“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 61st envelope object is an announcement Jane and I received in the mail a few days ago. This contrasts with the object in the last session, which Jane had never seen and did not know existed. Tonight’s object is printed in black on lightweight card stock, which is an off-white color. The object was prepared for the experiment in the usual manner, using the two pieces of Bristol and the double envelopes.

A small, very white object also. It seems to be a cube with the side to the right lighter somehow than the other sides. The object may lay on the page of a book.

Other impressions not connected with the object—a letter from a cousin, received by Dr. Instream. Also the initials J C. (Pause.)

(After the gesture Jane switched the envelope to a vertical position as she put it back against her forehead. From now on I watched carefully to see that she held the envelope in the same position until the end of the delivery, so that I could mark the top dimension thus, should it be necessary to our interpretation of the data, and the Wilburs verified that the position of the object itself was thus determined by marking in succession both envelopes as they were opened at break, the two pieces of Bristol, and finally the object itself.)

This way (Jane gestured with the vertical envelope without changing its basic position), the impression of a long line, approximately down the center, or a thin dark object, and a small object in the lower right-hand corner.

Perhaps a connection with a June date, and some designations on the other side of the object—perhaps in the upper left-hand corner. (Still holding the envelope in the vertical position and in her right hand, Jane lowered it enough so that she could touch the envelope’s upper left corner with her left hand.)

A designation of some sort. Perhaps initials or date, in the upper left-hand corner, on the other side of the object. (Jane again touched the object in the upper left-hand corner as she held it vertically. I wasn’t sure this information came through as a result of the question, feeling instead that the question had somehow interrupted her.

(Again I seemed to interrupt. Seth now went into something new as far as the envelope data is concerned. The Wilburs and I agreed later that Seth evidently decided to insert the following material just on his own, and because the time, and Jane’s trance state, seemed right to him. There is also a general idea connection with what follows and the envelope object.)

A rectangular object, with white background. Also gray. A connection with a future event.

(As noted on page 242, I asked Jane to hold the envelope in the same position as she came out of trance. Since she leaves the trance state easily and quickly, she heard me and complied. The envelopes and Bristols were then marked as noted, and finally the object itself. This shows as T at the top of page 4, in the copy on page 236. See also the notes on page 242.

(“Ten.” The object is a notice Jane and I received in the mail recently, stating that a local artists supply store was continuing in business under new management. Tonight’s session was held on June 15. I had thrown away the envelope the object arrived in, but both of us remembered receiving the object last Friday, on June 10. Seth confirms this later.

(“Something twisted.” The printed drawing on page one of the object is made up of a complicated pattern of curving lines, which Seth could have interpreted as twisted. The same impression could result from the fancy box at the bottom of page 3.

(“Something repeated, perhaps, though I am not certain, five times.” Seth wasn’t positive here. We believe he was getting at the construction of the drawing on page 1 of the object. The three sections of milkweed pod shown are made up groups of lines; each group contains about the same number and arrangement of lines, whether one would consider them black or white. One could find arrangements of five lines in each of these groups, but could also count more or less, depending on approach. We believe the idea of repetition here to be valid.

(“Connection with a framework that is broken, or cut off.” In the lower right hand corner of page 1 of the object is a monogram consisting of the letters A and S, for Art Shop. The right leg of the A is cut shorter than the left leg. When Jane saw the monogram she said the A represented a framework to her, like an A-frame house, and that the right leg was shorter.

(“This is difficult to put into words… The impression of something going forward, as of a path, you see, that is wide, and then narrows into the distance.” Jane made her gesture, as described on page 242. “That may need some interpretation, but that is the impression.” I sought more information on this impression by the first question. At the time of the above data Jane held the envelope horizontally. There can be a literal interpretation: The drawing of the milkweed on page one of the object is V-shaped in the abstract sense—wide at one end, narrowing to a point, as did Jane’s gesture. Also the A in the Art Shop monogram narrows somewhat but doesn’t come to a point. There can also be a symbolic interpretation, and Seth raises this possibility in answer to the first question.

(Jane now switched the envelope to a vertical position, and as explained on page 242 I marked the object T for top, as shown in the copy on page 236. See page 4 of the object.

(“A border.” Page one of the object contains a blind embossed border. This shows as a pen line on the copy on page 236; actually the border has no color in it. Perhaps, also, the box at the bottom of page 3 of the object could be called a border.

(“A top.” We don’t know, unless Seth perhaps referred to the fact that the object was made up of a folded sheet; perhaps as Jane held the envelope page 1 of the object facing her.

(“Connection with an invitation.” Since the object is a notice that the Art Shop is continuing in business, it is an invitation to continue trading there. Also Jane and I have been personally invited by the three new proprietors, whom we know, to continue doing business with the Art Shop. Additional note by Rob: Later, shop is moved to a house.

(“A house.” As stated in connection with the “framework” data on page 244, the A in the Art Shop monogram on page one of the object meant framework, or A-frame house, to Jane.

(“Four vertical lines,” While giving this data Jane held the object vertically, as indicated by T on page 4. The data is too general to be sure; the drawing on page 1 would have some upright lines in it while the object is held vertically, but nothing exactly vertical.

(The first question asked Seth to comment further on the “going forward” data on page 242: “The impression is difficult to bring into clear focus. It may be symbolic. A movement, for example in a forward direction, or something that leads into the future.” A literal interpretation was given on page 242. Here, the symbolic interpretation can be the fact that page 3 of the object states that the Art Shop is “Continuing under new management.”

(Jane continued, gesturing with the object held vertically: “This way, the impression of a long line, approximately down the center, or a thin dark object”, refers we think to the stem of the milkweed drawing on page 1 of the object, running from top to bottom. The rest of this data follows:

(“and a small object in the lower right-hand corner.” With the object held as marked by T on page 4, the A-S monogram for the Art Shop is seen to be in the lower right-hand corner of page 1. This is speaking intrinsically. We don’t know for instance whether Jane held the envelope with page one of the object toward her face, or with page 4 toward her face; nor do we know whether this matters, or if it influenced Seth’s data.

(“Perhaps a connection with a June date”, See the “ten” data on page 244. Jane and I were able to determine that we received the envelope object in the mail on June 10. Seth confirmed.

(“and some designations on the other side of the object, perhaps in the upper left-hand corner.” Holding the envelope vertically in her right hand, Jane pinched the upper left corner of the envelope with her left hand. See page 243. There is printed matter on pages 1 and 3 of the object; folded, this puts one printed page behind the other, which could give rise to Seth’s use of “other side.” The Art Shop address at the top of page 3 however is neither to the right or left, but centered. We don’t know if the upper left-hand corner data derived from Jane holding the object with page one facing away from her, for instance.

(“Some writing. Now, I believe handwriting.” There is no handwriting on the object, only type. In the past Jane, or Seth, has intermixed terms for printed copy, calling it printing, writing, type, etc.

(“And perhaps with an older man. That is, perhaps a connection with an older man.” Roy Fox, whose name appears on page three of the envelope object, is in his early 60s.

(The next question asked Seth for more data on the top impression. We don’t know whether the following data is in answer to the question: “A designation of some sort. Perhaps initials or date, in the upper left-hand corner, on the other side of the object.” Jane again indicated the upper left corner of the envelope, as she still held it vertically. This appears to be a repeat of the left corner data given on page 243, and as stated there, there is nothing in particular in a corner with the object held as marked on page 236.

(The third question asked for colors connected with the object. Seth gets around to answering the question, but first inserts the material concerning my brother Loren: “Now, we will try something here. I am up above, looking down at a room in which four people sit at a table. They are members of a family. Of your family, Joseph.”

(“I believe your brother Loren is one present. The number 17, a date in July which will be significant to him, or his close family—not necessarily to him, you see.” We did not ask for this data; it came through spontaneously. We saw one reason why Seth could have chosen to insert it here in the envelope data, and Seth confirms our speculation later. Our idea was that Seth sought to use the idea of a relative connection with the object. Ruth Gridley, listed on page 3 of the object as one of the Art Shop’s new management, is my first cousin; Loren of course is my brother. But we still think the Loren data is separate in the main from the envelope data.

(Now Seth answered the question: “A rectangular object, with white background. Also gray.” The object is rectangular. It has a white background. There is no gray on the object, but as soon as she saw the fine print on page 3, Jane said this to her meant the impression of gray.

(“A connection with a future event.” Future events are implied by the object through the copy on page 3: “Continuing under new management.”

(Seth was in an excellent and humorous mood, and spoke for a while longer. I stopped taking verbatim notes at 11:20. Seth spoke to the Wilburs and me about the implications behind the death of the young robin, among other things, and verified that the Loren data in the envelope experiment was also intended to use the relative idea to tie it to the envelope object and my cousin Ruth.

(Rubbing from the piece of burlap used as the object in the 62nd envelope experiment, in the 269th session for June 20,1966.)