“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

If you became wealthy, you would then be in danger of losing your ability, since in your realm of expectation ability of this nature and wealth do not exist simultaneously. To protect your ability then, you would rigorously fight to retain your poverty.

Ruburt’s almost instant reaction following the G.I. notice was, here, excellent. The aggressive feeling, unharnessed, would have caused difficulties at the gallery, and even in your personal relationship. His seeking out of his friend, your landlady, was beneficial, since in harmless talk and chatter much aggressive energy was harmlessly constructed.

The almost immediate bustling about in the apartment was even better. He was already geared for action and physical activity. A temper tantrum, such as dish throwing, would have been more effective than no action, though not the best sort of solution.

(Break at 10:00. Jane was dissociated as usual. She said she now had the feeling that Seth would begin to discuss the affair of the house if we wanted him to. Talking it over, we decided to let Seth bring up the subject when he wanted to. So we asked no questions at break.

While many of your expectations are formed in childhood, no switch is really stuck in one position, and it is your prerogative to channel your emotional energy into whatever pattern for action you desire. It is extremely important, if difficult, to probe and to discover exactly what your present expectations are. Not your desires but your expectations, for you will only construct physically that environment which you believe capable of construction. It has been said that oftentimes men’s expectations are too high for their abilities, but indeed expectations form abilities; and if expectations were higher, so would abilities flourish.

These are all practical aspects concerning the construction of inner data into physical matter, and no more practical information could be given to you. I would suggest, Joseph, that you received the early idea that a true artist could not be wealthy. You knew subconsciously that you were an artist. The moment that you consciously realized you were an artist, you ceased the attempt to make good money, fearing it would rob you of your ability.

There is much leeway here. I would, if I may, suggest a reinforcement unfortunately in this sort of expectation. I would suggest on your part a rather illogical but perhaps understandable feeling of guilt, involving your father. I would suggest, indeed, that perhaps you hesitate as the first son, to be more financially solvent than your father is, and therefore in your own eyes symbolically shame him.

I would suggest also, if you will forgive me perhaps, a completely natural fear of incestuous relationship with your mother. Nothing would please her more than money, and you fear that if you made more money than your father, he would feel that you were doing this purposely, to take her away.

Now, what you would want to do with a seventy-two year old woman is beyond me. Forgive my humor, since the subject is serious. I couldn’t resist. But, all of these inner psychological realities color your expectations, just as Ruburt is entirely convinced that a writer of real merit cannot bear children.

With him, however, the reinforcements are so perilously intertwined that I will make no attempt to straighten this out. His framework of personality is now so bound to this nonexistent truth that it would be dangerous for me to tamper with it.

Now, Ruburt also has his fear of money. He fears that it will be taken away, and therefore is afraid of having it to begin with. This is a highly ridiculous notion, caused by an infantile interpretation of events in his grandfather’s life, and also by the fear that his mother would steal him blind of anything that he possesses.

Since this sort of expectation allies you both, you both should try to overcome it, since if one doesn’t there would be a troublesome, though not critical, discrepancy that could at least temporarily bother your relationship.

(End at 11:06. Jane said she was strongly dissociated. Seth, she said, let her smoke as much as she wanted to, merely so that it would be easier for him to keep her so well in tow.

Ruburt sensed during your third visit to the house the mood of the people surrounding it. You did also. If you had taken the house you would have moved in on the 13th, and it would have worked out very well, because your expectations would have then built it up.

I have tried to build your expectations. Before our sessions you would have been satisfied with less. You would have made an excellent go of this. I admit that I tried in some ways to influence you both; but without your acceptance, and practical acceptance, of this idea of owning property and house, and I do mean practical, signature on the dotted line acceptance, you would have gotten nowhere with your desire for a home of your own.

Nevertheless again, you would have made an excellent project of it; both of you changed your expectations, when faced by them in concrete terms. I will not go into this now. This is a short postscript only.