“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I say this not to minimize your efforts so far, but only to give you a hint of how much is still to come. We will still be involved for a while in the discussion of matter, and the discussions will be very important from many viewpoints.

Form is not a characteristic of matter, despite appearances. Matter in itself does not possess durability. It is in itself therefore incapable of either growth or deterioration in your terms.

We may as well carry this further right now, in spite of certain dangers of misinterpretation that could, but I hope will not, result. Matter is, as you know, formed. Matter is the result of molecular composition. An object is composed of matter, this is true. Your outer senses then perceive the matter as particular, differentiated, separate objects.

The space between this couch and table is as filled with molecular structure as either the space taken up by the couch, or the space taken up by the table. The matter contained within the space taken up by the distance between them, is all the same. You simply have not constructed of the atoms and molecules any pattern which you call an object, and which you recognize.

This is not hedging the matter, if you will excuse a pun, and the subject will take much further study on your parts. You must act as if there were an objective universe. The world, or field, that you presently inhabit is real, definite on your level. The fact that its reality is only limited to your level, and does not extend to other fields, must not tempt you to discount it; and yet while you must behave in a large manner as if your universe were inherently and basically objective, you must still retain the knowledge that this apparent objectivity has great limits, even practically speaking; and a too-great dependence in a world of objectivity can lead to a psychic imprisonment which is unnecessary.

Study and practice with psychological time will show you the validity and strength of that inner self, so that you will clearly see that it is not completely bound to the so-called objective universe by any means. Matter is not an imprisoning form. It is a means by which consciousness expresses itself within the limits of the physical field.

It can be shown, and we will go into this, that form is not a characteristic of matter. You will have to look elsewhere for durability and form. Your cause and effect theory, again, is responsible here for many distortions, such as the idea that the matter of say, a flower, grows from matter of a seed directly. Such is not the case.

Matter in your field is undifferentiated by nature, so to speak, and it is the complicated human abilities that give it form and meaning. I have mentioned that expectation has much to do with individual constructions, and indeed this cannot be stressed too strongly.

The mechanisms involved in the actual construction of matter are all intertwined and closely connected. You give constructions their appearance of continuity by continually creating them in line with your expectations, based upon among other things, previous constructions in the apparent past; and these expectations are the result of psychic communication between yourselves and others, particularly from parents, who give the child his first conceptions of the environment which, indeed, his parents have created.

Since you construct objects, you can therefore construct them more to your convenience when you realize that matter can thusly be manipulated. There are of course different methods of construction suitable for various fields, and in some instances the same atoms and molecules can be utilized by inhabitants of more than one field.

Matter, atoms and molecules, represent but one aspect and one single dimension of a far greater reality. You can manipulate only the portion of this reality which you can perceive.

We are not going to have a long session this evening. I am certainly not giving you any summer vacation. Nevertheless I do go easy on you now and then, merely because I like to vary the intensities of our sessions, as this is a most effective teaching method, and various portions of subject matter cause different energy expenditures.

I always like to have much energy on your part as reserve. It is true that in almost all cases our winter sessions will be most intensive, for various reasons. The matter of this reality, of which you know so little, will be the basis for future discussions, and indeed your inner senses will aid you in the perception of some of its facets.

Energy constantly changes. Form is not a characteristic of energy, any more than it is a characteristic of matter. As a rule no form imposed upon energy can long endure. The form cannot long endure. The consciousness behind the form, that imposes the form, does endure; because while energy continually changes and does not retain imposed form, it is in itself conscious, and its consciousness endures.