“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I will try however to give you this as an example. A personality is born in a particular environment that is not clear and straight but crooked, as in a maze. The angles, corners and curves of the maze he has cleverly formed himself, before this existence. To get out of the maze automatically means that he has developed the abilities necessary. The flexibility, spontaneity, persistence, what have you, none of which he may have acquired had the “road” in quotes been absolutely straight from start to finish.

Obviously he must forget that he constructed the maze to begin with. This does not prevent the unmazed portion of the self from watching, giving helpful hints of a kind to ward off discouragement. The helpful hints are themselves lessons, reminding the personality that only a portion of it is involved in the maze.

It was afraid that psychic endeavor would leave it open for further scorn, and it would not for a while allow ordinary motion, until it was somewhat assured that it would not meet with contempt for its efforts. It was particularly afraid of ridicule, rather say than of hatred. (Long pause.) The affair with the school psychologist, and the class here, infuriated him, and he hid his reaction. The school was the college again, you see, and the academic community that had already rejected him as a student in the past. For a while he should have nothing to do with the college.

He also remembered that they had turned him down when he looked for work. Give us a moment.

He should also, for personal reasons, stay away from the monastery. The monks coming to the house subconsciously rearoused old fears and resentments. This does not mean he is not rising above them, for he is. It does mean that until he is in control of his organism such episodes are not helpful.

That affair should not bother him, nor did the Methodist group. You see, he is really working in new religious frontiers. He has no hang-ups with Protestant groups.

In the overall, no. There will be later comments I will make here however. There are strong sympathies he has in common with the Jesuit, and also strong disagreements that he does not recognize.

He likes to take it for granted, in quotes “that he has conquered” such matters . In actuality the term conquered in itself is a poor one. Now give me a moment before another question here.

It was no coincidence however that Ruburt’s Father Trayner read him poetry, inspired Ruburt’s love of poetry, and that Ruburt would feel that he had to use poetry to express ideas with which his mentor did not agree.

The psychic influence of the other priests was far more creative than he realizes, and it was always in the realm of ideas that he rebelled against authority. That is important. He did not leave the church, literally, until long after he had left it spiritually. Yet all of his religious background gave him an immersion in a strong organized religion. Inside that framework he learned what was wrong with it, and from his experiences was born the strong inner, barely conscious, desire to help his fellow beings emerge into some kind of lucidity. There were strong pressures operating. All that remains is for him to realize that he is indeed now on the right track. Do you want to rest your fingers?

Now. When he is requested to speak as an authority, as at his next engagement, this is something different.

He felt that the professor was bringing his students to show them he was a fraud. His sense of duty was actually a coverup. He knew he did not want the people here, and thought he was a coward. Now give us time.

Legitimate response, legitimate aggressive—(It is interesting to note that Jane stumbled over the word aggressive, even speaking as Seth)—response, is no problem, for there is no buildup behind it. It clears the system, and the other person can handle it. This Ruburt must learn. Often in such situations he will hurt himself because he has an exaggerated (underlined) idea of the hurt any normal aggressive reaction, from a frown to a verbal one, can have.

He wants to help others. On the positive side this leads into new frontiers, and it expands and develops his abilities. It is a basis for his ethical and intuitive achievements. On the negative side he can go overboard, fearing to cause another the slightest hurt, and hurting himself instead.

There is still an exaggerated idea of the power of aggression. It is not nearly as powerful as he imagines. Only when it is not allowed normal (underlined) outlets. Now give us a moment.

Now on one occasion he did very well, although he picked up strong ideas from you of a negative nature, and this incident, in time, was connected with the college affair. He spoke to Mrs. Stein and her friend, and picked up your ideas concerning the gallery. He did surmount them you see, and the interview was creative.

You may. Give us a moment. (Pause.) The religious area is tricky, because it contains high potentials for his development, and also sore points, you see. If he is asked to speak out of sincere desire, he can do his best. If he feels he is on trial in the religious area, then this has negative connotations.

There is more here. See if we can get at it. (Pause.) When he feels he has stumbled he does not walk right. When he cannot look to the right or the left it is because he is afraid to. (Very rapidly.) When his ankle bothers him it is because he fears he might fly off in the wrong direction. When his fingers are full it is because of accumulated bitterness, unspoken. When his periods are late he is “holding out” in quotes until he is certain of his direction.

Now all of this serves to impede constructive and creative spontaneity, and when this does find its way though, it is in such an explosive manner that he fears it because it seems undisciplined. If he lets go creatively he fears his aggressions will also be expressed spontaneously. But spontaneously released aggressions are not only natural but beneficial.

When Ruburt finds himself concentrating upon his symptoms, then let it be a sign that normal aggressions are not being recognized, that he is afraid of hurting someone else, and that this is blocking his normal enjoyment of daily activities.

(“What could he possibly do, that is so terrible, that would hurt others?”)

This caused him to withhold his strength under such circumstances. Those who felt it were obviously hurt out of all proportion. Now he did not realize this completely earlier, and this should help. It is more important than I can say.

On the positive side to some extent it even led to our sessions, for he knows that my material, the material, can help prevent people from hurting each other. On the negative side, for him personally, it can lead to an exaggerated idea of the individual’s vulnerability.

You have told him that life is far more generous, that there are built-in mechanisms of defense. He magnifies the terrors. He imagines, with the stray cats, you see, for the same reason.

You can help lead him to an understanding of the fact that life is far more vigorous than he realizes. It will also help to point out that he has positively used many of these elements creatively. He must not project an exaggerated idea of the power of aggression. At some time or another almost every child wishes that his parent or parents were dead, and the parents manage to survive quite well, until they are quite ready to leave your sphere of activity.