“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I did not have time to say it here, but when I did the sketch I had the feeling that there might be more than the one bed in the room. But these I could not see. I also had the thought that I’d probably made the room look too spacious for the times.)

These windows were not open however, except in periods of stifling heat which came seldom in England. This room was the front room and not as spacious as your sketch would make it appear. The mattress was straw but the bed itself was the best bed in the family, handed down from Throckmorton’s father. Throckmorton and his wife, Lessie, usually slept in it. It was given over to Dick because of his illness.

I may add here that they chose to renew this relationship, that is, free will operating in this case as in all others. There are always varieties of personal problems to be worked out, but the time, place and relationship is left to choice. For that matter, a personality can choose to ignore the problems completely, though this is at best a cowardly solution and simply holds the personality back. There is very much detail involved here. Needless to say, Throckmorton could have tried to make reparation to his daughter in a variety of ways, and not necessarily by being her husband.

The personality then changes course in midstream. Some, but not all, cases of insanity represent the personality’s inability to handle a particular problem, while at the same time it refuses to obey the orders from the inner senses to change course. On such occasions data from past lives rushes up or through the inner senses. The personality is no longer capable of shielding itself from this material when it goes beyond a certain point. That is, the personality is now working against itself.

I am never sure really if my analogies help matters or not, but here is another. If it will make things easier for you, you can think in terms of the entity and the brain and a mind.

The entity in this case would be compared to the mind. The brain would be more or less what it is, that is, the brain of the present personality existing on a camouflaged plane. As the brain gives orders and communicates messages to the various parts of the physical body, so would the mind or entity do in like manner. The mind would contain all data having to do with past existences and intertwining purposes, problems and relationships, but it would only give such data to the brain as was necessary for its present existence.

That is the analogy. In actuality the mind is but a portion of the entity which looks out for the personality on the camouflage plane. Your guardian angel legends and such refer to this part of the entity, which is the mind and which is attached to the present personality during this particular existence. The mind helps to keep the personality from going too far astray. I use the term personality to include the whole person. I use it to express the entirety manifested in physical form, in one life.

(In the light of what follows, this might seem to be an unfortunate question. But while taking Jane’s dictation, I have discovered that while concentrating on recording every word, it is easy to lose the sense of what one is putting down. I had, for instance, no clear recollection of what Seth had just said.)

(It was now 10:45. We asked John if he could come back later, explaining that we were doing some research on ESP for Jane’s book. John thanked us but said it would be too late and that he would see us next time. He said he believed in ESP. Both Jane and I were glad to see John, and later we discovered that both had the impulse to ask him to stay, but did not for fear the other would rather not. And of course Jane and I were wondering what effect, if any, the interruption would have on her ability to continue the session. But John no sooner closed the door upon leaving, than Jane resumed dictating.)

There are laws of a sort that govern these matters. But you can mark my words: In one way or another, all debts are paid. These so-called debts are actually challenges to the particular personalities involved. The word debt implies guilt, and such a connotation is not my intention.

The sense of original sin, however, which unfortunately has been made so much of, is undoubtedly in part an inner recognition of debts of this sort, hanging over the personality at birth. But again there is no guilt in the terms usually applied to that word.

If the observer was someone you both trusted, the fear of failure would not enter in so strongly. I tried to tell you both that your friend was welcome to stay, but could not get through the strong conscious static at your end.

No potentiality is ever ignored, but given full opportunity to use its abilities. Not only does such a potential depend upon inherent abilities, but also upon a facility to use energy and to gather it together in one field as a unit.

It is this ability which is ever a strong force on your plane, having to do with the building up of particular elements, atoms, neurons and so forth, into camouflage patterns. On your plane you must use this organizing ability to form the camouflage pattern. There are planes with much simpler camouflage patterns, and some inhabited by personalities too weak or limited in this ability, and others inhabited by personalities strong in this ability to use energy, but who no longer need to use it in such a camouflage pattern.

(It was 11:15. As usual Jane and I wanted to continue, but we were both so tired we decided against it. Jane then received this:)