“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

You see, dear Joseph, the subconscious and the ego, of course, are both you. For simplicity’s sake I will speak of the ego and the subconscious, though they are actually one. The subconscious forms and projects the materializations of the ego as a tool to enable it to attain its goals. When these goals and talents are attributed to the ego alone they are so to speak decapitated.

In the cats’ deaths both cats inherited the peculiar illness, which was a virus, that killed them. In the case of the first cat, you were able to reinforce its strength and maintain its health for quite a while, and then you needed your energies for yourselves. The second cat barely enjoyed such reinforcement at all, and quickly succumbed.

(Jane had obtained both kittens from the janitor at the art gallery where she works. Both had the same mother although they came from successive litters.)

Animals, like people, sense when they are a burden, and the dog sensed that he was a burden, and also something of a nuisance. I would have preferred that you did not ask me this question, but since you did and since you both loved the dog, it deserves an answer.

For your ego Joseph the unspoken but strong advice you gave Jane, who was carried away in Elmira at the radio station, this advice was excellent and saved you both much pain. However, she heeded it, therefore it helped you both. Had you heeded hers in Miami or even later in Sayre, you would have saved yourself what really can only be called an agonizing blow. If you are not completely exhausted then take a break and I will continue. If you are way down by tonight’s lecture you may call it a day.

Joseph’s are closer at hand, and therefore it is necessary that you both learn the best way to handle that situation. Dissociation will help particularly in Ruburt’s case, since already it is being practiced and can be relied upon to some extent. It is also easier for Ruburt to practice dissociation since it is Joseph’s parents who are involved.

Loren is actually very much like your present mother, though the father’s characteristics are also represented. Both of the parents have strongly developed emotional personalities, distorted and actually shoved grotesquely out of shape. The three brothers reacted against this exaggerated, powerful and, in the case of the father, hidden emotionalism to varying degrees. Joseph picked up what seems to be the father’s discipline and orderliness, as did Loren. These seeming characteristics in the father’s case however are actually frozen emotionalism encased in compulsions.

Because the father freezes emotion in the ritual of fussy compulsion he is actually less dangerous in some ways and more dangerous in others, since the compulsive framework always threatens to explode. Again, dissociation is not only your best weapon but also your most helpful tool in helping both of your parents.