“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(She began dictation on time in a voice somewhat stronger than usual; it became almost loud at times. She spoke at a rather slow rate however, with some pauses. Again she spoke without her glasses. Her eyes were dark, her pacing regular.)

Now. Conceivably at times during a social evening several glasses of wine, under certain conditions bringing him quite naturally to the same sort of state that he goes through and passes beyond in these sessions, could lead him to misinterpret his data, or get his signals crossed.

There must be an agreement on both of your parts or the session will suffer. Dissociation opens or makes available lines and possibilities of communication, but there is no necessity that they be used at any given time or instance.

I am aware of your resumed psychological time experiments.

The increased appearance of his ability creatively, as seen in his own writing, should be apparent to you Joseph, and is objectively apparent in the letters he has received. The increased focus of his abilities I predicted during an unscheduled session, if you recall. His short stories dating approximately from that time display a much increased facility and knowledge.

(See the unscheduled 82nd session. In this one Seth for the first time mentioned that Jane should work full time at her writing. This was August 27. By the end of September she had left the gallery where she had worked part time four years. This move was not dictated wholly by the Seth material, but certainly this played its part. Since leaving the gallery and buckling down to work, Jane had received many very favorable letters from publishers. Invariably they comment on the much improved quality of her work. This improvement has seemed to blossom like magic, and we feel that the time when Jane begins to sell her work regularly will soon arrive.)

(This, I can testify, is certainly true. In recent weeks alone, my work has improved remarkably; I am objective enough about it to be able to see this. In several recent paintings I have solved problems, almost effortlessly it seems, that I have been contending with for years. It may be coincidence that the studies are finally paying off, but it is also interesting that it should happen at this particular time. At times while working recently, I have had an almost magical ability to achieve whatever it was I wanted to do.)

(This was the first manifestation either of us had had of such a sign for many sessions. The 59th session furnishes an example of hand enlargement, which Seth labels as the attempt of the physical body to expand in rhythm with psychic, or inner, expansion. See the detailed measurement data in the 55th session also. As in the past, Jane’s sensation began to diminish as soon as the session ended; by the time I looked at her hand I could not see anything out of the ordinary.

(Seth’s remarks about the recorder point up the reason we do not use it to routinely record the sessions for later transcription. Not only would I sit through the session with Jane even though we were recording, but in doing the transcription I would have to expend an equal amount of time listening to the session again, plus the time necessary for typing, and starting and stopping many times.)

(The following is from Jane’s psychological time notebook. Her extraordinary experience of Wednesday is listed separately.

(The following are from my psy-time notebook:

(It is of considerable interest to me that since I have resumed the regular study of psychological time from October 27, practically all of my visions have involved people. Jane on the other hand had received visual data on many inanimate objects, particularly lights, light fixtures, door fixtures, etc.)

(Jane’s Account of Psychological Time Experience November 4, 1964. [Wednesday]

(I put in my usual morning writing hours 8:30 to 11:30 and then tried psychological time according to schedule, from then until noon. I set the alarm clock, lay down in the bedroom, closed my eyes and relaxed without giving myself any suggestions except that for complete relaxation. Was in good relaxed state but nothing was happening or anything. I said to myself, “Am I really going to make a good sale soon?” [meaning a book or story] and the words, “Evelyn’s grandmother,” sprang to mind. I figured that was meaningless and ignored it.

(Then I was angry because I had been frightened but was still cautious and didn’t want to get in over my head. Told myself then that I could travel anyplace safely and return safely but that I would go slowly; that I was safe and confident and would welcome such a valid experience. Feeling resumed of bed disappearing beneath my hands. Strong red color behind closed eyelids. Feeling of heat in head, shoulders, back of neck, and then cold in same places. Sense of expanded radius inside closed eyelids. Then felt as if legs, arms, belly...dissolved, I guess is the best description. Feeling of suspension but not of motion. Then the alarm rang, yet still I lay there, had some slight difficulty in opening eyes but did so. Even with eyes open feeling of being suspended continued. Felt some resistance [on chest?] against rising, but decided it was not wise to experiment beyond normal time limit, and got up.

(Left; started way home. By now, however, felt as if lightness rose through body, and this changed so that suddenly I felt as if lower part of body had dissolved completely, up to chest. No muscular knowledge of carrying bag with three quarts of milk, and book and cigarettes that I’d purchased at all. Suddenly worried; realized for the first time that I wasn’t in state of something like just plain extraordinary good humor or good health or ordinary but unusual exuberance. First, I was aware that I felt as if body had dissolved below chest; but then thought that it really might have. Went up curb on Church St.; beyond doubt it took no effort at all; the usual effort you feel in lifting feet for steps. Shoes bothered me though; they seemed heavy, holding me down. I know this is silly, but felt scared that if lower part of body was dissolved; and all that was left was chest and shoulder and head region, then I would just fall down; a chest, shoulders, and head on street. Didn’t think I was going to do this; but the image popped into my head. By this time, worried to some degree but still enjoying the delightful...suspension...looked from Walnut Street through yards, to my own windows that showed through trees. Noticed that it seemed that I was floating by...rather than walking. Afraid I might...leave body or something...unprotected in street. Got home. Told Rob. He made me drink coffee, had me sniff ammonia.

(Again, see my notes on pages 89-90, concerning Jane’s ecstasy. From some of her recent psy-time experiments I had thought she was close to achieving that state again. She had been giving herself suggestion lately, that she would be able to travel psychically, during her experiments. From the following session it will be seen that Jane was correct in thinking that the rushing-out sensation she felt, through the top of her head, was definitely an attempt at traveling.

(When she returned home her eyes were very clear, her skin color good, her pulse normal. Her hands also felt normal. Her manner was quite smiling and relaxed and at the same time surprised. I was not concerned particularly, except on the general score that in these experiments I prefer to make haste slowly. She had no trouble talking, although as she walked about at times I noticed a lilt to her step; at other times her knees would bend a little more than usual, as though her legs were rubbery; but to no great degree.

(The effects took some time to wear off. She first began to type up her copy on the experiment at about 2:30 PM, but appeared too relaxed to want to exert much effort in this direction. She had no trouble with coordination, [could type easily enough, etc.] as she had in the January episode, when she could not even use a pen effectively for a time. I felt that even at its height she understood the state she was in, and was not alarmed. She agreed with me that she had overdone it, however, and we spent some time discussing ways in which either of us could appreciate the first warning signals, and halt any experiment that involved too much, too fast.