“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 43rd envelope experiment was held during the session. The tracing on page 43 is a reproduction of the envelope object, a page of notes from my pad. The notes concern the efforts of Jane and myself to pin down Seth’s impressions given on page 32 of the last session.

(Sometimes Jane has seen envelope objects, and sometimes she has not. Sometimes she has seen them but a few days before, sometimes months or years before. Whatever the case may be, it apparently makes no difference in the results as far as time goes, or previous visual contact. Seth does respond to emotional charges; these charges we have learned need not stem from Jane or myself or a friend; they can be related to a total stranger and still be detected. Someday perhaps these envelope experiments can be correlated with various factors, sensual and otherwise. For some time now we have kept a weather record, taken just before session time, and there are probably correlations here. This record includes time, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, rainfall to date, wind velocity and wind direction. Soon I will make a copy of the chart to include with these sessions.

(The approach was a little different this evening, in that Jane had seen the envelope object perhaps two hours before the session. She helped me compile it for future checking against page 43. At this time I had no idea of using it for the experiment; the idea occurred later, some time after Jane had left the studio. I sealed it up in the usual double envelope, between two pieces of Bristol.

(Bill and Peggy Gallagher were due to witness the session. Peggy was going to take flash pictures of Jane while she was in trance; Jane’s publisher had asked to see some material of this kind. We had no idea of the success of this venture—whether Jane would be distracted while delivering the regular material, or during the envelope experiment; if possible we wanted to cover both categories.

(The Gallaghers arrived just before 9 PM, when we were about to begin the session. Peggy had her press camera. We took a few minutes to make our witnesses comfortable. Peggy was to prowl around, seeking out compositions, etc., and to take pictures whenever she chose. Jane and I were to go on as usual.

(The session began at 9:06. Seth was in a very good mood at its opening but quickly became serious. Jane’s pace was good from the beginning. Her eyes were closed, her manner brisk and with many gestures, her voice average in timbre.)

(Peggy now took her first picture. The flash startled me more than it did Jane, for she continued on, unperturbed.)

(Peggy took her next picture, and once again Jane did not pause. Her eyes remained closed as before.)

(Break at 9:22. Jane had been dissociated as usual for a first delivery. Her pace had been good, her voice a bit stronger than usual, her eyes had remained closed. Jane said she had noticed the flash but had not been bothered by it when Peggy took the pictures.

(Peggy was having trouble composing a picture, she said, so for the next delivery she had Jane and me seat ourselves in another part of the room. We also moved about later in the session, but Jane kept using her favorite session chair, our Kennedy rocker.

(Seth, or Jane had been engrossed in the material. Jane’s manner remained most emphatic when she resumed, again with her eyes closed, at 9:32.)

(Jane was most emphatic in giving this material, speaking in a good voice and with many gestures. Her pace was also good. Once in a while her eyes opened briefly. Peggy had been taking pictures, and as far as I could tell Jane was not bothered.)

(Break at 9:52. Jane was dissociated as usual, she said. Her eyes had been closed for the most part, her manner and gestures very emphatic. Peggy’s flashgun hadn’t bothered her. A total of seven pictures had been taken by now.

(It was time for the 50th Dr. Instream experiment. Jane’s pace and voice now changed to a slower tempo. Once more she sat with a hand raised to her closed eyes. Resume at 10:05.)

(Jane paused at 10:15. She took the usual sealed double envelope from me without opening her eyes. This was our 43rd experiment. Peggy was ready for more pictures. Jane pressed the envelope to her forehead briefly, then lowered it to her lap—possibly because she knew pictures were to be taken of the experiment. I wondered about the results this evening in the face of possible distractions.)

(Peggy took a picture. Jane did not appear to be bothered.)

(Peggy took another picture, and again Jane continued unperturbed; her eyes remained closed.)

(End at 10:23. Jane was dissociated as usual, she said. Her eyes had begun to open toward the end of the delivery, and her voice became humorous. Peggy Gallagher had taken ten photographs in all, and the taking of them had not seemed to bother Jane. I did think the envelope data had probably been shortened somewhat.

(Jane and I made what connections we could, and did not ask Seth for any clarifications. See the tracing of the envelope object on page 43. As stated it is a reproduction of a page of notes I had made, concerning the efforts of Jane and myself to pin down Seth’s impressions given on page 32 of the last session.

(“A switch.” This we believe involves Peggy’s failure to appear at the two previous sessions, 242 and 243, to take photographs of Jane. This is borne out also by Seth’s last statement, where I asked him to elaborate: “The switch seems to be involved with a change of plans, or a switch of dates.” The change of plans was on Peggy’s part, twice, and the somewhat involved mechanics of the situation here are explained in the notes on page 30 of the 243rd session.

(The connection with the envelope object is that the object concerns an investigation of Seth’s data on page 32; this data involves Peggy’s involvement in a crisis at her place of employment. The change of plans came about when Peggy was ordered out of town on assignment for March 16,1966, Wednesday night, the time she had planned to photograph Jane during the 242nd session. Peggy was given this change of plans on Tuesday, March 15, and as shown Seth mentions March 15 in the data this evening.

(“A bright color suggesting sunlight.” We don’t know. A reference to the flashgun? Peggy took three shots of Jane during the envelope data. The sunlight reference is one occurring once in a while in the envelope data, and sometimes involves circles of bright colors. The object tonight is white paper, but then many objects are.

(Now follows Jane’s impressions concerning a news photo of a drawing of flying saucers, which we had discussed recently. As Seth said, these were Jane’s impressions and not his.

(“A miscellany of shapes that all point toward one direction.” This is one of Seth/Jane’s favorite ways to refer to writing, whether handwritten or printed. The pointing reference we think a reference to the uniform direction of the verticals in my script.

(“2 o’clock. A connection with a March 13 or 15 date, I believe.” This is quite possible, we think, although we did not check with Seth. See the notes again on pages 30, and 50, concerning Peggy’s failure to appear as scheduled to photograph Jane during the 242nd session. As stated the 242nd session was held on Wednesday March 16. Peggy did not appear because she was given an out-of-town assignment for Wednesdsay evening. She was actually given the assignment on Tuesday, March 15, in the afternoon. On page 30 it is stated Peggy does not recall the exact time she was told about the assignment except that it was not too late in the afternoon. Seth had mentioned 3 PM during the 242nd session, and Peggy said it was possible. Does 2 o’clock apply here? We do not know since we did not check with Seth. Peggy is sure however that she was given the assignment no later than 3 PM.)