“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

SESSION 36

(Tonight our first formal witness, Bill Macdonnel, was to attend a full session. Jane and I found ourselves anticipating the event with a good deal of interest. At 8:00 PM. Jane lay down for a rest, and gave herself positive suggestions concerning the session. Bill was due at 8:30.

(“Mark the mark; Mark has arrived.” At 8:50 this phrase came into Jane’s mind. She said she almost didn’t bother to tell me about it, that she wasn’t sure it was from Seth. She didn’t hear it clearly within as she ordinarily would if it was a message from Seth before a session was to begin. Her own thought was that it indicated Bill’s arrival sometime after the session had begun.

(At 9:00 PM Bill had not arrived. I for one was quite upset by this. Jane was not beginning the session, either. She did say, “I feel a great humorous sense of waiting that isn’t mine.” She said this concept hung above her. As the minutes passed she began to pace slowly back and forth. At 9:05 she began to dictate. Throughout the session her voice was a bit stronger than normal, her pace rather slow, her eyes dark as usual.)

First of all, such distortions will almost always occur either in the beginning of a session or toward the end, and distortions in the material itself will not as a rule occur in the middle of sessions.

For personality reasons neither of you would be happy, I’m afraid, were Ruburt to go into deep trances at my instigation during sessions. And you, Joseph, would be much less enthusiastic even than Ruburt. So we must simply work as we are and make the best of it for now.

As for the test I mentioned. If there is any doubt in the future, for one thing check the portion of the material in which the doubtful statement is made. If this occurs in the very beginning of a session or at the very end, then do not panic. I truly have never seen such panic in such an instance as I saw on your face, dear Joseph.

I realize that the distortions bother you more than they bother me. However, to be truthful I anticipated more distortions than we have been getting, and my cronies have been amazed, particularly since Ruburt is not in a deep trance. It was unfortunate that your friend did not arrive on time. It was this extra element of anticipation that kept Ruburt from the usual excellent state of dissociation in the beginning of the session.

(Jane and I had discussed this problem at supper time. Her explanation had sounded better than mine, and tallied closely with Seth’s presentation above. We had been hoping he would discuss it during the session.)

The ache was the physical and nervous construction of his subconscious irritation. I would like to make another note, and I believe I may have mentioned this. I know Ruburt at one time or another was aware of it. I have nothing against Ruburt’s reading of the material of course. I strongly suggest, however, that he does not in the future read the material on the night of a session. It only makes him apprehensive and nervous.

I do not mean that Ruburt should not read the material, but he should not read it immediately before a session. It overawes him. I do use much of his subconscious knowledge. I do draw upon the knowledge of his own inner ego. He is helping me very much as it is, but please, Ruburt, do not meddle. Tonight with your overhasty pronouncements on my part you meddled, however innocently.

Your intellect is a good one but we need more than your intellect in these sessions. You become intellectually involved when you read the material directly before sessions, and it could hamper the session itself. I leave your intellectual writing life alone, though you are free to use what you have learned, so kindly keep your sometimes meddling intellect out of the sessions themselves. Your intellect is a good one, again, but darling it is no match for mine.

Your intuitions, believe it or not, are almost a match for mine. When you are on my plane you’ll probably set earth’s skies thundering. You can pursue the material intellectually if you choose at other times; but not, please, just before a session, and please give your intuitions freedom during sessions.

You use abilities, and so does Joseph, that cannot be used effectively at this present stage simultaneously with outer egotistical intellectual judgments. I am just saying, don’t try to use both at once during sessions. And that was a mouthful.

Now, both of you have particularly strongly-developed latent abilities as far as the inner senses are concerned. Otherwise these sessions would not be possible. It is true that at the present time your abilities vary in direction, yet they complement each other in action and therefore in result.

I will close the session unless you have further questions.

I suggest that you either take a break or close the session, as you prefer.