“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

It does mean that action is turned into channels that are not to the best interests of the whole personality. The energies appear concentrated and turn inward, affecting the whole system. They represent offshoots, again not necessarily detrimental in themselves, but only when viewed from the standpoint of the other actions that form the personality framework.

However, a certain portion of the energy practically available to it is therefore spent in the maintenance of this impeding action. It is obvious therefore that less energy is available to the personality for actions more beneficial to the personality system as a whole.

It is, momentarily, literally accepted by the personality as a part of the self, and here lies its danger. It is not just symbolically accepted, and I am not speaking in symbolic terms. The impeding action, as seen in an illness for example, is quite literally accepted by the personality structure, and by all corresponding systems, as a portion of the self. Once this occurs, a conflict instantly develops. The self does not want to give up a portion of itself, even while that portion may be painful or disadvantageous. There are many psychological reasons behind such a psychological truth.

The peculiar nature of the impeding action or illness has much to do with its persistence. The whole focus of the personality can shift from constructive areas to a concentration of main energies in the area of the impeding action or illness. In such a case the illness actually represents a new unifying system. Now, if the old unifying system of the personality has broken down, the illness, serving as a makeshift, temporary emergency measure, may hold the integrity of the personality intact until a new constructive unifying principle replaces the original.

Indeed, oftentimes they serve to preserve the integrity of the whole psychological system, and to point out the existence of inner problems. Often they serve temporary functions, leading the personality from other more severe areas of difficulty. I am not here saying that all illness is good. I am saying that illness is a portion of the action of which any personality is composed, and therefore it is purposeful, and cannot be considered as an alien force that attacks the personality from without.