“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Because of the press of other matters following the 753rd session — my work doing the notes for Seth’s “Unknown” Reality, Jane’s involvement in writing a new introduction for one of her own books that’s coming out in a new paperback edition, and a stream of unexpected visitors — we didn’t hold any sessions for several weeks. [The paperback in question is The Coming of Seth, originally published in hardcover as How to Develop Your ESP Power.]

(Then in the 754th session, on August 25, Seth gave an excellent dissertation on what he called “the stamp of identity” — explaining how the individual psychically marks certain exterior aspects of reality and “makes them his or her own,” in tune with personal inner symbols. Later in the session Jane felt that Seth was taking her on a guided tour of Jerusalem, way back in the first century A.D. None of this consisted of book work, though, so the session remains in our files along with other material that we hope to publish one day.

(Long pause.) Let us try another analogy: You are an artist in the throes of inspiration. There is before you a canvas, and you are working in all areas of it at once. In your terms each part of the canvas could be a time period — say, a given century. You are trying to keep some kind of overall balance and purpose in mind, so when you make one brushstroke in any particular portion of this canvas, all the relationships within the entire area can change. No brushstroke is ever really wiped out, however, in this mysterious canvas of our analogy, but remains, further altering all the relationships at its particular level.

If the artist paints a doorway, all of the sensed perspectives within it open, and add further dimensions of reality. Since this is our analogy, we can stretch it as far as we like — far further than any artist could stretch his canvas (leaning forward humorously). Therefore, there is no need to limit ourselves. The canvas itself can change size and shape as the artist works. The people in the artist’s painting are not simple representations either — to stare back at him with forever-fixed glassy eyes, or ostentatious smiles (again humorously), dressed in their best Sunday clothes. Instead, they can confront the artist and talk back. They can turn sideways in the painting and look at their companions, observe their environment, and even look out of the dimensions of the painting itself and question the artist.

(10:39. Seth did continue with personal material for both of us. Ordinarily he’d have ended the session after that. This evening, however, Jane felt so much energy that Seth returned for some more book dictation — the first time a session has worked out that way as far as I can remember.