“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Since it was getting late, any ESP experimentation this evening seemed improbable. We did discuss the feasibility of trying a “seance” of some kind, without doing anything about it. We were by now rather tired. We discussed the apparition Bill had seen in the bath doorway, described in the 68th session. This in turn led to Bill’s telling of some very vivid and upsetting dreams he had been having in recent days; in these dreams his bedroom had seemed to be peopled by apparitions or strangers, he said, entirely unfamiliar to him. From the recent material we had received on the dream world, I said it sounded as though Bill was in contact with other parts of his inner or whole self.

(Now as the discussion progressed the three of us sat in the living room around our coffee table, staring into the open bath door and exchanging half-joking remarks about apparitions. Bill then announced that he sensed the “feeling of a form” within the doorway, in the same manner detailed in the 68th session, except not to that degree. Jane and I could see nothing, as before.

(I would like to say here that recently Jane had remarked, several times, that she would feel better if she herself could see some physical evidence of psychic phenomena. She had not seen the apparition, nor of course had I, and she had not been able to see the change in her features, again described in the 68th session. Even though I reminded her that she was the prime mover in the sessions, she still expressed the wish to “see something” that would “prove” to her that the material was legitimate. We both remembered of course that long ago Seth had said in no uncertain terms that he was not in favor of demonstrations for demonstrations’ sake, and that he would not perform on call.

(Since the subject had been under discussion for some time by now, so that a certain mood or feeling might be said to have been engendered, Jane remarked that she could feel Seth “buzzing around.” This announcement did not mean much to us, and we paid little attention. Instead we tried to discern the form Bill said he could see in the doorway. We did not succeed.

I am not, as you know, particularly in favor of physical effects, but since Ruburt is such a well-known doubter I will go along. We will have to have our physical effects, effects that even he will not be able to deny.

Joseph is committed to these sessions. He believes. Ruburt is a doubter, from way back. He is intellectually intrigued but he is not yet emotionally committed. You, Joseph, make these sessions possible. Without you Ruburt would not let me come through. Without you Ruburt would never have held a single session.

Ruburt has been in search of discipline. He was always in search of the discipline he lacked. His intuitions were always very strong. Well, now he has his discipline, but it has been overdone. It has come to hamper the very strong intuitions, and it must be lessened. Spontaneity, inner spontaneity must be restored. He is now doing better with his psychological time experiments, and he must let this spontaneity expand into other aspects of his life. Ruburt must be fully committed to these sessions for them to accelerate in scope.

If he wants physical effects he shall have his physical effects. But I repeat, three at this time are necessary.

Mark, you need discipline, but it is discipline that you will acquire in living. And here let me say that Ruburt’s strong feelings are correct. Ruburt knows what he knows. You should move into your gallery as soon as possible. You will be asked to give shows of your paintings by two people whom you should refuse; you will be asked to give shows by other people, whose invitations you should accept. It will be up to you to use your inner knowledge, your intuitions, in determining which persons to refuse and which to accept.

(As Jane delivered the above material in quite an animated fashion, Bill picked up a piece of paper lying on the coffee table, and Jane’s pen. He made a quick sketch on the back of the already used paper and passed it to me. I saw that he had roughed out Jane’s features, stressing her closed eyes. I also saw that he had drawn, upon the closed upper eyelid, an iris, thus superimposing upon Jane’s closed eye an open one. I nodded to Bill to show that I understood that he was seeing an eye or eyes upon Jane’s closed lids.)

(Telling us about his recent dream and apparition experiences, Bill had mentioned that at times when his eyes were closed he was aware of the feeling of a white light, or glow, that varied in intensity at different times. Jane was interested in this description because it tallied with an effect she attains quite often in psychological time experiments—this feeling of a light within, even though the eyelids are squeezed tightly shut. At times Jane has seen images after the appearance of this inner light, but Bill has seen only the light. I have experienced this type of inner glow on a few isolated occasions, but have seen few images in this manner.)

If it is physical effects you want then I will go along. After all, I must please Ruburt to some extent, since without him I could not speak. The reason that his paintings upset him is that they reflect his inner knowledge, of which he is well aware. It is true that his poetry does also, and over the years he has come to take this for granted. But the paintings, especially the late ones which are so much improved over his earlier efforts, are new to him. And since he is still a doubter of the material, he sees this inner knowledge in a new light, and is upset.

Ruburt’s psychological time experience recently was correct, in that he will soon hear about a sale. I cannot tell you more about this now.

The physical side of these sessions is accepted by Joseph. He knows what he sees, but perhaps we can aid in our Ruburt’s commitment. He demands proof of the validity of this material, his psychological time experiences notwithstanding. He demands physical effects and then freezes up. He questions everything that happens in the sessions, and sometimes I think he believes none of it.

(Bill Macdonnel explained that the superimposed eyes he saw upon Jane’s closed lids had no pupils, but resembled instead eyes clouded by cataracts. He also said that whenever Jane spoke to me and gestured in my direction, the eye effect followed, yet I noticed nothing unusual in Jane’s features. For Bill this effect began when Seth first mentioned him in the session.

(Seth mentioned the physical effects often throughout the session, hence my repetition of this. He did not say anything, however, about what kind of effects he would produce. Jane spoke at a somewhat faster rate than usual, although had I been taking notes I believe I could have kept up for the most part.)

(Bill’s first sketch of the effect he saw on Jane’s closed eyes during the session.)

(Bill’s second sketch. “Exterior eye,” he wrote. “Her eyes are closed. White iris.”)

(After the session Bill finished for Jane and me the “press-release” kind of account about his gallery that he’d worked on while we talked before the session. This can be used for radio and newspaper publicity. He signs his paintings by his middle name, Cameron. Bill wrote:

(The Grand Opening exhibition will consist of a two-man show of sculpture by Harold Spaulding and Walter Buhr, two well-known Binghamton-area artists. Along with this Mr. Macdonnel will have on display some of his oils, watercolors, and graphics. Walter Buhr has had his work shown in numerous galleries in New York State as well as in Pennsylvania. He is starting a sculpture class as well as working at his own sculpturing. The media he works in range from terra cotta to bronze to wood. Harold Spaulding has exhibited at the Roberson Gallery in Binghamton, and has participated in a two-man show at Two Rivers Gallery in that city. He has had a one-man show at I.B.M. in Owego, New York. His art has also been exhibited at Arnot Art Gallery in Elmira in group shows, and in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

(Cameron Macdonnel is a graduate of the State University College of Education at Buffalo, New York, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. He has had his work exhibited in many galleries in Buffalo, including A.M.A.’s Gallery, J.N.’s Gallery, Encores Gallery, and Carl Briedmier’s Gallery. His work received favorable reviews in both the Buffalo Evening News by Trevor Thomas [well-known English art critic], and in the Buffalo Sun Bulletin by Larry Griffis.