“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Nature took the place of the devil in an insidious sleight-of-hand that initially Darwin himself never expected. He wanted to show that God was not responsible for the world’s cruelties. Darwin loved nature in all of its aspects, yet he could not reconcile its beauties and splendors with the course of its events. He could not bear to see a cat play with a mouse, without blaming God who would permit such cruelty. He tried to wipe God’s hands clean, as he understood the nature of God through his early beliefs—but in so doing he wiped the soul from the face of nature.

Those theories of Darwin, however, formed part of the suggestive background in which you and Ruburt and millions of others matured. Each person interpreted those beliefs in an individual fashion. Sexual, economic, social and even religious behavior became tinged by these concepts.

The value of the artist was deprecated. Contemplation had little part to play. As per James, it was no coincidence that the beliefs of Freud and Darwin merged so well to form western society’s idea of the self, physically and psychologically. The ideas of financial competition, advocated, came into direct conflict, Joseph, with your own inclinations to be an artist. The ideas of manliness in your society, particularly in past years, were directly tied in with Darwinian concepts and Freudian theory. They operated as suggestion that directed the actions of millions of people, and provided a framework through which they experienced their reality.

Now when either of you, or both of you, feel that there might be something wrong in spending your time thinking, writing, painting, or worse, daydreaming, you feel that way because your way of life meets some conflict from old Darwinian and Freudian beliefs: you should be out there in the world—active, competing, or even just riding bicycles.

(10:36.) I want to show you where culture and cultural beliefs meet with your private experience. Ruburt’s body needed more challenge. Before this latest episode that upset him showed, Important releases in the hip sockets occurred, with hardly any notice on his part. Little inconvenience. The amount of new motion there was minute but vitally important if his stance upward were to improve.

That small alteration, however, immediately altered the legs’ position, however minutely, placing new challenge upon the entire leg and foot region. That challenge further activates additional motion: it is almost impossible to explain how intimately your psychological beliefs program your experience of events, or to tell you how to interpret them.

Animals have their own culture. They understand it differently, however, but it is taken into consideration in physical terms. You are doing very well, and your own beliefs are changing, Joseph, perhaps in greater fashion than you realize. The idea of Ruburt’s teeth should be dropped, however. The concern over the matter becomes far more an impediment than any actual loss of his teeth. Yes, beliefs could save the rest of them—but both of your interpretations about teeth at this point hold you back.

Your own behavior with your parents, with Ruburt, your attitudes toward your painting and outside jobs, Ruburt’s attitudes toward children, his work and you—all of these were so influenced. You set up defenses, privately and jointly, providing justifications, so that you could do your own thing, and “hold your head up” in the world of those beliefs. When you wanted to quit your job you became ill so that no one could blame you. That was years ago, when you were working full time. This would give you parental acceptance.

Illness is a face-saving device, socially, often occurring where private beliefs and feelings find irritation with mass beliefs. Our sessions began, and you managed to make other changes or compromises: you worked part time, and so did Ruburt. This had some advantages, but also many points of conflict. When either of you were offered jobs with advancement, you avoided them like the plague—idiotic behavior in Darwinian and Freudian terms.