“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(A question had occurred to me as Seth spoke and I voiced it now: Were any of the results of our experimental data, involving either Dr. Instream or our own envelopes, the result of unsuspected projections on Jane’s part? Seth refers to the question later in the session.

(Jane had one image which will be mentioned in place. We were able to make quite a few connections, and Seth helped us with one after break. The session was over now however for most practical purposes. Since the object did not originate with us, we were not able to make some connections which we supposed were probably valid. The history of the poinsettia plant which furnished the leaves used as objects will unfold to some extent as we interpret the data.

(“Again, I have the impression of something round—more oval, perhaps. Fairly large in the center of a square or rectangular object.” As noted Jane held the envelope to her forehead with the long axis parallel to the floor. No matter which long edge was uppermost this places the large poinsettia leaf in the center of the card as far as the short edges are concerned. Even so the large leaf would be off center, either above or below, as far as the long edges are concerned. I hoped Seth would mention two objects, but he did not.

(Seth goes from round to oval, which is more specific as far as the leaf is concerned, and from square to rectangular, which is more specific as far as the rectangular shape of the piece of Bristol to which I had taped both objects is concerned. The bigger of the two leaves is fairly large as far as the overall size of the piece of Bristol is concerned.

(“Also something in the center of the oval.” Evidently Seth here picks up the fishbone pattern formed by veins and stems in one or both of the objects, as the next data develops.

(“Two horizontal lines, rather widely separated from each other.” Since Jane had held the envelope to her forehead in the position above indicated, it can be seen that the “spines” of the two leaves, taped to the Bristol, would be roughly horizontal to the floor and thus to her vision. Provided Seth gives this data in our terms in such cases. We wondered if by horizontal Seth, or Jane, could possibly mean parallel, since the leaves are quite parallel to each other on the Bristol.

(Seth’s use of the word separated here is the closest he came to indicating two objects.

(Seth uses the word perhaps here, so he may not have been sure, or Jane may have been a bit unsure. He does mention right hand corner. We believe the starlike shape a good reference to the internal pattern of the leaf. This kind of radiating line pattern is one which Jane uses in her paintings, and in past experiments has been interpreted as “sun shape,” “star shape,” etc.

(“A tall tree, exceptionally tall, I believe.” The plant we now have, which furnished the leaves used as objects, is, we have been told, quite old and tall for a poinsettia. Many people have remarked about this. The plant stands perhaps three feet tall; this may have given rise to Seth’s tall data here. The stems have acquired a woody, brown texture. In addition, the day I removed the leaves used as objects from the plant, it stood on our bathroom windowsill. This is quite high; the plant on the sill gave the illusion of reaching almost to the ceiling.

(“Something on the back or inside of the object. Did the object once open up? The impression of continued writing. A connection with a note, I believe, or a card that opened, with writing or copy on an inside page. Orange. The orange seems to be connected with black also. Or dark color. Perhaps like dark lettering.” These impressions came together, and we can offer no connections. Seth seems to be quite insistent upon the subject of writing or a note, so they may be valid. As stated, Jane saw the plant which furnished tonight’s objects, as a Christmas present in Miss Callahan’s apartment at Christmas of 1964. Jane considers it possible that here Seth is getting at the idea of a folded note or card being attached to the plant when Miss Callahan received it as a gift. However Jane can recall no such note or card upon seeing it in 1964. Nor can we check with Miss Callahan, who has suffered a considerable loss of memory as a result of a series of strokes since 1964.

(“With something beginning with an M, and something beginning with a G,” We didn’t know, although we speculated that the initials were a distortion of Miss Callahan, or of Merry Christmas, both these ideas being related to the source of the poinsettia plant which furnished the leaves as objects. Seth helps us out on this after break.

(My first question asked Seth for more data about the two horizontal lines. See page 194. “I have the impression of two dark horizontal lines, one rather toward the top and one rather toward the bottom.” [Jane gestures.] It will be remembered that when Seth gave this data the first time, Jane held the envelope to her forehead with its long dimensions horizontal to the floor. As explained, this meant the spines of the two leaves were also roughly horizontal to the floor and her insight. Seth elaborates a bit here now, although Jane now sat holding the envelope in her lap, and with its short dimensions parallel to the floor.

(More data follows from the first question: “Both inside, but just an oval shape. Holding the object this way.” [Jane gestured again, the envelope in the same position, short end up.] From this we infer that Seth refers to the spines of the leaves, and not their stems; yet mention is made only of an oval shape, singular.

(I now asked Seth to name the object: “I have the impression, holding the object this way” [gesture in the same fashion as above], “of a rectangular object, a card that is connected with a picture”, resulted in Jane having a mental image here. She saw, she said, the rectangular shape of the Bristol to which I had taped the two leaves. She also had an image of something darker in the center of the rectangle, and interpreted this as a picture instead of “something real.” Upon seeing the object, Jane realized the dark areas of the leaves matched the dark areas she had seen mentally, yet the image hadn’t been sharp enough to see as leaves; it came through in a generalized picture interpretation instead.

(Seth added more as a result of the second question: “and strongly connected with something that opened, as a letter could open to another page.” We believe this data to be separate from that in the paragraph just above. Once again Seth brings in the writing connection, previously described on page 196. We can offer no interpretations here, either.

(“Good night, Seth.”

(End at 10:48. Jane said Seth felt fine and could have continued indefinitely.)