“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Peggy Gallagher was due this evening, to photograph Jane while in trance. Peg was also due for the 242nd session but did not appear. In that session Seth told us she did not come because of “A change of plans. Having to do with a disturbance. A connection with 3 o’clock, I believe this afternoon.”

(We checked with Peggy this weekend. As Seth said, she did not appear; her planned activities at the newspaper where she works were changed unexpectedly; she was taken out of town Wednesday night, the time of the 242nd session. Peggy was given the assignment in the afternoon, she said, and it could have been around 3 PM; she does not know the exact time. Seth, or Jane, was incorrect on the day however. Peggy was given the out-of-town assignment one day earlier, Tuesday, March 15.

(Last Friday Jane received word that her article on the envelope experiments was rejected by Fate Magazine. In the 233rd session Seth said the article would sell, without naming the buyer, “providing Ruburt follows the way which has been set out for him.” See Volume 5, page 287.

(Since we wanted Seth to discuss this prediction, this gave us the idea of checking up on some other recent session material. I wrote up the notes on these and read them to Jane just before session time, thinking that if Seth didn’t cover all the points this evening, at least a beginning could be made.

(See the notes on page 269, Volume 5, of the 232nd session, dealing with Jane’s recent poetry book and the request by Jane’s publisher, F. Fell, that she send it to him along with a tape of some of the poems, also by Jane. In the 277th session Seth said this book would be published. F. Fell returned the book a couple of weeks ago, and it is now in the hands of another publisher. Jane did not seriously expect Fell to accept this book, but still wants to hear from Seth about it. Playboy Press has also rejected the poetry book. See the notes on page 312, Volume 5. Seth hasn’t named any specific publishers in his predictions, nor have we asked.

(In the 210th session for November 22,1965, Seth stated that he had picked up an “incipient malignancy” in Helen Dyer, who is a friend of our landlady, Marian Spaziani. See Volume 5, page 81. This data was given after the two women had visited us. We have heard nothing more on this, either from Seth or the two women. Last weekend Marian’s husband Jimmy told us that Marian herself must have an operation to remove a tumor on an ovary. Since Seth mentioned the abdominal region in connection with Helen, we wonder about possible distortion on Jane’s part here. The material in the 210th session was focused strongly on Helen however.

(In the 229th session Seth went into some detail concerning the tax problems of our landlord, Jimmy Spaziani. If Jimmy is having tax troubles we know nothing about it, and have heard no rumors. Since we have seen Jimmy a few times recently we wonder if Jane has picked up any telepathic information. Seth mentioned legal difficulties for Jimmy in connection with a March 15 date. Seth also saw a possible future illness for Jimmy.

(In the 234th session, Seth dealt with predictions and free will. On page 293, Volume 5, he stated that he is hardly omnipotent—“Nor, strictly speaking, is such omnipotence possible.” See other recent sessions, on probabilities also. Jane and I wondered what part probabilities might have played in any of the above dates.

(The session was held in our front room. Jane began speaking while sitting down and with her eyes closed. She was not smoking; her voice was average, her pace again slow, with many pauses.)

(Jane now paused. Her eyes were still closed. She leaned forward in her rocker, elbows on knees, head down. The pause was rather long, and her voice was quieter when she resumed at 9:14.)

(Break at 9:21. Jane was well dissociated for a first break, she said. Her eyes had remained closed. Her pace had been slow at the end of the delivery. She was surprised at the early break, but more so at the impressions given, since she hadn’t expected them.

(As Jane sat resting during break, staring absently at the floor, she received the word “mine.” She doesn’t know if this was from Seth or is a production of her own. In two recent envelope experiments Jane has used the word mine, or the underground image thus conjured up, to refer to a grave, meaning death.

(Jane began speaking at a much faster pace. Her eyes opened as soon as she began, widely, and remained so for some little time. The rapid delivery was interspersed with short pauses. Resume at 9:30.)

(Break at 9:48. Jane had again been well dissociated. She felt Seth rather strongly tonight, she said, and did not remember much of the material. Her eyes, after being open wide after break, closed and remained so for the rest of the delivery.

(It was now time for the 49th Dr. Instream experiment, although as it developed this came a bit later than usual. Once again Jane spoke slowly, with her eyes closed and her voice rather quiet. Resume at 9:59.)

(Once again Jane bowed her head. She paused, her eyes closed. There have been changes at my place of employment, due to the retirement of management, the consolidation of some departments and the elimination of others, etc.)

(Jane now took another pause, at 10:06.)

(Jane paused at 10:14. Without opening her eyes she took the envelope for the 42nd experiment from me. She pressed the envelope to her forehead briefly, then lowered it to her lap.)

(Jane paused once more, and seemed to wait expectantly. This was my first shot at a second question during an experiment. We hadn’t discussed the possibility of more than one question yet, but evidently Seth—or Jane—is getting used to the idea of envelope questions so rapidly that soon questions may be asked at leisure.

(Jane gestured rather strongly with the envelope while giving this data. Her eyes remained closed.)

(Once more Jane paused, sitting quietly with her eyes closed. I waited a moment to see if she would resume.)

(Break at 10:25. Once again Jane said she was well dissociated; she didn’t recall much of what she had said. Her eyes had remained closed since last break, and her pace had been fair.

(The receipt is rectangular in shape; in connection with this shape, Jane said she had an image within, of a whitish color. It was rectangular and of the approximate proportion of the object. She was aware of black lines upon it. She saw it standing on a narrow end. This is quite possible, since I noticed during the experiment that she held the sealed envelope at various angles. Remember also that she gave white in connection with the object’s color, in answer to my second question. The receipt is green.

(Jane and I made quite a few connections ourselves, and did not ask Seth for more since he went into other material.

(“A connection with a light or a round bright object that suggests light.” Jane said this is her interpretation of Seth’s first data regarding the circular handstamp on the object. Later in the data she becomes more specific.

(“A motor.” A reference to the motor of our tape recorder. Jane said this is tied in with the last reference: “Something beats like a motor,” in answer to my third question.

(“Something spilled.” Both Jane and I have vague memories of something being spilled at the Gallaghers’ that evening, when the 170th session was recorded. We believe it was a drink. We will check with Bill and Peggy.

(“Copy in the center of the bottom of a paper item.” No matter which side of the envelope object was facing up, there would be copy in the center of the bottom side. Jane changed the position of the envelope frequently, as she held it while giving the data.

(“Elmira, NY, connected with this copy.” Elmira, NY, is included in the handstamp on the receipt. This data would indicate then that while Jane held the envelope “this copy”, including the handstamp, was on the underside.

(The next paragraph of envelope data does not apply to the envelope object. These are Jane’s impressions, as Seth noted, and referred to my niece’s marriage, and the Christian Science Church.

(“A door which is dark, or opens into darkness.” Jane and I had the same thought, independently, before mentioning it: that this impression referred to the layout of the Gallagher’s house, where the 170th session was recorded. The session was held in their living room. A hall opens off this and leads back to the kitchen. Other rooms open off the hall on either side. Usually when we visit there we see a light on in the kitchen.

(“Circular shapes. Perhaps four heads.” Four people were present when the 170th session, represented by the envelope object, was recorded: Jane and I, and Bill and Peggy Gallagher. Four heads of course could have referred also to coins or cabbages. I knew four people were present at the 170th session. I did not think I would be giving Jane information when I asked my first question, pertaining to elaboration of the four heads data. As far as she was concerned, I could have picked either a bit of data I knew to be wrong, or about which I knew nothing, as well as something that was correct.

(“Give us a moment. Four heads came from the impression of circle shapes. Here interpreted as being connected with four people. Perhaps at a table.” Seth/Jane gave this data in answer to the first question, and it is more specific in that people as such are mentioned. None of us sat at a table however during the recording, or the evening; the Gallaghers do not have such a table in their living room.

(“White, it seems, with a large oval darker shape.” As stated on page 36, Jane had a mental image of a rectangular object that was whitish in color, with lines upon it. Hence the persistent references to a white object instead of the actual green color. The handstamp is round; does oval mean round, or something nearly round? Perhaps the meaning is subjective, as well as the size of the handstamp in relation to the size of the whole object.

(“Black, rather clear lines, one on top, bottom, and two sides. Vertical, that is, vertical lines, on the top and bottom, and horizontal on the sides.” The insurance receipt contains clear black printed lines, both horizontal and vertical on the front, and horizontal only on the back. As stated, Jane changed the position of the envelope frequently while she was giving the data. Thus lines that were vertical at one time would become horizontal, and it seems this would apply whether in relation to her as the clairvoyant observer, or the floor or whatever. I also wonder if some of this data might refer to the black lines formed by the printed matter on the object, and its neat-appearing edges, top, sides and bottom.

(“A white border, with uneven edges, or slightly scrolled edges.” In giving this data Jane emphasized un. See the tracing of the object on page 29. The top and bottom edges of the object are serrated or perforated; several receipts are contained on one page in the book at the post office, and are torn off as used. The sides of the object are straight.

(“Something beats like a motor.” Jane said this use of the word beats reminded her of the hum of the motor on our recorder. We didn’t get enough information here, but she believes it a reference to the recorder motor rather than a reference, say, to our car.

(Jane resumed at an average pace and with her eyes closed at 10:43.)

(The personal material we have received in the sessions has been psychologically sound. Jane and I feel this way because whenever we have put Seth’s suggestions to the test through practice, the results have been excellent.)

(Jane and I visited my parents at their home in Sayre, PA, last Sunday, March 20,1966. We got along well. Following Seth’s recent suggestions, usually given in unscheduled sessions, I have been making conscious efforts concerning my reactions to my parents. The results have been very good.)

(On March 19,1966 I had a long, vivid and involved dream that I thought probably quite significant. Jane agreed and we made what interpretations we could on our own. The dream is noted in my regular notebook.)

(Cards given to Jane and me at the time show that we received Type I Sabin oral polio vaccine in October 1962, and Type II in November 1962. The card for Type II contained a notice to the effect that information about Type III would be available in the spring of 1963, but if memory serves correctly Type III never was available for public free distribution in this area. In any event Jane and I never did receive Type III.)

(While speaking, Jane opened her eyes and then got up briefly to get a cigarette from a nearby stand. She had been quite restless in her chair.)

(Remember that this episode took place just before, or just as, these sessions began. At the time Jane and I knew little about the power of suggestion. We received Type II in November 1963, the month in which we began experimenting with matters psychic. We did not get to work, really, with the Ouija board until later in the month; Seth made his appearance in December 1963.

(Break at 11:04. Jane was well dissociated, she said. Her pace had become fairly good, her eyes opening often. I left the well-paying field of comics just about at the time I met Jane, in the spring of 1954. Jane now resumed in the same manner at 11:06.)

(End, presumably, at 11:08. Jane was again well dissociated.

(Jane resumed briefly at 11:09.)

(End at 11:10. Jane, again well dissociated, said Seth “could go on for hours,” but by now we were getting tired. We have often wondered whether food allergies might be influencing us. Seth had some information for us on our diet, in a general way, in the 185th session. See Volume 4.)