“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The session was held in our front room, with the four of us sitting in a circle, roughly. Jane spoke while sitting down and with her eyes closed. Her pace was rather fast but I had no trouble keeping up with her; nor did Lorraine, using shorthand.

(Jane rather surprised us by opening the session in a voice that was surprisingly deep and somewhat loud. I can say that the voice was somewhat deeper than her voice in the 170th session, though lacking of course anything like the sheer volume displayed in that session. At times it was almost a bass voice, quite vibrant, produced without visible strain. Indeed, Seth was in an almost jocular mood.

(Jane’s voice was fairly deep in the 151st session. There have been some other instances of a voice deeper but not necessarily much louder or stronger; my estimate is that she reached her deepest voice in the 33rd session, of March 9,1964. In that session her voice was also loud, much louder than in tonight’s session.

(Jane actually began speaking at 8:59.)

(There came a knock on the door, and Jane stopped speaking. We don’t use our front room for sessions anymore unless we have witnesses, in order to avoid the risk of interruptions. In the past such interruptions have been physically painful for Jane. She has compared the shock of an interruption to being doused with ice water.

(We all sat quietly for a moment. I was then surprised to note that Jane had come out of her trance with no difficulty, and that her eyes were open. In fact, it was she who answered the door, to speak briefly with someone who was looking for another apartment on our floor.

(In the 136th session such an interruption was enough of a shock to Jane to cause Seth to end the session. During the session with Dr. Instream, the 169th, held in his office at Oswego, Jane demonstrated an ability to go into and out of the trance state very easily. This marked the first time she had switched focus so easily, repeatedly. Now, Jane walked back to her chair. Before she was seated she had reentered the trance state, and was speaking. Resume at 9:01. Her voice was still quite deep.)

(Break at 9:14. Jane was dissociated as usual for a first delivery. Her voice had remained deep until break. She said the knock on the door didn’t bother her at all. She thinks the ability to switch in and out of the trance state so easily made itself known during the session with Dr. Instream at Oswego; Jane feels however that she must have been preparing herself for this step forward without being aware of it.

(Jane’s manner had been smiling and active during her first delivery, and it became even more so when she resumed speaking. She often leaned forward in her chair, gesturing and pointing even though her eyes remained closed. Her voice, still deep, hit occasional stronger spots so that it almost boomed out. I began to wonder what our neighbors might hear, since our windows were open. Resume at 9:24.)

(Here Jane’s voice was deep and loud.)

(Lorraine had asked the questions. Now Jane, her eyes still closed, leaned forward in her chair toward Lorraine. Holding her arms outstretched she moved them up and down like wings.)

(Jane was very restless in her chair, now leaning forward, then back. Her voice was still deeper than usual. She smiled.)

I will now suggest that you take a break. I will also tell you, Joseph, that with my voice I am like a bird trying out its new wings. (Jane’s voice grew abruptly much louder, briefly.) And if I grow overenthusiastic I trust that you will forgive me. I will here in your apartment however keep a careful watch.

(Break at 9:47. Jane was dissociated as usual. She remembered some of the subject matter in a general way, and thought that if she tried hard enough she could retain more of it. Her eyes had remained closed, her voice had been a little lighter in timbre at times.

(Jane resumed in a deeper voice, at a good pace and with her eyes again closed, at 9:58.)

(End at 10:05. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her voice maintained its deep tones until the end of the session. Seth closed out on a loud and deep and humorous note. And again, the peculiar accent that Bill Gallagher insists is not an Irish brogue, was in evidence at times during the session.)