“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I suggest, quite seriously, that Ruburt make up a list of his accomplishments; that he make a list of his good points; that he write down a short list of those things he thinks he is doing right (humorously), and the things he enjoys; and you add to these lists. I want him to concentrate upon his accomplishments rather than any failings, and you also. In a determination to do better, he has begun to concentrate upon failings. Your loving endeavors toward him have indeed helped, but until very recently you also fell into the same trap.

He began to think that just about everything he did was wrong. His reader’s report (for Prentice/Hall) pleased him however, as did your reaction to it. Now I think you will agree we need to build him up—

—put some weight on him. Now think of it this way. He has been tearing himself down psychologically in an effort to find out what has been wrong, that the symptoms persist. He has simply gone overboard in that direction. So to build him up psychologically and not artificially, we remind him of his accomplishments and those areas in which he is doing very well.

Now there are several, and they are being bypassed and to some extent unrecognized because of this other emphasis. Some of this also applies to you. For example, Ruburt is doing very well in his classes, enjoys it, and closes his eyes, relatively speaking, to the improvement he has worked in the lives of his students, and to the freedoms he has allowed himself in class in using his abilities. The class before last is a case in point. Both of you do not realize the exceptional impact you have on others in personal relationships.

I should mention that it is because Ruburt asks so much of himself that he so often fails in those requirements he has set for himself. Yet both of you should realize that those failures still give you an overall performance that few people can achieve, in terms of the quality and overall endurance.

(Pause.) The achievements therefore must be kept in mind; not only are they not focused upon, but they are often forgotten. To some extent this also applies to you in your own endeavors. Reminding Ruburt of these achievements, of the things he does right, will put some weight on him. For when he concentrates upon his failings, for whatever reason, he sees himself as a person of no substance.

In an attempt to discover the reason for the persistence of the symptoms, he began to concentrate upon those in quotes “negative “ aspects of his personality. The overconcentration continued the symptoms, and the symptoms themselves became exaggerated in his mind. Do you follow me?

(“I know it, we know it. But he [meaning Jane] doesn’t.”)

In your efforts both of you often put the concentration upon the things that are wrong. Now I cannot put it more simply. Both of you concentrate more upon those symptoms that remain, forgetting the improvements that he has made. It is a method that is wrong. Your loving attitude has been of great help, and of a creative nature.

(“I believe he thinks they are, though.”)

That is why I am giving this material in this session. Tell him he does not have to be spiritually, psychically, or creatively perfect in order to have good health, in the particular way I gave that statement; remind him, for he is equating perfect health with inner perfection, and no human being attains inner perfection. He is holding off (emphatic) on good health until he feels he deserves it. Now this is a point that has not come up before, and he does not realize this consciously.

(“When is he supposed to deserve it?”)

With the attitude that he had, he would never achieve it.

He has the idea that good health is a reward for excellent inner performance, and part of this attitude is because of a literal and uncompromising misinterpretation of my remarks that the physical body is the direct materialization of the inner condition.

In other words, he felt that unless he was using his abilities fully, and was spiritually, creatively and psychically perfect, he should mar his physical performance. His idea of honesty and his literal interpretation led him to the idea after the worst part of his difficulties were over, that he should keep some of the symptoms to show he was not a hypocrite to others.

Now, I did not say that you had to be a saint to be healthy, and many saints were not healthy, and this had nothing to do with merit. Until he used his abilities fully, he did not feel he could use his body fully, for this would be hypocritical.

(“How come he’s letting you say this now?”

He is so confused about the reasons for his condition that he literally did not know where to turn, and so he turned to me.

Now if you please, tell him that despite any misgivings, overall he is using his abilities rather well. Tell him also that good health is free. He does not have to pay for it, by being a saint on earth; and that if this were true no man or woman alive would be in good health.

Tell him that good health is as accessible to him as air. He does not have to work for it. It is indeed his right, and natural heritage. It is a means toward using his abilities, not a reward for using them. It is not something given to him when he is good, and withdrawn when he feels he has been bad.

According to the standards he set, no man alive would ever be healthy. Tell him also that he need have no worries about my book. It will progress.

You did not get the full information from the pendulum. It was not so much that Ruburt was jealous of my book, as it was that he felt he should distrust anything that came so easily.

Now, in your good intentions you told Ruburt lately that he was using only a tenth of his abilities, meaning that most people only used a portion of their capabilities. (I also explained this meaning to Jane at the time.) He took this as an accusation, however, and further concentrated upon his lacks. Neither of you should expect perfect performance in your work, and I say this to you as well as to Ruburt. To some extent there has been a weaving in and out, so that at times Ruburt’s symptoms were personal, and at times they were symbols for both of your attitudes.

It was like having a handy whipping-dog around. Now if the whipping-dogs were not connected with Ruburt, this would be a handy family mechanism. Another point I would mention: Ruburt knows quite well your own progress in your own work. He has always been psychologically and psychically attuned to your work. He knows for example when you are doing well and when you feel you are in difficulties, even if it seems to you he does not look at a particular painting, or take, notice.

He knows how long you work at a painting before you are satisfied, and he felt that you might be hurt by my book, seemingly so effortlessly written. So he had to make it more difficult. Do you follow me?

You work mornings outside. He feels guilty that you do. He feels how you would enjoy and appreciate painting in the same way that my book is being presented, so spontaneously and quickly, comparatively speaking. He thinks this should be granted to you rather than to him, to make up for your job, and so he has felt somewhat guilty about it, and punished himself by holding off. He was afraid you would be jealous of the book, and hurt, and his panic was of your reaction.

He long ago made a pact with himself, that he would not hurt you. Now, none of this material was known to him. It has all been beneath the surface. So when you said to him “use your abilities fully,” he was in a quandary, for to use them might be to hurt you in that particular manner.

Also, to some less extent, and at different times, he would know that the symptoms were a whipping-boy for you both, and so he was afraid at times to dispense with them completely. (Of letting them go, for fear they would be needed next week.)

—I’ll shortly close. A few more points however. Discuss particularly the early portion of this session with him, and get it through his head that health is not dependent upon perfect performance, creativity, psychically or spiritually. This is extremely important, for this is a strong belief with him now; and he did not see the humor when he heard what I said—it made perfect sense to him. This is an area where you can help him.

To him, because you are in good health, he took this to mean that you were therefore better than he was, closer to perfection. When you felt at your best he felt accused. Do you follow me?

Another point. To some extent he has always felt guilty at the work involved in your writing up the sessions, and when my book began he felt this twice as badly, you see.

Now I can laugh with you, but he will not when he reads this. He felt he was not worthy of the healing ability because he was not perfect. Again, do all you can to convince him that his good health is not dependent upon his performance or perfection. This is extremely important.

I intended to do some on the book, just to set him at ease this evening, but when I found him open enough to get this material through, I decided this would be the greater benefit. Now, I will take a moment to see if there is anything else, and you may use the time to think of any questions, if they come to you. (Pause.) On certain evenings he does not feel he deserves to sleep if he has not produced.

She also feels guilty at being in good health when he is so unhappy in his work, and has adopted symptoms out of sympathy.

She also feels that because he has been so busy he has been away from home more often, and because of his worries, less attentive. The symptoms also serve to say “Remember me. I need your care and attention also.” Quite simply, she is saying “I hurt because you hurt.”

Beyond this the symptoms are a protest. She thinks that he could get out of some (underlined) obligations connected with work, if he really exerted himself to do so, and was not afraid of doing so.

It is the Jesuit’s attitude, and not the conditions, and he can (underline) change those attitudes once he realizes the effects they are having not only upon himself but upon his wife.

The cat lover will not want to admit some of this, for it seems to accuse the Jesuit, and she feels he cannot stand any more strain. She does not want to add to it, so she takes the strain upon herself. This is undistorted incidentally, and as valid a diagnosis as could ever be given.