“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.

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.

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.

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.