“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I had wanted to hypnotize Jane for some time, but had been hesitating even though my pendulum told me I had nothing against the idea. I was still aware of resistance, however, and so thought I would wait until the intuitive moment arrived to begin. That moment came today, from an almost casual remark Jane made this afternoon, and which I am not even able to quote. I believe her remark fell upon ground well prepared by a book I am currently reading: Many Lifetimes, by Grant and Kelsey.

(We chose our bedroom because it would be more private and comfortable than the living room. We each had a glass of wine before starting. Jane lay on her back with her hands crossed. I began to induce a general relaxation, following techniques I had read, and which Jane had used with me several years ago. I began with the feet and worked up to the head— generally at first; then each time I started again at the feet my suggestions for ease and relaxation became more detailed.

(I told Jane before we began that we would not stress tests to prove hypnosis, that these could come later if we chose. I was confident that I could induce a good sound relaxation and at least a light trance state, and we achieved this and more. Especially in the beginning I did wonder at times at my progress, but continued following my ideas without allowing any doubts to become bothersome. Once Jane’s eyes closed at the start of the session they remained closed until I told her they would open at the end.

(At my suggestion Jane began to flex her feet, then her hands. For a few moments she let her hands lay at her sides, but since there is tension in the upper arm muscles, her arms cannot lay fully relaxed upon the bed when she is flat on her back; after a few minutes she again crossed her hands, and told me later that this was more comfortable. Of course I noted that even after my suggestions, her arms did not fully relax, but I had not stressed that she would achieve any great or startling improvement; this first session was more to learn how to proceed, and during it I tentatively tried several different approaches.

(By now I had learned that she could speak under hypnosis without difficulty, a point we had wondered about to at least some extent. I thought she was in a light trance state and Jane later agreed that she was, that she felt very relaxed. Often as I spoke to her I told her she would have full memory of what transpired when the session was over. When it was over, she told me her memory of parts of the session was somewhat hazy— reinforcing the idea that she was hypnotized, if somewhat imperfectly, and that my control was not all it will be in future sessions.

(Before the session I had reminded myself that if we came upon strongly emotional material I would attempt to guide Jane through it, by helping her to express it but not become overwhelmed by it should it prove very painful. This is why I had earlier told her she could remember what transpired during the session. I also had in mind that should it seem necessary I could suggest that things too strongly charged could be temporarily forgotten upon awakening. We did not reach this point however.

(The first was that her troubles began in Florida; that it was her fault we left Sayre to join her father in Florida, and that I had not wanted to leave my parents. [I had cried in the car as we drove out of Sayre on the way south, but had, I thought, regarded this as natural enough at the time.] Jane told me that it was her fault we had chased around the country, that her spontaneity had done nothing but get us into trouble. Jane described how she had become very frightened in Florida over the job situation, and that I had been forced to get a job anyhow even though I had told her most emphatically that I didn’t intend to do this. [When we went to Florida it had been agreed upon that she would hold a job while I tried out some painting ideas. Her father was to help us out financially also, but did not do so.]

(One thing I would like to explore in these sessions is what effect past-life memories can play in present personality patterns, and my attempt to get Jane to regress a couple of years was a first halting step in this direction, that was not successful. But already I can see several other ways to approach this, and expect no trouble.

(The course of action evidently succeeded to some extent at least, for Jane quieted as we talked. I gave her no suggestions that her symptoms would disappear at once, for they involve some physiological changes and I didn’t know just how quickly her body could chemically return to a fully healthy state. Here I count upon the repeated suggestions that her body can clear itself. I did tell her that her physical improvement could seem like magic, and repeated this several times. Later Jane told me that my reassurances were most welcome, and that she “drank them in” like water.

(I was more open and reassuring with Jane during this session than I have been for some time, and I told her I realized this was a fault on my part, and that I would do my best to remedy it.

(The session ended at about 10:45 PM. Since Jane was by now much more relaxed I thought it a good time to end. After beneficial suggestions as to her state of well-being, I told her that when I had counted to ten, slowly, that she would be out of trance and could open her eyes.

(I think that more suggestions would have induced an even deeper state with her, and that probably amnesia could have been induced in this deeper state had I so desired. After the session Jane said she felt very relaxed, although I believe she has induced as good a state in some of her self-hypnosis sessions. I did not give her a key word, for instance, to speed up future inductions, but plan to do so when I have more experience.

(Two additional points now recalled: When she began talking about Florida, Jane told me “I got scared in Florida”; she was also sure I would leave her when the job situation got so bad and things didn’t work out as we’d hoped they would. [I remember her telling me this in Marathon, when I returned to the trailer after driving out to get a job painting signs.]