“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 381st session took place, unscheduled, after a lengthy and active table-tipping session of the evening of Friday, November 24, 1967. Claire Crittenden, Carl Watkins, Jane and I, along with Pat Norelli, from Boston, were joined by Bill and Peg Gallagher,Doug Hicks, Danny Stimmerman, Curt Kent and Peg’s brother Dick and his wife Carol, for an even dozen present, at our apartment.

(I stood back in a corner by the bookcase; the table had worked its way toward the bathroom door, which was closed. At the table were Bill Gallagher, with beside him Pat Norelli. Others were also at the table, but Bill and Pat were on the side showing the strong pressure. The pressure finally reached the point where Bill Gallagher could not force the third table leg back to the floor. As I recall, he was using a direct downward pressure, not the down-and-away pressure discussed earlier.

(The two obvious points are that the table broke, and that a great force was needed to do this. I personally witnessed Bill Gallagher pushing heavily down upon the resisting table a few seconds before it broke. My estimate is that the third, resisting leg, was perhaps an inch or two off the floor. I recall at the time being especially intrigued that such a small space between table leg and floor was leading, for whatever reason, to so much human effort being expended.

(There was no doubt that Seth wanted to come through. The evening’s events had set the stage most thoroughly. I have no idea of the reaction, subjectively, of some of the witnesses to what must have seemed a very strange happening indeed. Personally, I believe that only the Gallaghers, Claire, Pat and myself had witnessed a session. This left as new witnesses Peg’s brother Dick and his wife Carol, Danny,Curt, Doug and Carl; though Carl and perhaps one or two others had at least heard mention of Seth.

(The session, as soon as it began, struck me as being very forceful indeed—perhaps too much so. Seth was deadly serious. Peg, fortunately, took notes. I personally did not think we were unappreciative of what had taken place this evening, but Seth proceeded to drive the point home rather unmercifully, I thought at the time. Later the Gallaghers said they did not think the session had been unduly severe, but I do not think I agree.