“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Yes, I recall clearly urging Jane to publish the material; most regrettable now, of course. A serious error, for at that time she instinctively knew what was best for her. I want her to go back to relying upon her instincts and intuitions.)

He tried to do a narrative, and use for example descriptive abilities—a valiant attempt to do two different things in one book. Before all of this, as the very first symptoms began, before the ESP book, he was already deeply frightened by the novel rejections, the Playboy rejections after they raised his hopes, the poetry book acceptance that fell through with Continental, and what he felt to be your joint deteriorating relationship.

At the same time he began to doubt his writing abilities. Perhaps he had overjudged his talents. Following The Seth Material, requests came that showed quite clearly he was regarded as a psychic. Psychics helped people. I told him to stay away from spiritualistic groups. He has a strong sense of responsibility and loyalty. He avoided being a “psychic personality” (in quotes) in grand terms. I am digressing here to bring you another issue: the strong responsibility he always felt toward his writing ability, he naturally felt toward the psychic ability—but without the necessary sense of discrimination, since he didn’t realize what such activities involved.

He also felt that if you were a success as an artist he could write what he damned pleased, hid that anger, and felt extremely disloyal.

His own work was not focused upon as it should have been, to his way of seeing things. Now he must go ahead and take his chances. He speaks of success. What he means is the production of a work of his own in those terms that he considers art, an accomplishment whether or not it brings financial success.

(“What do you mean—a few weeks, a few months, or what?” I’d thought we would soon be moving.)

Most of this was very conscious at various times, but your view of suburbia (when we went house hunting with a realtor the other day) helped to bring it into focus. Ruburt will use his creative ability in fiction yet, in a way that he could not have otherwise, to bring home the reality and dimension of human personality.

Now I have an important suggestion, to which I hope you will acquiesce, and it is important: You must really form a letter, a nice one, thanking people for their interest, explaining that for now private sessions are not given for individuals. These should be sent out to unanswered correspondence. Ruburt should devote himself to what he wants to write in his time. I will produce my books. There will be others (period).

There are unknown dimensions then to his own work that will begin to materialize, and that would be buried had he continued to produce simply what he thought he should produce. And now do you have questions?

(“I just mean, is he open now to what you may or can say?”)

There are other elements not particularly mentioned in the background, but they are not crucial points. He felt he had lost his direction. Spontaneously feeling free to write what he wants to will also release him psychically.

(10:35. It is Wednesday, January 3 as I finish this session. Jane has already cleared the matter with Tam—who incidentally had a vivid dream Monday night, in which in distorted form he learned that Adventures was to go by the board. Many elements in Tam’s dream tallied with events depicted in this session, bearing out Seth’s contention that Tam already sensed the conflicts over Adventures, etc. We are to send him what’s done on Seth’s new book.