“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.

(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.

We will not indeed at this time go into all the circumstances involved in the illness about which we have been questioned at this time. Nevertheless, we do here find a personality who has been, in this life, from an early age, involved in a most complicated network of emotional involvement, concerning both mother and father—and do I speak too quickly for you, Joseph?

I will here suggest a brief break, always being considerate of our Ruburt’s condition, and if you prefer I will continue for a short time.

(Break at 11:27. Jane was fully dissociated, having no memory of what she had said. Her voice had been strong and varied throughout the delivery; she had smiled much and used many gestures, half of the time sitting on the edge of her chair. At times her voice had boomed out.

It had to do with a circumstance. A school was involved, and I believe classmates. The woman’s ego will not recall the event at this time, though later it may. Classmates were involved, and a spitting cat that belonged in a house nearby the school.

(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.

(When she resumed dictating, she expressed another change of mood. This time she was very grim. Her voice boomed out; the loudness, the determined tone of displeasure persisted. She was again very energetic, gesturing often.

You both know, for I have told you time and time again, I am no misty—

I have better use for my time, and Ruburt certainly has better use for his own. From the beginning I was indeed grateful that Ruburt was not—

I will now suggest your break, and I will discuss to some greater degree data concerning your guests. And if I took time out for this discussion, it is indeed because for once I have grown impatient. For much of this on Ruburt’s part is indeed pretense—not conscious pretense, but pretense. He knows full well not only the importance of the sessions, personally, but he knows the far-reaching consequences of these sessions, and he is indeed quite able to deal with the consequences.

(Bill Gallagher’s ulcer was not bothering him. He said he felt fine, and that it was a most welcome situation. I had not observed any change in Jane’s features, the few times I had managed to take a look. Bill however remarked that he thought he had detected a change; he thought Jane’s lower jaw line had become more rounded, losing a little of its angularity. As it happened Bill could see Jane full-face from his position on the couch. I sat beside him and saw more of the left side of Jane’s face, and Peggy from her position was looking at the right side of Jane’s face. Peggy also thought she noticed some change.

It is obvious that the ulcers are at this time serving a purpose for the personality. The purpose must be uncovered. It will be beneficial if we give, if you will forgive the term, and if Ruburt will forgive the term, a life reading.

However, the personality does not seem at this time able to realize that this inhibited passivity is indeed the basis for all resultant aggressive behavior.

(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.

(Jane’s glasses were off as she looked at me, and she was also smoking. Her voice was very dry and quiet; at the time I thought this was because her cold was finally interfering with her voice, but events will show how wrong I was about this.

(I felt an immediate intimate involvement now that was quite new to me in the sessions. I would say this subjective feeling was enhanced because Jane was not actively pacing about as she used to with her eyes open, but sitting comfortably at table with me. I also knew that she was in a deeper trance. The direct stare of her eyes, very large, very dark, was at times disconcerting. This effect of course was heightened, now, because I began to feel that I noticed a change in her features.

Indeed I do occasionally, as you saw this evening, badger him, but for his own good; and we are closer this evening than we have been for some time. Closer, in fact, than we have ever been, and I am permitted here with Ruburt’s eyes quite open, to sit with you and chat.

There were changes in his features this evening, and I tried to tell you to watch for them, but your notetaking apparently left you little time.

I never want to take too much of his energy, and you are indeed a watchdog in this respect, as is right. Nevertheless, I felt that it was legitimate to take this extra time to speak with you, since there are few occasions when Ruburt’s psychic abilities and energies are sufficiently attuned so that we can work together in this manner.

There is what amounts at times to a wall that separates us, as far as emotion is concerned, and this is our Ruburt’s doing, though of course he does not do it deliberately. Again, the strength and indeed the stubbornness of his ego, made the sessions possible, for without it in the beginning there would have been difficulty in maintaining necessary stability.

When I badger him it is for shock value, for in that way I can get through to him. If I take so much of your time this evening, it is only because I know the effort on your part will result in beneficial aftermaths that will more than repay you for this weighty schedule.

(Break at 1:39 AM. Jane was well dissociated and did not remember any of the material. Her voice was practically a whisper now. When she stopped dictating her eyes closed, then blinked several times. When she looked at me again she was out of her trance.

You need not feel that you must rush, Joseph, for Ruburt, in taking our notes. There is an intimacy in tonight’s communications that has been rather unfortunately lacking. This in time will be remedied.

I have been with you this evening in a manner which has not been possible lately. We have been involved in variations of the trance state, while at the same time anxious to continue our material, so that the two ventures have been tied into one. It has taken me a while indeed before we could reach this point of more intimate communication.

(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.)

There is an emotional action, Joseph, in this session that is important; for our sessions deal with many layers, and I regret that this one layer is at most times neglected. I am endeavoring to give this evening’s session an emotional gestalt that will be an experience in itself, and in itself a lesson.

It is this impossibility of speaking in normal tones, in normal conversation with you, and indeed with Ruburt, that does annoy me at times. If you knew of our histories in detail, it would not surprise you, and there would be much more that you would understand.

(Actually time plays an important role here. To type up notes from a recording means I have to spend as much time, again, listening to a session. This expenditure is then increased each time I have to stop and rerun a section to pick up a missed word, or because the dialogue simply runs so rapidly, etc.

You still have simply no idea, Joseph, of the benefits that you and Ruburt receive through such communications. And unscheduled sessions are apt to be more important at times, in certain ways, than other sessions.

(Jane’s voice had been quiet for some time now, and it remained so as she resumed at 2:46, again with her eyes open.)