“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(“The recorder is operated by my husband. It is a Sears Silvertone. The Tone and Volume One controls are set as far to the left as possible during recording. The Volume Two control has been set at 4, and unless otherwise noted this setting will not be changed for the rest of the evening, whether I am speaking as Seth or myself. I am sitting between five and six feet from the microphone, and will keep this position throughout the session. The entire recording is being made on Monaural One, Side One and Side Two.

I will address my remarks this evening to Dr. Instream, with whom I am at least now somewhat acquainted. I will speak fairly slowly, since Ruburt is taking his time in order that Joseph may take his notes. Notes in our circumstances are fairly important.

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.

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.

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.

There is indeed no reason for you, in your position, to jump in with both feet and wild erratic enthusiasm. Nor, my dear doctor, is there any reason at this point why I should leap in with both feet, and with wild unrestrained enthusiasm. I am working through and with Ruburt. Ruburt is a writer by profession and I am, again, a rather sly individual, for Ruburt will express my views for me, and this is what I am interested in.

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.

Joseph, may I ask you if I am again speaking too swiftly?

I know that our notetakers are by now weary, and I am indeed most appreciative of their efforts in my behalf. I will ask you to bear with me, dear Doctor Instream, and we will shortly return to our small chat.

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?

You know, and I know, that it is literally impossible for a woman such as she to speak in tones as loud and deep as those which I am now using. But you speak of proof, and your psychologists speak of proof. Though I have Ruburt speak in tones as deep and ungodly as a frog’s, this will mean nothing.

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.

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.

If I speak to you personally in what may seem to you a frivolous manner, it is because I am concerned with the personal contact between us this evening; for the personal contact between us will insure that you read what I have said, and I will indeed get my way.

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.

It is however most unfortunate that intelligent men will not listen to intelligent and sane and illuminating data without requiring such magician’s tricks as this. I am however and always have been quite practical. And as a practical personality (loud) I am as sly as any psychologist ever thought of being. I will therefore manage.

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 myself quite happy, and somewhat amused by our relationship, my dear doctor, for in many areas we are indeed very much alike. I know and I appreciate the fact that you are not a young man. I know indeed that you lean toward a belief in immortality, while at the same time you cannot entirely accept the possibility without some sort of scientific proof.

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.

If I did not feel such a rapport with you I would not bother, for it is nothing to me one way or another if my existence be accepted or rejected. My concern is with the material I am presenting.

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.

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.

Again, I apologize if this session embarrasses you, if I am too personal. But regardless of our scopes of activity we are not young men. We know what we want. You have more time than you suppose, not only in your present life but in others.

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.

I am concerned because I want the theoretical material to be widely distributed. I am not primarily concerned with giving effects or proofs of my existence. I know that I exist as you know that you exist. How would you feel if someone asked you to prove your existence? If you answer this question honestly, then you will see that I am far from being as irascible as it may appear. I bend over backward to understand. I bend over backward, and this is most difficult for me. (Strong.)

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.

([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.”

(There was more to this part of the session, but I believe that between us Peggy and I covered most categories discussed. End between 1:30 and 1:45 AM. Jane seemed as fresh as ever. The rest of us had had it.)