“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

This is the case as far as the idea of a closed system is concerned. All so-called closed systems are caused by a limiting of perception, a narrowing down of distinction, a subconscious agreement that the props are real, and that boundaries exist. Conversely, the boundaries do exist when they are thought to exist.

Mental energy, indeed, is an attribute of personality; but personality survives the physical frame as it existed before the physical frame, and indeed created the physical frame. You can see therefore how unimaginative and basically unworkable the idea of a closed system is.

A closed system as a concept is also closely intertwined and dependent upon the distortive idea of time as continuity, and the resultant cause and effect premise, which we have already considered earlier. One distortion leads to another. You will learn much more as we continue.

An idea, that cannot be scientifically observed in any of your laboratories, definitely exists. An idea is hardly a closed system, but the reality of an idea, its growth and potential, comes much closer to a description of the characteristics of the universe than any current theory.

An idea contains in itself an energy that you cannot presently distinguish or measure, an energy transformed into a form unperceived by the outer senses. There is no such thing, basically, as diminishing energy. This again is the result of a concept of a closed system.

The results when they are received will appear spontaneous. To say “I am weightless,” as Ruburt does, simply reinforces the idea of bulk, and should be discarded. Your vacation will help, and you should really be carefree and relax if possible as children do.

By avoiding distractions you have often, in your work, given it duration. You do not fear such a seeming loss of identity when it involves an immersion of self in idea. You should not fear it either in psychological time experiments.

While it does appear spontaneously, a good deal of conditioning and expectation is behind it, and your subconscious mind brings it forth. A somewhat similar loss of the props can also be achieved by partial immersion in an idea with which you are already familiar, as a stepping stone; and this is really what contemplation is.

The idea should be an abstract philosophical concept. This at least, can be done by initial conscious intent. Contemplation of an abstract nature often leads further into valid psychic experience. You may try this for a change of pace. There must always be a balance between necessary conditioning, ritual and habit, and spontaneity, freedom, and what we will call instantaneous psychic relaxations.