“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Concerning Jane’s understandable desire to protect her work, long ago she published some very clear statements about that. In Chapter Nine of The Seth Material (1970) she wrote: “Several people have told me that Seth communicated with them through automatic writing, but Seth denies any such contacts, saying that his communications will be limited to his work with me, in order that the integrity of the Seth Material be preserved.” And in her introduction to Seth Speaks (1972), she quoted Seth from the 510th session for January 19, 1970: “While my communications will come exclusively through Ruburt (Jane) at all times, to protect the integrity of the material, I will invite the reader to become aware of me as a personality….”

A third point came up this morning, one we’ve talked about often lately. It concerned the other “Seths” who are revealing themselves around the country these days. Later tonight I want to offer a little more about this overall development—but people speak for their Seths entirely without Jane’s permission. Jane is most concerned that she and I protect the integrity of the Seth material in its unique and original form.

(9:43.) I felt that my work was being contaminated, and more, I was annoyed and disappointed by those readers who could apparently be so taken in by those other Seths. As he has said so many times, Seth speaks only through me, to protect the integrity of the material. And it is indeed that contract between him and me that always assures you of the authenticity of Seth’s work.

After all, if he does come through others—or can if he wants to—why hasn’t Seth himself simply said so, and repeatedly, in the books as we’ve published them over the years? We’d have respected his statements on that aspect of his abilities and intents as much as we did—and do—on any other. To have attempted to censor Seth since 1963, say, to “keep him to ourselves” on that particular subject, would have long ago turned into an impossibly complicated and dishonest task: Jane and I would have become involved in a constant distortion of his material as we rewrote the sessions. Such a procedure could have turned into a creative tragedy for us and for our readers.

[...] And there is always the difficulty in maintaining the integrity of the material and keeping it free of distortion... I have worked very hard to help Ruburt condition himself to provide for the material’s integrity and cut down on distortions (Smile:) I would be appalled at going through that all over again.

[...] This time the material concerned, among other things, plants and thoughts; Tam being very interested in plants and related subjects. Since we have no notes on this material, Tam said he would send us a brief resume of this last delivery, to include with these notes.

(Some of the material obtained is verbatim, some is not because of Seth’s rapid delivery. [...]

[...] I will never speak through anyone other than Ruburt, simply because there must never be any doubt of the origin of the Seth material.

[...] John arrived at 8:35 with his materials and a bottle of wine. After the glaring distortions of last session Jane had decided that she must relax, witnesses or no, so as the time for the session approached the radio still played, and we played with Willy, our cat, and exchanged banter with John.

The manipulation of camouflage material depends to a large degree upon the outside ego’s confidence, and the outside ego’s confidence is only strong when it follows the inner ego’s pattern. You can for a while fake the sort of disbelieving belief required, but your ability to sell is based upon your own confidence as an integrated and principled personality. [...]

[...] John of course was not familiar with much of the material. [...] And yet, as Jane observed, sometimes under these conditions the material that comes through from Seth is excellent.

Material matters may seem extremely practical to you. [...] Inner torment will cause you to lose whatever material gains you have achieved, and this is not practical.

[...] It materializes in one aspect or another. I use the word “materializes” because it makes sense to you, but it is distortive since it predisposes an appearance within matter. [...]

[...] Since their atomic structure is not the same as yours, distortions must occur in order to make any contact possible. [...] You then try to figure out what is happening but the sense data, you see, means that the event is already distorted to some degree. [...]

(During break Jane read excerpts from some material concerning Gnosticism. [...]

I am much more concerned with the reaction of all of you to the material that Ruburt read this evening (on Gnosticism). [...]

[...] You realize that such names are translations, as indeed all of this material is a translation of realities into conceptual patterns, and from conceptual patterns into words. It is with the words, of course, that necessary distortions must occur.

[...] Beneath personal subconscious material you will find data, free, dealing with racial memories which will be of great benefit to psychologists and sociologists. Beneath this you will find material that is concerned with the beginnings of the species as a whole; and beneath this, and connected to it by the emotions, you will come to the boundaries of the inner self.

Your scientists’ instruments are themselves distortive, and will only allow you to probe further into camouflage. [...] Your scientists think in terms of getting beyond earth’s atmosphere, and thus avoiding the distortions involved.

[...] The material must be read. The experiments in the material must be tried.

[...] We fully agree with Seth that changes and distortions are inevitable as the Seth material is moved from English into other languages; we just want those alterations kept to a minimum. [...]

[...] Considering the eagerness with which we’ve looked forward to having the Seth material published in other languages, and the long waiting periods involved, this situation is frustrating indeed. Many of my notes, some of which contain excerpts of Seth material, have been eliminated. [...]

[...] There are bound to be distortions, but the distortions themselves are meaningful.”

[...] Our visitor taped Seth’s copious material, and is to send us a transcript of it.

(As usual, some of the test material obviously applied, and other statements seemingly did not. By now however we have learned that material in the latter category is not necessarily distorted; it could merely be another example of the sometimes far-reaching impressions that attach themselves to test objects. [...]

[...] Our friend, the Jesuit, will do well to read our dream material, for dreams are a reflection of the needs of a personality and of the abilities. [...]

[...] However, suggestions should always be given before sleep, that the subconscious will maintain the organic integrity of the physical organism. [...]

Such suggestions will serve to protect the integrity of the physical organism, for these suggestions also have an electrical reality and a chemical reality, as your fear of cats has a chemical and an electrical reality that forces you to act within that framework.

In the beginning, for example, there is always a distortion of material by the person who receives it, at least on the topmost subconscious level. [...]

[...] Therefore the distortions are much less distortive, much less harmful, and more easily discovered and cleared … Others less perfectionist than myself are content with more distortion. [...]

(From here on I’ll start occasionally presenting excerpts from a few of the sessions Jane has delivered in her ESP class.²⁵ I’ve saved some of this material for a considerable time. More often than not I wasn’t present when Seth produced his material, and in all cases it was recorded by students; Jane meets with them on Tuesday evening, when I’m usually occupied typing Monday night’s private session [or book material, often] from my own notes.

(I finally decided that the best way to present the variety of material desired, whether from Seth, Jane, or myself, was in chronological order, letting a composite picture emerge as the work progresses. [...] Since the excerpts are still more representative than complete, however, due to the accumulated mass of information available, my own choices enter in: ESP class data are quoted a number of times; included is material summarizing Jane’s own theories about the Seth phenomena, as she worked them out in her recently completed Adventures in Consciousness; but reincarnation, while mentioned often, isn’t stressed in terms of particulars — that is, I refer to Seth’s statements that he, Jane and I led closely involved lives in Denmark in the 1600’s, but those lives aren’t studied per se. [...]

[...] We speak with distortions. The material which I have already given will explain most clearly many ideas which are absolutely basic, for unless these ideas are clearly understood, then (louder) you will have no logical reason to accept anything that I say.

And may I also say that if voice effects are necessary in order that you read my material, then my dear doctor voice effects galore shall you receive. [...] And you will therefore be intrigued enough to read the material which I have presented, and I will get my point across.

And here you see an example of my sly nature, for Ruburt (louder) will present my material for me. Regardless of its source, the material speaks loud and clear. [...]

(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.