“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The ego, as I have said before, is extremely important. It is however only a part of what you call yourself. Your artistic ability does not belong to your ego, dear Joseph, though I understand as I speak that anyone on your plane identifies himself with his ego, and when he says “I am,” he means he is his ego, or his ego is.

Nevertheless the two of you interact, and because Ruburt is strongly intuitional at times he is a help to you. And at other times Ruburt senses your state of mind even before it materializes, and this sends Ruburt into an overanxious state which is not beneficial to either of you.

As far as smoking is concerned, dear Ruburt, I don’t want to break your heart. However you will find yourself dispensing with the habit in the very near future. I am amazed that Joseph smoked as long as he did. This was after all an uncharacteristic excess for him this time.

I would suggest also, though I don’t mean to be presumptuous, that you ask Mr. Clauss over, where he can get a good look at your paintings. He may not be Santa Claus, but it will do no harm.

Your dog’s illness was incipient. You could not have maintained his health for many long years in any case. I would like to make clear, of course, that animals certainly do have energy to maintain their own health, but this is strongly reinforced as a rule by the vitality of human beings to whom the animals are emotionally attached. The fact is, you were not able to give your dog that added emotional vitality at a time when he needed it most. There is no need to blame yourselves. It was beyond your control.

(Our dog Mischa was 11 years old when he died of kidney failure.)

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.

I would suggest therefore that Ruburt determine your relationship with Joseph’s parents for now until Joseph catches up so to speak. Joseph’s mother is particularly difficult to handle since it is against her emotionalism that Joseph first rebelled. He is in a difficult position now.

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.

I notice it is after midnight and suggest you close. You will find that on certain evenings because of the state of your mind I will continue this material, and eventually get into Ruburt’s for he won’t escape for long.