“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 58th envelope experiment was held this evening. The object was a faded color Polaroid photograph. The picture was taken by Don Wilbur on April 4,1966, as noted on the back. Don and his wife Marilyn were due to witness the 248th session on April 4, but last-minute developments prevented them doing so. Don left the sealed envelope he had prepared for the session with me, however; I kept it until the Wilburs were able to witness a session. The photo is of a decorative garden cat, bearing a shining glass glaze, and was made by Marilyn.

(I did not know the contents of the envelope, nor of course did Jane. She had seen Don hand me the envelope on April 4, but since none of us had ever mentioned it since then I was hoping she had forgotten about it. After the session tonight Jane confirmed she had forgotten that I had the envelope. Even when the Wilburs arrived for the session tonight, Jane did not remember it.

(Break at 9:22. The knocking came again, loudly. I did not notice, being busy writing, but Don Wilbur said the first knock really jolted Jane out of her trance, or at least the deeper stages of it, even though she continued speaking. Later Jane told me she had been very well dissociated. Her pace was fast, her eyes opened often, and she had used many gestures and much emphasis.

(Jane paused at 10:35. Without opening her eyes she took Don Wilbur’s envelope and pressed it to her forehead for a moment before lowering it to her lap. This was our 58th envelope experiment.)

(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.

(“Connection with a meeting.” As stated, Don took the picture for specific use as an envelope object in the 248th session, due April 4,1966. The projected meeting would thus involve four people; the Wilburs could not attend at the last moment, but Don delivered the object personally on April 4, so there was an actual meeting of three.

(“and with square objects, in design fashion.” The bricks in the photo are rectangular, not square. As stated they are not cemented in place but set together irregularly; the pattern they make is a nicely designed one. The walk is in front of the trailer the Wilburs inhabit in a nearby small town.

(“Something to do with tomorrow. That is, tomorrow as far as the object is concerned, or to do with the future, this being indicated on the object.” When the Wilburs discovered they couldn’t attend the 248th session as witnesses on April 4,1966, the day the photo used as object tonight was taken, I saved the object for future use when they could be witnesses, as explained. In this sense perhaps it can be said the object had a meaning assigned to it concerning the future. But there is nothing on the object itself to indicate this.