“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

If you have already suggested that the table does not exist for him, he will never see the table. The table will not seem to exist. The table will not exist in actuality for this subject in the trance state. It ceases to have any meaning for him at all. Nor will he recall or remember any meaning for him that that table might once have had.

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.

Therefore it is not overplaying the point to say that all psychic phenomena is caused by suggestion. For my dear doctor, without suggestion, without automatic and continuous suggestion, no human being would breathe one breath. I am indeed happy to be able to speak to you in this manner. There are several points that I would like to cover this evening, for I have you here now, you see, where you cannot talk back to me.

I am interested in education. You, my dear doctor, are interested in visual aids. This is all right. We are in a very basic manner interested in the same matters. It occurs to me once more that I am speaking too swiftly for our notetakers, and I will once again endeavor to slow down. As far, incidentally, as automatic speech is concerned, let me say that there is nothing compulsive in Ruburt’s speaking. He allows me to speak indeed. I have his politeness to thank that he does not interrupt me, but his speaking is not compulsive in that he is so driven.

All right now. You may be interested to some degree, dear Doctor Instream, in the sort of personality through whom I speak. I wanted a personality who was at the same time both intelligent and intuitional. I wanted an ego which was well balanced, healthy and strong. Yet I also wanted a personality which would allow itself the spontaneity necessary, and the inner freedom, so that such communications could take place. A personality without basic stability would not serve my purposes, and a personality that was too rigid in its beliefs and abilities would not serve my purposes 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.

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?

(The massive voice effects continued from now on in greater or lesser degree; they will not all be listed. One will have to listen to the tape of this session to really achieve any idea of the voice range Jane displayed.)

And may I also say that if voice effects are necessary in order that you read my material, then my dear doctor voice effects galore shall you receive. (Very loud.) For I am above all things, once again, an educator, and as such like all educators I am sly, and you shall receive whatever effects you require in my good time. And you will therefore be intrigued enough to read the material which I have presented, and I will get my point across.

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.

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.

He knows well who I am, and I know who he is. All this studied reluctance on his part is a game, quite an amusing ruse. (Louder.) He knows I am who I say I am. Nor should Joseph’s part in this endeavor be forgotten. It is more complicated than you may suppose.

Now. I have trained Ruburt and taught Ruburt so that his valid clairvoyant experiences can be put on some sort of scientific basis. He keeps records, which will be invaluable. He is an intelligent and intuitional personality, and should be given credit. He is not however some demigod walking the face of the physical earth; and your word “medium” leaves much to be desired. Again I say as I have said before, all human beings are breathers, and in this respect all human beings are mediums.

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.

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.

(Break at 11:18. Jane was dissociated as usual, and was not displaying any undue fatigue from the long session. She remained standing until break, her eyes closed all the while. Her voice had been good, yet quieter than the really strong display of the earlier delivery, and I had been able to keep up in my notetaking. Peggy had no trouble either. Footage at 686, Mono One, Side Two.

All those here present may take a break, or end the session as they prefer. This will indeed be a most significant session.

I will then give my due respects to Doctor Instream, and also ask for his understanding as I make certain points quite emphatically, in order to make certain that they are made at all. We will, between us, come to an understanding; and those effects which he desires, in time can be given.

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.

(End at 11:45. Jane had been dissociated as usual. She remained standing in her accustomed spot until the end of the session. Her eyes had remained closed, her voice had been good all the way, with some very strong and vibrant passages. In my opinion these exceeded the loud passages in the 158th session. Jane had cleared her throat a few times toward the end of the session, but now displayed no strain, or unusual fatigue.

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

([Jane:] “All right already.” [Voice light and chipper.]

([BG:] “This is Bill Gallagher. I want to verify the fact that the 170th Seth session was held in my home on Holden Road, where it was witnessed by my wife and myself on July 19,1965, from 8:57 to 11:45. What you hear on these tapes has in fact occurred, and Jane was within view at all times; and I don’t know what else I can add, other than the fact that it was a very astounding presentation.”

([RB:] “This is Robert Butts again, speaking two days later on July 21st. I would like to add that the 170th session, which you have just heard, and which formally ended at 11:45 PM last Monday, July 19, resumed that night at midnight. It involved an informal exchange between Jane, Seth, Bill and Peggy Gallagher and myself, and lasted until about 1:30 AM. Our tape was almost exhausted and so it was not recorded. Seth also stated he did not care particularly to have it on tape, or have notes taken. During this exchange Seth was in an excellent good humor. I joked with him about the voice display, and he responded with another which was both stronger and longer-lasting than the one on tape here. Our ears rang, really, before it was over. And when it was over at last, and we were all weary, Seth, or Jane, was as capable as ever. Jane had no voice strain or fatigue that we could detect. Seth said he could continue until dawn, and I believe it quite possible. Jane just threw her head back and let the sound come out.”

(Although Seth said to forget about notes, I found myself making a few after a few minutes, out of habit. Peggy also made some, and what follows is taken from these two sources; nothing is included here that is not touched upon in the notes. Seth talked at a normal rate, and neither Peggy nor I made a serious effort to get it all down. Some of the material was a repeat, in a more informal way, of what Seth had said during the session itself. During this exchange it was obvious that Seth was enjoying himself immensely. More than once he referred to Bill Gallagher as his favorite Jesuit, and this is getting to be something of a standing joke between Bill and Seth.

(Referring again to the question of immortality, Seth said that all of us in the room knew what it was like to be old men, and that some of us had also been old women. He did not get more specific on this last point.