“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Last night in ESP class, Jane had an experience with a personality who called itself, and the rest of us, Sumari. This afternoon I dropped in to talk about this incident with Jane & Rob; in the course of the conversation we decided that I should bring the tape of that class to their apartment this evening, stay on for the session, and record it and type it up.

(It had been snowing all evening and I had some trouble driving in from Pine City. Besides that, my recording of the Sumari personality was poor and I had to stop at Fred and Pete’s [class members] to get their tape, and I didn’t arrive at Jane & Rob’s until 9 PM. We played the two tapes—Jane was especially interested in the chant that preceded the Sumari’s short speech—until 9:20. Jane had written this chant down during an Alpha experiment in class; when she started to read it to us, she suddenly wailed the words as loudly as I have ever heard even Seth’s voice go:

(I thought that Jane was uneasy about the whole experience last night, but as soon as she felt Seth around, we all seemed to relax more. Rob poured us beers and the session started at 9:35.)

(To Rob:) We will begin with an explanation of your experience last evening. And our record-keeper over here (me) will also understand what you are doing.

(“Yes,” Rob said.)

(“I didn’t start until quite late, though,” Rob said.)

(To me:) Now, you remember, because of one of your experiences and something I said in a session—or, rather, another portion of me said in a session —having to do with the fact that Seth II, if you could perceive him, would be as small as a brown nut. (To Rob:) And so you were perceiving a core of energy that radiated outward and infringed upon this reality—intruded upon it: hence, the fragmented area about it, you see, and the seemingly jagged effect.

(“But impossible to describe,” Rob added.)

(“Well,” Rob said, “earlier, I heard a fragment of that chant while I was still typing, but I forgot about it.”

(“What’s that?” Rob asked, grinning.)

(Rob & I laughed. “All right,” he agreed, “but you’ll have to explain it to us.”)

(“The kitchen? In our second apartment across the hall? You mean because of the open surroundings?” Rob asked.)

(Rob paused. “Well, no; but a couple of times I felt that I was right on the verge of accomplishing more with it, but I couldn’t quite bridge the gap to bring it about. The first thing I thought of was Jane’s father, though—I didn’t actually see him, but I was telling Jane that at times I thought I did see the shape of the back of the head —I did associate that with his head.”)

(“I thought about Al’s father’s death last night,” Rob said, referring to Al Oberg, a class member whose father had died the Thursday before Jane’s father had. “What’s the connection?”)

(9:59. During break, we discussed what had been said and then somehow got to joking about a reincarnational drama-scene that Rob and I had played out a few months ago, in which he had apparently been a teacher of mine and an exasperatingly thorough record-keeper. Jane had. just made a remark that sent me convulsing with laughter when Seth came through again, loudly and emphatically:)

(“What brings a group together?” Rob asked. “I know I’m speaking of beginnings and endings, but what causes a group of Sumari to congregate?”)

(“I realize that,” Rob said, “but why did they get together?”)

(“All right,” Rob pursued, “say some speakers are Sumari, but might another group of speakers be of another family?”)

(“I don’t think Ruburt would object if you used some other term,” Rob said.)

(“He’ll get used to it,” Rob laughed. “How are the Sumari different from other groups?” I asked.)

(“Then the Sumari have experienced the various kinds of physical realities,” Rob suggested.)

(“Would Seth II fit in that group?” Rob asked.

(“Those more apt to nourish,” Rob explained. “I think he mentioned that once.”)

(“How about the two voices that came through last night?” Rob asked.)

(“Is that why they were weak?” Rob said.)

(“Was this material from specific entities, or personalities, in those terms?” Rob added.)

(“But it’s not only Sumari who come to class,” Rob put in.)

(Break at 10:30. Jane came out of trance and told us that she knew Seth had said something about astrology because she had had a conceptual experience, which she simply couldn’t put into words, involving the positions of the planets and the vastness behind their symbolism. We discussed the idea of Sumari and what might be their connection with the “class dreams.” If class could correlate their dreams, we might be able to find a common theme or purpose, with each individual remembering his own part in it. Break lasted for a half an hour and Rob was wondering if the session was over when Seth resumed at 11:02.)

(“Could you give us a word that we could learn to use?” Rob asked.)

Now, as you (Rob) might perceive such information visually, it is translated for Ruburt in an entirely different fashion. Therefore, you see, I do not believe that at one time you will be able to get a translation of some of the old speakers manuscripts, but it still will be a difficult endeavor. The same information can be given, you see, in other ways. Now, I am interested in your reaching people at large.

(“Would you get this information yourself, or would you get it through speakers?” Rob asked.)

(“Can we digress a moment here?” Rob asked.)

(“Why didn’t he ask?” Rob said.)

(“They almost hugged,” Rob observed.)

(“Well, such encounters can’t be too infrequent then,” Rob said.)

(“That’s the kind of thing we talked about in break,” Rob said. “For instance, you go into a supermarket and out of all the people you encounter casually—I’m sure that we’d like some guidance on how we can pick out Sumari.”)

She was indeed Sumari. (To Rob:) And the information that you were discussing at suppertime will indeed be given, and in altered fashion. The personal information that was begun.

And now, I bid you a fond good evening, not worried about your fingers (Rob), but our friend’s over here (me). We will have to send her additional energy. She will doubtlessly have some experiences on her own as she types it out, however, to compensate. I look out for her.

(“Well, you do now, don’t you?” Rob asked me.)

(“What?” Rob said. The tape was off, and I switched it on in a hurry. “What was that?” I asked. “One more time, Seth,” Rob said.

(“Oh?” I said—Rob and I were both laughing—“What do they do?” Seth stared at me in that penetrating way of his for several moments.)