“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Since we had been taken by surprise by this development, we had made no plans to record the reading. I hesitated to interrupt, remembering Seth’s comments about the value of spontaneity. Jane’s eyes were open, but much darker and more luminous than usual. At times the almost deafening power of her voice, and its emotional content, were indeed thrilling. At the end of the reading Jane closed her eyes; when she opened them again she was out of the trance. She said she was subjectively aware of the gestures she executed with her left hand, yet she felt the hand was not really hers at the time. She felt that it was a fatter hand, belonging to a much heavier arm. Father Trainor, in the photograph we have of him, was a very heavyset man. Bill Gallagher felt that while she was reading Jane spoke with a brogue. Father Trainor was Irish.

(After this our conversation turned to what Seth might say about the origins of Bill Gallagher’s ulcer. The ulcer had bothered him all day while Peg and he attended a family gathering. Jane announced that she felt the rapport in our group was favorable, that Seth could hold a session now if we requested it. Not long after this she asked me to get my notebook. The session then began with Jane sitting in the same chair, facing us.

(Her eyes remained closed this time, but she was very active in her delivery, using many voice effects and gestures—the most active, I think, since she began to deliver material while sitting down and with her eyes closed. Jane said later that the presence of Bill and Peg seemed to give her extra psychic energy somehow; that she felt a greet freedom while giving the session that was most enjoyable. Seth has remarked in the past about the special value and character of unscheduled sessions.

(Jane’s voice was rather loud, and it was to become much louder. Seth expressed much amusement at the beginning of the session.)

(Seth/Jane was most amused.)

(Jane, smiling, leaned forward in her chair, eyes still closed, to question me solicitously. Actually, I was just about managing to keep up with her speed of dictation, but disliked interrupting to ask her to slow down since Seth was obviously in a rare mood—as witness his hopping, almost excitedly, from one topic to another. This manner was far different than our usual quiet, almost sedate sessions. Certainly Seth, or Jane, felt a keen enjoyment.

(Seth had also referred to Peggy Gallagher’s undeveloped psychic abilities in the 63rd session. This however is the first session Peg and Bill have witnessed.)

(During break the conversation turned to Jane’s feelings toward Seth, her ESP book, and related matters. Once again she expressed concern about the public’s reception of the material. I thought her attitude at times somewhat ambiguous. Jane made some statements about her reputation resting upon the validity of the material, etc.

(I had been trying to keep an eye on Jane’s features, but her speed of dictation kept me too busy for more than an occasional glance. I had noticed nothing striking, certainly, or out of the ordinary, since Seth requested that I watch her. Resume at 12:00.)

(Now, as if by way of punctuation, Seth/Jane’s voice really shouted out:)

(Once again Seth had been racing along, and I had asked him to wait.)

(Now Seth’s voice really boomed out, even louder than before.)

(Seth/Jane’s voice was loud and scathing.)

(I was quite pleased that in spite of the fast and furious pace of most of the session, my writing hand was holding up remarkably well. I didn’t know whether Seth was helping me out or not; he didn’t mention it in those terms, and unfortunately I neglected to ask.

(Once again I had to ask Seth to slow down.)

(“Good night, Seth.”

(End at 12:47 AM. Jane was again fully dissociated. It now took her a few seconds to open her eyes and keep them opened; they flickered several times first. Seth had been by far the most active yet since Jane had begun to speak while sitting down and with her eyes closed.

(This time I sat at our living room table in my old accustomed place. Jane began to speak from the rocker but had uttered only a few words when she got up and took a chair at the table with me. I saw that her eyes were now open, and very dark and luminous. She was staring right at me. It will be remembered that in the 157th session Jane had mentioned that she felt Seth might try to have her speak with her eyes open soon, and while in a deep trance. In that session also, Jane had felt very restless, perhaps presaging such a change.

(Actually I was getting tired. It was one of those situations in which it was easier to keep going, however, than to stop and then start again. My writing hand felt a kind of numb fatigue, and my eyes burned from cigarette smoke; but Seth/Jane, staring at me and smiling from so close by, seemed set and able to go on forever.)

(The strange thing here was that by now even I realized that Seth could do just what he said he could, that he still had not hit the top of his, or Jane’s, ability to produce a really stunning effect. I have no real way of measuring the magnitude of what I was hearing, beyond stating that it enveloped me completely. I not only felt that everyone in the apartment house could hear the voice, but that it was audible on the street. I am still surprised that no one banged on our door and asked for quiet.

(Since Seth was obviously having such a good time needling me, I very nearly yielded to temptation and told him to pull out all the stops as far as voice effects went. I was curious to see what he could really do, through Jane. But I didn’t have the nerve, considering the hour and other people.)

(Although I was tiring I was ready to go along with Seth’s request to keep going. I thought Jane looked good. She appeared to feel no fatigue particularly, and was greatly interested in questioning me about what I had seen and heard.

(My feelings of relief at the quieter voice were almost premature. Seth couldn’t resist a few more blasts when Jane resumed, and these are indicated. These bits were loud, but didn’t quite hit the previous peak. They always were accompanied by a smile and an implied dare that I egg him on. I didn’t. Resume at 2:25.)

(And I thought that if Seth really showed what he could do, cars would probably stop in the street outside; seriously.)

(I said this in spite of Seth/Jane’s exaggerated display of self-commiseration. I half-expected another voice blast, but it did not materialize.)

(I thought of recording this evening’s session earlier, as stated, but did not do so in the interests of spontaneity, a quality to which Seth attaches great value. To be ready to record an unscheduled session we would have to have the recorder set up and ready to go at a flick of a switch, constantly. To date our unscheduled sessions haven’t been that frequent by far, and there are actually few unusual effects to be noted.)

(Seth/Jane made this statement with a grin.)

(“Good night, Seth.”)

(It can also be noted that in the second half of the session Seth made no reference to my watching out for physical changes in Jane, as he had when Peggy and Bill Gallagher had been present. Bill and Peggy had seen changes. I observed my own set of changes later. It is my thought, at least at the moment, that Bill’s observations and my own would not coincide. This may be explained later.)