“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

But since it is so difficult for man to even recognize the self that moves his own muscles and breathes his own breath, then I suppose it should not be startling that he cannot realize that this whole self also forms the camouflage world of physical appearance, in almost the same manner that he forms a pattern with his breath upon a glass pane.

[...] He was beginning to recognize the whole self. The only reason the whole self is not much more conscious and accessible is your own stubborn refusal to admit it. [...]

[...] But there is no reason why you must be blind to the whole self of your present personality, which is part of your entity, and which can be glimpsed on your plane in terms of the breathing and dreaming self of which I have spoken.

[...] But it is sheer stupidity to ignore the inner self which does the breathing, and is aware of the mechanics involved. What you almost get here is that some little unknown self performs these necessary functions, and that is not the case. [...]

[...] He did not understand that the spontaneous self knows its own order (gently), or that the spontaneous creative self had any notion of his conscious needs and desires. He believed that often creativity expressed itself at the expense of other portions of the self, and that if it were allowed to spill over the edges (with gestures) from artistic productivity into normal living, then it would lead to all kinds of disruptive activity. [...]

(9:49.) Many other issues were involved, as stated often—but all were based upon the misunderstanding of the spontaneous self—its creativity. [...] Ruburt has been doing well and is heading in the proper directions, particularly with the ideas of effortlessness and informal self-hypnosis. [...]

(Long pause.) So far, there has been an overreliance upon, say, objectified science, and a repudiation of the intuitive portions of the self. This leads in some cases, then, to an exaggerated repudiation of objective reasoning, and to the alliance of a fundamental kind of religion with the intuitive portions of the self. [...]

[...] He believed such measures must be taken because of his erroneous concept about the spontaneous self and creativity. [...]

[...] The contrasts between, say, the superior self or the idealized self, and the debased self, may vary. [...]

The Christ figure represents the exaggerated, idealized version of the inner self that the individual feels incapable of living up to. [...] He may—or of course she may—on other occasions receive messages from the devil, or demons, which on their part represent the person’s feelings about the physical self that seems to be so evil and contradictory in contrast to the idealistic image. [...]

(Pause.) Communications between various scattered portions of the self often appear, again, in such situations as automatic writing, speaking, the hearing of voices, or through what the person believes to be telepathic messages from others.

[...] In most cases, what you have here are expressions of strong portions of the self that are more or less purposefully kept in isolation. [...]

Self-structures and identities are not the same. [...] Self-structures know and do not know that they know. Self-structures are a part of identity. [...]

[...] This kind of comprehension automatically puts you out of self- (hyphen) structures as you think of them, but does not deny identity. Since you are very involved with self-structures as you think of them, then knowledge must be given in such a way that it affects the structure as you know it.

[...] So merged that you cannot see your way clearly out of the concept, nor easily imagine reality from any other viewpoint but the self-structure that you presently imagine yourself to be. [...] Your prime identity is quite aware of other self-concepts that are also being experienced. [...]

[...] You are learning that self-structures are transparent. [...]

It is, momentarily, literally accepted by the personality as a part of the self, and here lies its danger. [...] The impeding action, as seen in an illness for example, is quite literally accepted by the personality structure, and by all corresponding systems, as a portion of the self. [...] The self does not want to give up a portion of itself, even while that portion may be painful or disadvantageous. [...]

[...] I am not here saying that unpleasant stimuli will not be felt as unpleasant, and reacted against, by less self-conscious organisms. I am saying that less self-conscious organisms will rejoice even in their automatic reaction against such stimuli, because any stimuli and reaction represents sensation, and sensation is another method by which such action knows and expresses itself.

Now, however, you understand the reason why even an impeding action is literally accepted by the personality as a portion of the self, and why therefore efforts must be made that will coax the personality to give up any portion of itself, if progress is to be made. Once the personality can understand that an illness has been accepted as a portion of the self, then even the ego will be an aid.

For one thing, while pain is unpleasant it is also a method of familiarizing the self against the edges of quickened consciousness. [...]

[...] One life is not buried in the past, disconnected from the present self and any future self as well.

(9:35.) Like a true absent-minded professor, the conscious self forgets all this, however, so when tragedy appears in the script, difficulty or challenges, the conscious self looks for someone or something to blame. [...]

[...] There are various schools and religions that try, in distorted terms, to express the self’s validity, but the distortions have smothered the basic validity of the teachings.

[...] For some time he was simply between belief systems, discarding some entirely, accepting portions of others; but he was mainly a pioneer, and this while carrying largely unknowingly and invisibly the one basic belief of society that you cannot trust the self.

While that largely invisible—emotionally invisible—belief is carried, then anything the self does must be scrutinized, put to the test, while in the meantime beliefs that have sustained others are suspended.

[...] At the same time he did not realize how all-pervasive was the belief that the self could not be trusted. [...]

It is embarked upon different processes now as it searches for the best conditions for self-healing procedures. [...] The Sinful Self material is “timed” in its own fashion so that although there is a good deal of material already written, its effects are periodic—that is, they are clued to spring into even greater insight which may not be apparent at any one given time. [...]

[...] Allow yourself at times to imagine, at least, an important portion of your own creative self as innocent, sweet (gesture), and natural as that young Butts boy relative (Steve). That is, think of that childish self as eagerly exploring the world, for that is certainly a part of man’s heritage. [...]

[...] I want Ruburt to see, however, that healing is taking place, that he can trust his own mind and body, and that all portions of the self are being dealt with, whether or not such is obvious at any given time. [...]

They also share other beliefs, for example: That the inner self is a repository for repressed fears, terrors, and uncivilized savagery; that the inner self must be forced to get rid of such material before it is possible for it to express its power, energy and strength in creative, positive terms; and that, therefore, the self must first encounter and deal with all those terrors of its past before it can be free of the fears of the present.

[...] (Still very positively:) The “self” that was born into the body, and grew with it, has gone, and another “self” has risen from that previous organization.

Now: Such self-changes happen naturally as life progresses, and when the self modulates at any given time, it is different from what it was. [...]

Your conscious mind, again, is a part of your inner self, and ever-changing. [...]

There is however a self who has already traveled these routes, of whom these other selves are but part. This self, in dreams and dissociated conditions, communicates with these various quote “ascending” selves. But as the self grows in value fulfillment, he can become aware of these other travelers on other threads, who might seem to him to be future selves.

The camouflage is so craftily executed and created, of course, by the inner self, that you must of necessity focus your attention in the physical reality which has been created. [...]

[...] Any such self A would, without understanding or shortcuts, development, or even average progression, would travel thread A along the narrow line toward infinity. [...]

[...] Self A, now on thread A, would not be aware in his present, of the quote “future” selves on the other threads. [...]

[...] The self at death is indeed more active as a rule than before, and the resources of the self are used to greater advantage.

The self goes on. [...] Action divides itself into various selves, and then explores the moment points of experience, for each new self is indeed a new action, an original act.

[...] The inner self realizes the nature of its own reality, is sure of its identity and well aware of its power in the creation of actions which it projects outward from itself.

[...] There are subtle variations, as you know, in your known self from one instant to another as you affect your physical environment and form it, and as it in turn forms you. [...]

I am talking in terms of the self within the self within the self...the self that watches the self... the conscious alert self of which your present conscious mind is but a shadow. [...]

[...] Now, the whole self is composed, to use this analogy, of the entire eight channels. [...] The whole self, however, is aware of the entire eight channels and is able to keep track of them. [...]

[...] That recording, to some extent, maligns the subconscious and the inner self. [...]

[...] There is no need for you to feel that any reincarnational information must come in a murky, shadowy way through vast areas of a self that you neither know nor understand. [...]

[...] Most of you identify with your daily physically oriented self. You would not think of identifying with one portion of your body and ignoring all other parts, and yet you are doing the same thing (smile) when you imagine that the egotistical self carries the burden of your identity.

[...] It is you, so focused in physical reality, who do not listen to its voice, who do not understand that it is the great psychological strength from which your physically oriented self springs.

[...] You must understand that there are no real divisions to the self, however, so we speak of various portions only to make the basic idea clear.

Since we are addressing individuals who do identify with the “normally conscious self,” I bring such matters up in this first chapter because I will be using the terms later in the book, and because I want to state the fact of multidimensional personality as soon as possible.

[...] All of this boils down to what I have said unceasingly (whispering) about trusting the spontaneous self—for in the most simple of terms, you do not need poor mobility as a working method for any reasons, if you trust the spontaneous self in its dealings with the conscious personality and with the world.

[...] Ruburt did not know, as given in the past, what the spontaneous self might lead to. [...]

If you trust the spontaneous self, then automatically you do not need such a framework, but you must learn to allow it its expression. [...]

[...] He can do far better, and the way to begin is to allow the spontaneous self as much freedom as he can in daily life, and to trust its expression—that it knows his psychic and creative needs, his physical needs, his social and financial needs, and all of these can be taken care of.

[...] It is of course an enlargement or extension of the self, and a widening of the boundaries of the self, and therefore of even conscious comprehension.

[...] Operating in a contrary manner, for example, there is a pulling together of the self into an ever smaller and more minute capsule that enables the self to enter into other fields, and experience various rather alien planes.

[...] It is that the sixth inner sense, of which we have spoken briefly, can be likened in some respects to the instincts of the inner self. [...]

[...] That is, the inner self has at its command complete knowledge, but only portions of it are used by an organism at any given instance.

Discipline then should not only be considered, as it is by some schools of thought, as a mere mental discipline over the muscles, or various portions of the body by the inner self, but indeed a discipline in terms of training of the ego by the inner self, so that the ego as a personality achieves a well-balanced relationship with the physical universe.

[...] I also suggest, merely as a matter of discipline, that he contemplate his part in the universe, so that he senses an enlargement of self in which personal worries and obsessions will not loom so large.

[...] I do not suggest, you see, that he do this on purpose daily, lest it develop psychologically into a self-sacrificial ritual. [...]

A confident ego is indeed a prerequisite for psychic venturing, for it is only the confident ego which ultimately feels secure enough to give leeway to the inner self in the long run.

[...] Yesterday in particular, however, provides an excellent example of the way approval and self-disapproval work, and of the ways in which the habit of disapproval can cause you to misinterpret events, and then of course act accordingly.

Since our last session, you both made considerable efforts, so that you momentarily managed to suspend self-disapproval for some periods of time. [...]

[...] They open up dialogues between various portions of the self, and of course bring these to the surface, amplified for your conscious attention. [...]

[...] At that point he immediately took it for granted, with a rush of self-disapproval, that this was a sign that he had learned nothing, and that his body was objecting to the whole idea of going out, and therefore challenging him—in other words, that his negative beliefs had risen to challenge new healthier attitudes.

Unfortunately, certain aspects of Christianity were stressed over others, and that dictum was based upon the belief in a wicked self that needed to be disciplined and diverted into constructive activity. The belief in such an unsavory self stops many people from any exploration of the inner self — and, therefore, from any direct experience that will give them counter-evidence. [...]

[...] At the same time, such beliefs convince them that the self is evil. [...] The psyche’s organizations are broader, and in their way more rational than most of your conscious beliefs about the self.

[...] That order will be determined by emotional associations — the same kind followed by the dreaming self.

(10:08.) Sexuality is the only strong area of energy with which some people are connected, so it becomes the focal point for all of their beliefs about the self in general. [...]

Because of its relative freedom, however, the self, returning from the dream world, can impart to the individual knowledge of much the physical self could not ordinarily be aware. [...]

The whole self as you know has its existence in uncamouflaged energy, and is therefore capable of the assimilation of knowledge in so far as it can, if it chooses, be basically unaffiliated to any one camouflage dimension or perspective. In actual practice this takes a supreme development, but even for general purposes the inner self retains a freedom from camouflage perspectives, and is aware in varying degrees of other perspectives, and of its existence outside of them.

Through the inner senses, therefore, some enlightenment can be received as to both the actual existence of dimensions that the physical self cannot perceive; and also through the inner senses, a sense of confidence and continuity can be achieved through the inner self’s knowledge of its freedom.

You cannot deny the normal coming of night by refusing to face it, and closing the outer eyes would only result in those very characteristics of night which the self tried to avoid. [...]

Because of your educational framework, the individual is taught to be wary of the inner self, as mentioned earlier (in the 614th session in Chapter Two, for instance), so unfortunately the ordinary man or woman looks for the solutions of personal problems outside of the self, where they can least be found. [...] The conscious knowledge alone will trigger intuitional responses within the inner self so that you will receive helpful information through dreams, impulses, and ordinary thought patterns.

[...] But many people look to those outside themselves — psychics, doctors, psychiatrists, priests, ministers, friends — for the answers to overall life situations, and in so doing they deny their own abilities of self-understanding and growth.

[...] You will be able to hold equally within your experience the vision of an “ideal self” and all those natural deviations from it.

Many who write want to develop and use the same abilities, yet it is obvious from their letters that their beliefs prevent them from trusting the inner self enough. [...]