So, Neville Goddard’s Ladder Technique. Some people believe it’s nothing more than a superstition, and others claim it’s a magical tool for manifesting desires. So, what’s the truth?
I’ve seen countless videos and read many articles about this technique, and I have some on my website. And indeed, I’m practicing it—not all the time, but quite often—and, spoiler alert, not for climbing ladders.
From the day I heard about it, I felt something special about this technique, and my first thought was that not many people truly understood it. I decided to analyze it a bit. For me, it was an easy task because I love looking into things a bit deeper.
Since I’ve encountered several misconceptions surrounding this famous Ladder Technique, I decided to share my thoughts on them with you, my friends.
What Is the Ladder Technique, and Why Did Goddard Use It?
First of all, for those who are not into this technique, the Ladder Technique is a small-scale experiment meant to show how the human Imagination, which, according to Neville Goddard, is God, brings things into reality.
Neville Goddard wanted his students to experience the incredible power of imagination firsthand. That’s why he gave his potential students a simple experiment:
- Each night before sleep, you need to vividly imagine yourself climbing a ladder. Yes, feel your hands gripping the sides, the rough texture under your fingers, and the sensation of stepping up each rung. Imagine it so vividly that it feels real.
- And during the day, do the opposite. Tell yourself, “I will not climb a ladder.” Write it down if you want. Put notes in your place to remind you that you will not climb a ladder. Convince yourself that it won’t happen.
- Within a few days, something strange will happen. Unexpectedly, and in ways you couldn’t predict, you will find yourself climbing a ladder.
Why did Neville use this Ladder experiment? Because it bypasses skepticism and helps those who genuinely want to use their divine imagination to start learning how to manifest. It proves that your deeply felt imaginal act (those things you fully experience in your inner world) manifest in the outer “real” world regardless of your daytime thoughts, logic, obstacles, or resistance. This is the foundation of all of Goddard’s teachings:
Believe me. Your Imagination is not just a simple, or not-that-simple, mental activity—it is the creative power that shapes your reality.
But there are some misconceptions about the Ladder Technique, so let’s debunk them.
First Misconception
The Ladder Technique Is Just a Psychological Trick
Some say the technique works because when you focus on something (like a ladder), your subconscious mind picks up on ladder-related cues and makes you more likely to notice or encounter one. This is quite a convenient explanation, but it completely misses the real power behind the method.
The truth is, this technique works not because of mental suggestion but because you mold your reality according to what you accept in your imagination.
The ladder doesn’t appear just because you were “primed” to see one. It appears because your inner experience of climbing a ladder impressed itself onto reality. The same principle applies to everything else in life. A ladder experiment is just the beginning.
Second Misconception
If I Say ‘I Will Not Climb a Ladder,’ I’m Cancelling the Manifestation
People assume that contradicting their imaginal act weakens or negates the manifestation. But in reality, this experiment is here to prove that external resistance means nothing. The only thing that matters is what is impressed upon your spirit before sleep.
Goddard wanted to show that external doubts, spoken words, and so-called logical reasoning cannot override the creative power of imagination.
If you successfully impress an imaginal act, and I know you can do it, the world must conform to it, regardless of what you say or do during the day.
Third Misconception
This Works for Small Things But Not for Big Manifestations
I’ve seen people who think of this technique as a fun experiment but doubt that it can be applied to larger desires—like career success, love, or wealth. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Using the “ladder” is just an introduction. If you can manifest climbing a ladder without consciously trying to make it happen, then why wouldn’t the same principle apply to bigger things?
The only difference between a “small” manifestation and a “big one“ is the belief people hold about their desires. They think a ladder may be “easy,” but a dream job is “sooo hard.”
In reality, both appear from the same unseen but the most powerful source—your divine imagination.
Fourth Misconception
Manifestation Requires Hard Work and Endless Repetition
Many think that manifesting requires constant affirmations, vision boards, and hours of visualization (all these also work, but not in the way many think they work). People believe that they must “force” their minds to accept a new reality through repetition. But the Ladder Technique proves that one firm, fully accepted imaginal act is enough.
Reality shifts based on what you truly accept as real in your inner world. If you imagine something vividly enough to feel it as a real experience, it has already happened in the unseen. You don’t need to try—you need to believe and feel.
Effort belongs to the physical world, but creation happens in the realm of imagination.
Fifth Misconception
The Ladder Appears Through Logical Means, Not Manifestation
Skeptics argue that if you think about ladders, you will subconsciously place yourself in situations where climbing one is more likely. But once again, this is not how the technique works. This experiment relies on the unexpected nature of the manifestation.
Those who try this method don’t notice more ladders. They find themselves climbing one in ways they never could have planned. Sometimes, a friend or a relative unexpectedly asks for help with something that involves a ladder, or a work situation suddenly requires it.
That is because your imagination tells reality to reshape itself around your imaginal act.
Sixth Misconception
Doubt and Disbelief Will Block Manifestation
I know people who think that if they doubt their manifestation, it won’t happen, and they don’t even try to practice this Ladder Technique. But if such beliefs were true, the Ladder Technique wouldn’t work because it clearly tells you to actively deny you will climb the ladder during the day and only vividly imagine how you climb right before you sleep.
The truth is, your conscious doubts mean nothing if the imaginal act is deeply impressed before sleep. Even when your mind resists or refuses to believe, the creative force of imagination within you will still bring the imaginal act into physical form.
Doubts are surface-level noise; they don’t cancel the manifestation, but the manifestation cancels doubts.
Will You Climb That Ladder?
I’m telling you, the Ladder Technique is not a trick, and I know that if you can manifest something as random as climbing a ladder, then you can manifest anything.
This physical world is not separate from you—it is a reflection of you, and your imagination can create miracles! Change the inner world, see your wishes fulfilled, and the outer world must follow.
If you’ve ever doubted your ability to manifest, try the Ladder Technique.
Now, if you’re ready to test it, I guess I have just one thing to say:
“I will not climb a ladder.”
Wink.
Let’s see what happens next.
