means church protocol, and accept. The He offered one chap; he had an audience of over 6, 000 people. That is, he had already contributed every month. And he offered that entirely whole thing to me, if I would take it.

I said, I'm sorry, I cannot take it. Give it to someone else, but I cannot take it. I have orders, I have orders that I must obey. And it came from the ancient of days. Well, he couldn't understand that. ancient of days these are just words to the average preacher they mean nothing they're simply idle words and yet every word is true in scripture pair of things the ancient of days no father no mother no beginning the ancient of days he has no origin and you stand before him and he actually embraces you and you become one now without father because you are the father

And as father you have no father. You are the father.

Renouncing External Churchianity

Now go and done with the blue blood. Done with all churchianity. All external things in this world. So no inducement whatsoever could get me to join any ism.

Now at the end of my day it it doesn't really matter at least I kept the faith so I could save this poor I have finished the race I have fought the good fight and I've kept the faith now there's laid up for me the crown of righteousness which means the crown of faith I've kept the faith so when the little garment is taken off now it is for the last time

So here I am just as an example for you because it's going to happen to you. Whether you now are believing or not, it's still going to happen. Because not one can be missing in the reconstruction of the temple. You are the Son of Man spoken of in Scripture, which is the title most often used as Christ. This simply means I. The personal pronoun I. All one.

So when I am lifted up, that's the son of man. And as the son of man must be lifted up like the serpent, you can say when I am lifted up like that fiery serpent. And you do. Just like it. It's a fiery serpent. And you enter violently into that color of yours. and go riveted into that area prepared for them. Everyone has a special unique spot in the infinite brain of God. And you are not only that unique spot, you share the whole.

Cut me hair. All right, that's cut and it hurts, but the whole body hurts. Don't tell me because the little finger is not my eye, the I as in self the whole body suffers when one little piece suffers so everyone is fitted in to the restored temple and yet each is the whole temple for God is one and his name is one everyone in this universe is going to experience scripture and I can tell you the thrill in sure course when you experience scripture Something changes.

You see, we begin within history. That's the incarnation, when God becomes man. God became as I am, a man, weak and limited and restricted, that I may become as God is. so here we begin within history then comes that moment in time when they go beyond history and that's called death to him he begins the incarnation is the birth of a child and the birth of God is called death to him came from above God of Israel and you are God

The I, may I tell you, there is no one else than you awake in that star. You are not in eternity going to see Christ coming from without. He is within, very within, and he rises from within as the I of you. ¶And how would you know what the imagery unfolds before you? ¶All this pertains to Christ. There is a child wrapped in swaddling clothes. And what are they told? ¶Go and you'll find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes. This shall be a sign unto you. What sign? That God was born. This is a sign that the Savior was born. But the only Savior in the world is God. ¶I am the Lord your God, your Savior.

And beside me there is no Savior. the 43rd, 45th of Isaiah. ¶If a failure is born, then God is born. And this shall be a sign unto you that a failure was born this day. Where? In Bethlehem. And Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Zion and the city of David are one and the same and is the cow of man. ¶That's where he was born and that's where he was crucified and that's where he was buried. it's right there do I tell you play your card fully whatever you're doing today play fully let no one scare you self -purification forget it you can be as pure as all outdoors in your own mind's eye mean nothing this salvation comes from me out of the north just like a peace in the night.

And when it comes, you're completely possessed. And then it unfolds within you. ¶And all you can do is hear it, whoever. Tell them about it. Well, they may be now, as they will. Because they know your physical background. They do not know your eternal being. So they know your father and mother, physically. Your brothers and sisters. And they will asked the same question. Is he not Joseph's son? The carpenter's son? And how can he tell us how he came down from heaven? How can he tell us these things? That man is mad and he has a spirit. ¶I tell you the same thing will happen to you. It doesn't mean it's trouble in the world of people.

You're going to become a billionaire. You own the universe. What do you want with the billion? bring you over. All thine are mine and thine are thine. You have no desire for the brilliance or for glamour or for recognition. None whatsoever. You are quite satisfied to go through life telling your story to those who will listen until that moment in time when you take off the cross. ¶For this is the only cross that Christ wears. The human and fall and you take it off for the last and rejoin those who preceded you into heaven and rejoice with them and then you will know what the communion really is. With the whole vast world in time you have the power to stop time, change motivation and then start time.

That's what I mean by dominion. To whom was given dominion. To the actually stopper. And stopping time everything stands still. When you change the motivation of that which is now frozen in time. When you release it within you not on the outside. And they move forward believing they initiated the change of heart to execute your command.