“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The parents who say “Brush your teeth because it is good for you, and I want you to be healthy,” may mean “I love you,” but the child would usually prefer a hug and a kiss. And if the hug and kiss is not given then the brush-your-teeth suggestion becomes an order to the child.

I want to give you some immediate suggestions. There are other issues involved but they surround the points given.

Ruburt is learning to understand the nature of the mind in a way he could not understand it second-handed, playing games, and in condensed form you are learning about the human condition. What you said today is true: You must learn to understand the creativity and responsibility of consciousness. Yet you yourself often said in the past that suggestion could not be that important. Suggestion causes your reality. The suggestions you give are given as a result of your beliefs.

The reasons why Ruburt improved to a large degree the summer you took this place (Apartment 4) were important. You worked together. You utilized suggestion together. You began the morning together, using suggestions consciously decided upon. You had a plan and you followed it. Besides, you took what were at times timely measures in physical terms—direct terms—to better your environment. (Moving into Apartment 4.)

You took direct action. You communicated feelings. You roused yourselves, believing that suggestions meant something, and they worked. Good suggestions are not bandages to cover up, unless you believe they are. They represent the power of your conscious intent to change, and the recognition of that power and its use automatically displaces feelings of powerlessness.

Suggestions can change beliefs, for beliefs are only accepted habitual suggestions. When you use so-called positive suggestions you must implement them through action, but gently. You have each been structuring your experience largely through Ruburt’s symptoms—both of you, so that when Ruburt might momentarily feel free you would remind him of his limitations, and when you might forget them Ruburt would remind you.

Now. I want Ruburt to keep a pendulum by the bed. In the morning suggestions given with the pendulum, and both of you participating. He is not to feel ashamed of his body in your eyes, regardless of its condition. Again, in one night I can only give you so much, but he grew afraid, and you helped him today to combat that fear: He was frightened that the body could not change, and your belief that it could was of great help.

There will be questions you have then that are not answered this evening. In the meantime follow the few suggestions given, and in whatever way you can, express your own spontaneous feelings toward Ruburt.... On his part, he must make an effort to rise above the reinforced feelings of despair, and to assure himself that his body can perform adequately with time, and following these suggestions.