“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.

(I would now like to describe two effects, one of Jane’s and one of mine, that took place almost simultaneously some few minutes before the session began. In addition, my experience blended into another one after the session started — but more about that later.

(1. As we sat waiting for the session to begin, Jane told me that the face of Joseph, in my oil painting of Ruburt and Joseph,^* smiled down at her from its spot on the living room wall. When Jane became aware of the smiling effect she looked away from the painting, then quickly back at it. The effect was still there, she said; it lasted for perhaps two minutes, until just before session time at 9.

(Jane faced the painting as she sat in her Kennedy rocker, but my back was to it because of my position on the couch. During the several times I turned to look at it I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Jane told me that Joseph, representing my own entity, smiled broadly at her in a way the painting actually doesn’t. The expression in the eyes changed first, the smile spreading from them down to the mouth. The forehead didn’t move. It was as though the painting became abruptly alive, although the painted head of Ruburt did not change.

(Jane doesn’t particularly like the painting, and has never seen this change in it before.

(Tonight’s experience wasn’t that intense. I first realized its onset at about 8:50, and at once began to give myself suggestions to minimize it because I didn’t want to alarm Jane by delaying the session. At the same time Jane began to describe the smile she perceived in the painting; I could see the painting well enough when she asked me to check it, although my vision effect was still building. My suggestions were very beneficial, though, and by session time at 9:05 I realized that not only had my experience gone as “far” as it was going to go, but also that it was on the retreat. By 9:15 the last traces of it were gone and my vision was clear.

(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.)

(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….)

(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.)

(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:)

(With those words understanding came quickly, although the effects didn’t lift that easily. I made many errors talking to Jane, but the vocal difficulty never matched that of the spelling or writing. At first Jane was very concerned at my experiences before and during the session; she told me later that at this point she almost decided not to continue the session. She finally believed my reassurances, however, and realized that I was all right physically.

(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.

(Thus, I had experienced altered states of seeing, writing, spelling, and speaking this evening — all facets of course of my physical means of communication. Sitting in the glare of the brilliantly lit room, I described everything in detail to Jane, including the vision effects of earlier years. She wondered if my loss of communicative abilities was also related to my father’s senility and his own physical retreat. I didn’t know. I hadn’t experienced anything unusual involving him recently.

(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.)

(11:06. Jane’s pace had been considerably faster this time. In the last paragraph, I had a bit of difficulty spelling just two words. Resume more slowly at 11:20.)

(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.)

Now you acquiesced in our experiment earlier this evening, when Ruburt and you spoke at the [supper] table. Ruburt was telepathically aware of the arrangement, though not at a conscious level. The smiling portrait that Jane saw was your work in a way. Ruburt was aware of the arrangement for the demonstration, but was also somewhat alarmed at the particular way you would choose to interpret the experience. The smiling portrait was to reassure her — Jane now rather than Ruburt. You sent the reassurance. Ruburt picked it up from Joseph. Do you follow me?