“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Much damage resulted in Elmira from the storm described in last Saturday’s deleted session. Many trees were down in certain areas of the city, especially in our old neighborhood, around Water, Walnut, and Hoffman streets.

(9:31.) Give us a moment.... It was because I knew this that I was relatively severe in our last session—wanting to make sure that both of you made the best use of that important advantage.

I will shortly begin to divide our sessions between personal material and other kinds. I want to commend you both, however, for utilizing the material in these later sessions, and I remind you to follow your own lists in the sessions.

(Seth’s material earlier this evening, about responsiveness to the world, in whatever form one chose, reminded me of an idea I’d mentioned to Jane last week. I’d dropped it because I became unsure of the reactions on both of our parts. The idea involved our concentration for just five minutes a day—say when we lay down for our naps—on sending out suggestions to the effect that we’d hear from people we wanted to hear from, either/or by letter or in person. Obviously the people would be well-enough known for us to have heard of them. But I’d been thinking that it might be a way to break our habits of retreat. I became concerned, though, about whether our beliefs had changed enough to make such contacts possible, or welcome to us if they did materialize.

(“—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?”)

We will then go into that, with other material, at our next session. Ruburt’s interpretation of last night’s dream was correct, and his dream experience will show greater depth and variety now that he has stated his intent by beginning his (dream) notebook.

(11:32 PM. I didn’t realize it at the time, but upon typing this material I’d say that Seth didn’t directly answer my question on page 298. I was more interested in information on our reactions to the books selling well, and the resulting publicity, than in the question of guests, per se. The meeting of people, of course, is a part of the question, however, so in that sense Seth did consider it.

(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.”)