What is Desire?

Within the New Thought tradition, Desire is understood not merely as a fleeting wish, but as a potent, focused mental energy that initiates the creative process. It is considered the first step in the law of attraction and the manifestation of desired outcomes. Charles F. Haanel, in 'The Master Key System,' emphasizes that concentrated thought, born of desire, is the force that molds the formless into form. Wallace D. Wattles, in 'The Science of Getting Rich,' posits that a definite desire, coupled with unwavering faith and a creative attitude, is essential for attracting wealth and success. Neville Goddard further elaborates on the concept, asserting that desire is the 'urge to express,' and that by feeling the reality of the fulfilled desire in the imagination, one impresses the subconscious mind, leading to its externalization. Desire, in this context, is not a passive longing but an active, vibrational state that aligns the individual with the Universal Mind or God-Principle, which is believed to be inherently creative and responsive. It functions as a blueprint or a mental image that the individual holds with conviction, thereby setting in motion the unseen forces that arrange circumstances and opportunities for its realization. The practical significance lies in cultivating clear, specific, and intense desires, free from doubt or fear, and maintaining a mental state congruent with the desired outcome, as this is believed to be the mechanism through which reality is shaped.

Desire represents far more than simple wanting in esoteric philosophy, it is the fundamental creative force that bridges the gap between consciousness and manifestation. In Neville Goddard's transformative work Feeling Is The Secret, desire emerges as the initial spark that sets the entire creative process in motion, serving as both the catalyst and the blueprint for bringing forth new realities. This understanding elevates desire from the realm of mere wishful thinking into the sacred territory of divine creativity, where human consciousness participates in the ongoing creation of experience.

The concept of desire as creative force has deep roots in both Hermetic tradition and New Thought philosophy, where it is understood as the individualized expression of the universal creative principle. Ancient Hermetic texts speak of desire as the first emanation of divine will, while modern New Thought teachers like Goddard reveal how personal desires, when properly understood and directed, become the means through which consciousness shapes reality. This tradition recognizes that desire is not separate from the divine but is actually how the infinite expresses itself through finite awareness.

What distinguishes esoteric understanding of desire from conventional psychology is the recognition that desire contains within itself both the seed and the fulfillment of what is sought. Rather than being a state of lack or incompleteness, true desire is understood as the soul's recognition of what already exists in potential, seeking expression through conscious awareness. This perspective transforms the relationship with wanting from one of struggle and attachment to one of joyful participation in the unfolding of consciousness.

The practical power of this teaching lies in understanding that desire, when wedded to the feeling of fulfillment rather than the anxiety of lack, becomes the creative mechanism through which consciousness manifests experience. Goddard's profound insight reveals that the universe responds not to our words or thoughts alone, but to the feeling-tone of our desires, the emotional conviction that what we seek is already ours in the deeper reality of imagination. For the modern seeker, mastering the art of desire means learning to feel fulfilled in the present moment while maintaining the creative tension that brings forth new experience, transforming longing into manifestation through the marriage of desire and feeling.

The word desire derives from the Latin desiderare, which originally meant "to await what the stars will bring" or "to long for," combining de (away from) and sidus (star or heavenly body). This astronomical origin reveals the ancient understanding that human longing was connected to cosmic forces and celestial patterns. In medieval Latin, the term evolved to encompass both the yearning for something absent and the active seeking of fulfillment.

In esoteric literature, particularly within New Thought philosophy, desire has been elevated from its common understanding as mere want or craving to a fundamental creative principle. Neville Goddard and other metaphysical teachers transformed the word's meaning to represent the divine creative impulse expressing itself through individual consciousness, suggesting that true desire is not born from lack but from the soul's recognition of its own infinite potential seeking expression in form.

To work with desire as a creative force rather than a source of suffering, begin by examining the feeling quality underlying your wants. Instead of focusing on what you lack, cultivate the emotional state of already having what you desire, this is what Goddard calls the wish fulfilled. Practice entering the feeling of your desire being realized during quiet moments, especially before sleep, when the conscious mind's resistance is naturally lowered and the subconscious is most receptive to new impressions.

Develop the discipline of transforming anxious wanting into confident expectation by regularly engaging in imagining exercises where you experience your desires as already accomplished. This practice requires moving beyond mere visualization to actually feeling the reality of your fulfilled desire, allowing that feeling to saturate your consciousness until it becomes more real than your current circumstances. Remember that in this philosophy, desire coupled with the feeling of fulfillment becomes prayer in its highest form, not supplication but recognition of what already exists in the realm of infinite possibility.