“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.

(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.

(It was a hot, muggy night, and windows were open. The night seemed especially noisy, and Jane began speaking from the first in a heavier voice. Her eyes were closed, her pace good from the start.)

(“It’s okay so far.” Jane was speaking quite rapidly.)

(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 later said the interruption had been a shock to her. She was surprised, since interruptions have not bothered her the last few months.

(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.)

(Break at 10:22. Jane was out as usual, she said, and the cats hadn’t particularly bothered her. We put them in the studio. Jane’s pace had been good, her voice fairly strong, her eyes open often. It had not been a quiet session. Besides the interruption there had been noisy neighbors downstairs, heavy traffic, etc.

(Jane’s voice was still good when she resumed at a slower pace, her eyes closed, while giving the 69th Dr. Instream material. 10:31.)

(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.)

(“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.

(“Colors green and yellow.” Don took the picture of the ceramic cat as it sat on a brick wall cutting across grass as indicated in the tracing on page 206. This particular roll of Polaroid color film had been exposed to heat; Don took the chance that it would still give legible pictures. As it was the color print used as object has a dull, overall brownish cast, yet the local colors are still visible, to a reduced degree.

(Jane regretted having one impression while giving the above data that she did not give voice to. Once again, it is often left up to her as to whether to speak an impression aloud, pursue it, or choose to ignore it. She did not pursue this one. It was the word “stone.”

(Jane’s gesture, incidentally, was a smoothly rising one, as the brick walk smoothly rises on the object. She did not indicate the angular construction of stairs, for instance.

(“Also perhaps with a July date,” The date on back of the object is April 4, 1966. As soon as Jane saw this she said that she was subjectively sure she had interpreted the four date as July fourth instead of April.

(“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.

(“and graduating, as something graduates in size perhaps.” Since the brick walk in the photo was photographed in perspective, there is a graduation in the size of the bricks. They are largest in the lower left hand corner of the object, tapering up to the right border.

(Since I didn’t know what the object was all my questions were asked in the dark, so to speak. My first one asked just how the yellow and green were connected to the object. “Perhaps yellow in the center of a slightly rectangular shape, outlined in green.” The object is rectangular, but more than slightly so. The above data is a good description of the yellowish brown grass in back of the cat’s head, as explained under the yellow and green data on page 212; and of the way the yellow grass merges into the darker green brown grass around the edges of the photo. See the tracing on page 206.

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.

The birthday impression was correct.

The M and the other impressions as you have recorded them. Some of the data was distantly connected, and nothing is to be gained now by taking the time to explain it. The idea of envelopes brought by guests is a good one however, and I do approve.

(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.)