“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

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.

What you consider your consciousness, or your self, or your thinking ego, represents of course only one portion of your entire consciousness, that part which you are using at this time. It is as if, for example, consciousness of any whole self were compared to a huge, and indeed almost infinite light, with the ability inherent in the light to focus in many directions; to be diffused, as if the light had many switches that would turn it to greater or lesser intensities and directions.

So the whole self turns various portions of its whole consciousness on or off, according to the field in which the whole self is endeavoring to make contact, manipulations, and according to the field in which he is endeavoring to project himself.

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.

As far as using all the powers of consciousness, this is strictly cultural, and has nothing to do with the inherent properties of either consciousness or matter.

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.

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.

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.

Growth is an erroneous conception that begins with the distortive idea of continuous physical matter, durable in time. And as you know instead, matter is the simultaneous expression of consciousness. Matter has little, really no, durability in itself, and is merely the instantaneous form taken by consciousness as it projects itself in the physical field.

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.

It must work according to its ability to do this. It must first get a foothold, so to speak; hence our seed. As the consciousness attains its foothold it projects more effectively. It dispenses with its atoms and molecules, or matter, almost instantaneously, as you know.

The form that consciousness takes in the field of matter is determined by its own strength and capacity. Consciousness forces its way into matter. You should see, then, that though you call a particular portion of grass one blade of grass, the matter that composes it is not static or permanent, and it is not a particular physical object growing, since the matter that composes it is neither static or permanent.

Again, there is absolutely no continuity in the matter that composes the seeds, and the matter that composes the grass. What you have instead is the value fulfillment of the consciousness behind matter, as it expands and expresses itself in various forms.

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.