“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I would like to continue our discussion on matter. If you recall, we were entering into primary and secondary constructions.

There are of course many subdivisions here, and also other types of constructions. We will begin however with primary and secondary ones.

A primary construction is a psychic gestalt, formed into matter by a consciousness of itself. Such a primary construction is an attempt to create, in the world of matter, a replica of the inner psychic construction of the whole self.

Such a primary construction allows consciousness to operate, manipulate and be perceived in the world of matter. The physical construction of consciousness never is complete as far as fulfilling the inner purpose is involved; that is, consciousness can never fully construct itself in matter, and to do so would indeed imprison such a consciousness so that it could not escape the transient nature of matter itself.

Even a primary construction, therefore, is but a partial appearance of inner nature into matter. The term consciousness, as I am here using it, may need some explanation, although you should by now understand my meaning.

To use full consciousness would be most distracting in many instances. When I speak, therefore, of primary constructions in the physical field, other fields of course have their own primary constructions also, though they would not be composed of matter in your terms.

Secondary physical constructions are those created by a consciousness of its conception of other consciousnesses, from data received through telepathy and other means.

Consciousness therefore forms the primary construction about itself, not to protect itself from matter but in order to become allied with matter, the consciousness obviously being diffused through the whole physical construction.

It hovers about and within the construction. It is not imprisoned by the construction. The apparent imprisoning of consciousness within the primary construction is the result of ignorance, and also an inability that has arisen for various reasons.

Secondary constructions, being composed of atoms and molecules, contain generalized consciousness and innate capsule comprehension. They do not contain the unifying, integrating, organizing, personal direction of a whole self.

They do achieve value fulfillment, however, and within the limits set by their own abilities they also perform the duties of construction. This should be obvious. Here we run into something of which I have sometimes mentioned, concerning afterimages; since in actuality all constructions are simultaneous, realize that I use the term after for its simplicity to your way of thought.

These afterimages could be imagined as rippling outward from any primary construction. Theoretically there would be no end to these. They vary of course in intensity.

The intertwining of consciousness and matter is most intricate and highly complicated. In all cases consciousness is first, and it forms its physical constructions according to its abilities, first of all forming its own primary construction, and then branching outward, constructing secondary images of other consciousnesses with whom it comes in contact.

The cooperative aspects of consciousness construction forms the whole fabric of your material universe. A subdivision of primary construction can be called the distortive mirror construction, which would include of course the physical construction of another physical being in birth.

The distortions are so great that the attempt is foredoomed. It is, nevertheless, attempted, and is a necessary physical adjunct to constructions in your field. I have explained birth, at least briefly. The new human being is obviously not either the father or the mother, and yet is obviously a construction formed by each from physical matter belonging to each.

Yet the physical matter of the born infant contains none of the same physical matter which was received initially from the parents. The original matter has completely disappeared, to be replaced by other matter as the consciousness of the infant slowly constructs about itself its growing awareness of itself into physical matter.

The parents, therefore, give definite parts of their own physical matter to initiate the infant’s construction, and yet it is not this particular matter which grows.

In all instances, no particle of matter is the same in the so-called grown version, and the initial construction. Matter does not grow. I cannot make this too plain.

There is obviously something identical, and some continuity between the child and the adult, but it is not matter. Consciousness, according to its ability, projects itself into the physical plane, and through value fulfillment it constructs its image.

In your dealings with the physical universe and with other individuals, you have really made great gains. Your constructions have improved tremendously, and in line with your expectations. We will go into this in our next lesson, as the subject is vital.