“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The caution and ego strength behind such amusing episodes work to our benefit, however. He has used them well this time, to give himself added discipline, and this is all to the good. Without this ego elasticity, that is without the ability of the ego to assume control and to guide Ruburt back, immediately reassuming control, we would be in for much less peaceful sessions, and the quantity and quality of the overall material would suffer. I certainly would not want to get him angry at me, as I am so familiar with his explosive reactions.

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.

When the two are in balance and when there is communication between them, then the inner ego can directly communicate with the outer ego, bring to it the necessary enlightenments, and give it, that is give the outer ego the benefit of its own, the inner ego’s own, condensed comprehension and direct participation in the existence of the universe as a whole.

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).

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.

It will therefore return once more to the same plane with which it was familiar, where it will meet with new challenges, and develop new abilities that will, however, be of the same basic nature; that is, if we are speaking of your plane, the ego would have new experiences, develop new abilities, perhaps solve old problems, balance out deficiencies, but still be dealing with problems of manipulation and physical construction.

Most egos do indeed choose this course for a while. For that matter the requirements of your plane itself necessitate the fulfillment of certain developments such as those we have mentioned much earlier, having to do with the experience of a full childhood, motherhood, fatherhood, et cetera. These represent minimum requirements for your plane.

The ego may also have particular desires of its own along these lines. Now you will see what I am saying. In various reincarnations upon your plane, the ego that reincarnates is the same ego. The information of past lives is retained by that ego’s subconscious, for obvious reasons. But this information can be tapped.

Theoretically such an ego could continue reincarnating indefinitely in such a fashion, always growing and developing, but always dealing with problems of manipulation and physical construction of energy. This then represents one possibility for growth of any particular ego. There are other possibilities—

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.

If the ego is exceptional it may take one of two courses.

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.

That is one possibility. It is followed by egos who have actually worn out not this energy, which is tremendous, but their desires.

Other egos choose instead to become entities of their own, in which case this magnificent outer ego becomes in turn an inner ego, which then from its own unfulfilled desires, abilities and initiatives are formed new outer egos which once again seek fulfillment.

Such an outer ego turned inner ego, has only experienced existence then upon a particular plane. It is therefore filled with impatience as far as existence upon other planes are concerned; and therefore if it developed upon your plane initially, it will not choose to initiate anew there, but will choose other planes of activity.

It does therefore contain within it the knowledge of its experiences upon your plane, though such an entity can spring from any plane. This of course represents the most extraordinary possibility, and such an entity can, if it is so propelled by its own strength, exist upon a variety of planes, carrying along with it knowledge of all previous planes; and each of its outer egos have the same opportunities. This is important.

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.

Ruburt and myself were offshoots of the same entity, as I have mentioned. I will mention now that we have chosen the same paths. The difference in time is but a camouflage distortion. The entity was a particularly strong one, and many of its egos have made the decision to turn into entities.

There are certain requirements as you remember that must be met, upon your plane and upon others. Yet an ego, an outer ego, cannot choose to be an entity in any case until its comprehension attains a certain degree. And now, my dear patient Joseph, may I tell you also that you are part of that same entity; and this is one of the main reasons why I am able to communicate with you both.