“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The object for the 70th envelope experiment was the first draft of a letter I wrote tonight, to a local dentist. It concerned the recent sale of a painting to him, made through our friend, Marie Colucci. Details later. Jane had not seen this draft, or even the final copy of the letter, although she knew I was writing it this evening. I sealed it in an envelope when finished; then showed this to Jane and asked her to mail it tomorrow morning. I briefly and roughly described the contents, however.

(The object was folded as indicated, placed between two pieces of Bristol, and sealed in the usual double envelopes.

Beneath these root assumptions however portions of the self perceive physical reality in an entirely different fashion, free of the tyranny of objects and material form. Here you experience concepts directly, without the need for symbolisms. Here you experience the spacious present directly. Here you have knowledge of your past personalities, and know that they exist simultaneously with your own.

The ego can exist only within the context of these root assumptions. The primary dream experience is finally woven into a structure composed of these root assumptions, and it is these that you remember. These serve you as basic information, but the information is then put into symbolic form. Objects, you see, are symbols. These objects in dreams are symbols of realities that the ego could not otherwise perceive.

Objects are indeed symbols to represent inner realities that could not otherwise be perceived by physical organisms. You manipulate these symbols.

A miscellany of objects. Connection with October, and four, or perhaps 64. A main turnabout, or a connection with Maine. 12.

A name with seven letters. An A. Two men and a woman. She wears a hat. Not on the object, but distantly connected with it, an incident in 1946, summer. An implied border.

Browns. An object in the center that is somehow sharply shaped. For example a star shape, a sharp shape. (Gesture—with her forefinger Jane made angular shapes in the air, her eyes closed.)

(“Do you want to name the object?”)

I am not sure. There is a strong connection with a photograph, but I do not know whether the object itself is a photograph. Dark colors and light colors and shadows. The object I believe came through the mail, whether or not it is a photograph.

(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.

(“An array, or disarray.” Seth’s use of “or” is somewhat confusing here, since both these terms can apply to the object. My letter concerns a group, or array of paintings I have available to show Dr. Lodico. Also, the Arts and Crafts Exhibit, featuring displays, or arrays, at Mount Savior is mentioned on the object.

(Disarray can refer to the jumbled appearance of my letter, used as object, with its crossed-out words, etc. Jane thought that disarray could also refer to the fact that abstract paintings are mentioned in the letter; to some people abstracts would be in disarray, as compared to conventional paintings showing things in the usual sense—flowers, houses, trees, etc.

(“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 miscellany of objects.” A reference to the Mount Savior Arts and Crafts Exhibit, mentioned in the letter used as object. Many kinds of objects will be on sale at the exhibit, other than paintings. I have a letter concerning this exhibit and sale from the monastery, dated August 27,1966.

(“A main turnabout, or a connection with Maine.” The turnabout connection is correct. In the letter used as object, I inform Dr. Lodico that I’ve changed my mind about sending the abstracts to the Mount Savior exhibit, and plan to submit other kinds of paintings instead. This makes the abstracts available for the doctor’s inspection, and perhaps purchase.

(“12.” We are not sure. I dated the letter used as object however in this fashion: September 12,1966.

(“Familiar.” Jane was vexed at herself here, for she realized now that when giving the familiar data, she was going to say something about a familiar location, meaning the location of our apartment as something familiar to us. Our address is on the letter used as object.

(“A group of people, and connection with a boat perhaps, or water.” The boat and water part of this data refers to our Water Street address on the letter used as object; on past occasions Seth has expressed an interpretation of the Water Street address in this way.

(“A presentation.” In the letter used as object, I offer to present my paintings for the doctor’s inspection. A presentation could also refer to the Mount Savior Arts and Crafts Exhibit, which is mentioned in the letter. There could be other interpretations.

(“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.

(“Connection with a letter. Perhaps a Florida postmark.” The object is of course a letter. I believe the Florida data should be included with the mention of a letter, although a separate sentence. Once again, the Water Street address on the letter could give rise to the Florida data. On each of the several times Jane and I have lived in Florida, we have lived very close to the water.

(“And with a postcard. Perhaps with a water scene on it, or from a location by water.” I specifically mention a postcard in the letter used as object. The water data arises because if the doctor does send me a card, it will be addressed to Water Street.

(“Two men and a woman. She wears a hat.” We thought of various combinations here, among them Marie Colucci, Dr. Lodico and myself, since we are closely involved with the object. We didn’t know whether Marie wears a hat, though. Seth verifies our interpretation, even though we couldn’t be sure.

(“Not on the object, but distantly connected with it, an incident in 1946, summer.” We don’t know.

(“An implied border.” The letter used as object does have an implied border.

(“Browns. An object in the center that is somehow sharply shaped. For example a star shape, a sharp shape.” Gesture.

(It is one of the abstracts referred to in the letter used as object tonight. Note the sharp shapes. These shapes float in the center of the painting. In addition the painting is done in various shades of brown, from golden yellow ochre to deep brown.

(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.

(First Question: What’s that array or disarray? “I am not sure here. A display, perhaps, though only perhaps, that is not neat, or ordered. As flowers grown wild and disorderly, for example.” Here I sought elaboration of Seth’s first data. As stated, my letter used as object specifically mentions the Arts and Crafts Exhibit at Mount Savior. This could be a display. My abstracts, offered for sale to Dr. Lodico, can also be a display; and again, to some abstract paintings might not seem neat, or ordered.

(2nd Question: Can you say something more about geometric? “The shapes perhaps cubes. Gold colored, and partially in shadow. This reminds Ruburt of Jungle Gyms at a playground.” See the sketch of the abstract on page 39. As stated, this is one of the group of paintings written about in the letter used as object. This particular painting has strong cubist leanings. Some of the shapes in it are based on cubes. It is painted in browns, ochres, and golden tones. Shadows play a prominent role in it also. And Jane said the design of the painting, with its interlocking angular shapes and lines, reminds her of a Jungle Gym at a playground.

(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.

(7th Question: Do you want to name the object? “I am not sure. There is a strong connection with a photograph, but I do not know whether the object itself is a photograph. Dark colors and light colors and shadows.” Thus the visual idea of a painting and a photo are closely related, to Seth. Some distinction is made, either by Seth or Jane, in that a photo is not definitely named as the object. “Dark colors and light colors and shadows” can refer to either a photo or a painting; the description is quite apt for the painting roughly indicated on page 39.

(7th Question continued: “The object I believe came through the mail, whether or not it is a photograph.” Very good, if not one hundred percent correct. The object is of course a letter; it is destined to go through the mail tomorrow. A related thought concerns the letter I had from Dr. Lodico, and mentioned earlier—this of course has already gone through the mail, on August 31.

(After the session Jane said she should have caught this connection, since she was brought up a Catholic and is quite familiar with the chant, mass, etc. This music is among her favorites. Remember that I mentioned Mount Savior specifically in the letter used as object. The lace data might also fall into this category.)