“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(See the copy of the first draft of my letter on page 31. A brief history: Last month our friend Marie Colucci let a local dentist, Dr. Lodico, whom Jane and I have not met, borrow an abstract painting of mine to try out in his office. A couple of weeks ago, on August 31, Dr. Lodico sent payment for the painting, with a request to see more abstracts for his office. Tonight’s object is a first draft of my reply to his letter, and is dated September 12.

(“Four square, or four squares.” This is a reference to the fact that I have four paintings to show Dr. Lodico, in answer to his letter. As stated, Jane did not see either the first draft of my letter, which was used as object, or the final copy, which I had sealed in an envelope. I did ask her to mail it, though, and described its contents roughly.

(“A disturbance in the afternoon.” Possibly a reference to my invitation to the doctor, on the object, to visit us at any time to see the paintings I offer. I say afternoons or evenings might be best. Technically an afternoon visit on his part would interrupt the working hours of Jane and me, but we would not really call it a disturbance since we want to sell the paintings.

(As stated, neither of us has met Dr. Lodico, and up to and including the time of this session did not know where he lived, although we had his address. All evening however, since writing the letter used as object, I had pictured a certain medical building in our neighborhood as probably the site of Dr. Lodico’s office. The building has a flat roof, is one story high, is of red (orange?) wood that looks lighter in sunlight, and has a series of shingles or name plates hanging outside that might be called banners. I also thought I remembered cast iron grill or scroll works as decoration on the building.

(Jane had no idea as to this building’s location in relation to Dr. Lodico, although of course she has seen it often. After the session, although it was late, I suggested we walk the few blocks to check out the above data. Arriving there, we saw that Dr. Lodico had no office in the building in question. Instead we discovered his office—and that of his father—to be in a conventional two-story building across the street from the building with a flattish roof.

(This was the first time either of us had specifically noted that Dr. Lodico had his office in a certain building that both of us had driven past many times. His sign is fastened to the wall of the house beside an office door, beneath a porch roof, and would not be readable, probably, from a passing car.

(4th Question: How about that word acrimony? “I do not know. I have only the sounds here. Perhaps Akron, Ohio.” Studying the letter used as object, we see nothing to particularly remind us either of acrimony, anger, or Akron. The Coluccis for instance do not come from Akron, nor do we. We do not know anything about the history of Dr. Lodico or his family.

(The photo idea however is quite legitimate, since a photo can be related to a painting in many ways. The areas on all of the abstracts are of course filled in, and also the abstract foundation of the paintings relates them to the idea of buildings. In fact a friend interpreted one of them as being a painting of buildings recently. Jane said Seth might not be able to very easily distinguish between the emotional charges connected to a photo and a painting; they might appear much alike to his perceptions. This is even more apparent in the next data, which I break into two parts.

The lace was a very distant and distorted connection. Ruburt was thinking of a lace altar cloth, which was to have led him to a religious connection. I use his associative processes, you see, but this was short-circuited here. (See page 35.)

The October connection had to do with the painting already purchased. I believe the music referred to Ruburt’s subjective feelings about one painting (we had hesitated to credit this when we interpreted the data), and also to some musical leanings on the dentist’s part, or his family.