“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I realized on this particular evening that although my eyes were closed, I was staring into another pair of eyes that seemed to be within inches of my own, and had been doing so for some seconds. Conscious realization seemed to be suspended. These eyes were I would say masculine, and very beautiful, and could be human. They were a deep luminous golden brown; I realized I was so close to them that I could see their minutest details in vivid color, even upper lids that fell over the upper portion of the eyeball. At this stage of the phenomenon I encouraged this minute inspection, for I lay suspended below alarm.

(I saw the reddish rims of these eyes, and their black lashes with the utmost clarity. The skin about them was a light brown. At the fringes of my field of vision I saw that the face containing these magnificent eyes was quite hairy, covered by long black shining hair almost as though I was visualizing a throwback to more primitive man. But there was no sense of primitiveness here; these limpid brown eyes regarded me impassively; there was no intrinsic threat. These eyes merely stared back at me from beneath heavy black brows.

(As soon as I fully, consciously, realized what was taking place, I reacted violently in the manner described below by Seth. Within a very brief period after this unfortunate reaction, I began to regret it, for I knew I had terminated something much too soon. I thought my reaction was a normal one, yet was angry at myself for reacting so strongly. My outcry, my thrashing about in bed and waving my arms, of course startled Jane; I believe she had not yet fallen asleep. I blamed myself for not knowing enough to suspend any conscious judgment; I felt I had enough background knowledge to go along with this vision, to see what developed, yet I had reacted in what I thought a foolish way.

(Strange to say, I did not come fully awake as one does when arising in the morning for example. I achieved a state close to waking only, in spite of my momentary panic. Jane began to question me; she told me the next morning that I described the vision to her while speaking in a sleepy monotone. I was conscious of doing this, and that it took some little time, yet felt no urge to prod myself wide awake. I recall that I felt it urgent that I tell her what had taken place as soon as possible. I thought of getting up to make a drawing of what I had seen, but decided I would not forget. This is certainly true; this vision is as vivid and clear in memory today as it was a second after it ended. I do intend making a drawing, in color, for those who may be interested.

(I would add that when I realized I was receiving information for the first time, on a level below that of alarm, I encouraged this flow of data. I believe my perception then sharpened to some degree, and it was at this moment that I saw so clearly the minutest detail of the eyes, the shadow below the lids, the individual lashes, etc. I would say that at this moment of suspended judgment, before the ego exerted its authority, I was perfectly willing to receive this data and to examine it.

(The last vision of mine that Seth discussed took place on August 30,1965, during waking hours, and was mentioned in the 183rd session of that evening.

(The session tonight was held in our large front room. Jane likes to use this room since it is larger than the back room we have used for the past few months, out of a fear of interruptions. She began speaking while sitting down and with her eyes closed. Her pace was good, her voice average.)

In your particular state of consciousness on that particular evening, your attention strayed beyond your ordinary fields of perception. You perceived an inhabitant of another system. There was indeed a quite unusual point of contact reached; most unusual indeed in that you not only perceived this individual, but he also perceived you.

The point of such contact can indeed be mathematically shown, and in the future I shall do just that. Part of your own reaction, I believe, was due to the fact that you realized that this contact represented a personal encounter, that this bizarre apparition was aware of you as you were of him.

(“What was his reaction to me?”

You did not break it purposely, but the other individual concerned was bewildered, and to some extent frightened, and he withdrew. You were indeed quite willing to strike out physically. It was this emotional reaction that was felt by the other individual, and the other individual had no idea what this emotion was.

Now. The portion of the image that came closest to any semblance of reality was the region about the eyes, and the eyes themselves. There is much to be said here. For this was not imaginary, in that it did have a certain physical reality that existed within your field of reference.

You must understand however that momentarily you had a reality in the reference field of that other individual. The contact was mutual. Now we know what the conditions were at your end. We know that you made no attempt to aim your attention in the particular direction that would allow you to perceive that definite system.

Because his range was so large, your dissociated conditions simply met more easily than otherwise. However, once his attention was centered here, he turned his conscious attention to full focus upon what he perceived. Nor did he perceive your physical form as you know it. But he picked up fully your emotional recognition and fear, and these were translated or perceived by him in his own fashion, so that to him you appeared as a mass of varying colors, and as movement of severe intensity.

The pulsations were caused by the action of your emotional state. And you, my dear Joseph, literally frightened him away. You on your part translated what was inner data into a form that you could, or hoped to, understand. The eyes were the first images that you saw.

Now. Despite my remarks, your reaction was perfectly understandable.

The individual was also bewildered however because he was able to perceive you in what you would call both your future and your past, as well as your present.

He perceived that a portion of you was bound, however, within your present time, and this was almost incomprehensible to him.

Such encounters do occur with what would appear to be startling frequency, when those in your system are sleeping; but they are very seldom remembered. What was however extremely unusual was that this contact was recognized as such by two inhabitants of completely different systems.

You translated, now, this data into other terms. The alien nature of the individual you translated into an animalistic appearance. This was not to emphasize any lower or base characteristics, but was your way of translating the individual’s exceptionally clear, pure and single-minded perception. For the intensity behind the perception reminded you of the unswerving attention often displayed in animals: a complete lack of trickery as it is understood by you.

You are not alone in this however. You have had no other experiences where contact was recognized both by you and the other individual from the other system, however; and he takes what he learned as part of himself now.

(I was of course much interested, and knew that Jane was too. Jane now closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment.)

(This sounds very much like the use of what Seth calls the third, fourth and fifth inner senses: Perception of past, present, and future; the conceptual sense; cognitionof knowledgeable tissue. Material on these senses was presented in the 35-38th sessions.)

(Break at 10:05. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had been open much of the time, her pace good, her voice average. She said Seth could have continued in this vein, but stopped because the usual tests were due. Seth had the next thought or concept waiting, Jane said, and all she had to do was give voice to it.

(It was now time for the 28th Dr.Instream test. As usual Jane’s pace slowed considerably. She spoke with many pauses, sitting with her eyes closed, her head down, her left hand raised to her brow. Resume at 10:10.)

Some guests at his office earlier, in the nature of nuisances. A connection here with Ticonderoga. Perhaps one of the visitors was from there. I do not know, but this has application connected with his office today. (Pause.)

I believe he lost a scarf, navy blue. In any case, whether it was lost or found, I see a navy blue scarf on the chair by his desk, in his office. Now; that is, in his office now.

(It was 10:23, and this was our 25th envelope test. As usual Jane took the test envelope from me without opening her eyes. She held it to her forehead for a sentence or two, then lowered it to her lap.)

(Break at 10:30. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had remained closed and her pace had been slow.

(See the tracing of the two sales slips on page 179. The data contain references to both slips, although Seth or Jane did not identify them as such, or refer to the fact that there were two test objects, as I had hoped. Jane said that during the test she was not sure of the source of information, Seth or herself.

(“An engagement, as of an appointment or meeting,” applies to the S.F. Iszard sales slip. On December 21 last, Jane and I went Christmas shopping; we parted to get each other gifts, after making an appointment to meet at a certain restaurant downtown when our shopping was over. “A scramble” can apply to either or both slips, since when we went shopping on December 18 and 21 we found the stores very crowded. Some aisles were difficult to get through, there was waiting necessary to get into dressing rooms, etc.

(“Crowded. Many voices, dancing,” refers to the first time I wore the new coat. This was to a party given by Bill Macdonnel at his art gallery on Thursday, December 30. It was called a New Year’s Eve party, was very crowded, and there was dancing. I have yet to wear the coat out of the house again.

(The rest of the test data appears to be all of a piece, and can be connected with a young friend of ours with whom I used to work. Two years ago the friend enlisted in the Marines and was sent to Alaska. He returned to Elmira over the holidays on furlough. I met him twice but Jane did not see him at all. She did listen to me talk about him, of course.

(Our friend wore his civilian clothes, so even had she met him Jane wouldn’t have been able to observe his uniform colors. It chanced however that while we were waiting in line at the post office to mail packages, we saw a Marine in uniform. Jane noticed its color—this was not the dress blues uniform—and questioned me as to the soldier’s branch of service, etc. Then when we went shopping we picked out my sport coat in a similar color, although I believe neither of us thought of any such connection at the time.

(Jane also said that when the information “An engagement,” etc., came through, it represented Seth’s effort to put her on the right track. She had our Marine friend in mind during the test, and he was engaged to be married at the time he went into the service. He is now married and a father.

Long enough, however, to make a few comments. Ruburt was not particularly at his best this evening, simply because he was somewhat upset over your reaction, Joseph, to the car episode.

There is no reason however why tests should be limited to times when conditions are excellent, since we shall be dealing with many conditions. Some valid material did come through however, for I saw that, and the coat was meant to be an identifying piece of information.

What Ruburt sensed however was somewhat legitimate. When you allow disturbances to upset you, then you become concentrated so deeply within ego time that you close off those very abilities that you need to help you.

(It was 10:55. I expected Jane to continue, but to my surprise I saw that she had left trance. Evidently there had been a misunderstanding on some level, or I hadn’t spoken clearly. Before we had time to discuss it she resumed, her eyes opened often, at 10:56.)

(End at 11:07. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had been open at times, her pace rather fast, her voice average.