“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 30th envelope test was held during the session. I cut out ten small pieces of colored construction paper, put them between the usual two pieces of Bristol board and sealed them in the usual double envelope. I was aware that there wouldn’t be much emotional charge connected with these, and Seth was too. As is the case also, Jane did not do well on the resumption of such experiments.

(After the second foot of snow fell last weekend, the tenants of the house waited as usual for the landlord to appear with his plow. Drifts several feet deep had piled up in the driveway and against the garages. The landlord did not appear. Three days went by. It developed that he had thought we could shovel our own way out. By this time of course recriminations were beginning to fly back and forth by phone, although this did not involve Jane and me. Finally one of the tenants threatened to move, after feelings had been bruised all around. The situation was not without its comic aspects.

(By the time the landlord realized we couldn’t shovel our own way out, he couldn’t get his own plow into the driveway, nor could he hire help; everyone was busy. I was working overtime at my job also. I felt the brakes on our car needed adjusting so I wasn’t planning to drive personally regardless; this made it somewhat easier to be objective about the whole thing. I also decided that I wasn’t going to get excited about it in any event. Then yesterday morning it developed that the thermostaton the furnace was not working; we got up to a cold house, and this led to more telephone messages, the calling of a specialist, etc.

(The session was held this evening with the chance that it might be interrupted. One of the tenants in the house had finally located a man with a plow, who was due to clear the area at 9 PM this evening. Everybody in the house was to chip in to pay him. We decided to go ahead with the session anyhow, on the chance the man with the snowplow did not show up, or was late.

(The session was held again in our front room. Jane began speaking while sittingdown and with her eyes closed. They opened just once briefly when she put out a cigarette. Her voice was average, her pace quite slow by comparison. Neither of us had expected the kind of material that began to come through.)

Nevertheless the fear exaggerates his morbid concern with his heart. He is somewhat like a wounded buffalo, and to some extent at least the wound was not self-inflicted, although he himself has aggravated it.

(Break at 9:20. Jane was quite well dissociated for a first delivery, she said. Her eyes had opened briefly but once. Remember that the above material was delivered with many pauses interspersed. Most of the time Jane sat with her head down and her hands raised to her face, as during the Instream and envelope tests.

(Jane had not smoked since putting out her cigarette shortly after the session began, and when she resumed speaking again she refrained from smoking. As before her manner was quite slow. She sat with her head down and her hands raised to her closed eyes. She used many pauses. Resume at 9:31.)

One legal irregularity existing for twelve years. Business, an irregularity going back to an early small restaurant. An interesting sideline here: his stinginess in small matters is not so much the result of greed as an emotional attempt to maintain the psychic warmth of childhood, a childhood which was marked by poverty.

(Jimmy was one of perhaps a dozen children. As a child, one of his tasks was to pick coal along the railroad tracks in winter.)

(Break at 9:55. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had remained closed throughout the delivery. Much of the time she sat with her head down and her hands raised to her temples. Her pace had been very slow. She hadn’t smoked.

(It was time for the 36th Dr. Instream experiment. Jane’s pace remained slow when she began speaking again, and as before she sat with her head down, her eyes closed, her hands raised, etc. Resume at 10:07.)

There is something twisted on it. I also seem to pick up a connection with water and the object. The object was given to him rather than purchased by him. It may have a connection with a chain. (Pause.)

(It was 10:16. I handed Jane the envelope for our 30th envelope experiment, and as usual she took it without opening her eyes. She sat with the envelope held against her forehead.)

(Break at 10:25. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had remained closed throughout both experiments, she had used many pauses, and had not smoked.

(As stated earlier the results of the envelope experiment were not high. The first reference, to a filing cabinet, is a good one; the colored paper I used in the test is kept in my cabinet, and has been so for perhaps two years. But after this Jane kept veering toward the letter. I thought someone studious referred to myself, but again there was not sufficient elaboration.

A very few legitimate impressions came through. The cloth connection had to do with distinguishing the color of cloth, which was mentioned in an article that you read. The other legitimate impressions I believe you have already picked out.

Notice also that little emotional content was contained in the test item. I like something better to get my teeth into.

(End at 10:44. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had opened occasionally. She said she had been looking forward to the envelope experiment tonight, hoping I would give her one; she had given herself suggestions concerning it this afternoon.

(Jane was curious about the Instream object. I thought that perhaps it was a ship model. I then recalled that earlier in the week Bill Gallagher and I had been looking at some of my books on the ships of the 17th and 18th centuries. These books contained plans and photographs. Jane and Bill’s wife Peggy had been present but hadn’t paid much attention to our talk.

In the past you would have allowed it to disrupt your inner life. I wanted you to realize that this was a tangible improvement.