“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(It will be recalled that in the 185th session Seth gave me some tips on how to help my hay fever through suggestion upon retiring at night. It has been a rough season and I was very uncomfortable over the Labor Day weekend. I had been using suggestion at various times through the day; trying Seth’s method, I noticed an amazing improvement at once. I slept well the night of the 6th, and sneezed but five times the whole following day. The improvement has maintained itself, and soon now the season will be over. I can truthfully say the change in my condition has been magical. I am on a much-reduced dosage of my prescription antihistamine. I have learned I can do without it, but taking the drug removes the last of the lingering traces. For some reason, the suggestions given before falling off to sleep are very potent.

(I had prepared the usual double test envelope earlier in the day, but doubted it would be used if Jane was not in a good mood for the session. This time I cemented a collection of used U.S. postage stamps, still on original paper, to a folded piece of white paper. See my tracing on page 250. I sandwiched this paper between two pieces of bristol board to prevent identification by touch, and slipped the assemblage into the usual two envelopes.

(The session was held in our small back room. Jane began speaking while sitting down and with her eyes closed. Her voice was average, her pace good. She used a few pauses.)

The conscious mind, the ego, must be momentarily diverted, so that the intuitive self is allowed freedom. He should know that inspiration does not come from the ego. He knows this intellectually, but upon this occasion he insists in using his ego as a whip to force speed. In the past he was more sensible in this respect.

(Break at 9:19. Jane was dissociated as usual.

(As in the 183rd session, Jane began to speak after break while sitting upright and cross-legged on the bed. She was still out of sorts and restless. She sat with a hand to her eyes, her head down. Her eyes were closed, her voice quiet. The pace was slower now, with more frequent pauses. Resume at 9:28.)

It is very susceptible to suggestion. Ruburt’s jesting remark this evening that he would suggest refreshing dreams was actually an excellent one. The personality can indeed refresh itself in such a manner, and often does automatically.

(Another long pause. The pace was getting to be so slow that I expected the session to end at any moment.)

(It was 9:34. Jane smiled as she asked the question. Again I was surprised, not expecting any interest in a test tonight. I fished the envelope out and handed it to her. She held it in her right hand. Her position was the same, head down, eyes closed.)

(Break at 9:39. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had remained closed, her voice quiet. She had used many pauses in giving the test data, although she hadn’t appeared to be nervous. During the whole passage, she sat almost without moving, holding the test envelope almost motionless in her right hand. She had no visual impressions while speaking, she said.

Ruburt was not at his best this evening, so we did not get specific-enough information. I knew you had a test prepared however, and thought that we should go ahead.

(End at 9:54. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes remained closed until the end of the session, her voice quiet. Seth said no more about the results of the test, and in view of Jane’s state I thought it best not to query him about it tonight.

(No water scene appears specifically on any stamp, or a child. Men and women are shown. As far as I can tell no portion of an address shows, or a tavern or place of refreshment. Nor do we know what to make of “someone stubborn,” unless this was a personality trait of one of the people depicted on the stamps. I could speculate that Jane’s constant nagging at herself to begin another project was stubborn, in that she refused to relax. This is hardly the kind of test data we seek however. 3 6 is Jane’s age, but we discount this also.