“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Now. I am going to give you some comments on the situation you have been discussing, and I am going to do some more work on my book. Now which would you prefer first?

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.

Now, some of these problems are simply those of the creative personality emerging, in Ruburt’s individual case, in their own way. They should not be overemphasized however, for the creative personality, by the very standards of creativity that it adopts, becomes a focal point for varying conflicts that in many other kinds of personalities are never allowed to emerge. Therefore they are not resolved.

The conflicts however are also points of impetus, explosive elements that propel the creative individual from the, in quotes, “ordinary” dimensions of consciousness into another. Now you have experienced this in your own way, and so has Ruburt.

Now. While these conflicts appear highly destructive, and you shake your head at what appears to be some stupidity or stubbornness on Ruburt’s part, the conflicts themselves are creative, and will be used creatively. Do you have questions?

In the back of your minds, your main point of concentration has been “What is wrong with Ruburt?” Now, I gave you this information a while ago, and I have said it in various ways at different times.

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.

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.

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?”

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.

Now, I am not finished with you yet.

This in itself puts a strain on the personality that is not felt by other kinds of personalities, though they also have their own kind of behavior. The desire for perfection is meant to lead you onward, and to make you discontent enough so that you will attempt new creations. There must be a gap between the desire for perfection and the physical result. Now and then the desire for perfection gets out of hand.

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 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.

Now. You are tired—

—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.

(This is very important. Seth is right. Jane didn’t see the humor, at first, and was still questioning me about this several days after this session was held. But we are making progress now.)

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.

It is all connected. The trouble is that when the early environmental conditions, which helped set up the episode, ceased operating strongly, the pattern of behavior was set, and used then for other psychological purposes as noted. (Important!) Past environmental episodes have little now to do with the symptoms. The data given this evening relates to the present situation. Now, the cat lover’s attitude has a healthy effect on Ruburt, regardless of its basic legitimate nature. Do you follow me?