“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(Break at 10:28. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her eyes had remained closed throughout both experiments. She had but one image during the envelope data—of white notepaper with blue lines upon it, and she didn’t know whether this came from Seth or herself.

(As is usually the case when we do not personally know a lot of intimate details connected with the envelope object, Jane and I found ourselves unable to check all of Seth’s data. We think of these occasions as being like those where strangers would furnish the object. We could make quite a few connections however, and Seth helps out a little.

(“Suitable. A connection with something suitable for an occasion.” In the photo Maxine is dressed up, including white hat and gloves, and wears a large corsage on the left lapel of her dark-colored suit. The corsage could be something suitable for an occasion. There could also be a play on words here, in that Maxine is wearing one of the old-fashioned square-shouldered two-piece suits in style then: Suitable, suit. Seth elaborates a little in answer to a question.

(“A connection with the color yellow, and a loud sound.” We see none and Seth did not elaborate.

(“A circular object that is segmented, and perhaps turns.” One of the trellises in the photo is plainly seen on the couples’ right. Its construction is segmented, its outside shape made up of curves. In addition the curve of this trellis flows into the curve or arch of the trellis behind Del and Maxine. We think Seth’s perception of these curving lines led to the mention of “perhaps turns.”

(“Some kind of connection with a screen, or with a motion picture screen, or camera screen.” The object was a photograph. These related references could be the attempts of Seth/Jane to get at the idea of the picture.

(My first two questions asked for elaboration on “something suitable” and “something surprising.” Seth agreed they were connected. Our interpretation connects them through Maxine; something suitable being Maxine’s corsage, something surprising being her early death.

(Seth came through with a little more data after the second question:

(“A connection with October and April.” We saw no particular connection. Del’s birthday for instance is in December; we do not know the month of Maxine’s birthday. My next question asked Seth for the year these months pertained to. When he said “This year.” It didn’t help us.

(“Blue and white.” Here I asked for colors in connection with the object. Jane said this is when she had the mental image of white notepaper with blue lines on it. She didn’t know whether this image came from Seth or herself.

(“Male.” Seth here gives the sex of the child mentioned on page 128. I had wondered if it was a reference to Jane herself. During break Jane said she believed it referred to a brother of Maxine’s. The brother is the same approximate age as Jane, and lived in upstate New York near Saratoga; hence Jane got to know the members of Maxine’s family fairly well even though she seldom saw Maxine herself. Jane said she liked the brother quite well; he is the member of Maxine’s family who made an impression on her.

(“Good night, Seth.”