“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Seth’s ideas about the true nature — the necessity — of dying directly contradict more and more of what we read these days. Now a number of scientists tell us that long before the end of this century we’ll have the ability to prolong our physical lives forever — or at least indefinitely, to be more “practical” about it. We’re told again and again that technically we’re on the verge of producing artificial versions of many bodily parts, as well as microcomputers that will be implanted within the body to regulate its performance; these advances, plus our “conquering” of disease, pain, and suffering, plus genetic engineering, will soon make it possible for human beings to live indefinitely. Those in the know maintain that if you are fortunate enough to be a younger person, you may never have to die.

What grandiose claims these are, however — at least at this time — for Jane and I also read that in the last three-quarters of a century science has managed to bring about an increase of only four years in the life expectancy of the adult white male: from 69 to 73 years. Granted that the medical establishment has learned a lot since 1900, still it’ll have to move awfully fast now to make all of those predictions come true before the year 2000, say.

But nowhere do we see anything about any spiritual dilemmas that may be involved with all of this, or about the enormous social problems — challenges, to be sure — that could soon begin to manifest themselves if anything even approaching “eternal life” comes within the reach of numbers of people. Think of the legalities alone involved. (People might even have to change their marriage vows!) Science-fiction ideas abound. What about population control? What about those who want to live on, but can’t afford to? How will decisions be made about who receives the favored treatment and who doesn’t? Will families qualify, or just individuals? Geniuses or dolts? If the services necessary to extend life are free — paid for by the government, that is — will government decide that certain families simply cannot be allowed to have children, that they’ll be left to die out? In view of our present world challenges, it might even be said that there are already too many people in the world. And what about animals and other forms of life? Perhaps in their own collective wisdom the animals will look upon us as though we’ve altogether given up our powers of intuitive understanding.