“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(By coincidence Don had sealed the object in an envelope of the same size as those I use for the experiments. He did not use double envelopes, but had achieved the same effect by first wrapping the object in opaque white paper rather loosely; this also obliterated any hard edges that might have given sensory clues. Seth however discounts any possible data obtained through fingering, etc.

(Ann Diebler also witnessed the session, for a total of three witnesses. The three have heard Seth speak before on a few informal occasions; this was their first regular session. All have read some of the material.

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

(Our visitors did not know of the sessions. If they had noticed the rather strong Seth voice through the door—it was quite audible, we were sure—they gave no sign. The visitors left at 10:04. We had used the intervening time as a break, and Jane resumed in the same active manner at 10:05.)

(Seth had a few comments on the envelope data after break, but the Wilburs and Jane and I had by then made the connections with the object. See the tracing on page 206, and the notes on page 207.

(“Four, plus one or two.” On the back of the object Marilyn Wilbur had written April 4, 1966, as well as the name she had given her ceramic sculpture. This date is the day Don took the picture and gave it to us. April is the fourth month; the number four also shows; and the number 1 in 1966. A 2 also shows in the serial number on the right back edge of the object. We don’t know whether Seth might have referred to this, and since I didn’t know what the object was either I couldn’t ask questions to help clear it up.

(“and with objects in a row, or a series, perhaps of numbers.” The date on the object can be thought of as a series of numbers; we think however that here Seth refers to the six-digit serial number on the back of the object, along the right-hand edge: M507832.

(Seth helps out here a little in answer to my second question.

(“F and O”. We hesitated to give meanings here, and received some help from Seth in answer to my fourth question.

(Seth continues in answer to the first question: “A visual connection, with square or rectangular objects in the center of a larger area”, refers to the rectangular bricks marching up across the center of the object. “with modern connotations as a design might have.” refers to the very modern, rounded or circular design of Marilyn’s ceramic cat. “Perhaps connected with spindly lines or strings.” refers to the abstract pattern created, in line form, by the narrow crevices and shadows around the individual bricks, all these lines being interconnected.

(All in all, we consider Seth’s answer to the first question to be very good.

(My second question asked for more data on the M and G: “They are not together, but separate. They are not initials.” We of course had this answer before giving our own interpretations of the M and G data on page 213. We had assigned the M to Marilyn’s name, thus using an initial, and the G to the glass glaze on the cat. Seth agrees with this interpretation after break, so there is some contradiction here.

(“They refer to objects on the object, or strongly connected with it.” The third question sought to pin the M and G data down further. Thus the G for glass glaze refers to the cat shown on the object, the M to Marilyn who made the cat. We wouldn’t be sure of this however without Seth’s confirmation after break.

(“A distant connection here incidentally with a birthday, and the number seven.” Seth added this bit of information at the last, just before break. There is a number 7 in the upper left hand corner of the object, on the back. Marilyn said however that she felt this data could refer to the fact that her father’s birthday is on March 7, and that the camera which Don took the photo used as object belongs to her father. Seth agreed with her after break.

(“As always; good night, Seth.”

(End at 11:37. Jane was dissociated as usual. Her pace had been rather fast, her voice good, her eyes open often. She said Seth could have continued indefinitely.)