“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The objects for the 57th envelope experiment were two leaves taken from our poinsettia plant. The plant is an old one, and one of our favorites. We see it every day of course but I was sure Jane wasn’t aware of these two specific leaves separately. The plant also has an interesting history, which will be brought out later. I taped the leaves to one of the two pieces of Bristol used in these experiments, sandwiched it against the other piece, then sealed the two in the usual double envelopes. Note that the word “top” is penciled on the back of the Bristol; this was done by me after the experiment, but before Jane saw the objects, as will be shown later.

I want to give you some idea of the conditions that you may expect to meet in any successful projections, so that you will be prepared to some extent. For simplicity’s sake we shall call the body forms of which we spoke in our last session, forms one, two and three.

Now, form number one will spring out of an ordinary dream state. In spontaneous projections you may become conscious in form number one, legitimately project, return to the ordinary dream state, and project again several times. You can expect therefore that these projections will be difficult to interpret, though you may find the experience intact in the middle of the record of any given dream.

The excursions with form number one will be of your own system, and largely connected to the earth, although past, present and future may be involved. You may, for example, visit New York in the year 2,000. This is at least possible, you see, using form number one.

(Long pause.) In form two, you will not as a rule encounter any subconscious phantoms, and usually you make the change to form two from the state in which form one is used. The ordinary dream elements will not be as frequent, nor will they intrude as much into the experience itself.

But the reality of all of these constructions will be equally vivid, you see, for they are indeed equally real. I will give you one very simple example. Suppose you find yourself in a room with certain people, and you recognize later upon awakening that this room and these people both belong to a particular sequence in a novel. You think then, “This was no projection, simply a dream.”

Obviously, physical reality only happens to be the portion of reality you recognize. The paintings that you will paint exist now. It is possible for you to project yourself into one of your own future landscapes. This would not be an imaginative projection. This is what I am trying to tell you.

In such a case incidentally, you were not a part of the battle, and you cannot be harmed. However you might be attracted enough to project yourself spontaneously into the body of one of the soldiers, in which case you could experience pain, until your own fear pulled you back. It will be a matter of learning control under such conditions. (Long pause, eyes opening often.)

Such an action would therefore appear to happen twice—once in your present, and once in your future, you see. But in the future (smile)you would be the one whose course is altered by this traveling self from the past.

(Eyes open.) In any case this future self of yours heeds what you say. Now, in the actual future you are the self who one way or another, you see, hears the voice of his past self. (Jane leans forward, knocking on the tabletop for emphasis, eyes wide.) Perhaps in a dream, or perhaps in a projection, made into the past.

A slide rule. I have the impression of a classroom, large with many windows on one side of the room… (Long pause.) Facing west, the windows facing west.

I believe that Dr. Instream was here just before twilight this evening. At one time with five particular people, talking to them. At an earlier time there were more people in the room, a small crowd. I believe that hypnosis was under discussion. The slide rule may have been used somehow in a demonstration.

I have the impression of two dark horizontal lines, one rather toward the top and one rather toward the bottom. (Jane again gestured with the envelope. She held it in the same position as noted before, the small dimensions parallel to the floor. She hadn’t changed its position by idly turning it, for example.) Both inside, but just an oval shape. Holding the object this way. (The same gesture again.) Now I suggest your break. Unless you have any more questions.

(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.

(“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.

(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.

(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.

(When the envelope is held in the horizontal position, the spine of one of the leaves is above the other, or one toward the top and the other toward the bottom. They are not dark, however. In poinsettia leaves at least, the central spine is a lighter green color than the rest of the leaf.