“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I am particularly concerned, you see, with this matter of projection, simply because your own abilities will rather swiftly lead you along in that direction. Therefore whatever information I can give you will be of great practical benefit. I do not want either of you traveling about unless you know what you are doing.

You are familiar, all of you, with subconscious fabrications as they exist in the nightmare condition. Now on occasion when you are projecting from a dream point, you will meet such subconscious images. Your ordinary standards of reality mean absolutely nothing when you leave the physical system, therefore you will encounter, simultaneously perhaps, images that are subconsciously formed; quite valid images that belong in another dimension; constructions created by others within another system; and for any control at all, you must learn how to distinguish one from the other.

(Smile, eyes closed.) You see, even I can tell that our guests are not subconscious fabrications, and I would be pleased indeed if they granted me the same privilege. You will have control, you see, over your own subconscious images if you recognize them as your own constructions.

Without such recognition however an encounter could be unpleasant. You have little control, and I am speaking here now all evening, of projections and their circumstances—you will have little control over the constructions of others. If, for example, during projection travel you encounter a disturbing image, you must first will it to disappear. If it is a subconscious fabrication it will vanish, but if you do not will it to vanish it will remain, and then you must deal with it as a reality.

In somewhat the same manner, a nightmare will run its course and lead you into terror unless you realize that the nightmare is self-created. In which instance it will disappear.

I cannot emphasize too strongly however the fact that the ordinary standards by which you judge reality will not here apply. And Joseph, you must learn the new rules. Our small friend in the corner (Jane pointed to Ann Diebler) must learn the new rules. Now. Every image that you meet, and every experience, will be varied within its own framework. And do not forget that the experiences which you encounter will have an effect upon your own personality, as vivid or more vivid than the effect of any waking experience.

(Eyes open, smiling, very emphatic with gestures.) Ruburt told one of your friends to respect physical reality. Whether or not the automobile is a sensory hallucination, it can kill you, he said. And I tell you, whether or not these images are hallucinations, they can be dangerous, and you must respect the reality in which they exist.

Then, I want to be sure that you realize that some of these constructions that you will encounter will belong to another system. They will not be your own constructions. You are safe as long as you do not meddle. You may explore, and freely, and that is all.

Some of the effects however, of which he speaks, are the result of his own psychological makeup. You can avoid the unpleasant sensations that he has described if you realize this.

(We had discussed this at supper time. Jane had noticed a close similarity in some of the effects described by Oliver Fox, and those she had experienced on her own while doing psychological time, as long as two years ago.)

These are my instructions. You may consider this your first lesson. We will go by easy stages, for we do not want you betwixt and between. You may induce a medium trance in whatever way you choose. On occasion this will be spontaneous, as you know. For best results in the beginning it is good to make a projection attempt when you already feel physically drowsy, but pleasantly so. When you have induced the trance state, then begin to examine your own subjective feelings until you find recognition of the inner self.

(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.

(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.

Now. Once your consciousness is outside of the physical body, then you are dealing with a different kind of reality indeed. This is experience every bit as real as any other.

Now I have told you that you may legitimately visit not only the past, present and future as it existed, or will exist in physical terms; but you may also visit realities which never existed in physical terms. In our earliest sessions I emphasized that the intensity regulated the duration of an experience. Now, many events that were only imagined and never took place, physically speaking, many such events still exist. They are simply not a part of your definition of reality. You may therefore visit a museum which was planned in the 16th century, but never built. Such a museum has a reality as real, you see, as the house in which you live. Ordinarily you only perceive physical reality. In projections you may visit other realities such as these also—which you may be tempted to call imaginary, but they are not.

Projection from a dream state is something else again, therefore, and when it is executed successfully then you have a fine example of the self as it changes the focus of its own awareness. Here the critical consciousness is quite apparent, while the body sleeps. Projections occur quite naturally under these conditions. For the development of the whole self however, and for the perfection of such experiences, it is beneficial that such projections be carried out by the conscious wish of the projector. You learn therefore to manipulate your own consciousness in different realities than the ones with which you are usually concerned.

More generally however, and quite simply, such projections allow you to practice in dealing with realities that you will meet when you no longer operate within the physical system. The conditions then will not frighten you, for you will be familiar with them.