“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

SESSION 172

(On July 23, we mailed the tape of the 170th session to Dr. Instream. On July 26 Dr. Instream’s letter arrived, acknowledging receipt of the 168th and 169th sessions.

(Tonight’s session was witnessed by Lorraine Shafer and Bill Macdonnel. The last session witnessed by Bill was the 133rd, of February 17,1965. Lorraine witnessed the 168th, of July 7,1965. It will be recalled that Bill Macdonnel’s entity name is Mark, and Lorraine’s is Marleno.

(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.

(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.

(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.)

Now. We will indeed cooperate in any investigation in which we may become involved. We will however progress at our own rate, without due speed, and we will in all cases keep our own sessions as uncomplicated as possible.

Any effects that are demonstrated will appear within ordinary sessions. I will endeavor indeed to see that they are as definite as possible, and as clear-cut as will be desired. But spontaneity will as always remain a prerequisite for any such displays.

There will indeed be a give and take between the three of us, and your good investigators. I thought it best in our recorded session that I speak frankly, now, and so I did.

I will let you take a break, since I am attempting to take the human limitations that are involved in our situation into consideration. There is no reason why you must take notes until your fingers feel as if they would drop. First however, I wish to give particular greetings to our friend Mark, who has consented to visit our circle. I speak fondly in my own manner. By all means take your break, and we will continue with our session.

(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.

In future sessions, in the immediate future, we will deal with the dream universe in relation to many new aspects which we have not considered in the past.

Shortly after, we will take a group of sessions to discuss particular dreams, and interpret them. In no case will we ever leave the basic material. It will serve as the framework from which, and within which, all of our sessions have their existence.

There are questions which were asked in a general manner before your session began this evening.

My interest is concerned with those personalities with whom I am involved, and the circle of my interest includes those who come to these sessions; as indeed your own interest includes those people with whom you are acquainted. I never attempt to meddle into the private lives of those with whom I am concerned. If I am invited to comment, then I do.

There are reasons why certain personalities have been drawn to our sessions. This is obvious. Some of you have known each other in past lives. There are other reasons which, if you will excuse me, we shall not consider this evening simply because you do not yet have a basic understanding of certain issues which are involved. You can be assured of my interest and concern. My scope of activity is simply larger than your own.

I am aware of more and yet the reason for my concern could be called a quite human reason. You were drawn to the sessions for various reasons. These have something to do with both my interest and my concern. Mark in his own way is also so drawn.

I will never turn aside from human problems and human relationships in these sessions. The material itself must be oriented toward such relationships. I will for Joseph’s benefit here state that the material itself will in the future be closely studied. It will form a basis for an upward thrust of mental activity and understanding.

This session is somewhat in the nature of a transitory session, for we will almost immediately in following sessions return to our main interests.

We will shortly conclude this evening’s session.

I am attempting to take some workload from Joseph now. He needs a rest in this respect. We will however in our next session return to our usual format.

(The above passage refers to my parents. Seth has discussed them at various times in the past and his advice has been very helpful. Among others see the following sessions: 17, 18, 21, 27, 53, 93 and 94, ranging through Volumes 1, 2 and 3.)

(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.)