“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(This is the first time Jane held two sessions in one day, even though both were relatively brief. This second session is also unique in her experience, and promises well for the future. The witness other than myself was Mr. Raymond Van Over, associate editor of the Parapsychology Foundation of 29 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.

(Jane was also encouraged when Ray Van Over told her that many mediums operated in the fashion she contemplated. This new departure was not particularly easy for Jane, and none of us wanted her to overdo it, but it was quite successful. Note also that Seth didn’t make his presence felt, nor was he asked to, until a convivial atmosphere had been established between the three of us present. The same kind of atmosphere had been set that morning at F. Fell’s office.

(During this time I was watching Jane in an attempt to determine whether we should call a halt to the session. It was apparent that her control with this new method was somewhat unsure; she paused often while speaking, and appeared to have to make quite an effort to maintain just the right balance between being herself while allowing Seth to hover just below, or within her range of consciousness, so that she could pass along his data. Her eyes blinked often. I thought she could slip into a deep trance from this state, and she later agreed. She did not want to, however, in our location, and just as I was on the point of suggesting that she end the session, she called a halt to it herself. In a few moments she was out of the trance.

(This had indeed been a new experience for Jane, and she called it a new state of consciousness for her. She said that she had felt sensations of “freezing cold” at her forehead and a few other parts of her body. She also felt an internal “buzzing” which wasn’t physical, and a sudden desire for urination at the end of the session. She was left with a general feeling of being shaky inside, and this lasted for a while. Jane said she could very easily have gone into a deep trance, and had to work to keep everything in balance—herself, Seth, etc. If memory serves me correctly Ray Van Over said some of the effects she described were effects experienced by other mediums also.

(After reading these notes Jane reminded me that during the session Seth also told R. Van Over that one of the sponsors or members of his new research society would pull out—that this person was somewhat of a disrupting influence, etc. When Jane mentioned this I too recalled it.