Birds Before Land: Signs Your Manifestation Is Coming [Law of Assumption]

What Does Birds Before Land Mean?

First, let’s break down the common interpretation of birds before land (or BBL for short).

This explanation suggests that when we manifest something – whether a specific person (SP), money, or any desired outcome – we can see proof of this in our external world before it actually shows up.

Let’s say you are trying to manifest your SP. You may notice that people in your life are suddenly acting more loving and affectionate towards you.

Or, if you are manifesting a new job, you may receive offers or opportunities from unexpected sources.

People new to manifesting often view these partial manifestations as failures or glitches. But in reality, they are often an indication that your manifestation is working.

Essentially, BBL is confirmation that your desire is impressed on your subconscious and that your manifestation is close.

Your internal shifts are starting to show in your external reality.

But (and this is crucial) proximity to your manifestation isn’t measured in time. It’s measured in frequency!

What does that mean?

You’re not “almost there” on a timeline. You’re resonating at a frequency that matches your desire.

If you maintain that frequency, your manifestation will materialize. If you drop the frequency because you get discouraged or start obsessing over signs, you’re moving away from it.

Think of signs as mirrors reflecting your current state back to you. Not mile markers on a road showing you’re “5 miles from your destination.”

The Neville Goddard Myth: Setting the Record Straight

Here’s a truth that might surprise you:

Neville Goddard never used the term “birds before land.”

I know, I know. There are countless TikToks and YouTube videos claiming “Neville Goddard called this birds before land” or “According to Neville Goddard’s birds before land teaching…”

I’ve read all of Neville’s books and studied his lectures extensively. This phrase doesn’t appear in his work. Period.

Now, birds do have a deeper meaning in Neville’s teachings.

He used bird symbolism in his mystical interpretation of the Bible. For example, he discussed the two birds in Leviticus 14 as a formula for transformation:

One bird representing your current state (which must “die”) and the living bird representing your new state taking flight.

But that’s about internal transformation, not external signs.

This matters because when we misattribute teachings, we can misunderstand the core principles. Neville’s Law of Assumption is about assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled and persisting in that assumption – not tracking external signs.

So Where Did “Birds Before Land” Actually Come From?

The Birds Before Land is a modern manifestation community phrase. The concept traces back to Florence Scovel Shinn, a New Thought teacher whose work predates Neville’s by several decades.

In her 1925 book The Game of Life and How to Play It, Shinn wrote about “signs of land” appearing before major manifestations:

“The student must remember also, not to despise the ‘day of small things.’ Invariably, before a demonstration, come ‘signs of land.’ Before Columbus reached America, he saw birds and twigs, which showed him land was near. So it is with a demonstration, but often the student mistakes it for the demonstration itself, and is disappointed.

For example: A woman had ‘spoken the word’ for a set of dishes. Not long afterwards a friend gave her a dish which was old and cracked. She came to me and said, ‘Well, I asked for a set of dishes, and all I got was a cracked plate.’

I replied, ‘The plate was only signs of land. It shows your dishes are coming – look upon it as birds and seaweed,’ and not long afterwards the dishes came.“

While Shinn never used the exact three-word phrase “birds before land,” she originated the essential analogy. She referenced “birds and twigs” and “birds and seaweed” as preliminary signs indicating that a larger manifestation was approaching.

The modern manifestation community has condensed her nautical metaphor into the catchier “birds before land,” which is fine as shorthand, but the misattribution matters.

Florence Scovel Shinn’s approach was more aligned with what we now call the Law of Attraction. She taught about “speaking the word,” affirmations, and looking for encouraging signs as confirmation that your desire was materializing.

Her perspective was: “Don’t dismiss small manifestations – they prove bigger ones are coming.”

Law of Attraction vs. Law of Assumption: Different Approaches to Signs

This is where a lot of confusion comes from.

The concept of “birds before land” and looking for signs is actually more prevalent in Law of Attraction teachings and general spirituality than in the Law of Assumption.

Law of Attraction and Signs

In Abraham Hicks’ teachings (which many consider the foundation of the modern Law of Attraction), there’s a structured approach to manifestation that includes noticing signs.

For example:

1. Emotion – You feel better
2. Thoughts/Ideas – New inspiration comes
3. Nature Signs – Synchronicities, seeing repeating numbers, birds appearing at perfect moments
4. Helpful People – The right connections show up
5. Physical Manifestation – Your desire appears in the 3D

Abraham Hicks teaches that the universe is constantly communicating with us through vibrational feedback, and signs are part of that dialogue.

They’re seen as encouraging proof that “the universe” is responding to your vibration.

Law of Assumption and Signs

Neville Goddard’s Law of Assumption takes a different approach.

In the Law of Assumption, signs are reflections of your current state of consciousness. They’re not phases you move through or milestones you pass. They’re mirrors.

Neville emphasized:

• Your consciousness is the only reality
• The external world is pushed out from your internal state
• You must persist in the assumption that your desire is already fulfilled
• Ignoring your 3D reality 
• Looking for external proof actually implies you don’t have it yet

When you truly embody the state of having your desire, you’re not looking for signs because you already have it (in consciousness). The 3D reality then has no choice but to conform to your assumption.

Which Approach Is Right?

Neither is “wrong.” They’re different frameworks. But understanding the difference is crucial:

• Law of Attraction: “Signs are confirmation that I am on the right track.”
• Law of Assumption: “I already have it; any reflections I see are just my state made visible.”

The problem comes when we mix these approaches and end up interpreting external signs (Abraham Hicks) while trying to practice internal assumption (Neville).

That’s when people get stuck in what I call sign-seeking limbo, constantly looking for evidence, which actually keeps them in a state of not having.

Why Experiencing Birds Before Land Might Backfire

It’s pretty common to experience the ‘birds before land’ phenomenon.

Still, it’s important to approach it with discernment.

You see, constantly searching and interpreting signs is a form of seeking validation in the 3D world.

Here’s the trap most people fall into:

They start manifesting, shift their state, see some encouraging signs… and then get so excited about the signs that they shift their focus FROM their end state TO watching for more signs.

Suddenly, they’re not living in the end anymore. They’re living in “waiting for proof.”

And guess what they start manifesting?

More waiting. More signs. But not the actual desire.

So, avoid looking for evidence in the physical world to prove you are on the right track.

This concept should be more about trusting in the power of your beliefs.

Instead of looking for signs in the physical world, look inward and work on strengthening your internal state.

Of course, this is not to say that external confirmations don’t hold any value. But it’s important to remember that they are simply reflections of our internal state, not proof of our manifestations.

How too Much Emphasis on External Signs Actually Hinders the Manifesting Process

This happens if we give attention to the ‘signs’, instead of staying true to our end result:

• Attachment to Outcomes: Becoming too attached to outcomes creates resistance. The key is to trust the process and allow things to unfold naturally.
• Overanalyzing: Constantly looking for signs can lead to overanalyzing every little detail in your life. This can be mentally exhausting and counterproductive.
• Misinterpretation: It’s easy to misinterpret random events as signs related to your desires.
• The Focus Paradox: The more you focus on looking for signs, the more signs you’ll manifest – because that’s where your attention is. It’s neuroscience.

Your brain’s Reticular Activating System (RAS) acts as a filter, directing your attention to whatever you deem important. When you obsess over signs, your RAS highlights every possible “sign” in your environment.

Suddenly, signs are everywhere. Meanwhile, your actual desire remains unmanifested because your focus is on seeking validation, not embodying it.

You might become an expert at manifesting signs without ever manifesting your actual desires.

I’ve seen this happen countless times. Clients come to me saying, “I’m seeing signs EVERYWHERE but nothing is manifesting!”

When we dig deeper, I discover they spend hours analyzing angel numbers, looking for synchronicities, and reading online about whether something was a “sign” or not.

Their entire focus shifted from their desire to the signs about their desire.

This happens because your brain’s attention system amplifies whatever you repeatedly think about. Focus on signs, and you’ll create more of them. 

So the next time you notice BBL happening in your own life, remember the deeper meaning behind it. Use it as a reminder to stay connected to your inner truth. Focus on your internal state rather than seeking validation from the 3d world.