“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

That session is extremely valuable. So on your list, write “Do not think in terms of absolutes.” As far as Ruburt’s condition has been concerned, you both have habitually thought so in terms of black and white that you added a narrow, limited area in which improvements might begin, but could only go so far.

Again, his condition does represent the one area where both of you have felt cowed, often hopeless, and as if your abilities worked in all directions but that one. The important point is, that that area was the one area in which you did not use those abilities—nor should either of you spend time bemoaning what has happened, or dwelling upon “what people can do to themselves.” This is not only waste of time, but it adversely affects your creativity, and that frame of mind will never generate solutions, but only further difficulties in any area (emphatically).

Some men are fools. Some men are murderers. Some people do not give a whit for your privacy or your work. Some people do not understand artists, or any creative endeavor. None of these remarks apply to all people, however, or even to a majority of people. You can, however, collect information and statistics applying to any one group, and keep collecting it until you find that you do live in a reality in which all men certainly seem to be fools, or murderers, or hostile to creative people.

Constantly applied tension leads to any and all physical problems. In the face of the circumstances you did well—avoiding drugs, for example. In many cases, when people make the necessary decisions that would otherwise restore their bodies, medical drugs have so muddied body orientation that the affair is further complicated. If you continue as you are going, the overall body responsiveness will certainly continue. But do remember what I have said about applying your individual and joint feeling of creativity and inventiveness in those directions.

I have nothing more to say for the evening, unless you have questions. I will add for Ruburt: as I said, the eyes will continue to improve. Copy for an hour for now. The eyes are still changing, as the ligaments in the neck do, but the muscles in and around the eyes are acclimating well.

You hope to cast understanding upon man’s soul, his body, and alter his concepts of his cultural reality. At the same time you both made sure that you reinforced your own beliefs, so that the people who came did not altogether click with you. You could say “Well, that is that—we made an attempt,” and drop the entire issue (which is what we did say and do).

It is dangerous to use generalities. You are not popular novelists. Popular novelists are also individuals, with a certain amount of creative talent. Many of them feel almost the prisoner of abilities that will only extend so far, and no further. The mass attention and the money, that at times you either envied them or scorned them for, is often a badge to them of their own inadequacies—a compensation that is held a curse, so do not deal in generalities of that kind.

You put yourselves in the position, where if you valued your own work, you expect to receive no recognition, and the greater the work, the less recognition. I suggest that you do the exercise you mentioned, dealing however with an excellent increase in sales of the books, for this will help many other people, and you also.

(“—so I’m wondering if our doing this will collide with what we’re trying to do about the symptoms. The suggestions about sales won’t increase his feelings of vulnerability, will they, just when we’re trying to build up confidence, and so forth?”)

The increased sales do not necessarily involve you with guests of the stature you are speaking of, or with definite appointments made, in which there is direct personal contact.

(Amused.) Do not be so concerned, either, about so-called important people. Many of the unimportant youngsters who write you will be important people in the future. When you change your beliefs and attitudes so that you no longer expect so-called important people to ignore you, they will not. I do not share your concern about important people to begin with.

Do you have other questions?

(After the session I told Jane that my concern wasn’t so much with meeting important people, as that their interest in what we do would imply some sort of acceptance or understanding on the parts of those who occupy dominant positions in society, the arts, or whatever. And I think we are well aware that many of the young people we do hear from will occupy those positions of power in tomorrow’s world. I see nothing amiss with us having some fun on our own in the meantime, though—provided we’re both willing, and understand the terms of the “games.”)