“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The flood was the worst on record in this section of the country. It grew out of Tropical Storm Agnes — which, somewhat ironically, had lost its hurricane status by the time it began its erratic course up the East Coast from Florida. Agnes was preceded by days of heavy rain that extended on a broad front for hundreds of miles. The storm unexpectedly veered inland after picking up new strength off the Virginia Capes, and when it stalled over New York and Pennsylvania flooding became inevitable.

(Jane and I decided to remain behind when, finally, last minute requests to evacuate our section of Elmira were made before dawn. Our decision, of course, contained deeply symbolic meanings for us that we still only partially understand. The Chemung River passes less than a block from our apartment house on its way through the center of the city, but since we lived on the second floor we thought we’d be secure. The house was solid, we decided. The neighborhood emptied itself except for us, and became extremely quiet.

(By now escape was probably impossible. I suggested that Jane “tune in” psychically to see what she could learn about our situation. “It’s hard to be calm when you’re really scared,” she said, but began to compose herself. Gradually she attained a very relaxed state. She told me that the water would reach its highest level late that afternoon; incredibly, it would become almost ten feet deep in the yard and reach halfway up the first-floor windows of the house next to ours. We would be safe as long as we stayed where we were. Jane sounded awed, though, when she said that the Walnut Street Bridge would “go.” I was awed too, since the old steel bridge crossed the Chemung River less than half a block from us. We couldn’t see it because of the houses across the street.

(As soon as Jane had “picked up” this information we began to feel better. We ate, played cards, and periodically checked the water level. Several hours passed. The flood crested within fifteen minutes of the time Jane had given, and within three inches of her projected high-water mark. We slept that evening knowing that the water was dropping quickly. The next morning I walked over to the Walnut Street Bridge. It had been destroyed; several of its spans had been washed out.

(We were lucky compared to many others in the city. We’d lost our car, but we had a place to live and had all of our paintings, manuscripts and records, including the fifty-three volumes of the Seth material, intact. Since we occupy two apartments in order to have enough living and working space, we had room to take in a couple who had been flooded out. The weather was cold and rainy. Our days became a routine of actions devoted to survival, although Jane finished Oversoul 7 early in July, and resumed her classes. This book was put aside for a long time.

(In August Jane held one session on the flood — in which Seth had time to just touch upon the reasons behind our personal involvement in it — and late that month and in September we had several house guests in connection with psychic work. One of them was Richard Bach, author of the very successful book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.³

(When she felt it was time to resume work on Seth’s book, Jane discovered to her surprise that she was somewhat nervous about it. Yet, speaking for Seth, she resumed dictation so smoothly that it seemed there hadn’t been any such thing as a three-month lapse….)

The effect of the visit was good, particularly on Ruburt. We will get to his [scientific] questions. For Ruburt’s confidence, I wanted this book decently begun. Other sessions may take over from dictation now and then, but the main project will be the book.

(End at 11:32 p.m. Jane was quickly out of an excellent dissociated state. “I’m glad Seth’s working on his book again,” she said. “I know it’s silly, but I feel a lot better. I was even wondering if my own attitude was holding the thing up now, after all of those other interruptions….” And so, like Seth Speaks, this is really two books in one: It’s not only about the nature of personal reality, but the circumstances surrounding Jane’s production of the material and the many ideas she has concerning it.

(I was happy to learn that Seth plans to incorporate flood data in his book — I’ve been concerned lest that subject be pushed aside by other events, then perhaps forgotten.)