“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Jane and I wondered whether Seth would mention the letter from Dr. Instream during this session, but he did not; just as he did not discuss my recent clairvoyant dream. See above, this page. As it happened Bill and Peggy Gallagher, who witnessed the first part of the 158th session, were again witnesses.

Nor do we want to rid him of one illness so quickly that he still feels a need for it, for in such a case he would indeed very promptly develop another. So, though he would wish that we go quickly, we shall go slowly, for the nature of his own reactions causes in some degree the necessity for the illness.

We have in the past discussed in full the manner in which physical matter is formed. We have also discussed the ego, and our friend would do well to read the sessions dealing with the ego, and the ego’s relationship to action. For one of the basic reasons for the difficulty lies in the fact that the ego of the present personality does strongly attempt to stand apart from action. It attempts to force action, and to fight action which it does not initiate.

There is an involvement that would seem, would seem, intense. The ego appears to be extremely intense, but to a large degree this is a deception, for the intenseness is caused by the attempt of the ego not to become involved with action, unless the ego can dominate action. There is no basic trust of the inner self. The personality does not basically recognize or trust the ability of the inner self, and this results in an intense inhibited fear.

This ego in particular, and many egos, consider that the self is the ego alone. The ego considers that therefore it must maintain stability and permanence. It therefore attempts to become rigid, because it considers itself the main representative of the self. It attempts to deny the inner emotions because the changeability of these emotions would seem to threaten its own permanence. It does not want to change. Therefore any seemingly small incident will tend to bring forth the explosion of these emotions quite against the ego’s inclination, precisely because the ego denies them so vehemently.

What the personality must be led to see is that any real permanence would indeed be the death of the ego and the personality. For as we know, the ego is not the same today, in your terms, as it was yesterday, nor yet as it will be tomorrow. That “I” continually changes.

I now suggest your break, and I do myself indeed enjoy your pleasant summer evening. I would like to make it plain here, however, that on a surface psychological level, the personality plunges into activity, and it is for the present this portion of the personality with whom we must deal. Nevertheless, beneath there is a denial of involvement, and a strong desire for permanency, both of which are repressed, and the stronger the efforts put forth by the ego to repress these tendencies, then these tendencies will explode with inadequate stimuli. There will be an overaction on the part of the ego to compensate for the refusal to accept involvement on deeper levels.

If the illness did not exist on so many layers, then indeed it would not be so tenacious.

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.

You still would have done the curing. But while the need is there something else would develop, and so we will show you the way out of the need. For the need is a sham.

I would suggest for the psychological time experiments, fifteen minutes to begin with, along the lines of the directions which Joseph has given. You will find here an intimacy with portions of yourself which you would tend to ignore, which the ego would tend to ignore. You will find indeed refreshment and release. I would suggest that the directions, Joseph, be more specific. You can do better than you have done.

(The four of us were discussing the loud voice effects when Seth came through again. The conversation had turned to holding a session at the Gallagher’s home in the country, where we would not be concerned with bothering neighbors, as I had been so acutely concerned during the 158th session. Jane resumed at 11:10.)

Joseph. I will not continue this session, as I understand your reasons for ending it. As I believe I suggested over a year ago, the present witnesses are most beneficial, and I would suggest on some evening when the time is available, that we take advantage of their help, and hold a session under circumstances that allow us both larger scope in terms of quality and in terms of time.

(As far back as the 63rd session, Seth had remarked upon the fact that Peg Gallagher would make an excellent witness, since she had well-developed subconscious abilities. See Volume 2.

(Jane’s voice had again begun to turn loud, and I wondered whether we would have more voice effects like those of the 158th session. She began to speak more rapidly, and upon occasion let her voice boom out. But these periods were brief, and were quite a bit short of the almost deafening volume she obtained in the 158th session. Strangely enough, her eyes remained closed for most of this closing delivery, opening but once or twice.)

I do however find myself hampered at times, and it is for this reason that I have made my suggestion. I will indeed now close with my heartiest best wishes to you all, and indeed I will endeavor to lower my voice, so that it cannot be said that we are not decorous. But we have been so serious of late, we have dealt with such serious and weighty matters, that I have not had time to make my personality known, or to speak with you as I would wish.

Because I am so sympathetic, I will then leave you as I found you, in peace and quiet, though indeed there are times, after the quiet of our sessions, when I would indeed speak with more spontaneity, for I have grown most fond of you both, and therefore I become more willing to display what I may call my more playful nature.

I am after all more than a fountain of information, forever seeping over with facts for your edification, and I would speak to you in more playful conversation, when and if the opportunity presents itself. And Joseph, oh dear Joseph, I would even now, but for your natural reticence, really speak out.