“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

As far as self and notself are concerned, the unit of self is organized, as you know, by the inner ego, which directs the whole energy field. The outer ego directs the manipulation of this gestalt in the physical universe. The outer ego is rather more tied to physical properties, and yet it can directly experience inner reality by a change of focus through aligning itself with the inner ego, focusing its energies with the inner rather than the outer senses. This is by far the most advantageous method of experiencing inner reality, because the outer ego is therefore consciously aware of what has been going on, and can use such knowledge in its own sphere.

When the inner ego and the outer ego pursue directly opposed viewpoints and different aims and goals, then you run into difficulty. In studying human personality and the psyche, your psychologists have not gone far, nor deeply enough. When a complete barrier, or nearly complete barrier, exists between the inner and outer egos, then the whole self is denied value fulfillment to a large degree. Such a division occurs at various times in history, and is occurring now.

The outer ego, under such advantageous circumstances, is more nearly able also to communicate its experience in the physical world to the inner self, and hereby to actually help enlarge the inner self, which then directly experiences stimulation and manipulations in a camouflage pattern which is otherwise denied to it.

The inner self obviously needs the outer ego with its outer senses, in order to permit its own materialization in various camouflage forms. This should not be underrated or forgotten. Without the outer core, the inner self could simply not add to its own value fulfillment through participation in energy-constructs (hyphen).

Each existence in any of many camouflage patterns trains and fulfills the inner self to develop the greatest possible fulfillment of its own qualities and characteristics. These inherent qualities and characteristics determine the planes upon which the inner self will exist, and on each plane a certain materialization is necessary. It will vary according to the properties of the plane.

It is true that the inner self in the last analysis is the durable self. Nevertheless the various outer egos are extremely important, and without them the inner self would be blocked. Nor are these inner abilities as a rule ever left unfulfilled. The outer egos are not gobbled up, so to speak, after a particular existence, but remain in control of those characteristics and abilities which they have been so important in forming and training.

The outer ego then remains at the end a controller and director of those strengths which it gathered about itself during its particular existence. But even this is not the end. It, that is it meaning the outer ego, can even continue growth and development after a particular existence, according to its inherent ability and according to its ability to communicate with the basic inner self.

This is extremely difficult, I should imagine. Nevertheless, even when an inner self has sent out a new outer ego upon a new camouflage venture, the previous ego is still afforded an almost unlimited avenue for development. There are many possibilities for it. It can choose to remain what it is, one ego. It will then remain in a somewhat subordinate position to the inner self, but in no more of a subordinate position than it was earlier.

Now if there is good communication between the self, that is the inner self and the outer ego, then the ego begins to understand what it is, and also to realize that it has greater capacities than it can realize by continued reincarnations, upon one plane.

It may choose to return to the same plane as a great originator, using knowledge that it receives from the inner self to make lasting and original innovations upon that plane, according to its interests, abilities and capacity. It will therefore become a Buddha, a Christ, a Michelangelo, a hero in one field or another, an ego who changes the physical world completely in untold manners by the mere fact of its existence.

It then does not reincarnate again upon that plane. However because of its own extraordinary nature, it itself forms with the inner self in an added gestalt, adding to the energy and ability of the inner self; and in a manner which I cannot yet explain to you, it voluntarily may give up its ego identification to a large degree for the purpose of giving its full energies to the store of the inner self.

The choice is always made by the particular ego, and we are speaking here of outer egos, remember. Many are content to continue indefinitely along the same plane, having almost endless incarnations and in contact more or less with the inner self.

Without the involvement, as contrast and as experience, then the self has no way on your plane to experience its own uniqueness. Commitment and involvement become the ingredients from which your own work will achieve genius. The synthesis is yours, and yet the self must be plunged into chaos even to find order, to find itself and to find a comprehension and understanding that will bring original insight and knowledge into your plane. And this original insight, original comprehension, are the requirements of an entity.

You see his failing here; see your own. He is good at telling you to expand, and yet he is so frightened of a self no longer undisciplined that he shrinks from using his abilities at the gallery, and this is reinforced by your fear of his doing so, or indeed of showing your own abilities to others. Expansion brings expansion. You cannot truly shrink in one field of endeavor without shrinking in all, particularly if you are creative.