Inner Cities of Consciousness

Neville's Inner Vision

To Neville, the names on Joshua’s page are not external towns but inner stations you inhabit by the I AM. Halhul, Bethzur, Gedor, Maarath, Bethanoth, Eltekon, and Kirjathbaal (Kirjathjearim) with their villages, along with Rabbah and its villages, describe the breadth of your mental country. Each city stands for a mode of consciousness—the ways you settle into rest (Halhul), shelter (Bethzur), growth (Gedor), connection (Maarath and Bethanoth), and the administration of your home (Eltekon). The two larger centers and their villages mark larger communities of thought and feeling, where your sense of unity with others, and with God, is nurtured or neglected. The list is therefore a map of the territories you govern by your imagination. If you desire Presence and harmony, revise your inner geography: claim that all these towns are now ruled by the I AM, by love of neighbor, and by the unity of the family you hold dear. In this way, the “land” becomes your moment-to-moment experience of unity, community, and divine presence.