“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 50th envelope experiment was held during the session. The object was a black and white photo of Jane’s father and his deceased second wife, Maxine, taken sometime prior to 1954. Jane hadn’t seen the photo in recent months. I placed it between the usual two pieces of Bristol and sealed it in the double envelopes.

The four faces of Eve all represented various ego manifestations of one inner identity. The course of the ego is a precarious one, and any number of potential egos exist within any identity. The Three Faces of Eve is an excellent title for the book, since the ego may quite legitimately be compared to the face that the identity turns toward objective reality, or the living mask that it dons.

A sparkle. Something sparkles. A bracelet or watchband. Bulky rather than small, of a linked variety. A square object on it. Either an ornament or a watch, on a man’s arm with dark hair on the arm. The shirtsleeve white, rolled partially up. He wears a vest. He is past middle age and he is talking to Dr. Instream. (Pause at 10:12.)

Today Dr. Instream looked at an object in a store window. Something like a camera. The number four in connection with this. The man earlier mentioned also brought an object, I believe for Dr. Instream.

A family situation also. This is a separate impression, involving four people, and a get-together. The object for tonight is small and blue and square-shaped, with perhaps an imprint on it. Also perhaps initials. The imprint is something like a shamrock shape, though not precisely.

A circular object that is segmented, and perhaps turns. A connection with a destination in the afternoon, and with three.

(“Do you want to say something about the shape of the object itself?”)

(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.

(Briefly, the object is a black-and-white photo of Jane’s father Del, and his deceased second wife Maxine. Del was about 48 when the picture was taken in the backyard of their home in Santa Monica, California, and Maxine was 38 or 39. Within six months Maxine was dead from cancer. Her death took place in California just at the time I met Jane in Saratoga Springs, NY, in 1954 in January. Jane hadn’t seen Maxine for a couple of years and I had never met her.

(“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.

(“A note.” The object is not a note, and we see no particular connection with a note.

(“Rectangular.” In answer to my next question, concerning the shape of the object. The photo is rectangular.

(“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.

(Reduced copy of the article by Peggy Gallagher, used as the object in the 51st envelope experiment in the 256th session for May 4,1966.)