“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Long pause, one of many, etc.) Some of your own attitudes still escape you. You do not recognize them as negative because they are so familiar that you glide over them. Some of these operated in your reactions over the raising of the rent.

The resentment felt by the tenants was picked up by her, and felt as a threat. If everyone moved out she would have to force the issue with her advisers. Her advisers have told her to raise rents, since they handle her estate and money. She means well enough but in her insecurity she believes them when they tell her that she would be a fool for not raising rents. Money does mean security to her. She has no other and this does play into their hands.

—I will tell you. First of all there is no need feeling resentful. You knew the rent was going to be raised, and you wanted it raised. You wanted it raised because you were ready to change your environment, but not ready enough to move on your own, without the additional impetus.

You said often enough to yourself: “I’d move if the rent were raised.” That is one point. The raise was meant to be used as an aid. Now this does not mean that your landlady knew this, but in a way she did, for all of your intentions were subconsciously taken into consideration when such a decision was made.

Leonard will want to buy a house. When he finds he can afford the rent easily, he will realize he can afford a house easily. Your lawyer wanted to get out of a bad situation in the front apartment, and the increased rent serves his purpose. The woman in the back over the garage, the whole family, is also involved. One daughter is paying the rent. Other members of the family live there some of the time. She wants a smaller place so the family cannot visit overnight. This will give her an excuse shortly to move.

(The lawyer’s apartment downstairs front presents another problem. According to the above his rent was raised. Today Jane learned that his rent has not been raised, peculiarly enough, as of today, June 5. The lawyer never lived in the apartment, for whatever reasons of his own. Now however he has allowed a friend of ours to move in for the summer. Perhaps time will tell how much rent she ultimately must pay ...)

Now I am giving you an apartment-by-apartment version simply to make my point. The elderly widow fears living alone now, and hopes her children will take her in. She hopes the additional rent will help convince them.

You will say later: “If the rent hadn’t been raised we might have been in that place the rest of our days—who knows?” and laugh, but at times you still feared that that might indeed be the case.