“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Now. No personality chooses a life situation of illness. It chooses the best method it can to aid in overall development.

It uses illness as a teaching method, and discards the method when the lesson is learned. In entire life situations—I am speaking in terms of a lifelong illness now—the illness is not predetermined by the personality to last the length of the life. Many severe illnesses disappear miraculously, it would seem, though an individual has been plagued since birth.

Now this is highly simplified, but the problems set are open problems. There are usually several different solutions or contexts within which the personality can find the solution. The individual does not set himself problems for which no answers exist.

Now in many cases of coma, the personality simply leaves before the body’s actual death. Errors can be made, but in the overall they amount to little. Now give me a moment. (One minute pause at 9:25.)

Many of the points you have made to Ruburt lately have been well taken, and were more important than you realized. To you they seemed rather obvious, and trivial, almost. Now Ruburt’s ego had been hit over the head, so to speak, so many times in his childhood that it became very sensitive, developing a rigidity out of self-protection.

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.

What you see as symptoms are those that have not as yet been transformed. Now this is a creative process where the personality uses for its advantage and development those elements in its background that it seems (underlined) could have destroyed it.

Now regardless of the nature of our sessions, their legitimacy and my own reality, only certain peculiarly gifted personalities would be able to make consistent contact, to obtain such information over a period of time. Only a certain kind of personality could find balance between spontaneity and discipline. Literally, as you recognize, a tremendous creative endeavor is required. A personality embarking upon such pursuits had to allow for various emotional and psychic elements from early childhood.

The personality for best purposes would have to be a woman, for the intuitive nature is more easily developed. I do not want to go tonight too deeply into other connotations, for they can lead us astray right now.

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.

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 when I gave the session for our lady of Venice, I spoke as an authority, as myself, and there was no representative of the college present. This did not bother Ruburt therefore.

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.

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.

Now. We will end briefly. (Long pause.)

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.