“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Let us in our own way consider some of them. The physical universe is real and not real, as you know. You create physical matter and then perceive it. If there were no purpose in the creation of physical matter, it would not exist and you would not perceive it. That is, it would not exist even as an illusion.

There are some fine points here. We shall try to tackle some of them. (Long pause.) For those who may seem like gods to you, killing is no crime, for there is no such thing as even the illusion of death. On one level then it is true that death, like life as you know it, is an illusion. You cannot rid yourselves completely of the illusion while you are within physical bodies.

Therefore, within this context you trust treat your living things gently. They are actualities within your system. Philosophical tenets at your level must be carefully filled in by constructive emotions. There is strong value fulfillment to be gained where you are. It is good to know where you are, and the nature of your reality. You must still operate within its framework, however.

The self, the whole self, the entity, that is your true self, does indeed exist now. You are even in contact with it now. It is true that in one sense you have never left this self. It is also true that in another sense you have indeed. Your have purposefully explored other systems as you explore this one.

The exploration is also a creation, and a continuing creation. There is no finality or completion. There is indeed no place to go, as your friend is fond of saying. But the very word is brings forth a multiplicity of existences. They are quite real (smile) psychologically and psychically.

Philosophy should allow you to deal with them and not to avoid them. In one case of course there is nothing to avoid. Moment points, as I have discussed them, will clear up many of these points for you. There is every reason to explore inner reality, but this exploration should lead you to understand the nature of physical reality also. Perhaps your physical existence could be compared with an excellent book, given to you by a teacher.

You are completely immersed in it. Because you realize that you are reading such a book and acting out the part of the main character, and plunged into a three-dimensional existence, this does not mean that you can afford to throw the book away nor that you should refuse to read it.

You may of course realize its nature, and this is a step forward. The teacher who gives you the book is reading another book, and acting another part. There are some shortcomings in Zen philosophies that we shall discuss at another time. The system is basically a good one but the flaw, one in particular, is a tragic one. And within your system such flaws can lead many astray.

I do not like the word joke indeed, relevant or irrelevant, for that matter. It can lead to unfeeling.

This knowledge helps you use and direct physical laws, not ignore them. You use them more efficiently, and for the purposes of the inner self. You begin to create physical matter so that it does indeed reflect the inner self, and in so doing, you effect changes that are noticed by others and serve as an example.

Through exploring inner reality you are indeed in contact with All That Is. The experience must be primarily a solitary one however on your part. You are both correct in assuming that you maintain your relative isolation. Specifically you should not now join a community of the sort that is being planned.

Now this is indeed a personal seminar that you attend, and in the terms used by Bernard. I am speaking to you from a particular point of my personality, the part which you can easily understand. I believe my way of teaching to be the best one for our purposes. Ruburt’s abilities are very strong. They must be nurtured in such a way that stability is maintained.

You hear me now. You recognize my personality as it is presented to you. Other aspects of it will become apparent as you are ready. I protect you both in psychic matters, if you ever wondered, and of course in other affairs when I think protection necessary.

It is better, as I have said often, that the ego not be shunted aside.

It is true the division is arbitrary. Nevertheless the ego is a part of the self. We are acquainting it with other portions of the self. It is still the director of physical activities. Properly trained and intuitively governed this portion of the self can be of benefit in survival circumstances.

The impression of a rectangular shape. Perhaps the object has been in a book or album. In any case the corners seem to have been connected to something else—something dark, I believe; or there is something dark on the corners, perhaps black.

Also a white border. The impression is certainly of some kind of photograph here. Ruburt now thinks of a woman and child, and of a photograph of Marie Tubbs and a baby, in Florida.

I feel we are off here, but that the connection is valid.

Smaller shapes, fairly dark perhaps like leaves in shadow. A connection with a note or letter. At least a connection with writing that is not on the object itself. That is, other writing, either in a note or beneath these images which I believe are on the object.

These are further impressions. A turn up or tune-up. Disconnected lines. A distant place that is rather distant, not close by. Water. Connection with a book. Perhaps mention of Ruburt’s book.

(“How about that scramble?”)

I do not know if it refers to a scramble of lines, events, or perhaps eggs. The term scramble is my impression.

(“That may be possible.”)

(My next quick sketch as Jane continued speaking for Seth: Is this sign, +, a reference to the string wrapped around the Bernard package? Thus: )

(“Well, it’s more likely to be transportation on your part. As Jane, that is.”)

(The list represented numerous small things we had needed for some days, but Jane had been prevented from picking them up because of steady rain while I was at work. The list grew and indeed Jane was to get some items and perform some chores I had forgotten to put on the list. These too play a part in test results, since she had these equally strongly in mind this evening. She was to do all the chores tomorrow, Tuesday. See Jane’s list on page 190.)

(I tried something a little different during the experiment and Jane said now that she didn’t know whether it helped or not. The idea being simply to offer Seth encouragement when he was right, or close, or to ask a question at the moment to develop a bit of data further. She was aware that the approach was different. With the exception of an image of a photo of her schoolday friend, Marie Tubbs, Jane said she did not know if she had any images or not.

(“A scramble as of events.” This is good data. The object, the shopping list, represented quite a scramble on Jane’s part. She walked downtown Tuesday after the items, and these along with others made up a load that was all she could carry home.

(“An oval, the shape of an oval rug, for example.” See page 189. There are several ovals on the shopping list. The most prominent is the one I drew after the line “small tacks", with the size of the tack I needed indicated within the oval. Jane: I think rug is a literal interpretation of “matte" finish—see object.

(“The impression of a rectangular shape.” The object is rectangular, either opened up or folded. It was folded inside the double envelopes.

(“Perhaps the object has been in a book or album.” The object was not in a book, but had been part of a book or pad of paper in that sense.

(“In any case the corners seem to have been connected to something else—something dark, I believe.” The object was of course the top sheet on the pad, which I tore off after making out the list. There is no dark particularly connected here however; the gum binding on the pad is a middle blue, and the pad is backed up with cardboard of the usual middle value gray.

(“or there is something dark on the corners, perhaps black.” See above. Seth here appears to be drifting into a photo interpretation, as below.

(“Also a white border. The impression is certainly of some kind of photograph here. Ruburt now thinks of a woman and a child, and of a photograph of Marie Tubbs and a baby, in Florida… I feel we are off here, but that the connection is valid.” There is a Florida connection, and this led Seth to the Tubbs connection for our friend Marie also lives in Florida.

(“Smaller shapes, fairly dark, perhaps like leaves in shadow. A connection with a note or letter. At least a connection with writing that is not on the object itself. That is, other writing, either in a note or beneath these images which I believe are on the object.” This is good data, and refers to the list Jane made out herself to supplement my list. See page 190. Jane made her list out Tuesday morning, November 29, after I had given her a copy of the list used as envelope object Monday, November 28.

(The two lists were linked in Jane’s mind of course by images, common goals, etc, of many kinds. One item of similarity showing up on both lists is the “cash check" data, referring to a check I had received for a painting recently….The mail package data on Jane’s list refers to the errand package discussed on page 195 under the Florida data. I had forgotten to add this item to my list.

(1st Question: What kind of images? “The small leaflike shapes, for example.” Evidently this is a reference to handwriting.

(2nd Question: Any others? “These are further impressions. A turn up or tune-up.” Possibly a reference to the sweater left behind by Sarah Bernard, turning up after the Bernards had driven away. This is referred to on Jane’s list under the mail package data; Jane did this on the same trip downtown during which she ran the errands listed on my list, used as envelope objects.

(“A distant place, that is rather distant, not close by. Water.” Probably a reference to the Bernards and their trip to Florida a few weeks ago. See page 195 and the Tubbs data. The Bernards live in North Carolina, which is also a rather distant places and the package was mailed to that address. We don’t know whether much water is close to Raleigh, NC.

(“A T S and perhaps L.” Jane felt subjectively that here she tried to get at the word Alexis on the object.

(“I believe the object has images on it of people.” When I told Seth the object did not, Jane said it bothered her but not Seth. She said she thought it a good idea to continue the experiments in this vein however. I was trying to see what answers along the way would do to help spur Seth on towards more data, when I noted that he was off the track.

(“I have the image of people. Let us see. Of four adults.” It can of course be said that Jane and I and the Bernards are linked rather strongly to the list used as object, and through that to Jane’s list, as already explained.

(3rd Question: How about that scramble? “I do not know if it refers to a scramble of lines, events or perhaps eggs. The term scramble is my impression.” I told Seth it referred to events. See also page 195. A scrambled-egg connection also enters in, somewhat removed, since the Bernards and Jane and I had scrambled eggs for breakfast Sunday, November 27.

(I then asked Seth to elaborate on the strong color impression about the blues and yellows. See also page 195. “To do with paintings.” This has been explained. A more distant connection might arise from the fact that Jane’s shopping list, shown on page 190, was written on yellow paper with a dark blue pen. The battery interpretation is listed on Jane’s list; and my own list, which was used as object, contained items to be purchased having to do with art.

(Later I wondered whether Seth had been trying to get at the idea of string crossing itself around a package. A package of course is mentioned on Jane’s list, page 190. The cross effect can be easily found in the way I habitually wrap packages with strings and in the way I specifically wrapped the package to be mailed to the Bernards, thus:

(“And a connection with transportation. [4th Question: Transportation on whose part?] “On the part of guests.” I had told Seth it might more likely be transportation on Jane’s part, making the rounds to do the list of errands. There are links with the Bernards and transportation also of course, since they visited us over the weekend from North Carolina, then headed for a TV program in Philadelphia. The package data on Jane’s list is also connected to them.