“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Nevertheless it is known that cases of legitimate multiple personality exist. Here we have several personalities, all operating within one self, each unaware of the other, and each going his own separate way.

Its nature becomes known, for the personality, again, is not an object, nor is it an unchanging unit. You have been studying it in the past in a very superficial manner. It should be remembered however that hypnotism is also an action, and as such hypnotism will change the personality to some extent, as all action changes and affects other actions.

Again, the nature of space and time is glimpsed more clearly as it appears to the sleeping self, for in the dream state reality is to a large measure uncamouflaged, and the personality appears in a freer state. It should also be borne in mind that all aspects of the personality are part of the whole self. As such there is an overall communication between the various aspects of the self, although the separate aspects of the self may not be aware of the communications.

The inner ego directs all activities which are deeply subjective. The outer ego as you know deals with the manipulation of the self in the physical environment. You must remember that the whole self is more than the sum of its parts; and also, since it is action, it is never the same. It is therefore impossible at any moment to pinpoint the personality. Therefore the whole self is not only the sum of the personality as you know it in your time, it is also the sum of what it has been and what it shall be. For as I have explained action is simultaneous, and time as you think of it is caused by your own physical perception.

Therefore, in the dream state communication is possible between all portions of the self. The personality appears in its truest state if it seems, in dreams, that you are free of space and time. It is indeed because the basic self is free of space and time. If you appear to hear voices out of the past, if you seem to see into the future, it is because the dream state is a more or less faithful approximation of a basic reality in which your time and space simply do not exist.

We will be dealing rather extensively with a study of space and distance and time as they appear within the dream state, and with the freedoms that are possible for the personality within it. All of this information can be used most beneficially. It will enable the ego itself to expand its consciousness and its knowledge.

These are tricks known to both Joseph and Ruburt, but quite beneficial for all of that. You may give directions to your subconscious when you are in your normal waking state, and it will follow them. You may for example suggest before sleeping that the next day, while you are involved in your working situation, the subconscious will be involved in working out designs for you for your own projects.

You can learn, even a Jesuit can learn, to change the focus of your attention within seconds. Practice is all that is required, but the practice itself will show results. When you fear any difficulty with your particular physical problem, you can immediately turn your awareness away. This is no Pollyanna gibberish.

(Now I saw that Jane’s eyes had opened. She looked around at us all as she spoke, smiling. Her eyes were quite dark, without highlights, almost as though glazed.)

We will initiate a thorough study of the God concept, which will be begun the next time these friends are present, and will be continued when they visit us at other sessions. That is, whenever they attend a session for a while we will concern ourselves with the God concept and all of its implications.

They have the knowledge to a very large degree, but they have fallen short. It is one thing to realize that all physical matter is camouflage, and they know this. But this camouflage can be most disastrous if it is not manipulated correctly. You are in no position to ignore it. You are in a position to understand it and to use it.

It is all very well for monks to utilize astral projection. It is all very well for them to skitter through space as if they were on pogo sticks; their knowledge is fundamental and good. The fact remains that millions of human beings who follow and practice Buddhism are told, as many religions tell their followers, “Better worlds are to come, so ignore this agony, and this hunger, and this pain, and the murder in the streets. Be in ecstasy while your belly bloats.” This is not human, and it is far less than godly.

There is a unity and there is a joy and there is an exaltation in all aspects of life and consciousness. It is not to any religion’s benefit that people starve. There is nothing wrong with using spiritual knowledge in practical manners.

Fulfillment, value fulfillment, implies fulfillment of all abilities and all potentials, including quite physical potentials. The pyramid gestalts of which I have spoken have experiences far beyond those of any human being. Yet they are concerned with the least, with the existence of the least among you.

I could indeed continue this discussion, and wear you all out. However, I will now let you take a break, or Joseph if he prefers may end our session.

(Jane, the Gallaghers and I were discussing the session and related subjects when Seth came through again at 11:00. All of us were in very good humor, including Seth; the session as it continued reflected this, and a rapid-fire exchange resulted in which Jane was in and out of trance at the wink of an eye, so to speak. She manifested this same ability during the 169th session, held in Dr. Instream’s office in Oswego, NY, but I would say that her switching back and forth this evening was more rapid. She said later that it was no effort at all.

—No one has to watch their conversation with me. I am capable of dealing with all aspects of reality, even cloudy ones on my plane....

(Seth continued after we all sat silently for a moment.)

I enjoy the emotional rapport among us here... our discussions are indeed action. Action changes me, and everyone in this room. I am no exception, even though I am here in a less conventional form. Actions change us all. We must change. I enjoy the actions... I also enjoy the buildup of your ideas. I am sincerely interested in all of your ideas—so that I can correct them. But this does not mean we cannot have an informal atmosphere.