“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The cells and molecules, forming their psychic gestalt into a particular human physical structure, are separated from what you might call the outer environment, and yet they are also connected to the outer environment more than they are separated from it. It is the inner ego, and the inner vitality and the inner ego’s determination, along with the cooperation of all the cells that compose the physical body, that enables such a particular structure as the human body to exist as a separate construction, and to maintain the necessary sense of identity.

In actuality, since all atoms and molecules possess the potentiality to form in so many varieties, and since the atoms and molecules possess their own generalized consciousness, there is basically a strong inner cohesion and relationship between all cells and molecules, regardless of their patterned structural formation, and the human structure is connected to all other such psychio-physical constructions.

(At my request, Jane repeated the word psychio-physical for me. Again, Webster’s Unabridged for 1951 lists no such combination. Along with extral value, used by Seth in the last session, this makes two such recent instances of unfamiliar words.)

The important point here is that identity cohesion is projected upon the human physical structure from within, that is, from the inner ego by way of the inner senses. This of course includes the consciousness also, that is inherent in the separate molecules and atoms that compose the cells.

The physical structure alone is simply not divided from other structures in the manner which you perceive it to be through use of the outer senses. The outer senses are usually considered mainly as perceptive organs, enabling you to experience reality as it is. My dear friends, I have been waiting to tell you for some time that in a very true sense, the outer senses can be regarded as inhibitors.

(Break at 9:27. Jane was quite dissociated for a first delivery, she said. Seth came through well. When she is dissociated Jane said she does not worry about distortions in the material. She also realized that the bothersome kink had disappeared from her neck. The combination, psychio-physical was not familiar to her.

Chemically in particular, the dependence of the physical body and the self to the planetary environment is obvious. It is known to your scientists that the chemical relationship between the personal physical self, and the chemical environment of the not-self is intimately connected.

In the same manner that you are dependent upon, say, green plants for your very physical survival, so the interdependence and connections continue in all other fields. The physical construction of your universe, as I have said, is carried on by all life, not just human life. Each psychio-physical pattern of existence does its part in continuing the maintenance, and renewing construction, of the physical universe.

Man, staying within the core of his arbitrarily designated selfhood, can in truth be compared to early physical man, cowering within his cave. You have learned to venture forth into the physical universe. You have not learned to venture forth from an arbitrarily designated selfhood, into an extended environment that knows no space or time. Such a possibility, such a future development in no way involves a denial of self, a dissolving or sweeping away of self, an annihilation of self. Many cavemen doubtlessly feared for their personal survival when they ventured forth upon the earth in daylight.

I have mentioned that the individual cells and molecules, atoms and other basic structures, definitely gain in their formation into the gestalt of a more complicated structure, being able to participate in experiences and value fulfillments that would otherwise not be possible for them in their own simpler isolated form. This is of prime importance.

The self will truly utilize the atoms and molecules; the consciousness will travel by this method. The particular physical body will then be known for what it is: a cooperative psychic gestalt, a psychio-physical structure formed together by the inner ego, utilizing atoms and molecules that are in themselves living and conscious.

We will be deliberate for a moment to get this material through, since I know it is difficult for you. I want to make these points to lead up to the main one. Consciousness comes first, and forms the physical body in ways that I have described. Nevertheless there are no real boundaries that separate self from nonself.

Now. Space travel, when it occurs, will utilize expansion of self. Your idea of death is based upon your dependence upon the outer senses. You will learn that it is possible, through no physical act (and underline that, through no physical act), to relinquish the physical body, expand the self, using atoms and molecules as stepping stones to a given destination, and reforming the physical body at the other end.

In the beginning entry to your plane requires a simple energy unit, a sperm, a simple but potent capsule that contains all the future potentiality. After entry into your plane, the self or identity, the consciousness, without any physical act, can leave the physical body, expand, travel through the medium of atoms and molecules, and completely reassemble.

(Later, Jane told me that as she was delivering this material aloud, she also contained within another parallel channel of thought from Seth, as she often does. This time she was quite aware of Seth’s concern lest anyone, upon reading this section of the material, commit suicide in a misguided effort to prove that it is possible for the consciousness to get along without the physical body. Jane said that at times she is aware of as many as three separate, parallel streams of thought, at the same time as she is giving voice to one of them.)

This seems strange because you do not fully comprehend that the energy, the vitality that is individualized into consciousness forms the physical body; and once it appears on your plane it can leave the body and reassemble itself. It would represent no more in one way to the atoms and molecules through which it passed, than the wind that passes through the treetops.

Fear is all that holds you back. You will most probably work out a physical, technological way of making this possible, before you realize that you could have done it all along.

The consciousness, with its source in the inner universe, being not bound by time or space, is in a position to expand along the lines that I have mentioned. The physical body in a large degree is not. Do not mistake me. For practical purposes, theory aside, you could not maintain allegiance to your plane, live out a normal life span for example (and this is necessary) while separate from the physical body.

(Again, I became aware that my right hand felt enlarged; the feeling had subsided but now returned, and with an increased intensity. It was somewhat of a handicap in writing; the hand, having a different feeling as it held the pen, made me concentrate more on the simple physical act of putting the words down. And I saw Jane rubbing her hands together as she paced back and forth while dictating.)

Nevertheless, you can leave the physical body and reassemble it. I am sorry to say that if you have a bad gall bladder, the reassembled body will also have a bad gall bladder, since it is the consciousness who has caused the illness to begin with. Even if you leave the body momentarily you do not leave your problems behind, or at least you must come back to them.

I have promised to give you some material dealing with the method by which all species and all living things cooperate in maintaining and constantly renewing the physical construction of your universe, and you will see that some of tonight’s material should give you insights into this matter.

(I was now most interested in taking some measurements from both Jane and myself while our hands felt this way, as Bill Macdonnel had helped me do in the 47th session, when we found definite physical evidence of finger enlargement. Not being able to do this at the moment however, I did recall Seth’s very definite statements in the 49th session, page 63, concerning his most conservative attitude toward demonstrations.)

Now. Since the identity-consciousness is composed of the combined and cooperating generalized consciousness of all the body’s atoms and molecules, and the consciousness of the inner ego, these molecular consciousnesses that once or initially found expression in forming their physical construction, no longer do so; but are competent to do so again when the self-consciousness so demands.

The combined molecular consciousnesses, retaining identity, form a gestalt consciousness that is the ego, the outer ego, that is in turn utilized by the consciousness of the inner ego. The inner ego being unhampered by the laws of your plane, once having entered your plane at physical birth, can therefore leave the physical body and then reconstruct it.

Since the conscious ego is composed of the gestalt molecular consciousness, then when it leaves the physical body it takes the molecular consciousness with it, and this molecular consciousness is therefore present to aid in future construction. However, since you must deal with physical laws while dwelling upon the physical plane, you cannot dispense entirely with the physical constructions, but in such extensions of consciousness you must utilize other physical molecules and atoms.