“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The harder the ego attempts to hold down the emotions, the more explosively will they show themselves upon the least provocation, and the more the ego will attempt to hold them down, and the worse the ulcer becomes. This need not be.

One more point. The ulcer for example has reality upon many levels, and must be dealt with in a like manner, for it is not enough to handle it even from the viewpoint of the present ego; for indeed causes are involved of which the present ego must necessarily be mainly ignorant. The inner self however has at its command all these reasonings, and all these causes.

The very journey involved in self-discovery, the very self-questioning involved, is indeed part of the process of recovery. The energy being used in the maintenance of the ulcer will already begin to take new channels. The thoughts and anticipations of the personality have already begun to stray from the all-important ulcer to the causes behind it, for in this case, as in many others, we find a strange phenomenon.

However, we have among us this evening indeed a secondary personality, a strong and savage one. We have here this evening a secondary personality that attempts to rule the complete life of the personality of whom we have been speaking, and its name is ulcer. For where lies the difference? The personality literally lives its life about the existence of the ulcer. It is hardly worth it, for the personality must be led to see that it itself has created the ulcer, both psychologically and physically, in most actual terms, and that it itself can indeed cast it out.

The personality can survive well without the ulcer. If this sounds like a foolish statement it is not, for in many such cases the ulcer is so concentrated upon, and so much energy is used in its maintenance, and it is used as such a scapegoat, that the personality is loath to be rid of it.

It begins to travel down safe paths, and out of fear it continually enlarges the scope of limitations. In the particular personality’s case, perception becomes also limited, and rejections occur. In this as in many such cases foods are rejected. In many such cases the ego itself chooses to perceive only within those areas where it feels safe, and it rejects more and more any involvement that it can avoid. And now the ego has the self-created ulcer to blame, and it rejects many foods, for foods are symbolistic of involvement.

When I said earlier that the ulcer was not a part of you, like a leg or an arm, I meant this literally. Because you believe this literally, literally you have allowed the ulcer to become a part of your self-image, in the same manner that an arm or a leg is a part of a self-image. And it is this connection that we must, and we will, cut.

When you see that the ulcer does not belong to you in these terms, then indeed you will have no purpose in using your energies to maintain it. It is not part of your heritage. It is not part of the whole self; and now, we will see the purpose of the ego in all this is to protect what it considers the self, for the ego considers itself as the only self.

But in its overzealous behavior we find that it is instead threatening the self. Secondary personalities are caused by repressed emotions on a psychological basis that attempts to maintain an ascendancy. Your ulcer is indeed the same sort of growth, but on a physical and not on a psychological level.

The very involvement of the ego with the inner self will be of great benefit. Nothing would be gained if I told you now that the ego would allow the ulcer to vanish, for there would still be a definite need on your part to understand. And it is indeed the understanding itself which will allow you to let it vanish.

There is more that I will say along these lines, as you wish. You may again at your convenience end the session, or take a break. I am indeed fond of you both, and if I behave in my own fashion it is because my experience directs me, that solutions must come from within, for problems come from within. Very easily, through suggestion, I could cure, so it would seem, your ulcer.