“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

One morning last weekend (Saturday) Ruburt found himself suddenly and vividly thinking about some married friends. They lived out of town, separated in time by a drive of approximately [half an hour]. Ruburt found himself wishing that the friends lived closer, and he was suddenly filled with a desire to see them. He imagined the couple at the house, and surprised himself by thinking that he might indeed call them later in the day and invite them down for the evening, even though he and Joseph had both decided against guests that weekend.

Furthermore, Ruburt did not like the idea of making an invitation on such short notice. Then he became aware that those particular thoughts were intrusive, completely out of context with his immediately previous ones, for only a moment or so earlier he had been congratulating himself precisely because he had made no plans for the day or evening at all that would involve guests or other such activities. Very shortly he forgot the entire affair. Then, however, about fifteen minutes later he found the same ideas returning, this time more insistently.

(Long pause at 9:05.) They lasted perhaps five minutes. Ruburt noticed them and forgot them once again. This time, however, he decided not to call his friends, and he went about his business. In about a half hour the same mental activity returned, and, finding himself struck by this, Ruburt mentioned the episode to Joseph and again cast it from his mind.

By this time it was somewhat later in the day. Ruburt and Joseph ate lunch, and the mail arrived. There was a letter written the morning before (on Friday) by the same friends that had been so much in Ruburt’s mind. They mentioned going on a trip (on Saturday), and specifically asked if they could visit that same afternoon. From the way the letter was written, it seemed as if the friends—call them Peter and Polly—had already started on their journey that (Saturday) morning, and would stop in Elmira on their return much later toward evening. There was no time to answer the letter, of course.

It would be simple enough, of course, to ascribe Ruburt’s thoughts and feelings to mere coincidence. He remembered the vividness of his feelings at the time, however. It looked as if Peter and Polly were indeed going to arrive almost as if Ruburt had in fact called and invited them. That evening the visit did take place. Actually, some work had prevented the couple from leaving when they intended. Instead, they called later from their home to say that they were just beginning their trip, and would stop on their way.

Ruburt was well prepared for the call by then, and for the visit. Now the visit and Ruburt’s earlier feelings and thoughts were part of the same event, except that his subjective experience gave him clues as to the inner processes by which all events take place. More is involved than the simple question: Did he perceive the visit precognitively? More is involved than the question: Did he perceive his information directly from the minds of his friends, or from the letter itself, which had already been mailed, of course, and was on its way to Ruburt at the time?

(9:27.) For centuries that is the main way in which man dealt with the events of his life or tribe or village.³ Your modern methods of communication are in fact modeled after your inner ones. Ruburt’s thoughts almost (underlined) blended in enough to go relatively unnoticed. They were almost (underlined) innocuous enough to be later accepted as coincidence. They did have, however, an extra intentness and vitality and peculiar insistence—qualities that he has learned are indicative (pause) of unusual psychological activity. The point is that in most such cases the subjective recognition of an approaching event flows so easily and transparently into your attention, and fits in so smoothly with the events of the day, as to go unnoticed. You help mold the nature and shape of events without realizing it, overlooking those occasions when the processes might show themselves.