“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Jane’s eyes opened perhaps ten minutes after she began to speak, and remained open for most of the session thereafter. She smoked, looked about at us, etc. Her eyes were very dark, without highlights. None of us saw any indication of feature change, nor did Seth tell us to be alert for such. Seth’s manner was quite energetic, the voice on the strong side but not really loud. Twice in a frisky mood, the voice climbed very briefly in volume; both times this happened near the end of the session.

(Seth said my special sensitivity to windy days during hay fever season, [and one I was well aware of], stemmed from an incident that took place while I was traveling to California with my parents when I was about three years old. [This would be about 1922.] On a windy day on the prairie, somewhere west of the Mississippi, but short of the West Coast, I stood by a hill with my parents. My mother and father were arguing loudly. Father threatened to leave my mother and my brother and me. My father also had hay fever. I had had attacks before, but after this incident I had hay fever each year. [I have always had it since I can consciously remember.] When I remarked that my father had got rid of his hay fever, Seth said he gave it to me. Seth said this is a common occurrence in illnesses being passed about among a family group. I identified with my father out of fear, Seth went on, because he threatened to leave me and thus must be all powerful; and since my father had hay fever, I acquired hay fever as a mistaken sign of strength.

(Just before the Gallaghers left, Seth/Jane’s voice began to grow very loud just for a sentence or two. We all clapped our hands over our ears, and Seth had mercy on us. The voice was somewhat unusual, Seth told us; he himself was not interested greatly in physical effects or proofs, but realized they might be necessary to us, or scientists. He was interested, he said, in effects like the voice, or Jane’s facial changes. There was much that he and Ruburt could do; there was also much they could not do. It depended upon Jane’s confidence to a great extent.

(As Bill opened the hall door, Jane, standing beside him, came through as Seth, very loud, for a few words. But it was enough to make him shut the door quickly. When Seth then departed, usual good nights were said, the Gallaghers left and the session was over.