“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(After the layoff since May 16.... When Jane said she wanted to have a session tonight, I suggested it be on herself. She needed it badly—we needed it badly. I no longer think of her as making it physically, I’m afraid. She’s been worse as far as symptoms go since we stopped the sessions, so doing that didn’t help either. We spend more and more time on affairs connected with symptoms, it seems—and those problems, connected with the construction going on in back of the house, where Frank Longwell is building Jane’s writing room in half of the garage, have combined to cut our production a good deal.

(It also seems that I’ll never be finished with “Unknown” Reality. During our talk last night, I told Jane that we’d made a serious error in deciding to publish it in two volumes, with extensive notes—that there were obviously other courses of action we could have taken. I know that she is very upset by the time element involved here, and now I’m not at all sure that I know what I’m doing on the project any more. I do know it’ll be done some day—and never again.... Jane has been spending most of her time lately using the pendulum, making notes, reading old sessions on herself and myself, etc, but presently I see all this activity as repeating old rhythms. We’ve talked about it a lot lately, but...? I think she came up with some new insights lately, yet she found hints of even those later, in old sessions; we’d just forgotten them.)

To some extent or another you chose abilities ahead of time that would at least partially meet conflict with the society in which you were born. Your abilities as an artist, for example, were not those relished by mothers in their male offspring. They were not considered beneficial in themselves—but only if they could be practically used as a way of making a living. The creativity implied was beside the point.

The same applied to Ruburt. You chose challenges, then, because despite it all your personalities are the kind that set up such life situations to begin with. Your abilities would meet some conflict in terms of religious, sexual, and social beliefs. This conflict would in a certain fashion sharpen the issues. To meet with these, Ruburt for example adopted certain beliefs that at various times would be helpful.

He protected himself against early marriage or child bearing by identifying the male writer to some extent with his own writing image. This provided needed leeway in the formation of his ideas, and allowed him to leap free of the stereotyped beliefs about femininity that otherwise could have hampered him. The novelist, the science fiction writer—these were male images needed in the time of his youth.

He developed the idea of being an outsider, as you did, setting up certain barriers against the world. This gave necessary periods of solitude, and helped at one time to channel his abilities. The same applies to you.

You react by setting up defenses. Because of Ruburt’s old ideas about femininity, kept beyond their time, he feels more vulnerable than you amid those unsafe conditions, and has put up extra safeguards. Life was not meant to be perfect. You can, however, choose to accept your challenges wholeheartedly, resolutely—something that you have not really done. I do not think you believe what I tell you, and you do not believe me because you do not really believe that the point of power is in the present.

There were certain beliefs of yours together, again, that once served a purpose. They kept you from “falling for” certain temptations in society. These worked well for some time. When you found yourselves able to buy a house, however, both of you experienced some conflict because of those beliefs, held over too long.

It is, therefore, the result of beliefs once helpful carried beyond their time —of defenses no longer needed. It also represents one area where neither of you truly believe that the point of power is in the present. In that one area you grant the power to the past.

You look at the time involved that the symptoms have continued, and you grant more power to that past than you do to the present.

(11:01.) Now: if you believe me you can end all of this, and Ruburt can regain his normal flexibility. On several occasions in the past we had such sessions. You each managed for a time to achieve that level of intuitive understanding necessary. You followed my directions, and you saw results. I believe, now, if you saw the same results you would each have better sense than to let them go by the board.

2.) Three times a week, hot towels should be applied to the knees, and this will help his legs—but also clear up his head. I am not going into the physical reasons here, but this will be most beneficial. There is nothing wrong with his eyes. There has been tension on the muscles. Physically, the hot towels on the knees will benefit that condition. Otherwise, it was because he did not want to type up my book. Creatively, now, he is always interested in the new book—the current creative act, and he resented feeling that he had to type Psyche while not having current sessions. The eye condition resulted.

If you can only manage to realize that the point of power is in the present, in all areas, then Ruburt’s condition can dramatically improve in a short time. You are afraid of looking for improvements. You do not trust them. You think that because there have been failures in the past, failures are inevitable. Ruburt must reinstate a playful attitude mentally and psychically.

If during that time nothing in particular comes, then let him sketch, for the sketching reinforces playful creativity. He can then type an hour on a manuscript. I want him to concentrate upon his ideas, theories rather than think in terms of work.

5.) Do the library together at least three times a week.

6.) To begin, I want Ruburt to walk from one end of the house to the other, three times a day.