“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Adequate scientific proofs, such as science so surely needs, requires the enlargement of consciousness; not, my dear doctor, on my part, but on the part of science. There are some things that I can indeed do, and I will do what I can. Nevertheless the fact remains that I am indeed extending myself, and my dear doctor it is science which is not extending itself, and it is science that will not meet reality halfway.

I am as I told you an educator, and as such my main concern is with education, is with ideas. I want to tell you exactly what you want to know, and if you will hear me then to a large measure you will have to accept some of my terms, for I am quite willing to accept some of yours. Much of this has to do with your idea of the theory of suggestion. If you would read some of our material, it would then become obvious to you that mental suggestion is indeed the basis upon which all reality is founded.

Now. In the dream state it would be impossible for the dreamer to prove the existence of the familiar street outside of his familiar door. His attention is momentarily directed toward a different sort of reality. The ordinary trees outside of his window do not exist for him. It would be highly difficult to ask a man while he dreamed to prove the physical reality of the bed in which he slept, or the bedside table which was at his head, or to prove the existence of the wooden floor upon which the bed rested. Highly difficult indeed, for such objects do not exist for our dreamer.

Those who will not see, they will not see. I will do my best. However, such effects will appear in the middle of quite ordinary sessions. For again, only spontaneity will give us any results at all.

Therefore what proofs can you require? And in all honesty’s sake, what proofs do you think that they will require? What good will it do if through Ruburt I literally shout from the rooftops, and raise my voice, and shout that I am indeed who and what I say I am. What will this prove?

You are not so gullible, nor am I, to suppose that those who do not want to accept evidence will ever accept the strongest evidence imaginable. Those who will not see, will not see. And those who will not listen, they will not listen. You wanted a voice display, and so indeed shall you have it. And what indeed will such a display show? That Ruburt has lungs?

Now. I trust your integrity, and I am quite certain of my own. Between us, what do you think we can accomplish? We can accomplish much despite my sarcastic remarks, but it will not be easy and it will not be quick. You will indeed live many years yet, before we meet face to face. And when we do meet face to face then indeed, if you will most respectfully forgive me, there will be hell to pay.

For though we do have the same interests there are many areas in which we do not now agree. But I will see if I cannot bring you around; and if you will forgive me my dear doctor, this humility of yours is indeed overdone. There is nothing of what I have said that you do not understand, your comments to the contrary. You pretend with yourself. If you will forgive me, for I am speaking to you as one old crony to another, you are too sly to stand up straight and say who you are, and what you are, and accept the responsibility for your own abilities. You do not want the world mad at you.

I do not blame you. My own inclinations may not exactly be the same. You stand up well for yourself within certain limits, and then you become humble. Your abilities are much greater than this. Your achievements are much greater than this. You may interpret the following statement as you wish: however, this engagement is important to both of us. You know it and so do I. I say once more: I know with whom I am dealing, and by now you know with whom you are dealing.

I will now suggest that a break be taken, if you will bear with me once again; I look forward to the more friendly conversations which will occur between us in the future. For such formality indeed, and such mechanical limitations, do not allow me to achieve that friendly informal attitude that I would prefer, and I enjoy answering your questions, for in many ways you are indeed a man such as I was.

Ruburt and Joseph also to some extent, and for good reasons, hold back. I do not resent this. They find it difficult to imagine that they are dealing with a case which will be indeed well investigated.

There are many reasons why adequate proofs for immortality have not been received in the past. These reasons have to do, among other things, with the laboratory experiments and atmosphere, which do not allow for spontaneity.

They also have to do with the idiotic and gullible attitudes of those who have been involved with many notorious seance cases. For here we find self-deluded well-meaning nincompoops, ready and willing to accept any fraud, and cry hallelujah! (Much louder.)

What you have needed, and if you have the sense to perceive it, and I think you have, was a situation where both logic and intuitions were allowed full play. We will have much to do with each other, my dear doctor, and you know already that this case is one for which you have long waited.

Indeed, I should not be harsh, and I do not mean to be. This voice which I adopt forces a certain meaning upon me, through inflection, which sometimes is not intended. Ruburt, who cooperates with me so well, still is not certain that I am I. So indeed, how shall I blame others? I am hampered indeed, for whenever I speak in tones of ordinary conversation, then indeed I cause these poor people hours of notetaking. You may not know it, but you will help us out in these matters in the future.

I do not imagine that this information will save the world. It will take more than myself and twenty gods beside to handle that problem. I do however insist that in my not too humble way, I can do something to set you right. And by right and by you I do not refer to you, Doctor Instream, but to humanity at large. I do not pretend, either, to know definitely what is right and what is wrong for your universe.

I am also quite aware of the cruelty that would be involved if I led you on in this endeavor without due consideration. I can only tell you that I appreciate both your objectivity and your beliefs. I will do my best, my dear doctor, to satisfy you in both respects. You may call it chance. You may call it if you choose coincidence. You may name it in whatever way pleases you: nevertheless, it is because of my personal rapport with you that I will bother with any displays at all.

You must be aware that the next move is up to you. If you do not make a next move then neither of us is out a thing, and it will have been a most delightful encounter.

However I do not sincerely believe that such will be the case, and I can assure you that I am not one to dillydally. I am deeply aware of my responsibilities to Ruburt, through whom I speak, and I will endeavor to protect this personality from undue or unnecessary bother. But I will in all manners cooperate in any sincere effort that will add to the knowledge of the human [species] in general.

There is very much concerning the characteristics of the trance state which you do not yet understand, and I can help you here. Hypnotism may seem very strange. It involves no more, however, than a study of human personality, for it involves nothing more than a switching of focus. It is imperative, if we are to speak easily, that you read the material having to do with the specific ways in which the human individual creates physical matter on a subconscious basis.

Now. Because I have been called upon to give a voice display, so shall you see that I can do so. (Very loud and strong.) You will also find at the end of this session that Ruburt’s vocal chords are in no way fatigued; and I can so speak here for hours, nor would this bother Ruburt in the slightest degree. If such a display serves to convince you of my validity then so shall it be. I find it difficult to imagine that you need such childish play to convince you of that which you already know. (Loud and strong.)

Let it not be said that I do not cooperate; and before twenty psychologists, my dear friend, we shall be most willing to comply. But we have our conditions, and if your conditions shall be met (very loud here, to slowly subside) my dear friend, then so shall mine. (Loud again.) We will give and take. I shall not give and give. If you consider this display a childish one, then let me remind you that I consider your requests in the same manner.

If I sound theatrical, if I sound irascible, kindly remember that to make my point I work with disadvantages and distortions which would make you speechless. I do sincerely understand your true sympathy. As I said earlier I feel a rapport. Nevertheless I feel that I must indeed make my position clear.

([RB:] “This is Robert Butts. All right Jane, how do you feel?”

(The statue originated in the 12th century, and its name is not the same now as it was, Seth said. The statue represented the God of the Universe. There is some information on it in a book in the Elmira Library. The word Sense is involved here, Seth said according to my notes, although it may need translation. I do not remember why.

(The Seth endeavor is well worth our while. Seth said he would arrange things so that I spent no more time writing up the material than I do now. He also bellowed that he would one day speak in an auditorium filled with psychologists.

(In answer to a question of Bill Gallagher’s, Seth said Bill did well to refuse a promotion that would have necessitated his moving to Detroit. [Bill also works for the Elmira paper, in advertising.] Seth said that Bill was on the right track, that once he gets his physical problems straightened out, meaning his ulcer, he will be doing very well.