“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Castaneda’s books, for all their seeming unconventionality, had a niche to fall into, for here was the quite conventional scholar exploring a culture, even of the mind; not his own—but safely, within an academic framework to which he then returned, and to which academic readers could identify. Castaneda had his society’s credentials ahead of time. That society could then accept his journeys, and the individuals could allow themselves to follow his adventures, and forgive him for his cultural transgression because he brought home goodies.

Our books, and I am including Ruburt’s, fall into no such neat category—presenting publishers with problems. In the beginning, particularly, and for that matter now, Ruburt has no accepted credentials. He is not a doctor of anything, for there is no one alive who could give him a degree in his particular line of research, or in yours.

Publishers deal with the culture that you know, with people who follow it. Prentice does not understand why the books have sold. Castaneda does not become Don Juan. He holds himself clearly apart from the reality he explores. If our material was not excellent it might have found its way to some spooky underground publisher.

He hides behind no other credentials, or social system, or dogma. It is important that our books make their way, and as unhampered as possible by the commercial distortions that would automatically be applied by men interested in advertising a product.

Grace’s (Bechtold) visit was highly important from that viewpoint. If you were, or if Ruburt was, a conventional Philip Roth, a novelist, safely within that framework, or if he were willing to set himself up as an “occult” mistress of the spirit, then you would have publicity galore.

Frank (Longwell) is far more open-minded than most chiropractors or doctors, and he has learned much. I would like to correct a few misconceptions, however, pertinent not just here but generally.

(11:15.) The healer’s purpose and function, however he or she operates, is to convince the patient that healing is not only possible but inevitable. Few doctors, chiropractors, or healers of any kind can effectively feel or portray such faith. Faith is required because healer and patient alike are directly encountering a set of circumstances evident to the senses. The healer is usually equipped with his or her own beliefs, to which the patient is highly suggestible, because this is the area of conflict.

Now Ruburt is moving more since you moved here, and to a greater degree than either of you realize. The original reasons behind the condition have largely been taken care of, but he is left with physical beliefs about his body. Habits have an important function in your lives. They enable you to act in a certain fashion that you consider necessary, without involving you in constant decisions. At one time Ruburt thought he should restrain himself. He learned to do this habitually. The reasons for such behavior are now leaving him. He set up a bodily behavior pattern, however, and it had to be based on body beliefs.

In the old frame of reference he had to convince himself that his body could not move well, or fast. Then he did not need to deal with what he thought of as distracting elements—to leave his desk. Also, he could not travel too far inward without being drawn back to the body’s discomfort. This gave him a feeling of safety. He found, in time, that the symptoms however were far more limiting than he had counted upon, and as his experience grew he found he needed less so-called “safeguards.”

Then however he was faced with habitual behavior. It took time from daily life to break the pattern even when he understood it, so often he went along on the one hand, while making half-assed efforts to free himself on the other.

(11:31.) The feeling of hopelessness resulted when he felt that perhaps he could not alter the pattern, that he had made his bed, as his mother used to say, and he must lie in it. A quite literal remark that was when his mother made it, for that is what she did.

So it seems, even to you at times, easier to go along with the old pattern than to break it. You can shop faster alone than with Ruburt, so that “chores” take less time. It is easier for you to comb Ruburt’s hair in the back. It looks better, and you are helping him. It would help him more if you actively and lovingly encouraged him to comb his own hair, and told him that he could do it better each time.

It is good of you to make the bed, and at this state at least the condition of his arms makes it difficult. But when you take over the responsibility for washing his clothes you are denying him acts that he did do—and can do, and adding to a sense of powerlessness in that regard. Help him wring out his slacks, for example, when he has trouble doing so, but do not automatically wash his things for him.

To Ruburt now: he began to know this, and some results have shown: but as you realize, his body can perform better. As he understands this, it will do so. There is nothing basically wrong with the muscles or the joints. They will respond to this understanding. They know they can move.

Now. Some of this is related to organizations, and served as a method of protection. Ruburt wondered how far he should go in publicizing his work. Ads would mean requests to speak. He discovered that he was a good speaker. He could go out into the world, but he didn’t want to. Your remarks about his telephone behavior often reinforce his feelings that he could not say “no” without the symptoms to back him up.

Ruburt’s body can move normally now. This does not mean that he need feel like an idiot, but that he set up a body habit for reasons that he once considered valid, and that to change it requires some conscious effort. It requires patience, and loving understanding on his part, and on yours.

From his group of 40 the other five can be chosen, and invited on any kind of schedule he chooses. Some may come only once a month. But 15 for the entire number.

I have some things in mind myself, but the atmosphere is to be relaxed, a more intelligent version of Friday night, in which Ruburt feels he can be at ease, and does not need to make a great production. That is when we are all freest.