“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

In order to fear the opinions of others, however, particularly the opinion of those in authority, you must first to some extent respect those in authority, and hold some faith in their ideas. You are taught to respect such authorities, and as mentioned earlier, while Ruburt defied authority as a child he was still dependent upon authority’s welfare.

Now he has felt that if the “authority,” the people, do not like what he says, then they will not buy his books, and deny him that “welfare.” At the same time he has been determined to go ahead. Instead of the people giving him handouts as a child, where he had to be careful of what he did and said, he saw them as contributing to his welfare through buying his books, and if he went too far and offended them, they would stop.

Their ideas ruled the world. Their ideas carry the weight of mass acceptance. He has done his thing, but fearfully. Only lately has he realized that he has no respect for any of the authorities, as they call him or write him, or approach him. As with today’s psychologist, he sees that in many ways they know far less than he, and are looking to him for help and direction. These are the people, he suddenly sees, that so frightened him.

Until lately he idealized authority on the one hand, and was frightened of it on the other. Only when he realized that there was no authority in those terms could he begin to let down his guard.

Now because of these feelings he was afraid of setting himself up as a new authority for people to follow blindly. This problem also vanishes when he realizes, as he does, that there literally are no authorities. There are only people.

He has been on guard, and only now is realizing that there is nothing to be on guard against. Fear of the spontaneous self is meaningless unless the spontaneous self is set up against the idea of an authority which is not spontaneous. The spontaneous self is feared only because it might break down the authority of a rigid structure. It might be creative. It might come up with something new. It might shatter rigid barriers.

Actually some of the responses to Personal Reality have helped him considerably, as he sees that so-called authorities are greedy for these ideas, and need them desperately. His beliefs therefore have been changing. He feels free to move, and that symbolically and literally means a new “place.” That also applies to you, and both of you jointly, which is even more important: your joint agreement.

Now, dear friend, you have also shared some of these ideas, and to some extent seen Ruburt’s physical condition as a symbolic statement of how the so-called authorities viewed our joint work. Ruburt is striking. In his physical condition he is still striking. People still notice him. They notice him even more now because of the eccentricity of walk. This bothers you. It bothers Ruburt. You do not like to be out with him, on a certain level now, because he is so noticeable, so obvious. It offends your idea of secrecy, privacy, and being anonymous. I do not mean that you are not sympathetic. You follow me.

Give us a moment.... He is free to use all his abilities physically, psychically, creatively, and spiritually. One need not be expressed at the expense of another. Instead each complements the others. When you realize quite literally and practically that you have no other person or authority to fear, then you are free to be yourself to the best of our “ability.”

In those terms you are “out of your time.” You have been through the same kind of encounters, however, enmeshed in them like anyone else, so you have no right to feel superior. The implied sense of superiority is what made Ruburt so angry at authorities, so defiant. They seemed to have power over him that he resented. You cannot speak to your age, your time, unless you understand it, and you cannot understand it unless at one time or another you feel the weight of its authoritative beliefs. So Ruburt grew up where they were important.

You did also, though this is not as clear to you. Ruburt’s experience is specifically more obvious, yet your mother and father each reacted in their own ways to the authority of the world as they understood it. Your mother tried desperately to fit into that framework, and your father as desperately combated it.

Ruburt need not fear becoming a new authority. People do their own thing, and point to others as authorities to take their responsibility for them. He need not fear others as authority, for the same applies. You do not need to protect yourselves against the world. It needs what help it can get, and you can only help it by being yourselves.

Ruburt then is now realizing there is no authority to fear, no need for the defense, and no one he need hide from. The improvement then is just beginning. You will find a house you like. You need to buy, not rent; there are further financial developments, windfalls.

If it is possible the two of you should have a garden of fresh vegetables—not only for the obvious values, but because of the implied contact with the growing earth, regardless of how small the garden might be. Some of the concepts that will come in The “Unknown” Reality will help Ruburt understand the nature of healing, for that is highly important. People are healed who come here, in ways not visible. All shrines are basically shrines to the authority of the self, regardless of the personifications or deifications involved. In certain terms each person is God, and each person is utterly anonymous, for God is completely personal and completely anonymous.