“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(At 8:30 tonight Jane and I discussed Seth’s progress on his book. Jane was somewhat concerned. She wasn’t reading the book now, but she realized Seth wasn’t following, literally, the outline he’d given for it before he began dictating it chapter by chapter. I told her I thought Seth was presenting it just as he wanted it done; she agreed that she might as well relax and just let it come out.

(There is more to follow; for as this experience waned it was replaced, or led into, an event of a different kind. This one was new to me, and most interesting. Subsequent notes, and Seth himself, explain what transpired as the session progressed. I’ll say here that the new effect involved the gradual loss of my ability first to spell, and then to write….

(Jane began to speak for Seth at quite a slow pace, in contrast to her faster rate of recent sessions. As the session began I had to make a little bit of an effort to see the page clearly in order to write.)

(“Good evening, Seth.”

(For the first time I conceded to myself that perhaps I ought to ask Seth to slow down, while realizing his pace was slow to begin with. I didn’t ask him what was happening. That worthy stared at me through Jane’s eyes without a sign that anything unusual might be taking place in the session….)

(9:28. The difficulty I had been experiencing with my spelling abruptly returned to an even greater degree. Along with the misspellings and the crossing out of words, I now had to worry about simply keeping up with Seth’s rather slow pace. For the first time I thought of asking for a break, yet I still wasn’t alarmed. I had trouble with the whole paragraph.)

(By now I was sitting tensely on the edge of our couch, bending over the notebook as it lay on the coffee table before me. This is a position I seldom use — perhaps I thought it would help me really grapple with this experience. I asked Seth to wait a minute.)

(In considerable surprise I asked Seth to wait once more. I missed a couple of sentences here, and very nearly gave up trying to take notes. I thought of one more try, however. Jane, as Seth, sat waiting rather noncommittally, eyes open.)

(9:35. Again I quickly fell way behind. When I found myself writing “ichstantale” for “extinguished,” I gave up and asked Seth for a break. It came at once. I was nonplussed. I was clearheaded but unable, literally, to continue taking notes. Still I wasn’t alarmed.

(When I started to explain to Jane why I had to stop, I discovered that on top of everything else I was having trouble speaking coherently. Seth then returned briefly, with a broad smile. From memory I recall his saying:)

(Seth suspended dictation on his book at my request, but during a brief interlude suggested that I have Jane turn on the rest of the lights in the room when she came out of trance. Then, I was to imagine my consciousness growing brighter and brighter, filling the room like light; I would find that all of my abilities would soon return. I wasn’t able to remember some subsequent information.

(Slowly I resumed work on my notes. I was most anxious that Seth explain all. And he was right: by 10:30 I was much better. I caught up on the notes finally and told Jane I was ready for the session to continue. Now we received the most interesting data of all — that pertaining to my curious lack of alarm at the events of the evening. Resume at a faster pace at 10:47.)

(10:55. This may be a tricky point, and it may not. Seth used the word “dimming.” Certainly some of my abilities for physical expression had withdrawn considerably, yet I had remained clearheaded and alert, and, out of habit, thoroughly occupied with trying to use them…. Nor had I become aware of any kind of heightened consciousness, or sudden telepathic or clairvoyant powers.

(According to Seth, the three of us were involved in Denmark in the 1600’s. I was a landowner, Jane was my son, and Seth was a spice merchant. See Chapter Twenty-two.)

(But Seth wasn’t through work on his book yet. The following material shows the relationship between my vision effects and the events in the session itself. It’s very interesting that I would choose tonight, of all nights, to try for visual data, although in recent days I’ve been inquiring mentally about subjects for my next oil painting. I haven’t said anything about this to Jane.)

(11:36 P.M. “Good night, Seth.” Again, I had minor trouble spelling a few words after the last break. That was all.)

^* For illustrations of this painting, see The Seth Material.