“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(In the last session Seth had commented favorably on trying some tests with Jane and me. An hour or so before this evening’s session, without telling Jane beforehand, I made a black ink drawing of the symbol below on a small sheet of paper. [This was to be our first “envelope test”.]

(I folded it once, put it in an envelope, then sealed this envelope in another so there was no chance of seeing through paper. My idea was to hand the envelope to Jane just before she went into trance for the session. I wanted to see how much, if any, of the contents Jane or Seth could describe.

(I picked the symbol above because Seth had dealt with a version of this in the 68th, 75th, 83rd and 84th sessions, in connection with Bill Macdonnel’s trip to Provincetown, MA, last summer. Seth insisted that Bill had seen a symbol similar to this on a rowboat at Provincetown, although Bill did not recall it. Other data Seth gave us about Bill’s trip was verified. Note that I added my own initials to the symbol above. My idea was that using such a design as a test would summon up a little more emotional involvement, since Bill was included along with Seth, Jane and me.

(I was not sure whether the test would be telepathic or clairvoyant, or a combination. I felt it would now be different since Jane was probably alerted. She confirmed this just before the session when she asked me about it, so I gave her the envelope at 8:57. She agreed to some nervousness, though not a great deal. She also said she thought Seth might address the session to Dr. Instream, and that if he did she would prefer not to be distracted. Thus she might not deal with the envelope.

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(Cars and trucks rumbled and boomed by outside, and Jane sat quietly until the noise subsided somewhat. Seth refers above to Dr. Instream’s letter of August 10.)

(Another long pause, until the traffic noise subsided. The recorded session that Seth addressed to Dr. Instream is the 170th.)

(Break at 9:43. Jane was dissociated as usual. Traffic had become noisy again, and she said she thought Seth took the break now because of this. Jane had realized she was discussing the envelope. When she opened it she was quite disappointed with the results. I was pleased.

(We had no idea of how to interpret such an experiment, or even whether there is a one best way. Would “errors” of omission be counted? Seth did not mention a symbol at all, yet used the words handwritten and printed. To me printed means mechanically produced; to Jane printed means hand lettering, as were my initials beneath the symbol.

(Seth did not mention two envelopes, although Jane said she knew there were two involved. It is also obvious that touch alone could give information as to whether the envelope contained paper, some kind of cardboard or other heavier material, or perhaps metal.

(I was puzzled as to why Seth, or Jane, was so definite about the envelope containing a license or some sort of similar document, when Jane revealed that at last break she had thought the envelopes did contain a license. We thought it most interesting that the data based on Jane’s conscious thoughts proved to be that in error. It will be remembered that Seth/Jane paused before delivering the last line of information concerning the envelopes. This information I consider a direct hit. Another person, Bill Macdonnel, is involved with the symbol. See my notes on pages 199-200.

(I can say that when Seth/Jane paused before delivering this last line, I had the feeling that some kind of inner shift in control had taken place; that Seth rather than Jane was responsible for the last line of material. There was no objective evidence on which I could base this feeling, yet I sensed it. And of course I knew as Jane delivered it that the material about a license was not correct.

(Jane said that Seth himself was definite about another male being involved with the contents of the envelope. Her own thought, as she spoke, was that a female was involved; but Seth, she said, would not allow her to say a female was involved. Thus it seems that in giving the material on the envelope, Jane was drawing upon a couple of levels of awareness at once.

(Mark is Bill Macdonnel’s entity name. Again, see the 68th, 75th, 83rd and 84th sessions, and pages 199-200. Bill verified just about all of the details Seth gave us concerning Bill’s trip to Provincetown last summer.)

(Here Seth refers to Bill and Peggy Gallagher, who have witnessed several sessions. Last week they agreed to participate in some tests. In the beginning the experiments would involve such simple procedures as having the Gallaghers, while at their home, focus upon objects Jane and I have not seen, at appointed hours during sessions held in our own home.)

(We had anticipated a regular break, but hardly had we relaxed when Seth came through again. This time Jane spoke with her eyes closed for the most part, in a quiet voice, and with pauses. Resume at 10:25.)

(“Good night, Seth.”

(Again, we had barely begun to discuss the session when Seth came through briefly. Jane spoke with her eyes closed. Her voice was quiet and she continued to smoke. Resume at 10:31.)

(“Good night, Seth.”