“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 17th envelope test was held during this session. The test object, sealed in the usual double envelopes, was the insurance slip for the manuscript of Jane’s ESP book, dated August 30,1965. A drawing of it is not necessary since the test data did not coincide by a wide margin. The data, and Seth’s explanation of the results, appear in their regular places in the session.

(It was 9:45. I placed the test envelope in Jane’s lap while she gave voice to the above sentence. She gave no sign that she was aware of my action, other than a slight movement of her legs, but she picked up the envelope almost at once. Her eyes were still closed. She held the envelope in her right hand, making no effort to determine its contents by feeling, twisting, etc.)

(Jane said she was somewhat startled to feel the envelope touch her lap. She hadn’t expected a test, and I hadn’t mentioned it to her before the session. Actually I had prepared the test envelope some weeks ago.

(Since Jane had developed the photograph idea so consistently in the test, we thought something must have happened to put her on that track, and we said aloud that we hoped Seth would deal with the reasons for this before ending the session.

(It was now time for the 19th Dr. Instream test. Jane’s pace was now again very slow. Although I could not see her doing so, her eyes must have opened a trifle to find the ashtray, since she was again smoking. She sat with one hand to her face, her head tipped down, speaking quietly. She took many pauses, some of them long. Resume at 10:06.)

First of all, I do not want any envelope tests given before the Instream material is delivered. It may be my fault. I neglected to mention this in an outright manner, but in the past I never requested the envelope until after the Instream material.

There is a good reason for this. You always check on the results of the envelope test immediately afterward.

Therefore, if the results are poor, this undermines Ruburt’s confidence for the following tests. This is rather important. I have no objection now to the fact that you check the results of the envelope tests immediately afterward; but only when this occurs after the Instream material.

This fact hampered that work this evening. Ruburt knew the earlier test was poor, and he set up defenses.

Now as to the poor results themselves in the envelope test. Primarily there are two reasons for our unsatisfactory results. He did not want to have the test given to him while the Instream material had not yet been given for one thing, and so this did not work for us. To begin with however he simply was not at his best in any case.

The point about the test envelopes however should be well taken. This is one of the main reasons why, in the Rhine experiments, results were not given until a certain sequence of tests had been completed, or a given series.

One point here. I allowed the test to continue because, again, such episodes can teach you lessons. I tried to separate the levels, for a while, of perception; but Ruburt by then would not open up the deeper layers of communication. You may now take your break.

(In the 197th session Seth suggested that I not wait for him to request an envelope test. In a recent session also he said it was not wise for such tests to be given at the end of a session, when Jane is tired. Hence I thought I had picked a good time to give her the test envelope. I did not anticipate that it would not be a good test because of previous information, or that it could interfere with subsequent tests.

We will at any time, Joseph, accept envelope tests, as long as they are given to me after the Instream material. There is indeed more that should be said along these lines, and perhaps at our next session we shall make certain points clearer in this regard.