“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(It happened that in ESP class last night Seth came through with material pertaining to the nine families of consciousness he’d begun discussing a week ago; see the 732nd session. These class excerpts, which I’ve rearranged somewhat for easy reference, may be used when considered with book material still to come, since Seth will occasionally use the class format to supplement his dictation in our “regular” sessions. The quotations also lead us back to the circumstances surrounding Seth’s delivery of his first session on the Sumari.)

1. I can note a good deal later that Seth’s material on our making further distinctions in the families of consciousness, beyond the nine he’s already named for us, is certainly related to the passages from a private session that I quoted in the last three paragraphs of Note 8 for the 732nd session: Seth stated that Peter Smith and I “are and are not counterparts” — that with another in this life each of us may often come together, then part, “forming a counterpart relationship when it suits your purposes….”

(I shouldn’t have been surprised last evening to hear Seth say that such an impetus had triggered Jane’s Sumari abilities, for today, when I reread the 598th session for November 24, 1971, I was reminded that he’d said the same thing then. The death of the student’s father had taken place on Thursday, November 11 of that year; Jane’s father, Delmer, died without forewarning on the following Tuesday, November 16; Jane came through with Sumari in class one week later, on November 23; and the next night, in the 598th session, Seth discussed Sumari for the first time.

Now (Seth told us last night) you can expand the functions of any particular family group, or you can cut it down, by deciding how precise you want to be. [...]

[...] She said she knew what blocking Seth was referring to; she felt herself “come up” just before break. The material Seth wanted to discuss was about Jane and Ruburt and Jane’s writing. Jane believed it was an extension of the arrangement Seth mentioned briefly on page 124, when he talked about Jane accepting inspiration and ideas from Ruburt without realizing it.

(Tam Mossman, editor at Prentice-Hall; they are considering publishing the Seth material. [...] Therein Seth stated that Jane would receive “rather unexpected word concerning a book.”

[...] The other two personalities (Ruburt and Seth’s entity) have been involved at my request, for purposes having to do with our material and purposes.

[...] Not in connection with the book (on the Seth material) but with his own experiences. [...]

[...] This was the end of the material on Seth’s book. The balance of the session was taken up with personal material. [...]

[...] We learned later that Seth’s material was very helpful.

(Before the session tonight I discussed two questions with Jane that I hoped Seth would consider. We also wanted some personal material. [...]

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(See page 266 of the last session, concerning Jane seeing Seth’s apparition. I had interpreted Seth’s material as indicating that Jane saw the apparition only while dreaming, and not in the waking state, as she has maintained all along.

(Tonight Jane said she interpreted the data to mean that she momentarily saw Seth’s apparition after waking up, before she switched to usual use of the outer senses. Note that Seth agrees with this.)

When you perceive more and more with your inner senses, you have more extensive raw material, better supplies, more available data. This should automatically bring about refinements within the physical structure to carry the additional data, and provide new outlets for materialization. [...]

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(A note: Seth’s material reminded me of his comments in the deleted 371st session for October 11, 1967. I read it last night; Seth answered my questions about what he sees when he looks at me, both as himself, and through Jane’s eyes. Very interesting, and material both of us had forgotten many years ago.)

(Both of us have been rereading Seth’s own resolutions for the New Year frequently, as given on January 1, 1979. [...] I could list many more, but probably won’t. I still don’t think Seth would want to spend much time discussing that old material in any detail, since he’s said many times that focusing on what was wrong in the past is negative and self-defeating. [...]

[...] “I hope Seth doesn’t talk too loud,” Jane said as we waited for him to come through, “or I might lose that tooth.” [...]

[...] The psychiatrist’s letter (Dr. Beahrs) represents but one communication, but many others read the material and use it, and do not write you, any more than you write to other authors. [...]

3. Originally I’d planned a series of notes for this session, in which to explore Seth’s ideas on genetics versus those held by the scientific establishment. [...] If they knew about it, I expect that most members of the scientific community would disagree with much of the excellent material Seth gave in this session. [...] But Jane and I don’t try to bend others to our way of thinking; the reality that our species is creating is too big and varied for that; we believe only that we’ll have to explore questions like those involving genetics and consciousness in our own ways, and with Seth’s help.

(I was shaking my head no, grinning, before Seth finished asking his question. My amusement wasn’t directed at the seriousness of his material, but arose because of the intense scrutiny Seth directed at me. [...]

I’m sure that Seth would be the first to agree that consciousness obviously contains an unlimited number of viewpoints, regardless of which ones we humans may choose to call “true” at any particular time. Consciousness is just as amenable to having some of its physical manifestations scientifically studied, its parts manipulated through “genetic engineering,” as it is to encompassing Seth’s material. [...]

[...] The men have low sperm counts and may not be able to sire children in the normal manner, yet Jane and I think that this rare group event—the only one of its kind on record—fits in with Seth’s material about the millions of variations contained within our species’ vast genetic pool. [...]

[...] I consider my psychic experiences, the Seth sessions, and my entire relationship with Seth as a learning adventure—a continuing one. I think that the Seth Material contains insights and information concerning the nature of reality that are sorely needed. [...]

Naturally I do not claim that the material represents pure, undistorted knowledge. [...] After I signed the contract for this book, our friend Peg Gallagher was doing a story about Seth for the local paper, and she attended a session to get material. After several joking remarks to Peg (“Someday I will interview you”), Seth began speaking about distortions.

As Seth continues to explain the nature of perception, it becomes obvious that physical perception itself shapes reality into certain forms. [...] The Seth Material reveals what is beneath the normal reality that we know, but the very translation into words must necessarily distort the meaning.

As Seth Two says: “It is not that your being exists in a lesser reality. [...] I hope that this book and the Seth Material have given the reader some glimpse of his own multidimensional existence.

[...] In them Seth briefly explained how Jane had created her symptoms as protection against the spontaneous self going too far: this fear was the real reason for the symptoms—not, as we usually thought, her fear that she would do other things besides work if she had normal mobility. [...] And to me, as I began to put all of this together, it meant that although she did the Seth books, which we think so highly of, she also drags her feet in resistance with each one—hence the long intervals of non-work that crop up during the production of each one. Again, without checking, I think that an examination of our records would show that her symptoms flared up, indeed worsened, as she worked on each Seth book, and that behind her labors on each book there lay this fear that she was going too far with each one she produced. This fear may be based on outmoded ideas—as Seth has mentioned at various times—it may make no sense, or whatever, yet as long as it exists it must be dealt with. This present session represents, then, our latest attempt to come to terms with all of our personal, public, and creative aspects involved with the Seth material—not just those we’d chosen to deal with in past years.

[...] I reminded her that I was the one who first suggested we start publishing the Seth material, and that she’d had reservations about doing that. [...] I said that she would have probably used her psychic gifts in some fashion in her writing, but that the Seth books might very well have not come into existence except for my own interest—hence my mental insight this morning that Jane did the Seth books to please me. I know things aren’t that simple, but I do feel that the fact of public exposure represented by the Seth books has always bothered Jane. [...]

(I also learned during the discussion that Jane didn’t like the Seth book material being tied too closely to current events, as witness Mass Events and Jonestown and Three Mile Island. She reminded me also that even the title of Mass Events, when Seth had given it, had alarmed her, or at least aroused some sort of defensive mechanism in her—something I’d forgotten. On the other hand, I’d taken it for granted that the way Seth had used current events in Mass Events had been quite natural and extremely informative, offering a much broader view of human affairs. This little dilemma also pointed up some of Jane’s other reactions to remarks I would make, innocently enough, I thought, to the effect that Seth could do a great book on any number of current events—the latest being the whole hostage question. [...]

[...] Another example of this occurred at noon, when we were visited by two beautiful young ladies—who, unfortunately, were using the Seth material in ways we wouldn’t have. [...] And of course the whole lengthy disclaimer bit for Mass Events beautifully sums up the situations: Even our own publisher seeks to protect itself from possible legal action because of the material within the Seth books. [...]

[...] It might be added here that at the time of the visit of Jane’s father, on the night in question Jane had, as she was explaining some of the Seth material to her father and Midge, felt definite emotional “nudges” from Seth to hold a session, whereas upon the occasion of our visit with Bill and Ida in Rochester, she had not. [...]

(And here I must admit that although Seth gave the entity name for Bill’s wife Ida, I did not think quickly enough to ask for the entity name of Ida’s twin sister. Jane and I are curious to see if there is any similarity in entity names under such circumstances, and I will make it a point to ask Seth for the name.)

[...] She said my sneezing did not bother her, that Seth was willing to wait; but also that Seth probably called the break early because of my continued sneezing.

[...] The more philosophic material, or what could almost be called academic material, suits both of you greatly, and is indeed where my own interests mainly lie.

As the Seth sessions continued, our activities fell generally into three main divisions. First of all, the emphasis was on the delivery of the Seth Material itself, as in the twice-weekly sessions Seth continued to explain the nature of nonphysical reality. Second, we became involved in trying to obtain “evidential” material, some definite instances of extrasensory perception on Seth’s part. Along these lines, we embarked on long-distance tests with a psychologist and a year’s series of envelope tests in which Seth was asked to identify the contents of doubly-sealed envelopes. At the same time, Seth began to send me on out-of-body journeys during some sessions and to offer, on his own, other instances of “paranormal” activity.

In my book, The Seth Material, I explained some of these episodes. [...] In the out-of-body experiences, Seth correctly described events that happened across the country and in Puerto Rico. [...]

It wasn’t until 1965 that Seth began to suggest variations of the early dream recall instructions and to add other techniques for more advanced dream investigation. Here are a few excerpts from that material.

I was fascinated with Seth’s material on the dream universe. [...]

(Although Seth said to forget about notes, I found myself making a few after a few minutes, out of habit. [...] Seth talked at a normal rate, and neither Peggy nor I made a serious effort to get it all down. Some of the material was a repeat, in a more informal way, of what Seth had said during the session itself. During this exchange it was obvious that Seth was enjoying himself immensely. More than once he referred to Bill Gallagher as his favorite Jesuit, and this is getting to be something of a standing joke between Bill and Seth.

(Seth said again that he considered such effects childish, but that it would be a small sacrifice to make if it helped to get the material across. [...] He repeated again that he could not play on Dr. Instream’s desire for immortality in order to arouse his interest in the material.

(The Seth endeavor is well worth our while. Seth said he would arrange things so that I spent no more time writing up the material than I do now. [...]

[...] It involved an informal exchange between Jane, Seth, Bill and Peggy Gallagher and myself, and lasted until about 1:30 AM. [...] Seth also stated he did not care particularly to have it on tape, or have notes taken. During this exchange Seth was in an excellent good humor. [...] And when it was over at last, and we were all weary, Seth, or Jane, was as capable as ever. [...] Seth said he could continue until dawn, and I believe it quite possible. [...]

[...] To some very small extent, I have begun to explain this in the Seth material. [...]

This material is not for those who would deceive themselves with pretty, packaged, ribboned, truths—truths that are parceled out and cut apart so that you can digest them. That sort of material does serve a need, and there are many who give it and it is helpful for those who need it. This material demands more. [...]

(The class was discussing the “other personality” (Seth II] when Seth entered the discussion.)

(There was a comment about Seth’s statement, as to how he had been around in a few of Rochelle’s endeavors. Seth clarified this. [...]

(I had several questions resulting from Jane’s material of yesterday. [...] She also thought that she personally couldn’t live up to the high quality of the Seth material — her own “mental work,” a good way of putting it. [...]

[...] Jane had read the free-association material for yesterday; she got through it okay, but had to struggle a bit. After we’d talked about the material, she announced a session.)

The following material is for Ruburt, and can be used as material for free association. [...]

(No session was held today, April 21, 1984, but we did do some free associating, so I’ll present a summary of that material here, and follow it with a session and more free association whenever they come through.

1. The Seth Material was published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. [...] Seth Speaks was published by Prentice-Hall in 1972 and by Amber–Allen Publishing/New World Library in 1994.

(Jane first mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Seth, her trance personality, would start another book of his own soon. [...] We hadn’t taken it very seriously, since we’d finished proofreading Seth’s first book, Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul,¹ only last month; certainly we weren’t prepared for the fact that he was quite capable of launching another such project so quickly. Nor did Jane have any conscious thoughts about subject matter, or a title, for any projected Seth book.

[...] Her impression stemmed from the way Seth had called his material an “essay” tonight — which is something he hasn’t done before. [...]

[...] Given her permission, Seth can come through very powerfully indeed. [...] By this I mean that when she speaks for Seth her voice drops in register, becomes somewhat stronger, and acquires Seth’s own deliberate but unique accent and rhythm. [...]

(Supplementing Seth’s mention of the inner senses during the last delivery: He’s told us about nine of these so far, and a list of them can be found in Chapter Nineteen of The Seth Material. [...]

(Seth had something to say about this last thought not long ago. The following quotes are extracted from some deleted material: “Generally speaking, it is better if book dictation is done alone, or with those with whom you are well acquainted and easy. [...]

[...] Seth returned with other material, though, and the session lasted until 11:45 p.m.)

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

4. Seth’s material here reminded me of a remark he made in the 504th session, which is presented in the Appendix of The Seth Material; he was discussing the perceptions of the fetus as mediated by electromagnetic energy (EE) units: “Cells are not just responsive to light because this is the order of things, but because an emotional desire to perceive light is present.”

(In tonight’s relatively brief session Seth discussed our house adventures in quite a personal way, yet also passed along some related concepts of a more general nature. I’ve deleted certain portions of his material about us while leaving other parts for presentation here, since they do extend his recent work for “Unknown” Reality.)

Our own plans to relocate, however, plus those of the family next door (whom we’ll never get to know), reminded me of the material Seth gave at 11:25 for the 737th session, to the effect that any important decision we make organizes the patterns of probability set into motion: “This should be obvious … Unconsciously, then, the movers are in league with each other. [...]

5. See Seth’s discussion of tree consciousness in Session 727; Note 7 for that session contains excerpts from his tree data in the 18th session (for January 22, 1964) and in the 453rd session (for December 4, 1968). Here’s some more related material from the 18th session:

I told her the material is fascinating in its implications. It’s an excellent point, I said, that in her ability to tap into a seemingly endless amount of Seth material, she strikes a parallel with early man and his capacity to carry all personal, cultural, and historical information within himself. As early man functioned on his own, without writing or any of the other modern conveniences of communication that we have, so does Jane function through Seth. [...] Seth has never discussed the subject, nor have we asked him to. [...]

Jane was interested in our talk—mine, mostly—but finally she revealed that it was better for her when Seth didn’t take a break: “I like it when he zooms right through to the end.” I replied that my questions carried no hints for material from Seth. [...]

Seth didn’t return to the material on reincarnation, schizophrenia, and possession that he began discussing last Wednesday evening in the 921st session.)

3. Among others in The Nature of Personal Reality: A Seth Book, see Chapter 9: Seth discusses the state of grace, natural guilt, artificial guilt, and related subjects.

1. See both The Seth Material and Seth Speaks. We’ve also accumulated considerable unpublished material on the subject.

(And yet, as if to puzzle us further, Seth did talk about dream material that Jane had obtained just last night. [...]

[...] As far as she knew the material hadn’t come from Seth, Jane said, but in retrospect it seems obvious that it had been in preparation for Chapter Twenty.

(Seth was all ready to go, Jane added now as we discussed her dream material, so the session resumed at 12:03.)

[...] Seth lists these in Chapter Nineteen of The Seth Material. [...]

[...] Material could have been given in a much more simple fashion through another, but I wanted it as undistorted and fully dimensional as possible. Had Ruburt not been available, the material would have been given to a Speaker, living in your terms, who was also involved in the creative field.

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(I asked the question because I thought Seth’s answer to number forty-six, in the last session, touched upon one of those propositions: “The Law of Infinite Changeability and Transmutation.” [...]

(But Seth wasn’t through work on his book yet. The following material shows the relationship between my vision effects and the events in the session itself. [...]

^* For illustrations of this painting, see The Seth Material.

(At 8:30 tonight Jane and I discussed Seth’s progress on his book. [...] She wasn’t reading the book now, but she realized Seth wasn’t following, literally, the outline he’d given for it before he began dictating it chapter by chapter. I told her I thought Seth was presenting it just as he wanted it done; she agreed that she might as well relax and just let it come out.

(In considerable surprise I asked Seth to wait once more. [...] Jane, as Seth, sat waiting rather noncommittally, eyes open.)