“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Without carrying us into a long and lengthy session, it would be impossible for me to go into the complicated relationships involved in the psychic history of the personality whom I will here call Manuk, which is the male as he now sits before me. The solution of the problem is in his hands, and recognition on the part of the ego, which has not assimilated past knowledge, will do much to settle his condition.

I should warn you that I am indeed feeling rather humorous myself this evening, and we have been so besieged with weighty matters that I have not had the opportunity to express myself in the more sociable fashion that I would like. So I take this opportunity to give my greetings to you both, and I will now as promised let you take your break.

An aside here: the incident involving the woman had mainly to do—I suggest here, my esteemed Joseph, that perhaps you watch Ruburt’s features. And I would also like to mention the fact that indeed the woman in our gathering, Aniac, does indeed have abilities that are not being used, and possibilities for energy focus which she would do well to explore.

Were it not for the relationships between these two, then indeed the condition of the male would be more critical; and here we come to an interesting point.

While indeed I try to understand his ways, nevertheless I find it most difficult to understand on his part these mountains of self-doubt. I am hardly a portion of his personality. Were I a secondary personality of his, I would exhibit those characteristics that are inhibited in his personality, though I must admit I find it difficult to discover where he is inhibited. A less inhibited personality is difficult to find.

—potbellied Buddha image, nor indeed any manifestation of your conception of a ghostly spirit that drifts in out of the night. It is only your own ignorance, and if you will excuse me, the superstition of the multitudes, that would give you the idea that I am some ghost of a nether world.

Such a life reading would involve incidents from both past and present lives, including circumstances which, taken all in all, tended to bring about the illness. Such a malfunction is very seldom the result of circumstances that relate to one existence only, but you see they do involve—are you ready?

—for we find in all cases that creativity rises first in what you would term passive terms. The aggressive reaction is actually but the termination of a passive creativity. It is your confusion of terms, and the distortive nature of human understanding concerning sexual give-and-take, that makes you think that dependency is weakness. For in many cases dependency is a passivity that leads to creation.

I can hardly in one evening undo the distortive errors of a lifetime to date. It would be most advantageous if other sessions were held for the particular purpose of delving into the problem, but this session alone has already prepared the self to know the self, and here the personality will take strides forward. The condition will improve. Of this I am certain.

(We have always thought of the 33rd session as furnishing the most dramatic display of voice changes on Jane’s part, both in volume and a lower register. I would say that tonight’s session saw Jane surpass those voice effects as far as sheer power and staying ability went by some little margin; but I do not think her voice dropped as low. Nevertheless it was very vibrant and strong, and Jane now told us she felt no aftereffects, her cold notwithstanding. She said that before the Father Trainor demonstration she had been concerned about her voice being able to give a session tomorrow night, Monday, let alone tonight.

(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.

He has realized for a while that it would be possible for me now to speak while we—that is, he and I so cooperated that his eyes were open, and yet his trance was deep, much deeper than in our early sessions, where the exterior circumstances might appear the same.

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.

I regret that you must be so involved in your notetaking. This evening’s session, all in all, will be most beneficial to Ruburt, and I hope it will be beneficial to you. I must work along the lines of his development. This involves us in many circumstances that are necessary. I cannot get around him as far as his abilities are concerned. I will not push him. We would lose in the long run. The spontaneity of the whole night’s adventure, including the Father Trainor episode, was advantageous. He, Ruburt, is basically with me all the way, but he has Jane to contend with.

(To my genuine amazement, Jane’s voice became even more powerful. This was an escalation in volume that was based on strength, sheer power. There was no hint of strain involved as she produced this blast. I would not have been at all surprised to feel the ceiling vibrate over my head as she spoke the last sentence above.

—I could indeed give them to you so that there would be no doubt as to the origin of the voice involved. I could indeed, if I were so inclined, give you voice changes that would have the neighbors down upon your shoulders—

I would suggest because of the lateness of the hour, however, that you do not this evening request such signs.

You may if you prefer cut tomorrow’s session for this one, but I would suggest that you continue with the session as long as you can, for the benefits will more than make up for your discomfort.

I can indeed feel you quail at the volume of my voice (louder again), considering the ungodly hour (louder yet, really loud, blasting out with a smile, to soon quiet again), and so I will lower it. But I would like it understood that now, if I so chose, there would be no doubt (louder, very loud) as to my identity (and now also deeper) or my abilities.

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

With Ruburt’s consent however, and I have it, I could make such a blast of masculine voice that you would indeed be embarrassed when the neighbors complained (louder). It is to show my humorous consideration for your feelings that I do not so indulge (louder).

Therefore, though I sincerely regret, and with deep sympathy for your desires, I will here close our session—but only because I so sympathize with the lamentable weakness of your fingers. I have not been able to come through personally so well in quite a while; and if our situations were reversed I would not shut you off.

—I would be thankful to have them available.

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.

(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.)

I would not, Joseph, take advantage, either of the hour, which is later, nor of you, nor Ruburt’s willingness this evening, if I did not know that the action so involved would more than repay you. And the emotional qualities that we have achieved are also more important than you know.

(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.)