“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

SESSION 132

(This afternoon Jane and I met a friend of John Bradley’s, Mrs. Lorraine Shafer, Horseheads, NY. She borrowed a copy of the first 23 sessions.

(Jane spoke for the session while sitting down and with her eyes closed. Her voice was somewhat heavier throughout, her rate of delivery somewhat faster than usual.)

First of all, Ruburt may continue with his daily psychological time experiments. But these are to be carried on but once daily, and if he tries any other sort of experiment, such as he tried with the Father Trainor poetry session last week, then he is not to attempt his regular psychological time experiment for that day.

One half-hour a day is more than sufficient, considering these sessions. And also, I am at present against these fairly frequent sessions where, on the one hand, Ruburt pretends that he is merely resting; that is, he pretends to himself, but actually he is expanding his energies, and expending them just as quickly, for this amounts to more than one psychological time experiment daily.

You were quite correct, Joseph, in cautioning Ruburt against the poetry session the other evening. He knew this but was obstinate. It is not only a case of being obstinate, however. I have told you that it is extremely limiting to regard the ego as the complete self or personality, or to think that the ego makes up the entire identity.

I do not approve of a whole day being given over to the sort of experimentation carried on by Ruburt last week in the Father Trainor sessions. In one respect I do agree with Ruburt, in that any future experiments with friends would be of better advantage carried out using chairs at a table, and actually making as few suggestions as possible.

(A copy of Jane’s account of the Father Trainor affair will be found at the end of this session. This took place on February 11, Thursday, and parts of it are recorded. A shorter repetition, also recorded, was given for Judy and Lee Wright on the evening of February 12, Friday. It was this occasion to which I objected.

(It will be noted that in the 12th session, January 2,1964, Seth, without being asked by us, stated that he “knows” Jane’s old friend, Father Trainor. Father Trainor was an Irish Catholic priest who visited Jane and her ill mother regularly, for years, during Jane’s grade and high school days. He has been dead for some time. Jane has a photograph of him.

We now have a good deal of spontaneity and freedom within our sessions. A good deal, simply because we are working within a framework of discipline.

I am not saying that you should not talk about our sessions or allied subjects with friends, only that one night or sometimes two, of social discourse should certainly contain some more outward enjoyments. It would do Ruburt no harm either to resume his painting. His time as a rule is very busily engaged, and usually with mental work. It is all the more important therefore that his leisure have some outward aspect to it, and when possible of an active nature.

Surely you can have enjoyable evenings at home without experiments, though again at times these have their place. Our sessions themselves are always in a state of becoming. We hope to become more proficient. I do not want Ruburt to become overinvolved. I would prefer that he channels his new abilities mainly, though not exclusively, in our sessions.

As far as the sessions themselves are concerned in relation to Ruburt, your love and reinforcement are necessary; and on your part the atmosphere of confidence, which indeed you have always given him, this will allow him the greatest possible development of ability within the sessions, and of course will further the sessions themselves.

These suggestions are in the way of setting up checks and balances that will maintain you at your best levels. Now and then it seems that such a session as this is necessary.

Now, on session days Ruburt should rest one half-hour. I mean rest or sleep. You should both keep up your exercises. You diet has been good. I am trying to look at your situation from all angles while I am about it, to see if any other adjustments should be made.

These energies now will, I believe, go into our sessions, and into his own work. And some arrangements for physical outlets will help also.

My very best wishes to you both. We shall have an excellent session Wednesday, when I hope to finish up some of the material which we have been discussing, at least. Even I, through you, look forward to your springtime. If now and then you ever want an additional session, under most circumstances I will agree. I do not mean extra sessions for witnesses particularly, since these sessions are open to anyone who is sincerely interested. I simply mean that if you ever feel the desire for an additional session, I would comply.

(End at 10:37. Jane was well dissociated. Once in a while Jane and I have discussed extra sessions, but usually we do not have the time, particularly when other experiments like the one involving Father Trainor crop up. Occasionally we would like a session dealing with some specific problem, and may try this approach. Also one involving questions and answers.)

(It might be added that during the whole day’s experimentation Jane did not suffer from any voice fatigue, nor did she have any aftereffects the next day. She bore up as well as when she was conducting three-hour Seth sessions, although today’s experiment lasted something like five or six hours. I was afraid that she would overdo it however.)