“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

[...] The strong self-conscious self of which I have spoken, the self-conscious self of which your own personality is not aware, this self that faces into the inner world of reality, quite consciously draws upon the vitality and stuff of what is.

[...] The transformation of vitality into physical properties is done by this self-conscious self that faces the inner world. The subconscious is the link between these two self-consciousnesses, and here you find an acceptance by the camouflage personality of the materials at hand.

[...] That is, the inner individualistic self forces its vision and knowledge into the world of camouflage pattern, giving its dreams a physical reality denied to the usual dream. And here the use of energy for this purpose is conscious, that is the strong hidden self actually makes use of the camouflage conscious self and molds the two into a reality that combines two planes. [...]

[...] If this is not too much for you I will add this: that the inner senses would correspond to the outer senses of the inner hidden self-conscious self, that is, separated by the subconscious from your ordinary conscious self.

“Again: consciousness of self involves a consciousness of self within—and as a part of—action. Ego consciousness, on the other hand, involves a state in which consciousness of self attempts to divorce self from action—an attempt on the part of consciousness to perceive action as an object … and to perceive action as initiated by the ego as a result, rather than as a cause, of ego’s own existence.

[...] You do not see the inner self in a mirror. [...] But within the selves that you know is the prime identity, the whole inner self. This whole self has lived many lives. [...]

[...] As Seth gave us more material on reincarnation and the inner self, we naturally wondered. Having a whole self may be great, but if my Jane Roberts self is engulfed by it after death, then to me that’s not much of a survival. [...]

[...] I have said that the second one resulted in—and constantly results in—consciousness of self. [...] Consciousness of self is still consciousness directly connected with action. Ego consciousness is a state resulting from the third creative dilemma, which happens when consciousness of self attempts to separate itself from action. [...]

It goes without saying that the dream universe is every bit as real to the inner self as the physical universe is to the conscious egotistical self. The physical universe is relatively (underline relatively) as unimportant to the inner self as the dream universe appears to be to the egotistical self.

The core of the self is obviously aware of all realities to some extent. If portions of the self did not coincide then it would be impossible for the whole personality to ever operate as a unit. Here we simply have spirals, so to speak, of evermoving actions that compose the whole self. [...]

A particularly vivid dream is every bit as real to the inner self as a vivid psychological experience that occurs within the waking state. It is important here that we realize that as far as the basic self is concerned no distinctions are made in this respect. [...]

The self is limitless. [...] Another portion of the self however is aware of them.

The ego is indeed but one part of the self that speaks for the other portions of the self, but when it tries to speak for itself only, then indeed its words become meaningless, and the words become threats to the rest of the self. [...]

[...] It is not part of the whole self; and now, we will see the purpose of the ego in all this is to protect what it considers the self, for the ego considers itself as the only self.

[...] There is no basic trust of the inner self. The personality does not basically recognize or trust the ability of the inner self, and this results in an intense inhibited fear.

This ego in particular, and many egos, consider that the self is the ego alone. [...] It therefore attempts to become rigid, because it considers itself the main representative of the self. [...]

Through dreams the self communicates with the self, and with all layers of the self. For the self is not one concrete thing. The self has no boundaries, the self is not limited. Consciousness is the direction in which the self looks, again, but the ego is not aware of the whole self. [...]

[...] They are indeed transmitted without your conscious knowledge, and the self expands. Nor is the self limited physically. Again, this idea is the result of your own habit of perception, for chemicals and air and nutrients that you consider not your self, enter the self constantly from the physical environment; and that which you consider yourself, leaves through the pores of the body.

The inner self does indeed have an overall conception of the goals and strengths of the personality. It is then this inner self that must be searched for the answers. [...]

In sleep, when the ego is quieted, then the self looks in other directions. In sleep the self becomes conscious of its dreams, but this does not mean that the dreams have not existed while you were not conscious of them. [...]

(Long pause at 9:02.) The Sinful Self shows itself in a period of transition from its religious to scientific format in science fiction or fantasy in particular, where you can almost trace the translation of religion’s self, tainted by original sin, to the Darwinian and Freudian concepts of the flawed self, bound to destruction one way or another, propelled by the unbridled unconscious or evolutionary defect. [...]

[...] Ruburt has not been able to utilize the natural grace of the basic self because of those beliefs in their sinful nature. Those feelings were the ones that he experienced this morning—the fear that the self’s very expression was somehow wrong, since the self itself was intrinsically flawed. [...]

[...] It was also a reminder of how far she had carried her resistance to change and confrontation with the Sinful Self—and often without my really understanding just how badly off she is. [...] I’d still like some material from Seth on why the personality would choose to go to such lengths in the name of self- protection.... [...]

(Long pause at 9:13.) The use of the Frankenstein monster and so forth in television dramas, and the merging of strong destructive tendencies intermixed with the psychic abilities in current psychic horror stories, shows again the potent mixture of religion’s Sinful Self and science’s flawed self. [...]

When the physical self sleeps the astral image may indeed wander. [...] Its telepathic and clairvoyant abilities are not hampered in any way by the ego when that self sleeps. In waking hours the communications system is more or less closed on the ego’s side, but in sleep the barriers are lifted and knowledge from the inner self has a freer flow.

Any dream is experienced differently by these various aspects of the self. [...] The various levels of the self create their own dreams, which do have meanings to all layers of the personality. [...] All of these aspects of the self are so intertwined that arbitrary distinctions must be made for you simply to explain them.

[...] Therefore this experience, collected within the physical field, is held in codified form by this inner self or astral identity. It is only by understanding the connection between the physical and nonphysical self, and the communication systems that operate here, that the true nature of human personality can be studied

[...] The inner senses are part of this nonphysical self. They allow the personality to retain its relationship with nonphysical reality, permitting the material self to focus within its earthly environment.

The whole self is involved not only in this reality but in other realities. The whole self sends a portion of itself into various realities. These portions of the whole self are to learn to materialize as best they can the strength and energy as they know it in whatever camouflage they find themselves. The whole self gives you, therefore, a responsibility—and it leaves it mainly up to you. [...]

And when the “little” self says, “I am afraid and I will make excuses,” you must imagine the larger self saying, “I am strong. I will not allow the smaller self to make excuses. [...] You must identify with the larger portion of your self. [...]

[...] “I am a limited self.” For no matter what I tell you, you still seem to fear as if you are limited and as if your self is something within your head bounded by your bony skull, and enclosed within your physical body. [...]

The whole self gives you help at times. For within you is the knowledge of your connection with the whole self. [...]

[...] You do not lose contact with your ordinary waking self. [...] If you were looking at your daily normal self from the other viewpoint, you see, using an analogy here, you might find that physically waking self as strange as you now find the sleeping self. The analogy will not hold however, simply because this sleeping self of yours is far more knowledgeable than the waking self of which you are so proud.

[...] Now, as you are merely concerned with your physical body and physical self as a rule, you give your attention to the stream of consciousness that seems to deal with it. These other streams of consciousness, however, are connected with other self-forms that you do not perceive. [...]

[...] The point is that you are only limited to the self you know if you think that you are, and if you do not realize that that self is far from your entire identity.

Some of these may involve the thoughts of what you would call a reincarnational self, focused in another period of history as you know it. You may instead, “pick up” an event in which a probable self is involved, according to your inclination, your psychic suppleness, your curiosity, your desire for knowledge. [...]

When the outer ego, from the surface of its consciousness, reflects the outer world, it sees reflections of the inner ego which are the images within its own eye; and as the self creates matter subconsciously within its own eye, and as the self creates matter subconsciously and not consciously, and as the self creates matter in line with inner and not outer expectations, so then does the ego, in viewing the material universe, come face to face with the face of its own inner ego; and the outer ego cannot escape from this inner self.

[...] In larger terms and in more comprehensive terms, the whole self, the whole field of the complete subconscious and inner self, reaches back to the entity. There is no end to the past projection or existence of the subconscious of any given self; and though it is not understood in your field, there is no end to the forward thrust of the subconscious of any given self.

In many respects it is a reflector, the surface of the self looking outward. While this is necessary, the whole remainder of the self could not be left to an organizer or caretaker who did not focus his attentions within the depths but sat, as it were, on the front porch of the house, leaving the inner workings unattended. [...]

The center of consciousness, that is the center of outward consciousness, the outer ego, is finally chosen by the inner ego after certain portions of the inner self show greater tendencies for objectification; these portions of course grouped around one of the subconscious subpersonalities which then wins out to become the outer ego, the manipulator for and the spokesman for the whole self.

(Long pause at 8:58.) The Sinful Self obviously is not a burden that Ruburt carries alone, but one inherent in your civilization. [...] (Long pause.) In terms of goodness, you can certainly tell the Sinful Self that health and vitality are indeed not only good, but in their way they represent the spiritual attributes. No self really needs a baptism. [...]

As you read this group of sessions, the idea is in no way to accuse the Sinful Self. [...]

[...] Instead, itself—the self—is indeed good, as it supposed before it took on such nonsense. [...]

(Pause.) Ruburt might have one or two imaginary conversations with the Sinful Self. [...]

The ego considers itself the self, and considers anything outside of its self as being either nonself or another such separate identity, and so the individual man is led to believe that telepathy is basically a communication between two or more basically alone, separate and aloof selves. [...] Telepathy operates within the inner self, within various levels, different levels of the subconscious, where the ideas of separation and limitations of self are not nearly so limiting.

You can see that the inner self is much more spacious and unlimited than the ego self, and that while divisions occur they may vary, and the boundaries of the inner self constantly change.

[...] The manners in which telepathy operates are difficult to explain because of the divergence of definition held by the ego and by the inner self of any given individual. [...] The ego, you see, has one definition for the self, and its own idea of the limitations of itself.

What I am trying to get across here is that, because of the superficial studies done so far, it seems that telepathy operates with separateness because of the limitations set by the ego on the definition of self. [...] The limited idea of the self held by the ego clouds and distorts the main issue, for the ego is not conscious of the underlying bonds of sympathy that serve to merge, momentarily, the identities involved.

The self that sits in class is not the self that wonders in a dream state, and the self that wonders in a dream state is, my dear friends, far more educated than the, self that sits in the classroom. The self you call yourself, what does it know? [...] The self that you call yourself knows relatively little. [...]

All of you have but one responsibility, and that responsibility is to the self. Not necessarily to the self as you know it but to the whole self. [...]

[...] You must probe into the intuitive self, for you will find much knowledge there. Books will help you, but the greater knowledge is buried within the layers of the self. [...]

[...] Your dreams appear as illusion to your normal waking self. Shall I tell you how your normal waking experiences appear to your dreaming self? [...]

[...] The writing self became latent as the sportsman did, yet the writing self and the artist were closely bound. [...] You believed the painting self had to be protected … as you felt that your father had to protect his creative self in the household …

(In mentioning my “sportsman self,” Seth referred to information he’d given about three of my probable selves in a private session on January 30, 1974 — just a few days before starting “Unknown” Reality. [...] But even without Seth’s help, interesting results can flow from an awareness of the probable-self concept: The reader can begin to intuitively consider his or her own probable selves, or those of others who may be closely related psychically or physically. [...]

[...] You chose to concentrate on artistic endeavors as you grew and learned through various areas and periods — that is, you tried and enjoyed sports, and writing; and after a while you decided upon the painting self as the particular focus upon which you would build a life.

Give us a moment … Your father’s inventiveness would also be used in the same manner, as source material, by whichever self you chose to become. [...]

Now, my dear friends, your self-consciousness is the self-consciousness of the ego which you know, and which you consider your self. But where this self -conscious self ends, another self-conscious self begins. The two selves, being self-conscious selves, cannot be aware of any reality but their own.

There are other self-conscious portions of the self however, with which the ego is not at all familiar, but of which the subconscious has intuitive knowledge. These self-conscious portions of the self exist in different reality systems. Before we go into our Dr. Instream material, let me remind you however that there is a whole self, composed of these various self-conscious selves, and that a portionof the self is indeed aware of the unity that exists to form the whole psychological gestalt.

The ego is only one layer of the self that has self-consciousness. Being self- conscious, the ego attempts to be conscious only of itself. Self-consciousness results in an intense, but necessarily limited focus. [...] It depends upon some sort of inner psychological decision as to what will be considered self, and therefore accepted by consciousness, and that which will be considered notself, and not accepted by consciousness.

[...] Now the ego interprets all it perceives mainly in terms of its self. Other portions of the self, also self- conscious, interpret what they perceive in terms of themselves.

The dreaming self is to some considerable degree aware of the probable self. There is give-and-take between the two, for much data is received by the dreaming self from the probable self — the self that experiences what the ego would call probable events.

We mentioned that the dreaming self has its own memories. [...] To the dreaming self, however, past, present and future do not exist. [...]

Were it not for the experience of this probable self, and for its information given via the dreaming self to the subconscious, then it would be most difficult for the ego to come to any clear decisions in daily life. [...]

The probable self can be reached through hypnosis but only with excellent subjects and operators. [...] It has been glimpsed but not recognized as a separate part of the self — in dream recordings and analytic sessions.

The difficulties with the hand were not meant to threaten your artistic self. [...] They were meant, in some instances, to protect your artistic self, if you recall our last session. [...] The unconscious was not (underlined) threatening your artistic self. [...]

The understanding that the artistic self was not being threatened should allow you to relax sufficiently for the suggestions to take effect more. [...] You felt, if it were threatening your artistic self, what could you expect from it when you had always supposed previously that it upheld the creative drive? [...]

Do not specifically relate the behavior of the hand with your artistic self or artistic abilities in your suggestions, but in a general manner to the natural health of your being and easy flow of your ideas outward. [...]

The unconscious was trying to protect your artistic self. [...]

(9:28.) The soul, therefore, or entity, endows three-dimensional reality, and the three-dimensional self with its own properties. The abilities of the entity lie within the three-dimensional self. The three-dimensional self, the actor, has access to this information and to these potentials. In learning to use these potentials, in learning to rediscover its relationship with the entity, the three-dimensional self raises still further the level of achievement, comprehension, and creativity. The three-dimensional self becomes more than it knows.

[...] The soul or entity then gives breath to the body, and to the three-dimensional self within it. The three-dimensional self then goes about its purpose of opening up new areas of creativity.

(10:20.) Highly simplified indeed, the effect would be something like changing one set of glasses for another, for the physical senses are as artificial, basically speaking, to the inner self, as a set of glasses or a hearing aid is to the physical self. [...]

[...] Instead the various lives grow out of what your inner self is. [...]

[...] It then can join or partake of the inner self. In other words, though the ego was adopted originally by the inner self, and was a product of physical heredity and environment, it does not die; but its existence is changed from physical reality into electrical reality. [...] No individuality is lost, but it becomes a part of the inner self, and its experiences are added to the total experience of the many personalities that have composed the inner self.

[...] Thoughts are initially psychoelectric patterns in pure form, productions of the inner self that must be translated in order to be used by the physical self.

[...] There are various reasons, which I have not yet given you, that allow for the traveling of the self through physical space and time. These reasons have to do with the electric actuality of the inner self, and with that counterpart of the physical body which exists within the electric field.

[...] The inner self adopts an ego in order to allow manipulation within the physical universe, and yet part of the ego is composed of portions from the inner self, while the bulk of the ego is allowed to develop through physical heredity and environment.

It is true that the inner self in the last analysis is the durable self. Nevertheless the various outer egos are extremely important, and without them the inner self would be blocked. [...]

[...] However because of its own extraordinary nature, it itself forms with the inner self in an added gestalt, adding to the energy and ability of the inner self; and in a manner which I cannot yet explain to you, it voluntarily may give up its ego identification to a large degree for the purpose of giving its full energies to the store of the inner self.

As far as self and notself are concerned, the unit of self is organized, as you know, by the inner ego, which directs the whole energy field. [...]

The outer ego, under such advantageous circumstances, is more nearly able also to communicate its experience in the physical world to the inner self, and hereby to actually help enlarge the inner self, which then directly experiences stimulation and manipulations in a camouflage pattern which is otherwise denied to it.