“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Most of this has been said before. Ruburt’s symptoms have always been a cautionary and protective measure. He believed such measures must be taken because of his erroneous concept about the spontaneous self and creativity.

He believed that his creativity was highly specifically oriented to its artistic expression only. He did not understand that the spontaneous self knows its own order (gently), or that the spontaneous creative self had any notion of his conscious needs and desires. He believed that often creativity expressed itself at the expense of other portions of the self, and that if it were allowed to spill over the edges (with gestures) from artistic productivity into normal living, then it would lead to all kinds of disruptive activity. This is obviously not the case.

Specific creativity is but one important aspect of the psyche’s vast, almost incomprehensible productivity, for it produces your lives. You had parents and brothers, a family. Ruburt has no one in that same manner. He had an unfortunate marriage behind him when you met. When he fell in love, it was wholeheartedly, and he was determined to merge his creativity and his marriage.

(Billy now meowed, and then jumped up on Jane’s chair as she spoke in trance—something he seldom does. He settled down behind her.)

Because of his cultural beliefs, he was also determined that his “womanly nature” would not impede his progress as a writer, or yours as an artist. He considered it his duty to help you succeed as an artist, believing fervently that such was your primary desire.

Certainly he tried to see to it that his success did not put you down in the eyes of others. Again, this material has all been given. His physical problems to some extent—do not overemphasize this point—put him in the role of the dependent woman. At the same time he is not that, of course, since he cannot completely carry out the woman’s role of housekeeping, and so forth—so in that (underlined) way, he also shows that he is a writer. Not confined to such lowly woman’s ways.

You also give him much more attention than you used to before the emergence of the symptoms—attention that he believes he deserves. All of this, however, is connected with the misunderstanding concerning the nature of the creative self, and on both of your parts.

He has been doing more housework by a good degree. This is important, not only because of the increased mobility it entails, but also because of the change of attitude.

(Seth probably refers here to a letter Jane received today from a fan in Ohio, who enclosed a copy of a letter he wrote defending her to Jacques Vallee, who evidently had mentioned Jane in one of his books. The letter is on file. Vallee had his facts wrong, it seems, ascribing Jane’s work to automatic writing, etc.

(Pause at 10:25.) You must again realize that you chose your situation, and because it is a valuable one you sought it out. If Ruburt understands that, then he will realize he does not have to protect himself privately or socially, for all of his characteristics are meant to help him deal successfully with the challenge he has chosen. The same applies to you.

(“You know, he was quite different in trance,” Jane said. “I know there was something different going on. I know I did.” But she didn’t explain, or couldn’t.

(“I don’t know. I remember I was talking as Seth, and I looked over and Billy was giving me an entirely different look than he’d ever given me before. I just know it. He just looked at me like I was an entirely different person—either that, or I perceived him differently in trance.”

(For perhaps fifteen minutes after he’d jumped up in Jane’s chair, Billy had descended from that spot and curled himself up against me as I sat taking notes on the couch. He’d remained in that position until the end of the session. This too was a little unusual for him to do.)