“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

It does originate in the inner self that exists in your world, but is not of your world. The inner self-conscious ego as I have said—and this is for Philip’s edification—the inner self-conscious ego can be compared to another face, looking out upon a different world. And yet it is the driving personality and force in your world, and you use its energy as you construct your camouflage patterns.

The outer senses do not deal with direct perception of reality. The outer senses themselves are camouflage patterns, part of the necessary and essential physical body camouflage. They, the outer senses, are perceptors of camouflage patterns. They were developed on your level, to deal with your world. They are useless outside of your world. They are useless in themselves as far as enabling you to perceive inner reality. This is not their function.

I have mentioned earlier the peculiar problems of your scientists as with tools and instruments they attempt to reduce reality to their terms. Any instruments made on your plane are like your outer senses, constructed to perceive camouflage patterns. The instruments of the scientists, and the outer senses themselves, are camouflage patterns and cannot, and never will, dissect themselves.

Ideas and use of the inner senses can form a shaft of understanding through camouflage pattern, by which you will receive a dismally small burst of light; but even that is extremely important.

It involves experiencing a concept completely, to the extent of being a concept completely; and already I hear shouts of dissent. No, you do not leave what you are pleased to call yourself behind. You merely change what you are into a different pattern.

Concepts have what we will term for now electrical and chemical composition. Nothing exists in any universe or on any plane that does not have form of one sort or another. You may not be able to perceive the form but it always exists. Direct experience of a concept therefore involves the transformation of one pattern into another.

Philip, earlier, mentioned hypnosis. Existence on your plane or any other plane is merely self-hypnosis. As far as an analogy is concerned, this one is very nearly perfect. Your existence, and mine for that matter, on any particular level is predetermined by complete concentration or focus of inner selves upon the particular universe in question. And your camouflage patterns can most aptly be compared to the hallucinary effects created by the hypnotist upon his subject.

The manipulation of camouflage material depends to a large degree upon the outside ego’s confidence, and the outside ego’s confidence is only strong when it follows the inner ego’s pattern. You can for a while fake the sort of disbelieving belief required, but your ability to sell is based upon your own confidence as an integrated and principled personality. Practically you would find your ability minimized, and do you speak to me about practicality?

You are in no danger however as long as you pursue your present course, but you are in peril as soon as you change it. You will find that these loose predictions will come to pass. You understand that free will always operates, this being a foregone conclusion. I also am practical in my way. And speaking of practicality, you would find it most beneficial even in dealing with your precious camouflage patterns if you would develop the use of your inner senses.