What Is This Application?
SATS (State Akin to Sleep) is a practical, repeatable method of entering the drowsy threshold and assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled so that consciousness registers the new state. According to Neville, it works because consciousness (the feeling-state) impresses the subconscious which then fashions outer experience to match that inner state.
Core Techniques
- Basic SATS scene: Lie down relaxed, breathe slowly, construct a short, specific scene that implies your desire already fulfilled (30-90 seconds), and immerse yourself in the feeling that naturally accompanies that scene; persist until you become drowsy and allow sleep to take over
- Wake-back-and-SATS: Wake 20-60 minutes before your usual time, stay quietly alert for 2-5 minutes, then re-enter the drowsy state and repeat your short fulfilled-scene to plant it at the moment consciousness drifts back into sleep
- Anchor-feeling technique: Choose a physical anchor (light touch to heart, fingertip pinch, or a two-word cue) while in SATS so that the next time you need the feeling you can trigger it quickly and restart the assumption
- Revision for undoing: Before sleep, mentally replay a past negative event and revise it so the ending matches how you would have preferred it; feel relief and satisfaction as if the revision is true, then release into sleep
Quick Methods to Start Today
- Tonight 10-minute SATS: In bed, pick a single 30-60 second scene, feel it fully, repeat until drowsy; do this for 10 minutes and then sleep
- Morning mini-SATS: Right after waking, stay still, recall the same scene and re-feel it for 2-5 minutes to reinforce the impression
- Two-breath micro-SATS: At any moment during the day, close your eyes, take two slow deep breaths, picture one clear detail of your fulfilled scene and summon the associated feeling for 20-30 seconds to keep the state active
Key Insights
- Feeling is the operative factor: vivid sensory visualization without the actual inner conviction does little-prioritize the emotional reality of having the wish fulfilled
- The best times are on the threshold of sleep and immediately on waking because the subconscious is most impressionable; consistent repetition matters more than rigid timing
- Hold the assumption until you are genuinely drowsy or until the feeling saturates you; there is no fixed 'magic minute'-quality of feeling beats duration
- SATS is not trying to force external details; you assume the state and detach from exact how and timing while maintaining inner certainty
- When manifesting relationships or money, focus on the feeling of the outcome (being loved, financially secure) rather than attempting to control another person or specific logistics; this aligns with Neville's emphasis on inner change producing outer results
Biblical Foundation
Prayer here is inner assumption and believing is sustained feeling. SATS is the practical way to 'believe that ye receive' by assuming the inner state of the fulfilled desire.
This verse names the method: call into being what is not yet seen by assuming it as present. SATS trains you to 'call those things which be not as though they were' by living in the state of the wish fulfilled.
Faith is the inner certainty that forms evidence. SATS builds that inner substance by creating vivid, lived experience while in a state akin to sleep, turning hope into present evidence within consciousness.
Step-by-Step Practice Method
- Preparation (time and environment): - Best time: just before sleep and/or upon waking, when the body is relaxed and the conscious mind is quiet. Also effective during mid-afternoon rest for a short session. - Duration: 10-30 minutes per session. Beginners 10-15 minutes, intermediate 15-25, advanced up to
- Even 5-10 minutes of focused SATS can be effective. - Environment: lying down or reclined, dim room, minimal noise, phone on do not disturb. If using guided audio, keep volume low and non-intrusive
- Entering the State Akin to Sleep: - Lie down comfortably and take slow deep breaths to relax. Close your eyes and progressively relax muscles from toes to head. - Count down or repeat a calming phrase internally, e.g. 'sinking deeper' or count 100 to 1, letting drowsiness increase without forcing sleep. - Aim for the border between wakefulness and sleep: the body is sleepy, the mind remains aware. This is the receptive imaginal state
- Choosing one clear assumption (what to pretend): - Pick a single, specific scene that implies the wish fulfilled. Avoid vague goals like 'I want more money'-choose a concrete event, e.g. 'I open an email confirming my promotion and smile.' - Scenes should be short, sensory, and in first person present tense. Include visual details, sounds, tactile and emotional sensations
- Constructing the inner scene: - Make it short: 1-3 moments long. For money: imagine passing your hand over a check or seeing the bank balance. For relationship: imagine holding hands, hearing 'I love you', or receiving a message that confirms the relationship. - Use first person perspective and present tense. Feel the feelings that would be present now that the desire is fulfilled: relief, joy, gratitude
- Rehearse and dwell as if real: - Repeat the scene quietly in the imaginal faculty, letting it play naturally like a remembered event rather than visualizing from outside. - Hold the end state for as long as you can without strain. If mind wanders, gently return and re-establish the feeling. - Question 'how long to hold an assumption': hold until the feeling is vivid and settled; for beginners that may be 30 seconds to 2 minutes, for experienced practitioners several minutes. Quality matters more than clock time
- Using affirmations and verbal anchors: - Use short affirmation phrases only to anchor feeling, not to intellectualize. Examples: 'I am paid now', 'We are together'. Keep them simple and present tense. - Repeat the affirmation silently between scene replays to cement the assumption
- Ending the session: - Conclude gently by repeating the dominant feeling once more and letting it sink. Then allow sleep if you will, or open eyes slowly keeping the feeling. - Do not 'force' or analyze results immediately. Assume it is complete and live the day as though it is already so
- Frequency and maintenance: - Daily practice yields faster results. For a single wish, practice nightly for 7-21 days or until inner evidence grows. - If the desire is large, layer SATS with daytime affirmations, small actions, and gratitude to support the outer manifestation
- SATS for specific goals: - For manifesting money: imagine a concrete transaction (receiving a bank notification, cash in hand, a paid invoice). Include specific amounts only if it feels natural. - For manifesting a relationship: imagine a specific affectionate scene, how you greet each other, the exact words or a shared activity that confirms the relationship. - For a job/raise: imagine the manager handing a signed letter, the new salary appearing on payroll, or the celebratory conversation
- SATS versus visualization differences: - SATS emphasis: feeling of the wish fulfilled in the hypnagogic border. Visualization often focuses on creating detailed outer pictures from the awake mind. SATS prioritizes the inner experiential state over detailed mental imagery. - If you tend to intellectualize, reduce visual detail and focus on the feeling tone and a single sensory cue
- Troubleshooting common interruptions: - If doubts arise: acknowledge and return to the scene without argument. Use the scene itself to quiet doubt by making it more emotionally real. - If sleep interrupts: allow it. Many manifestations consolidate when SATS ends in sleep
- Integration with daily life: - Carry a subtle inner feeling during the day: a light memory of the end state when triggered by related events. - Take inspired actions that align with the assumption. SATS creates inner reality; outer action often follows intuitively
Real-World Applications
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 'Trying too hard to visualize every detail' - Why it fails: forces the conscious mind and creates strain. How to avoid: simplify to one short scene and focus on feeling rather than exhaustive imagery
- 'Using vague goals' like 'I want more money' - Why it fails: the subconscious responds to specifics and sensory evidence. How to avoid: craft a concrete scene that implies the wish fulfilled, e.g. seeing a transfer notification or receiving a paid invoice
- 'Holding onto doubt immediately after SATS' - Why it fails: arguing with doubt reawakens the conscious critic and negates the assumption. How to avoid: acknowledge doubt quietly, then return to the settled feeling or let the session end without reinforcement of doubt
- 'Practicing irregularly or inconsistently' - Why it fails: momentum and inner conviction require repetition. How to avoid: schedule SATS for daily practice, especially nights and mornings, even short sessions build power
- 'Confusing visualization with SATS' - Why it fails: SATS requires the hypnagogic feeling state, not daytime creative visualization alone. How to avoid: practice specifically at the state akin to sleep and emphasize present-tense feeling of the wish fulfilled
- 'Making scenes too long or theatrical' - Why it fails: long scenes invite distraction and analysis. How to avoid: keep scenes short, sensory, and end-state focused; rehearse the final moment rather than the whole story
Advanced Techniques
- Layered SATS with sensory anchors: - Method: After a standard SATS session, add a consistent sensory anchor such as gently pressing a fingertip to the thumb or smelling a unique scent. Rehearse the anchor paired with the fulfilled feeling across sessions. Later, use the anchor during waking moments to briefly revive the assumed state and reinforce subconscious acceptance. - Application: Use the anchor before important calls, interviews, or negotiations to briefly reinstate the inner evidence
- Revision SATS (clearing past influences): - Method: At the end of the day or before sleep, replay a past negative scene that you want to change, but this time imagine it ending the way you wished. Enter SATS and 'revise' the memory so the ending matches your desired outcome. Feel gratitude for the revised memory. - Application: Use for healing relationship blocks, career setbacks, or recurring fears. This rewrites associative emotion attached to past events
- Layered Temporal SATS (staging multiple small confirmations): - Method: For large goals, create a sequence of short SATS scenes representing incremental confirmations (e.g. first a email acknowledging interest, then a phone call scheduling a meeting, then an offer). Practice these sequentially across nights so the subconscious maps a timeline of inner evidence. - Application: Effective for complex manifestations like business launches or multi-step negotiations where small outer signs build momentum
Signs of Progress
- 'A settled conviction' where you feel certain without needing proof, even if outward evidence is absent.
- 'Reduced anxiety' about the desire because you have the inner feeling of fulfillment.
- 'Vivid, confirming dreams' or repeated mental images that align with the assumed scene.
- 'Intuitive nudges' or sudden ideas about what to do next that feel natural rather than forced.
- 'Synchronicities' such as unexpected calls, messages, or coincidences that relate to your desire.
- 'Small confirmations' like a partial payment, a text expressing interest, or an invitation that matches part of the scene.
- 'People showing up' in supportive ways: referrals, introductions, or a conversation that opens the door.
- 'Rapid resolution' where the outer world adjusts in surprisingly uncomplicated ways to match the inner state.
SATS (State Akin To Sleep) is Neville Goddard's method of impressing the subconscious by assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled in the hypnagogic state, using a single, vivid imaginal scene as if it has already happened; Neville taught that imagination is the creative power, not mere wishful thinking, so the inner assumption becomes outer fact. Common blocks are doubt and mental busyness, so quiet the mind, feel the reality, and persist; see Luke 17:21 and Exodus 3:14 for Neville's view that the kingdom and the creative I AM are within you.
Repeat the imaginal scene until the feeling of the wish fulfilled becomes natural or until you drift off to sleep; many practitioners find 5-20 focused minutes effective, but the key is quality of feeling not raw time, and persistence day-to-day matters more than a specific minute count. If impatience or doubt appears, return to the feeling-state and remember Hebrews 11:1 about faith being the substance of things hoped for, using that to steady your assumption.
Lie down relaxed just before sleep or upon waking, calm the body, and create a short, specific imaginal scene that implies your desire is already fulfilled while feeling it emotionally; repeat the scene once or twice with full sensory detail and then let yourself fall asleep holding that feeling. If your mind wanders or doubt arises, gently return to the one imaginal act and the feeling, following Neville's instruction to live in the end rather than rehearsing steps, and remember Psalm 46:10 to 'be still' as part of preparation.
The most effective times are the hypnagogic and hypnopompic moments-just before falling asleep at night and the first moments after waking-because the conscious mind relaxes and the subconscious is most receptive; Neville emphasized nightly practice plus morning reinforcement for quicker embodiment of the assumption. Avoid practicing after heavy stimulation or when distracted, and be consistent rather than chasing speed, noting Matthew 7:7 about asking and receiving as a reminder to persist.
Yes-Neville taught that SATS can change the conditions of life, including relationships and finances, by changing your inner state to the fulfilled end; for specific people, you cannot coerce will, but you can create the inner state that naturally attracts different behavior or circumstances, and for money, imagine and feel as if the funds are already present rather than inventing means. Common blocks include ethical worries, conflicting assumptions, and fear of selfishness, so hold a clean, grateful feeling and refer to Matthew 7:7 and James 4:2-3 about asking rightly and aligning intent with integrity.
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