“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

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.

Behind the shop was another room that served as a kitchen and, you might say, parlor. In any case it was the family’s social room. Behind this was a storeroom with earthen floor, and a shed. An imbecilic boy sometimes did errands for Throckmorton about the shop. He slept in the shed. Lessie had already had and lost 4 children. One actually lived to be 18 and was born when Lessie was very young. The others died in childbirth or in the first year. Throckmorton had wanted a son to carry on his shop. The child who died at 18 would have been such a boy, and Throckmorton never really recovered from the lad’s death. He died incidentally of pneumonia: took sick and died within three days.

They were drawn to each other because of those previous ties, and yet in that past life this daughter was extremely cruel, particularly in speech, to Throckmorton. Sensing of course the bitterness that he felt because she was not a boy—incidentally this is a strong subconscious motive—this caused her to bear him three sons to help allay his bitterness. She gave him these three sons as a gift or sacrifice; and when it seemed he would not accept them as such she turned against him, made too much of the sons to pay him back. The relative who is now your mother’s niece contributed to some degree to the unrest in the previous family as it existed in England. The young relative was very jealous of the older daughter for her position in the family, and for the dowry which was hers.

These questions are worked out by entities between lives, and each entity has many problems to consider. In your technological age such problems are easier to solve than in the past. That is, contemporaries even from different continents can meet in a simpler fashion. The basic problems are necessarily kept from the personality by the entity simply because so many psychological undercurrents would sweep the ego off its feet, and pull the rug of sanity from beneath it.

If your mother or father found continued life together completely unbearable, which incidentally they do not, then in all likelihood one of their entities would suggest through the inner senses that the relationship be discontinued. If the advice was not heeded, and as the situation grew worse, a danger point would arise beyond which the personalities could not safely continue their association.

After this point was passed, and all inner warnings went unheeded, then to one or another, little by little, or perhaps in flashes, clear pictures from the past would rush to the personality who was no longer strong enough to hold them back. Almost instantly the present ego of the personality concerned would set up countermeasures against what it would consider an invasion. The past’s inner data would be turned into delusions, fantasies and so forth.

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.

I made a remark, after sessions I’m afraid, to Ruburt one evening—I couldn’t resist—to the effect that you would both be better off if you would think in terms of your entities. Do not think of your entities as foreign alien individuals ready to gobble you up. Even though I speak jokingly of assimilating my poor Frank Watts, this is not the case at all.

(Jane received this remark on January 23, 1964, according to her notes, just as she was dropping off to sleep: “If you would identify yourself with your entity instead of with your present personality, you’d be a lot better off.” It woke her up and she immediately wrote it down.

(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.)

They married over the objection of her family. He actually had a small pharmacy which he ran himself, in Boston. On the side he sold whatever merchandise idiotic men and women would buy to secure lovers. Behind the respectable scenes such concern was high, and many a good churchgoer let ministers in the front door while they collected bottles supposedly filled to the brim with fleshy incentives in hidden back rooms.

I believe that you are far enough along so that you could work with an observer present, providing the observer was someone with whom you felt comfortable. This is as you wish. That is, it makes no difference to me. If Ruburt becomes uncomfortable, then of course you would not have a good session. Since I make no effort to control Ruburt in any way, I have no idea how he would react.

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.

Do you want to take a break? I mention this for Joseph, because his fingers seemed cramped. In any case I believe we will close tonight’s session. I am tempted to carry you further along the lines which we have just begun. However I do not feel it would be a good idea so late in the session. You will see that we have covered a good bit of material here. And I certainly hope I have set Joseph right as far as Frank is concerned.