“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(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.

(The session was held in our small back room. No windows were open, and by measurement I determined that the candle flame burned at a remarkably consistent 3/4-inch height. Jane began speaking while sitting down and with her eyes closed. Her pace was rather slow, with many pauses, yet her voice was somewhat stronger than usual. She sat much of the time with a hand raised to her face. She was not smoking. She began speaking at 9:01.)

(It was now 9:09. I had been glancing occasionally at the candle flame as I wrote. It burned within a foot of my left hand. The flame had now increased perhaps a quarter of an inch in height, and burned steadily at that level; this meant an increase from 3/4 of an inch to one inch.

(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.)

(The candle flame had maintained its increased height very steadily until close to break time, when I thought it began to fluctuate a bit. At break I thought it was mainly at its original lower height. Jane could not see it, and did not ask about its behavior. We agreed not to mention it during sessions, no matter what took place. I had wondered if the increased height of the flame had resulted from the body of the candle “warming up,” since it was a thick one, perhaps five inches tall. When the flame subsided however at break, I did not know what to think, and decided to merely record what I saw without being concerned.

(This bit of data was also given to Peggy on Friday, December 3, during the unscheduled session preceding her Washington trip. By now, also, I saw that the candle flame had climbed back up to its one-inch height; it continued to burn steadily at that height. Jane’s voice had lost its heavier edge.)

(The candle flame subsided to its beginning 3/4-inch height for a few minutes, then climbed back up again.)

(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.