“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(It can be said that since the Gallaghers and the Wilburs both know of the sessions, and that they visit us regularly, an unscheduled session is hardly unusual with these two sets of witnesses. It can also be said however that we do not easily hold unscheduled sessions, although from the record it might seem they are held rather often. Jane and I usually go out of our way to avoid them because of the extra work involved, etc. Hence the late starting hour for this one.

(Seth made some interesting points which I will attempt to summarize. Earlier in the evening Bill Gallagher spent perhaps three-quarters of an hour contemplating the oil painting of an elderly man which I executed in July 1965. Seth on various occasions has claimed this painting, along with one other, to be likenesses of him. I did these two without models. This evening Bill commented often that the painting in question had a peculiar alive quality for him. I told him the lighting was flattering, but Bill insisted there was a different quality in the work, and that he did not believe it was due solely to suggestion.

(Since the conversation revolved around matters psychic and nonpsychic, the stage was set rather effortlessly for Seth’s appearance, although as stated neither Jane nor I actively encouraged the session. Everyone was in an excellent mood however. Soon after she began speaking for Seth, in a quite low and pleased voice, Jane launched into the reasons for Bill’s response to the painting. It marked Bill’s emotional perception, according to Seth, of Seth’s presence in the painting, earlier in the evening. Hence Bill’s feeling of an extra quality of life in the work. This event thus meant that for the first time Bill felt an emotional rapport with Seth, although previously he had been intrigued intellectually by the material.

(Seth went on to explain that with the exception of me everyone else in the room, including Jane, still had doubts as to what he was, that I accepted his explanation of his personality, and that this was a help in the sessions. This led to an exchange concerning secondary personalities. Seth said that in the future we would have many exchanges with psychologists and other scientists. Seth told us he knew how “their minds worked,” and that when they thought they had him pinned down as a secondary, he would have a surprise for them, a demonstration. He did not go into detail here and I did not press for particulars because I was not making notes. I believe such events lay quite well ahead of us however.

(Seth proceeded to suggest several things Peggy might do; if she followed the suggestions the trouble should disappear. She should give herself suggestions before sleep that she not sleep on her left side, but her right side instead. This would remove the pressure on the afflicted side of the body. Peggy said she didn’t think she slept on her left side; Seth said she did after going to sleep, and that suggestion would prevent this. Seth told Peggy not to lean on her left elbow during the day, especially at work. Even as he spoke, we saw Peggy leaning on her left elbow. Peggy said she may have the habit of leaning on her desk at the newspaper office with her left arm or elbow; she will check.

(We now come to a surprising development. Seth proceeded to tell Peggy that she was doing her yogic neck rolls much too fast in the morning. This is an exercise, Peggy told us at break, that she does each morning. Like Jane, she works out with yoga each day, but rushes the exercises in the morning while dressing for work. Jane did not know this, and Peggy said she had never mentioned it. Seth was right here, according to Peggy, for lately she felt she had been hurrying the exercises too much. Seth told Peggy the rapid neck rolls, which are an exercise supposed to be done slowly, were actually being detrimental to her. In addition, Peggy should be careful at the end of this exercise, when she drops her head forward, supposedly in a relaxed manner. Seth said the sudden dropping put a strain on the third to fifth vertebrae. Peggy agreed that she ended the exercise in this manner; and again, she had not thought to mention this to Jane previously.

(Last week, the first week in March 1966, Don Wilbur began making the rounds in Elmira in his quest for a better job. Answering an ad in the local paper, he drove to the location given for a construction firm. He had forgotten consciously about Seth’s data, but as he drove into the firm’s property he was immediately struck by the similarity there with Seth’s predictions. He had not been to the location before. The description of the building matched, as well as the description Seth had given of the man Don would talk to about work. Marilyn, Don’s wife, believes she still has Seth’s notes at home and will look for them.