“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(We had indicated to Dr. Instream last week that we would record a session upon returning home, and ship him the tape for his own use. Jane and I had not used our recorder much lately, so we practiced with it last night, establishing proper distances from the microphone, and volume settings. The session was recorded with the Gallaghers as witnesses, at their home, and turned out well. There follows the little talk Jane gave on tape before the actual session began:

Though objects upon the table be dearly familiar to him, in his trance state he will not recall them. Any sentiment involved with the objects on the table, such sentiment will disappear and have no meaning. The ordinary state of consciousness is no different from that trance state. You have merely turned the focus of your attention into different realities. My attention, and my reality, is mainly focused in another direction.

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.

I shall of course take advantage of the opportunity, but then you will have time to speak to me at your leisure. There are many points to be considered, and these matters certainly cannot be covered in one evening such as this. I hinted at our last discussion that it is indeed within the ability of the human personality to become aware of other realities while still keeping contact with physical reality. Manipulation in the physical universe is of course a necessity, but there are ways by which the human individual can become aware of other quite valid realities, and still maintain balance and control within his own more usual field of activity.

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.

Therefore it is also highly difficult for me to prove my own existence to you, for you are not focused within my field of attention. You are focused within the physical universe. I will indeed go along with this endeavor. It is nevertheless a difficult one. I understand most thoroughly, my dear Doctor Instream; I know, again, with whom I am dealing. You, at this point in our acquaintanceship, have little to lose by being so kind to me, and so permissive and sympathetic in your attitude. I say this because we understand each other very well.

I realize only too well that reincarnation is a shady subject by far, most unpopular. I assure you however that in any discussion with your psychologists on this matter, I shall hold my own. Again, the attention, the energy of all human personalities, as a rule, are severely focused in one scope of reality only. They are indeed in a trance.

This is necessary. I have no qualms with this, but it is possible, and in this stage of your evolution it is necessary, that the human personality learn to become flexible, to change the focus of awareness so that other realities can be perceived. There are indeed as I have said, effects that I can show you, and I will. Effects that will at least be of some import; but you must remember the table in our analogy of the man in the trance state.

Again, if I stood clear as day in the middle of a meeting room, with twenty fine and sturdy, respectable fuddy-duddies, what would this prove? They would swear that they were under the effects of suggestion. I will, I will for my own amusement, give you in the future many—not one but many—clairvoyant effects. Again, for my own amusement.

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 myself have indeed long awaited some circumstances which we now can take advantage of for our own benefits. However, I am not mainly concerned with proving for you the fact of my own existence. (Strong voice.) Let us now be honest. Are you concerned with proving your existence to me? Hardly. You take it for granted that I am aware of your existence, and I assure you so I am. But neither am I concerned with proving my existence to you. I am however very interested in education. If I have to pull a few tricks out of the bag to get my ideas across, then so I shall.

You will not have the framework within which I exist. My existence is not dependent upon your recognition of it, any more than your existence is dependent upon my recognition of you. You will exist whether or not I admit that you are real. And so my dear friend, I shall exist whether or not you accept my reality.

I may not know what is right for it, but I certainly know what is wrong. What is wrong is your limited perception. What is wrong are the arbitrary limitations which you have set upon reality; and these limitations, while set by you, nevertheless operate as if they were absolute. I say again, if any small and simple treats of voice (louder again) will serve to make supposedly sane men stand up and listen (louder, strong, very strong; Jane’s head was thrown back as though to let the great voice out unimpeded) then so I will speak out in loud and hearty tones. (If possible, even stronger here. Then the voice began to soften. Jane displayed no strain or fatigue.)

I now suggest a break, out of due respect for our notetakers. And for our Jesuit here, who so studiously examines my every move and gesture, I am indeed quite flattered in my own way. You may all take a break, and I will then continue.

Your terms mean nothing. If I sound aggressive, you must indeed read between the lines. I have said often that I am not humble, in your terms. Yet in many ways I recognize only too well the limits of my own knowledge and potentialities. You know what I mean, my dear Dr. Instream, when I say that this case will give you what you want.

It would be unfair of me to back upon an elderly gentleman’s desire for immortality, and I would never stoop to such a practice. I was myself an elderly gentleman, and I understand too well the soul-searching aspects of such a reality. You may therefore be assured that I will not play on such human limitations. I will under all circumstances never take advantage in any such manner.

They are not humble where their own work is concerned, but they find it difficult to accept the possibility that they are involved in such a venture as this one. We have here merely a conglomeration of excellent circumstances, and we shall take advantage of them, Dr. Instream, you and I. Our purposes somewhat complement each other. (Loud, very loud and strong.)

You must also understand that I work to some extent within the human limitations of Ruburt’s own personality, and you have underestimated that personality. You have not underestimated my personality.

I am no secondary personality. There is no case of multiple personality here. What you have if you take advantage of it, is Ruburt’s personality, which with Joseph’s help is capable and willing to perceive more than one reality at once. You will not, my dear doctor, get a second chance in this endeavor.

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.

We must to some extent consider Ruburt’s own personality, and all protection that is possible should be given here. Doctor Instream can act in this behalf, and I will consider such actions as a gesture of his faith; though the word faith is not meant as any alternative to the word science, it is quite possible to have both.

(None of us asked questions that might lead to totally new, unfamiliar material that we might wish later was recorded. Bill wanted to ask Seth to comment on the God concept, but thought this was a complicated subject. He settled instead for a question pertaining to a large wooden Tibetan statue he and Peg had purchased in Ithaca, NY. To our surprise this subject developed a few complications of its own.

(Jane’s poetry and my paintings were good, and would achieve their own kind of immortality.