“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

It may be said by some that any book at all is an ambitious endeavor, when it originates from a psychological source (underlined) so far divorced from your ordinary ideas of creativity. It is one thing, for example, for a physical writer to produce a manuscript—and even that kind of creativity involves vast and hidden psychological maneuvers that never appear in the manuscript itself.

Someday, in terms of time, there will be a thick book. Although the manuscript does not yet exist in a physical book, the book itself, the ideas and words, are in the most important fashions quite real now. Certain qualities are implied in all kinds of creativity that are generally overlooked, and so they are not apparent. The kind of creative procedures we are involved in can serve to bring some of those qualities to light, and to shed illumination upon many aspects of the human psyche that usually remain hidden.

I speak through Ruburt—or through Jane Roberts, if you prefer. Ruburt has his own creative abilities, and uses them well, and it is to a large extent because of those abilities that our contact first took place (in December 1963). Scientists like to say that if you look outward at the universe, you look backward in time. That statement is only partially true. When you move inward through the psyche, however, you do begin to thrust, in your terms, “backward” toward the origins of existence. Your creative abilities do not simply allow you to paint pictures, to tell or write stories, to create sculpture or architecture. They do not simply provide you with a basis for your religions, sciences, and civilizations. They are your contact with the source of existence itself.

(Pause at 9:22.) Give us a moment…. In this book, then, we will look at the origin of the universe, the origin of the species, the origin of life from another viewpoint. This viewpoint will, I hope, provide another framework through which you can understand and study physical reality, your part in it, and sense the immense creative complexity that unites each individual with the source of consciousness itself.

It’s impossible, of course, for us not to have a sense of responsibility about the sessions. I’m sure Seth knows this, but it’s obvious that he wants us to maintain a light rather than a heavy psychological touch. Sometimes that’s rather difficult to achieve, though. Recently we received an excellent, rather lengthy paper about our work in which the writer, a psychologist, discussed among other things the import of Seth’s material, as well as various explanations of his origin. We think about those subjects too, but in order to have the sessions on a week-to-week basis we concentrate upon the simple creative achievement embodied in each session itself, and let go of the larger implications. Those implications are usually in the background of our joint awareness, however.)

1. Recently, I bought two books written by “scientific creationists.” The authors strongly disagree with ideas of evolution. I’ve read halfway through one of the books, and have discussed it with Jane to some extent. After the session I suggested that she start reading it also, in order to acquaint herself with theories radically different from the “ordinary” scientific ones espoused by evolutionists. Very briefly: The creationists believe that God created the universe (including the earth, obviously) around 10,000 years ago. They maintain that all of the earth’s living forms have remained essentially unchanged since that prime creative event; they can account for the disappearance of the dinosaurs, for example, and the vast number of other life forms we no longer see around us. On the other hand, evolutionary science believes that the universe came into being between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago; that the earth itself is about 4.6 billion years old, and that according to the fossil record and other evidence, its living organisms first arose and began evolving at least 3.5 billion years ago. Science also believes, however, that the study of a “first cause” involves not scientific but philosophical and theological questions. For instance, why did the universe we think we know so well come into existence at all, and what was the cause of that beginning?

2. I’m presenting the private portion of tonight’s session for two reasons: Seth comments a bit upon the creative production of the sessions, and he shows how we can habitually impose upon our physical selves our conscious ideas of what we “should be doing”—not paying enough attention to our impulsive, natural, bodily messages.

“When you mentioned his ink sketches he instantly wanted to play at painting again, but felt, guiltily, that he should not. He forgot, once again, that the creative self is aware of his entire life, and that his impulses have a creative purpose.

“These sessions themselves involve the highest levels of creative productivity, at many levels, so he should refresh himself painting or doing whatever he likes, for that refreshment adds to his creativity, of course. He will finish his book (God of Jane), and do beautifully with it. He should follow the rhythms of his own creativity without being overly concerned with the time. For a while, again, have him write three hours of free writing, and paint or whatever. His book will be provided for. You can see how your own creativity is emerging in the notes for Mass Events. Granted, you need time to write physically, but the basic creativity has its own ‘time.’