“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

For one thing the self is usually thought of in terms of existence only within one particular time sequence pattern. Its experience however is rooted in the past, as you think of the past. Since there is actually only a spacious present this means that the self is rooted both in the past and in the future, using your terms.

Reincarnation does not imply a recurring time system, nor does it imply an extension of time as it is normally considered. That is, reincarnation does not imply in a basic manner existence in one life after another, in your time of successive moments.

Because you are obsessed with the idea of time as past, present and future, you are forced to think of reincarnations as strung out one before the other, and indeed we speak of past lives simply because you are used to the time sequence concept. What you have of course, loosely speaking, is something like the developments narrated in The Three Faces of Eve. You have various dominant egos, all part of an inner identity, dominant in various existences. To make the concept understandable to you it is convenient to speak of past and future reincarnations.

A hundred and forty-five B.C., a hundred and forty-five A.D., a thousand years in your past and a thousand years in your present—all exist now. Therefore the past existences are present existences. You exist in other words in several guises or reincarnations, at one time within the spacious present. You simply do not recognize that the so-called past exists now as surely as the so-called future exists now.

The whole self or identity is aware of the experiences of all the egos, and since one identity forms these egos there is bound to be some similarities between them, and characteristics. The material that I have given you on reincarnation in the past is quite valid, particularly for working purposes, but it is a highly simplified version of what actually occurs.

These four personalities existed however in one physical lifetime. Now to an observer whose time concept was still further segmented, and slowed down in comparison to your own, then theoretically within his time system the four personalities would indeed appear to be four separate existences in fact. In the same manner, you see, several manifestations of one identity appear to you to be stretched out in serial form within a successive time framework.

Obviously however this analogy only carries us so far. You will say, “The four egos belonging to Eve all belonged to one physical body, but in the reincarnational process we are faced with the issue of several bodies, each one discarded and experiencing physical death.”

Now, I will tell you the nearly unbelievable. There was not one shared body in the case of the four Eves. There were four separate bodies.

After the first shock this should come as no surprise. As you know, the physical body is itself never the same, and the atoms that compose it appear and disappear constantly while the appearance of permanency is retained. Such a process, and a natural one, took place in the case of Eve.

It should be remembered here that two personalities were allergic to nylon and two were not. Obviously two personalities made such changes in the physical organism that the allergy was brought on. The organism was physically changed and affected. Even though one personality took over for an hour, still for that hour the physical organism itself was a different one.

It is interesting to note also that these personalities did alternate, and all were in existence at once, so to speak, even though only one was dominant at a given time. In the same way all so-called past personalities are present in your now, but not dominant. Obviously also any future reincarnations are present for those who have other lives still to live in your terms.

Fairly small. Dark colors and white. Perhaps writing on the back. A distant connection—distant, now, with the year 1947, with the photograph of the woman. There are also others, or at least one more. There seems to be dark fluid colors that give the suggestion of water.

(“A cross shape, or something canceled, or wiped out or done. it would seem to be of a dark color. This could signify a death connection but I do not know.” We think this also refers to the death of the priest whom Jane knew in her childhood. The photo of him that Jane received in the mail the other day is actually a halftone reproduction bearing the priest’s portrait and a heavy black border all around. It is a black and white photo. On the back are two crosses in black, one fairly large, plus a prayer and a quotation from St. Alphonsus.

(“There are also others, or at least one more.” At the risk of repetition: There were two articles concerning Mrs. Berry in the paper. One was by Peggy Gallagher and this is the one used as envelope object. Just above Peggy’s article the other article was printed. This second one included the photo of Mrs. Berry. The second article also included another photo—this one of a man who was also elected with Mrs. Berry. The two photos ran side by side.

He allows me to make some adjustments in it however, and we shall discuss these in detail before too long. Now. One of the egos that was mine, you see, is a part of Ruburt’s whole personality, and we use this as a bridgework. I can use it momentarily.

Now. I am the prime identity that you were part of. And I was myself at one time, so to speak, a part of another prime identity. This development does not always occur, for many reasons. Some fragments of an identity simply do not wish to so develop. In the spacious present you see we are one, yet entirely individual.

Now we may possibly develop into a newer gestalt, for I cannot see all portions—underline all portions—of the spacious present. There are still veils before my eyes. This is a part of the present I do not perceive. If so, it will be one in which identities are completely retained, and there is no question of a dominancy, but of a smooth-working organization.

In the time framework within which you now exist I can help you, but you cannot help me except by allowing me to help you, you see. In the gestalt which could develop we would be in a position of helping each other more equally. Now through you I affect physical reality, and this is indeed one of my purposes.

I helped you then, before you knew me. You were quite literally waiting for Ruburt, and this is why you did not marry earlier. The connections between you, and your development from the same prime identity, made your union an excellent one. There is a constant maintenance of identity, and a search for stability, psychologically speaking. But then identity, sure of itself, seeks to enlarge its experience for it is no longer afraid that experience will swallow it.

You change because of any experience. You have, then, changed because of this one. You have become more than you were. I am speaking here to you both. I am not taking you over, so to speak. You are accepting as a part of your whole experience more and more of the reality of what I am. This in no way minimizes me, you see. I make much of my knowledge available to you, but it is still my knowledge, you see. The sharing of it however enlarges my own experience. Now then, I will let you rest. You may take a break or end the session as you prefer.