“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Now, to return to an earlier discussion. What you call suggestion is indeed expectation. You should understand by now how the physical image is constructed. This construction is from the inside out. The inner self attempts to construct a physical image in line with its own self-image. Any errors of construction have their origin not in the inner self, but in either the personal subconscious or in the ego.

It is this that allows the body its physical manifestation. It is this that allows for all change. It can be called on one level instinct, on other levels it is much more. When it operates at its most efficient level suggestion is indeed the inner affirmation. Without the ego we do not have what you call negative suggestions, for when action is left to itself it flows unimpeded, seeking its fulfillment along its numberless unimpeded ways.

Your own experiments in psychological time have allowed you, to some extent, to experience within yourselves such unimpeded action. You know now that the ego, because of its nature, attempts to set itself aside from action. It obviously cannot do so. The ego, being part of action, nevertheless affects the nature of action as seen in the various manifestations of the whole self.

The personal subconscious can be thought of as a threshold between the ego and the inner self; not only can glimmerings of the inner self be glimpsed through the subconscious, but also the diverse characteristics of the ego touch this personal subconscious. When the ego, therefore, becomes too overbearing it attempts to impede the flow of action. It cannot so impede action directly, for the very act of forming such impediments involves action. Nevertheless such impediments often set up actions that block the overall movement or direction of the action that composes the whole personality.

Recall here also the cooperation that exists between the smallest particles and the cells and organs. Each molecule has its own self-image, without which it could not exist as a physical construction. The subconscious has its own self- image, the ego has its own self-image. When action is allowed to flow unimpeded, the cooperation that is necessary to maintain the efficiency of the gestalt is maintained. It is most frequently the error of the ego, who upon many occasions attempts to deny its dependency upon this cooperation, that sets up impediments, and sets up countersuggestions that can be somewhat considered cancerous, in that if it had its way the ego would envelop all other aspects of the whole organism, and run riot.

Since suggestion is used constantly, and by every cell in your body, then it is not a question of whether or not you can use suggestion, but of how to use it more effectively. And this will involve a balanced personality, for in such a personality action will be allowed freedom of expression. The ego will gain and not lose in the process, but we will not have an autocratic and willful ego, but a reasonable and even disciplined ego that is aware of its position, aware of its own dependency, as well as of its own peculiar and unique perceptive apartness. For the apartness is dependent upon its being a part of the whole gestalt.

We find it most frequently that the ego impedes action by refusals. It attempts to maintain a stability that is indeed illusion. The emotions, as you know, are action. When they are allowed their mobility, then they free the personality from resistances. They actually allow for great stability, since their free expression makes it possible for action to be fulfilled in the manner most constructive for the system as a whole.

When the ego impedes such expression, then the emotions are translated into other actions, and can turn into impediments. It is only because the ego blocks freedom of the emotional expression, out of fear, that it appears to the ego that emotions are indeed fearful characteristics. Dammed up, they are indeed.

It is, again, the ego’s misguided attempt to stand apart to gain stability, that makes the ego react in such a manner. It fears loss of control and of discipline. But all appearances to the contrary, the emotions are natural controlling devices that in themselves aid discipline, since they allow for the spontaneous flow of energies outward. It is only when they are denied that they become explosive or dangerous to the personality. Then indeed they result in explosive barrages, ranting and shouting, organic and psychological illnesses, and of unfortunate manifestations.