“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.

(Interestingly enough, Jane came back to my studio as I was writing down the above paragraph in longhand. I usually write these preliminary notes before the session to save time. I tried to divert her attention now but she read the words “without telling Jane beforehand.” She left the studio when I asked her to, but I now thought she had been alerted to something unusual, and might be anticipating a test of some sort. I had not wanted to make her nervous.

(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.

(Because it was another very hot and humid night we held the session in our large front room, where air circulation is better. Traffic noise was a problem once more; our windows of course had to be open, although the blinds were drawn. The quality of the air seemed to aggravate the noise, and quite often during the session Jane appeared to pause until the noise abated temporarily. I felt that the noise, being such a problem, was influencing the quality of the session.

(Strangely enough, Jane did not speak in an overly loud voice. In the beginning she spoke while sitting down and with her eyes closed. She leaned forward in her rocker, holding the envelope in her clasped hands. She used many pauses, some of them quite long.)

(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.)

(Break at 9:18. Jane said she was dissociated as usual for a first delivery. Her eyes remained closed. She used many pauses other than those indicated, and said she was aware of the traffic noise at times. She held the test envelope for the entire delivery.

(Another long pause. Jane sat learning forward, her head down, holding the test envelope.)

(Jane took a pause of average length. She sat with her eyes closed, still holding the envelope though not actively fingering it. She had delivered the above information quietly and steadily.)

(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.

(Traffic noise was still audible. Jane resumed in a bit louder voice, with her eyes closed, at 9:57.)

(Jane paused and frowned.)

(See the 68th session. During this session, in which Bill Macdonnel saw an apparition for upwards of an hour, Bill and I saw an independent set of features that appeared to hang just in front of Jane’s features.)

(Jane had spoken for much of the evening with her head down at a slight angle. Very recently she had lifted it somewhat, and I saw that her eyes appeared to be slitted. Now they opened, at 10:15. She looked at me casually. Her eyes were very dark, without highlights.

(Jane’s cigarettes lay on the table beside her. She lit one as she continued speaking, in a quiet voice. Traffic noise had quieted. She did not stare at me continually.)

(Jane’s eyes now closed at times as she spoke. Her voice was quiet and she was still smoking.)

(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.)

(Break at 10:24. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes were open as break came; she blinked several times and was out of her trance. While speaking she had been aware that her eyes were open. Her voice had been quiet.

(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.)

(Jane’s eyes now opened again, and she lit a cigarette while speaking.)

(End at 10:30. Jane was dissociated as usual. She ended the session with her eyes closed. Her voice was quiet.

(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.)

(Jane took a long pause.)

(End at 10:33. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes remained closed. She said she would prefer that tests be given often, so that she can become used to them; as she has become used to speaking while sitting down, and with her eyes open occasionally.)