“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The overconscientious self is also extremely powerful, driven by remarkable amounts of energy. When both portions of the personality are in agreement, then Ruburt’s personality is literally overwhelming, filled with vitality and unbeatable.

The energy of the overly conscientious self is as strong as that of the spontaneous self, hence the impasse that had been reached. He can only go full steam ahead when the whole personality is convinced of his course. For the personality knows full well the tremendous force of its own energy potential, and it would be literally disastrous for one portion to go ahead at the expense of the other. Therefore, regardless of present consequences, one portion has been kept down in order to avoid any serious, that is disastrous, cleavage.

The overconscientious self is protecting the whole personality against what it considered evil. It can be reeducated. (Pause.) There is a cleavage apparent in Ruburt’s distaste of the word God, for example.

The message (the contents of the last session, the 367th), so far has reached the super-conscientious self. (Pause.) It is not kicking up a fuss so much as hesitating in caution. It was the spontaneous self who kicked up the fuss this afternoon, thinking: hurry, hurry, hurry, see things my way (when Jane tried to work on the dream book, unsuccessfully).

You, as teacher in this love relationship now, can count oddly enough on the passivity of his nature, and play on this, for then assured, reassured, the super-conscientious self can allow the spontaneous self to emerge in the sex relationship.

Last night’s poor sleep and symptoms were simply a reaction to the information given (in last night’s session), and represented a momentary (underlined) stiffening of position by both sides of the personality. For both felt equally guilty for the physical predicament, and were acting self-defensively. (Pause.)

Ruburt’s spontaneous self should not push. Relief will be more immediate if a persistent, soft-sell line is used.

Now. You see Ruburt has accepted you as an extension of the super-conscientious self, and your word was added to the taboos already set up. Therefore a mystical import, a magical import, was given to your every word.

When your words disagreed with his spontaneous self severe conflicts arose. This is important. You were through your art however also connected to his spontaneous self. Originally you saw Ruburt as the spontaneous self, and your ideas of discipline were quickly gobbled up by the overly conscientious self before you recognized its existence.

The overly conscientious self is the part that will retreat, that carries grudges, that believes an eye for an eye, and is relatively uncompromising. It must be made to understand that the spontaneous self is innately good and can be trusted. It needs to be lovingly protected; but lovingly, not hindered nor fought nor held down.

Both portions however have great capacities for survival, and are each strong, so that the personality has indeed survived. There is a need for the spontaneous self to understand the purposes of the conscientious self also.

Ruburt has wanted you to rub him for the sake of physical contact and reassurance, this being more than acceptable to both portions. He was made to feel unworthy and unwanted by his mother, and it was the spontaneous self who took the brunt of this. He feels therefore rejected by any family group.

The grandfather was as rigid in his way as the grandmother. He was afraid of his own thoughts as a child, believing that thoughts could kill. The unspoken bitterness against his mother built up inside him. He considered it wrong, and could not release it. Hence the Pollyanna attitude at times, a desperate attempt to cover up thoughts that are spontaneous, but that are considered evil by the conscientious self.

(“Could you address yourself directly to his conscientious self if you wanted to?”)

It has. I am (pause) permitted to speak because the super conscientious self is aware of, and convinced of, my moral standing, you see. (Open eyes briefly.

(“Can the conscientious self construct its own dreams?)

(“But these moral encouragements could conflict with the spontaneous self, even in dreams?”)

Indeed, if as here the super-conscientious self has a limited concept.

Indeed an improvement has already begun. Some realization has come to the overly conscientious self, even before last night’s session, or the session itself would have been much more difficult.

(“Has the spontaneous self ever been responsible for any of the symptoms?”)

Very seldom. It should be remembered that the overly conscientious self is also responsible for lifelong continuity of purpose, giving direction to the spontaneous self.

(“Could you think of the conscientious self as a more basic ego structure than the spontaneous self?”)

The spontaneous self represents basic abilities. The super-conscientious self represents the purposes to which these abilities will be put—how and when they shall be used. The super-conscientious self is the motivation power or purpose.