“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Besides normal reasons (Jane dictates:) he was psychically inclined, at a time when Jane was young and herself close to a past life. She sensed his deep and personal inner awareness. It confused and haunted him, since his inarticulateness applied also to thoughts within himself. He felt strongly but could not explain. In his solitary nature he came close to being a mystic but he was unable to relate his personality as Joseph Burdo with the social world at large, or even to the other members of his family. There was a block, regrettably. He felt strongly his connection with the universe as a whole and with nature as he understood it. But to him nature did not include his fellow human beings. The solitariness that besieged him—because it did besiege him—is dangerous to any personality unless it comes after identification with the human race.

That is, in his feeling of unity with All That Is, he excluded other human beings, and on your plane it is necessary for the personality to relate to them. Only after such relation is isolation of that nature of benefit. Jane sensed her grandfather’s feeling of identification with the rest of nature however, and since she had not yet developed a strong ego personality as a young child she felt no sense of rejection as did, for example, the other members of the family. When he spoke of wind she felt like wind, as any child will unself-consciously identify with the elements.

He responded to his own attraction for her and was able to expand in her direction because she was not an adult. He was essentially childlike in one manner and yet he had little use for most people. Had he lived to see Jane mature the feeling between them might well have dissipated. (Joseph Burdo died in 1948 at the age of 68. Jane was 19.) He could not relate to another adult, and when in his eyes she joined the league of adulthood he would not have been able to retain his strong leaning toward her.

He never forgave his own children for growing up, nor did he forgive his wife for tending to earthly ways. Yet he related his own body, at least until the very end, very well with nature. He considered that he aged as a tree will age, but perversely he felt that others aged to spite him.

As far as the ink sketch is concerned, do not forget that while your man was imprisoned by his senses, in trying to reach beyond them in your physical universe your man could not perceive anything at all; and yet it is through these very earthy senses that he has a chance to glimpse beyond, or indeed realize that there is a beyond to glimpse.

(11:05 PM. Jane’s voice now was perfectly normal. As we laid the board aside she said, “He feels very affectionate tonight—I almost got a lump in my throat. He’s real sentimental. He’d go right on if we went back to the board, he’d go on for hours if we could stand it. He doesn’t want to quit.”

(Jane also said that Seth was quite pleased with the new voice, and that she now knows what he is thinking sometimes, even though he does not relay it to or through her as part of a message.

I am not some old fogy. Now and then old Frank Watts comes through simply because he is the latest independent materialization, and is used to taking things upon himself. I have not assimilated him completely but you can believe me, I intend to.

If ever your wife’s features change imperceptibly some night as we talk, I suggest you do not mention it till the end of the session. Ruburt makes a lovely woman, though he would have been horrified at the transformation.

(“Oh. We thought he was quite happy now.”)

I didn’t say he wasn’t happy, merely impulsive and in need of friendly reinforcement. Dying as a boy in his last life, the experience of adulthood is new to him this time. The transition into adulthood is easier for people who lived to adulthood the last time.

(We began talking in the living room. I mentioned being able to put myself in a dissociated state at the gallery when things got sticky, and said this saved lots of effort on my part. My voice seemed to get hoarse and husky as I spoke; I laughed and commented that I hoped Seth wasn’t going to start using my voice when he wanted to.

(My body was very light, weightless it appeared. I was conscious of no muscular weight or pressure at all. Particularly my shoulders were affected; my arms and hands felt like water or air. Rob told me to get up. He was beginning to feel worried. I could hardly rise from the chair, he had to help me to the couch. I didn’t feel physical enough to move.

(Jerry went alone and no matter why he did it — No reason is necessary. You didn’t care really. Anyhow. Fortiszimo Alleggro. The Notes are long overdue. Tell Mary so. She will want to know and it is important, Hannah.)