“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.

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.

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.

(After leaving the hospital, Miss C returned home, to live with a housekeeper. Miss C, preferring to be alone, finally let the housekeeper go a few weeks ago. She has been quite weak since the onset of her illness, and lately has looked weaker since doing everything for herself. Jane visits her rather often just to keep an eye on her. Miss C’s memory is very poor now, and evidently her energy is low also. She is extremely thin.