“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(It had been a very windy night in late summer or early fall. We could tell there was a railroad nearby, but it was so dark we could see nothing. The trees thrashed over our heads, and Jane’s nervousness finally infected me. We ate a quick supper, then drove on. It was some hours before we could find another place to stop. We had our dog Mischa with us. Until otherwise noted, the answers came through the board.)

(“Where was that place of the wolves? I forget.”)

Forest, Denmark. (Pause.) Jane shouted but no one was near. Railroad reminded her of a river, very narrow, that ran nearby.

(“What was the name of that river?”)

(“Was Jane a male or female then?”)

(“In what year was she killed? Can you tell us?”)

Died last time when a small child. A boy, lived in England. Three brothers and two sisters. Died of diphtheria, 1871 (See page 59 where I wrote 1671. Did Jane say the two dates? Or my error re one of them—or both?) 9 years old. (Jane dictates:) Lived in the third house before the end of a dead-end lane. Died in a front upstairs bedroom. His present mother was a very jealous older sister. The doctor charged 3 shillings for his final call.

(“What was Dick’s name at that time?”

(Jane dictates:) Richard Grayson. Father’s name was Throckmorton. They had French relatives. The sister, who is your present mother, married one of the cousins and moved to France. She had many children. Many of her generation women were so wearied by drudgery in past lives that they wanted no children or responsibilities in this life, and may felt subconsciously cheated when children were born. She was drowned in a flood in another country, not France. Her fear and panic weighed her down.

(Jane dictates:) There was an afternoon in a small park when you were a boy, about eleven. You sat on a bench, eating ice cream piled into a cone. It was, I believe, in late summer or early fall. You thought you were alone. You had visited your father in his shop of machines of some sort. It was close to five, September 17th, but on a day when there was no school.

Another boy appeared, standing in the middle of the walk. You had not seen him approach, and took it for granted that he came by way of a walk that wound around a bandstand. He had jacks in his hand. You looked at each other and were about to speak. A squirrel ran up a nearby tree. You turned to watch, and you were going to point out the squirrel to the stranger, but when you turned around he was gone. You looked around and could see him nowhere. For a short time you wondered, and then the incident was forgotten. As a matter of fact, at that same time your brother Loren was looking out of your father’s shop, and he saw nothing.

(Break at 9:55. Giving this answer seemed to tire Jane considerably. She said that receiving the material direct instead of through the board was much more exhausting. At the same time she is definitely aware of a feeling of impatience on Seth’s part. The board, she states, is much too slow a medium to use at times; and even my writing, fast as it is, is sometimes too slow.

(Since Jane was tired, we decided to wind up this session with one more question. Resume at 10:00.

(“Seth, what was the significance of that episode for me?”

Personality fragment of your own. You were wishing for a friend to play with. You were jealous because your brother was staying so long with your father. Quite without knowing it, you materialized a personality fragment as playmate.

(We rested for perhaps ten minutes. Since Jane was so tired, we decided, again, to end the session. As we sat at the board Jane received the following:)