“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(We were not sure that Seth would have any data on Peggy Gallagher during the session, since we thought it possible she had left Washington, DC by now.

(It will be remembered that on two past occasions Seth has taken credit for making a candle flame grow noticeably in height. See my notes prior to the 206th session, pages 57-58. Both of these sessions were witnessed. Seth told us he was able to do such things when Ruburt’s attention was elsewhere, but that as soon as “he”, or Ruburt, became conscious of the possibility of such effects they were usually unattainable.

(Before the session this evening I wondered what effects Seth might be able to demonstrate, on a consistent basis, if a candle were lit just before each session, as a matter of routine, and then ignored as much as possible. The idea being that if it became part of the regular session routine Jane would forget about it, thus allowing any possible effects to come through without worrying about them. At first I was joking about the idea, but when Jane said it was all right to go ahead with the idea, I took her up on it. When we were set up for the session, I placed a lighted candle on the shelf beside me, behind some books so that Jane could not see it. Since the room was well lighted the candle flame would make no noticeable difference, in the event it flared up while her eyes were open.

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(I was not sure of what I was observing. Jane gave no sign of any kind, and Seth had not even mentioned the candle; I had thought he might smile at the idea. The increase in the flame’s height had not been as sudden and dramatic as in the two previous instances noted on page 117. But the candle flame now burned at this new height just as steadily as it had before the increase, and continued to do so.)

(Seth dwelt on the taxicab symbol, and as he did so I found myself hoping that Peggy would notice it. We have wondered before about Seth making statements concerning something that might be in the presence of the subject for the test, only to have the subject fail to notice it. This happened in a test about a year ago, involving Bill Macdonnel on vacation in Cape Cod. Seth described a certain rowboat with initials and a symbol on its bow; but since Bill failed to notice rowboats in general, we were at a loss as to the accuracy of Seth’s information. Seth did insist that this particular boat had been in Bill’s close vicinity.

(During this break Jane said she had the feeling the pocketbook data, given at the end of Peggy’s test, might not refer to Peggy at all, but to “something or someone else.” As it developed in our envelope test tonight, this could be true. If so it is an example of the “bleeding” of test material from one test to another during the same session. Seth has told us this is a possibility. In this specific case also, clairvoyance enters in, since the envelope test had not been held yet. Telepathy and precognition could also be factors.

(At first the envelope test data left us at a loss, until memory began to work. To sum up first, we saw that Seth had used the name of the artist who had executed the block print, Roy Fox, as a starting point for data involving Jane and Roy and me, but for some reason had not dealt with the test object itself. We do not know why this happened, since Seth did not discuss the results this evening. Jane’s mother and a Christmas present also entered the test data, for reasons we do understand; here Seth tells us that Ruburt thinks of the package that his mother sent him.

(The rest of the test data applies to the Christmas package Jane’s mother sent her early this week. The package was wrapped with twine, contained a blue knitted sweater, etc. Why this information cropped up in a test we do not know. We can see the connection with the Roy Fox data however, since Roy made the block print; his name is also on the test object. We would like to know why Seth chose to use Roy’s name as a springboard, however, instead of sticking to the test object.

(Harris Hill Inn was closed on Monday, February 1,1965, and Jane and I met the proprietor there Monday evening and hung the paintings. When we left Jane left her favorite pocketbook behind; she did not realize this until sometime later. The next day the proprietor of the Inn brought Jane’s pocketbook to her. If this information was misplaced in the earlier Gallagher material, then what accounts for it? It appeared in the Gallagher material before the envelope test was held, and of course Jane could not know what the envelope test object was beforehand, by ordinary means. Seth has stated that such terms as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, etc., are of but relative usefulness; perhaps this instance is but an example of the ability of part of the mind to dissolve the time barrier.

(It is actually Friday, December 11 as I type this. We have now obtained a written detailed report on Peggy Gallagher’s trip to Washington, as compared to Seth’s material on Peggy in the last two sessions. Seth scored many hits—Jane’s best effort in these tests by far. The material will be incorporated in a very early session, along with the material on the Gallagher’s Puerto Rico vacation of last October. I am leading up to the statement that Peggy detected a very clear example of bleeding through of data in the 214th session. She states that the material at the beginning of the Dr. Instream test data, on page 113, applies to a cocktail party she attended in Washington on Monday, December 6. Peggy states Seth’s description here of the cocktail party is quite correct, even to the fact that a woman was the main hostess, and that a man, her husband, was present with her. The smallish crowded room data applies also here. More details will be given later. See Session 214.

(And as Seth has mentioned before, such a bleeding through of data from one test to another is a possibility. Nor does the above example mean that Dr. Instream did not attend a cocktail party.

(As soon as I realized that Jane or Seth might be attempting something, I sat very quietly myself so as not to stir the air, and breathed shallowly through my nose with my head somewhat averted. I did not even move my hand to write until close to a minute had passed. The air in the room was very still. Yet soon after this strange interlude began, the candle flame grew quite definitely back to its one-inch height, and remained there steadily.

(Seth broke the silence well after a full minute had passed, according to the sweep hand on our electric clock.)

(“Good night, Seth.”

(End at 10:36. Jane was dissociated as usual The candle flame remained high, but was not as steady as it had been. Jane said that while she sat silently she felt as though Seth was somehow focusing “sideways” on the candle.

(Jane told me she felt a definite thrust of what she presumed to be energy toward the candle. It was a feeling she had not experienced before. She also had the thought as she sat quietly that Seth wanted to say something about the candle. Jane felt she might distort the information, however, because she realized that whatever she wanted to say was not automatic as it usually is; therefore she said nothing.

(Jane was relaxing on the bed, as she often does after a session, with her head propped up on one hand. She was smoking as we discussed the candle experiment. Both of us stared at the flame. It was now a little higher, and bright and steady, reaching the highest level of the evening. We stared at it for perhaps a minute. Seth then came through again, briefly; Jane was still smoking, and her eyes were closed. Resume at 10:45.)

(“Good night, Seth.”