“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(While she was waking up, Jane asked me several times if she had really been asleep. It was easy for me to say yes, since I had come awake first. Before the session tonight Jane said she hoped Seth would explain the occurrence, but surprisingly — even though a considerable amount of personal material was received — the matter wasn’t covered.

Dictation: Ruburt was working with alterations of consciousness this afternoon. At the same time he had the radio playing softly. The rock-music program was interrupted by an announcement having to do with the Indianapolis speed-car racing exhibition (the 57th Indianapolis 500-mile race). One driver had already been severely injured (on Monday); and the race, put off on that account, and because of inclement weather (on Tuesday), finally began today.

In your terms, birth defects of whatever kind are chosen before this life. This is done for many different reasons (just as people choose to be ill in this life, regardless of the duration involved). That is, a certain psychic framework is set up through which an individual decides “ahead of time” to experience an entire life situation. Some information on this has been given in my other writings.¹

In many cases it is the family, rather than the incapacitated member, who questions and does not understand — as in cases of severely mentally retarded children, for example. Yet in all instances not only do children choose their parents ahead of time, but parents choose their children, of course.

In such a situation, there are fulfillments to be gained from the parents’ standpoints. There are always opportunities of growth and unusual creativity possible under those conditions for all involved. That is why the framework was chosen. The same applies to seeming tragedies such as accidents, or severe illnesses that come at any time.

Someone else may choose to focus upon intellectual achievement to such a degree that he shuts out all true closeness, and though he can accept a permanent relationship, he will not experience the emotional richness that others may derive from a much briefer encounter. Therefore each of you choose — ahead of time, in your terms — the kind of framework through which you will contend with this life situation. This applies personally and collectively.

Since all is simultaneous, your present beliefs can alter your past ones, whether from this life or a “previous” one. Existences are open-ended. Now with your ideas of progressive time and the resulting beliefs in cause and effect, I realize this is difficult for you to understand. Yet within the abilities of your creaturehood, your current beliefs can change your experience; you can restructure your “reincarnational past” in the same way that you can restructure the past in this present life (as explained in sessions 657-58 in Chapter Fifteen.