“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Over the weekend I had devoted some time to trying to sort out the contradictory Frank Watts material given by FW in the first two sessions. I had meant to try this for some time, knowing part of it was contradictory, before asking Seth to straighten it out. Jane and I had been talking about trying to check out some of this material, since presumably records concerning Frank Watts would exist locally; and possibly people who knew him, other than Miss Callahan, and a co-worker of Jane’s at the gallery when the sessions began, Mrs. Borst, might be found who would help us verify any data Seth gave. [See Volume 1 of The Early Sessions.]

(Just before the session was due, Jane remarked that she hoped Seth would discuss the Frank Watts material, thus saving me the trouble of asking the question during the session. She had no idea beforehand of the material the session would cover. She began dictating on time in a voice a bit stronger than usual, at a fairly fast rate. Her pacing was also rather fast, her eyes dark as usual.)

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

I will indeed mention the Frank Watts material, and a few other matters that are at hand.

I am pleased to see this. I am also pleased to see the mark of personal confidence, as far as Ruburt is concerned, and your joint decision that he leave the gallery. I am fully aware, perhaps indeed surely more aware than either of you, of the dangers of distortion in this material.

As far as Ruburt’s personal subconscious mind is concerned, neither of you have to fear any material in it that might be, or present, dangerous, misguided, egocentric to the extreme, or darkly-inhibited phenomena.

I realize and understand that both of you rather suspect personal material when I give it. Even Ruburt believes it most possible that such material is somehow the result of his own personal subconscious conniving. Such is not the case.

I am not perfect. I am a personality, not a deity, all understanding and all just, and I am at times irascible. I do not mean to be unreasonable. You do not have to worry that I will deliver only personal material, but this material tonight is important as far as our relationship is concerned.

I am thinking of the long terms, and many subjects shall be covered throughout the years, with your cooperation. Now Ruburt, again, suspects strongly that my remark concerning my hope that this material be read throughout the world is the result of some inhibited egomania on his part. This is the result of your joint interpretation. I realize that the material is no new bible, believe me. It does, however, represent facts that are not generally known, and that should be communicated, regardless of their source. I see nothing grossly egocentric in this remark, and if you do not consider the material valid, then why spend so much time with it?

I will let you take your first break. And with this material as a preface I will begin with a brief explanation of the Frank Watts material.

(Break at 9:26. Jane was fully dissociated—far out, as she puts it. “Seth came through loud and clear.” In spite of this state, she did remember the material, especially the part about the material making its way around the world.

Now. The Seth material begins with the Seth material. Period.

I will now explain to you where the Watts material came from, its significance, and the reason for its distortions.

I did not want to go into this in the beginning. I did not want to impede your progress or hurt your sense of confidence. Again, as far as I am concerned, and I am Seth, the Seth material begins with the Seth material.

(Jane had suspected the above would be Seth’s answer, and had told me so over the weekend. This means that Seth first actually announced his presence, by name, on page 23 of the material and during the 4th session. However, the character of the answers we had been receiving for some little while before this point had been reached, had changed from the type of answer Frank Watts had been giving; I recall that even then we had wondered whether some other entity than Frank Watts had become involved.

Nevertheless, much of the Watts material was valid. The distortions, too numerous to mention here, were the result of inexperience, not only on Ruburt’s part, but also on the part of the personality who did live and was called Frank Watts.

Frank Watts was closer, and acted as an unconscious relay station on the one hand, while on the other hand his unconscious gave consent. The material which came through was extremely garbled, some distortions resulting from Ruburt’s inexperience, and some simply in translation.

The material partially was picked up or initiated by Ruburt on a subconscious level from Mrs. Borst, who was I believe at the gallery during that time. There was a Frank Watts. Mrs. Borst did know of him, and he did exist as an independent personality.

Because of Ruburt’s reaction I will not this evening. On another occasion I will slyly insert them in the middle of the material. They, or rather the Frank Watts material, must however be considered then separate from my material. My material is the material in which I use my name.

Now. He blocked some of that material. However the urgency was apparent; since it was given in a sudden unscheduled session that much came through. I knew he would leave in any case. I wanted him to leave before he was offered the position. It may not, the position may not really mean much to him, but its acceptance by him was taken as a sign of his willingness to accept conditions at the gallery, and his resignation will not be as understandable to those there as it would have been earlier.

His dream had nothing to do with me. This can be considered an incident, that is the unscheduled session and ensuing events, that should show you that our personal material does have validity.

The material dealing with the house was undistorted. I expected too much, and that is my fault. Notice, however, the difference in urgency given in the various suggestions. I know this is difficult to take. The fact is that had you moved, the traffic simply would not have bothered you, in your enjoyment of other features.

If you should not feel like acting immediately, neither should you take it for granted that there is not a definite need to act. It is because we are only beginning, and because Ruburt often blocks me, that my suggestions may seem so impractical. It is the concrete material he fears.

(“Good night, Seth.”

(End at 10:28. Jane was dissociated as usual. Both of us remember the dream of Jane’s that Seth discussed. It was a very vivid one, and quite unpleasant, and Jane told me about it as soon as she awoke. She also immediately wrote it down, in detail, in her dream notebook. She had the dream on the night of Sunday, August 30; and the next day she was given the assistant directorship at the gallery.)