“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The personality does indeed turn its focus into another field of reality, and does desert the camouflage image that it maintained. However, some trace of that personality remains in that camouflage reality, quite literally, as what you might call a ghost image.

This phenomena is not meant to explain legitimate instances in which the personality and consciousness itself returns for purposes of communication. This image trace is a lingering manifestation, an imprint within your system, a part of its reality, and is held within it as you might for example retain an idea in your mind long after the idea has been expressed physically. As a painting that is destroyed physically may still be retained in your mind, so in the reality of the physical system a trace remains, an image trace of the camouflage structure that enclosed a given personality.

It is as if the physical elements themselves retain, in your terms, the memory of all the images that they have ever been a part of; and this is a simplified explanation of what indeed does occur. It is a difficult matter to explain to you, for the words that I must use necessarily must be couched in somewhat questionable terms.

For example (pause, eyes closed; one of a series along in here), I was about to explain by telling you that these image traces are not, of course, visible physically, but latent. I believe your word latent suggests something that has not yet shown itself, however, and the particular kind of ghost image to which I am referring has instead already been manifested physically.

It exists after death in a latent form, in that (quite animated here) it can be materialized again. The possibility is there, but as a rule this does not occur. This image exists below the threshold of matter. You might call it an earth-memory image. (Pause.)

There is a corresponding image, held always within the inner consciousness of those who pass out of your system. (Long pause. One of several here.) This is indelible, but not always immediately available for reference. It forms a part of the whole inner self. We would prefer that you not think of any given entire entity in terms of a physical structure, though we have ourselves used the term structure to make explanations simpler, and will probably do so again.

The concept, structure, can be used by you in many ways—as a vehicle to carry many differing ideas. A personality communicating with your system, who was once a part of it, can make use of this trace image. The trace image is not his consciousness however. His consciousness is aware of the trace image, and on occasion can utilize it.