“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I would like here to discuss a fact about which we have spoken briefly in the past; that is, that the inner world cannot be examined with the outer senses, that indeed the main purpose of the outer senses is the interpretation of the outer or camouflage existence.

The outer senses as you know are themselves camouflage constructions, specific tools formed for a specific reason to manipulate camouflage reality. They are not equipped to handle other realities, nor should they be expected to do so.

They were adapted to meet a specific situation in which the inner self found it must operate, and it therefore took unto itself the adoption of these specific constructions. Therefore since dreams are manifestations of inner reality, they cannot be interpreted or investigated with any success through the use of the outer senses.

They must be interpreted instead through the use of those inner senses of which I have spoken, for these are the basic tools of the inner self. I realize that it is frowned upon to speak in terms of a limited intellect, which cannot understand a whole reality because of a built-in deficiency; nevertheless while it is true that the intellect by itself cannot grasp or comprehend inner reality, this should not be thought of as a deficiency inherent in intellect.

A study or investigation of inner reality was not the purpose of the intellect. The intellect, again, was also and is a means by which the inner self relates itself to the camouflage physical universe which it has itself constructed.

Dreams therefore cannot adequately be understood or probed into on an intellectual level. The results of another kind of investigation may be given to the intellect, which may then be able to register the facts involved, but only with some difficulty since the intellect is bound and determined to study facts in the light of so-called cause and effect, which appears so logical to the intellect, since it deals so often with appearances registered by the outer senses, then trying to interpret them into some kind of order.

Now. The tendency exists to suppose that any true evidence or proof of validity depends upon those effects that can be perceived through the outer senses. This tendency exists simply because you are unfamiliar with other types of validity, whose impact is every bit as real; so real in fact that once such proof has shown itself, even the intellect must be influenced and agree to a validity which it must admit it cannot understand.

Hypnosis is one method of examining dreams. Our method is perhaps the best one. The inner self constantly changes its focus. I have said that consciousness is merely the direction in which the inner self focuses at any particular time. In order to examine the reality of dreams it is necessary to change the focus of the inner self to those directions in which the inner self moves, when the ego does not limit its scope to camouflage reality only.

Now during the dream drama the inner self may focus at various, or at one of various subconscious areas which it uses as a point of departure. This area, whichever one it may be, will be the one in which the main dream sequence originates and in which the dream activity occurs.

A state of dissociation is necessary, a letting down of egotistical barriers in order that inner symbolisms can be appreciated and distinguished. The change of focus alone will aid in intuitional enlightenment, and association can then rise more easily through the subconscious areas.

Now we come to a dream that originated on quite a different subconscious area, and that did include a certain clairvoyant knowledge. It gave you inner warning to prepare for last Sunday’s very real occurrence, in which you did indeed to some extent sit in judgement. There was necessarily of course distortion, and rather tricky distortion at that.

Your mother sat in the dream before a higher bar, symbolizing your own inner conviction, based on early rather puritanical bases, that your mother and her actions should be judged, and a child’s natural but unfortunate vindictiveness: “She who has hurt me, particularly if my mother and a female, shall meet justice.” You have her in the dream before the bar of justice.

The dream represented a correlation of past, present and future, a knowledge that Ruburt was indeed an artist in a distant life, that he has strong abilities in that direction now; and it represents your inner realization of the type of painting he can ultimately produce in this life if he utilizes the ability. Your surprise in the dream represents your feeling that he is not using the ability. Therefore the quality of the painting in the dream amazed you.