“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(During sessions now, Jane sits in our rocker across from my writing table. She usually faces our big bay window. Beneath the window is a heater, covered by a metal window seat. At times this “seat” becomes too hot to touch. At times also, Jane sits with her feet propped up on this seat while dictating. Checking, she discovered that while in her usual position with her feet up, the burn coincided exactly with the edge of the seat. I had wondered at times about the seat becoming too hot, but had taken it for granted that Jane automatically lowered her feet when it became too warm. Evidently she had neglected to do so, at least once, yet had felt no pain. I would also remember had the session been interrupted by her. Both of us have speculated about whether she is less sensitive to pain while in her trance state.

Though we speak in definite terms of the inner self, the entity and the ego, neither the inner self, the entity or the ego are stationary and complete. We freeze them, so to speak, in order that we might hold them within our grasp, but we cannot, nor is there a time, as such, when they will be completed or finished.

It is the vitality of the universe, and all universes, which causes the electrical reality, and the vitality of the universe, composing everything that is, cannot be touched. It is touch, but touch not as it is conceived of in your terms. This vitality is the most immediate and intimate aspect that composes the camouflage appearance within all fields. And yet it is by far more than the camouflage.

It has many realities, forming all universes and all fields. It is indeed within you, as you are within it. It is not formless, but takes many forms. It is above all never static and never completed.

(Bill Macdonnel, who has witnessed several sessions, was at the door. He remained for the balance of the session. Jane had thought Seth would continue the interruption as our first break, but shortly she announced he wanted to continue. When she resumed her voice was abruptly quite a bit deeper and stronger, and it remained so for the balance of the session. Resume at 9:17.)

When I speak of the electrical universe, indeed this represents but one more facet of reality. But all of these universes are indeed one. You remember our discussion concerning density of intensities. Here is the secret, if you could but see it: Even though the electrical universe might seem to you far divorced from what you know, nevertheless you dwell within it. Your own emotions have an independent existence within it. And your own possibilities within it are unlimited. But even this is also a camouflage.

The difficult point here that we must always return to, is that beneath all camouflage exists that which has no need of camouflage, but simply is.

The gestalt patterns of which I have spoken is the basis here, and yet all members within such gestalts are themselves independent, possessing identity and separation even while they cooperate in a complicated pattern. It is arbitrary; that is, from your viewpoint you arbitrarily choose certain portions of reality and call them units, marking them off. But your divisions do not affect the nature of these gestalts, as my discussion speaks of separate universes without affecting the nature of any universe one whit.

No identities are blurred, but it makes no difference to the identities where you or mankind happens to draw a line, saying “Here we have A, and here we have B.”

A small frog for example may be more likely seen not as a frog isolated, but as one part of the pond in which he lives; and the pond part of the forest in which it lies; and the forest part of the earth; and the earth itself part of the universe, which is part of another universe.

Even my explanations to you involve a verbal dissection, which in itself distorts the very nature of the matter under examination. All our discussions concerning the electrical universe do not bring you closer to experience of it. You are in direct contact with it. But again, as you cannot hold your own breath, so you cannot hold that which is even more intimate, and which forms the very personality which attempts the examination.

And again, dreams are themselves never completed, but continue on whether or not your perception of them continues. For dreams also are gestalts. When you look into the mirror you see the camouflage image. You do not see the ego, though you know that it exists. But the idea, ego, is in itself an arbitrary unit chosen for particular reasons. It is not a thing. You have drawn lines, imaginary lines, and made an arbitrary boundary. This does not mean that the ego does not exist.

The ego then, is only part of a much larger self, but because consciously you do not perceive the whole self you arbitrarily make a unit from a truly indivisible identity, and call this the “I.” This designation, this classification, in no way affects the nature of that indivisible self. It merely affects your own conscious attitudes. You succeed in cutting off, in theory, one portion of the self from the whole self.