“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I had an impulse to try to get back to my studio to get some paper and a pen; this was followed by another impulse—to forget about notes for a change, even though Jane was obviously about ready to give a session. I followed the latter course, since she seemed unconcerned about whether notes would be taken. Bill and I waited. Jane began dictation in a rather strong voice that was pitched somewhat lower than normal, and maintained it for the whole of the session. She remained seated throughout. As soon as she began to speak she closed her eyes, and to my continuing surprise she kept her eyes closed throughout the session, except for one brief instant that shall be mentioned later. There followed a rather strange procedure, for when Jane addressed either Bill or myself she kept her eyes closed but faced the pertinent one, and gestured in the correct direction also. After a while one tended to forget that her eyes were closed, since there was no evidence of confusion on her part. In addition, the closed eyes played a part in an interesting little development that will also be mentioned later.

(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.)

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.

Nor is it any accident that those certain people come to the sessions, the ones who did come, just as it is no accident that Philip's mother is also a bed-ridden arthritic, just as Ruburt’s mother is.

(I did not think to note the time the session ended, but certainly it was within half an hour. Jane said Seth knocked her out quickly, and that it was her deepest trance except for the self-induced one of January 10, 1964. See Volume 1, page 83. Yet as usual she could hear herself speaking, although she could not follow the sense of what she was saying, nor did she try to.

(Jane spoke with her eyes closed throughout except for one instance. Her cigarette had burned very short; stabbing her hand toward an ash tray on the coffee table, she struck it a glancing blow on the rim and knocked it aside. Her eyes popped open for an instant.

(The purpose of the gallery is to provide an outlet for painters, sculptors, and ceramacists to bring their work before the community. These artists will be welcome to arrange for one-and-two-man showings. Group shows will also be featured in the future. Interested area artists can contact Mr. Macdonnel between 1:00 and 3:00PM on Saturdays and Sundays at the gallery.

(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.