“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.

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.

Ruburt’s work, as far as his symptoms are concerned, rests primarily in his mental attitudes, and they are indeed changing for the better. The state of creativity is one you both know intimately. In it there is a kind of mental or psychic plasticity, where the evidence of the normal world loses its hard edges, becomes less real, and yet is touched by the psyche’s creativity so that it can (underlined) in a moment be literally transformed.

The sessions, dream activity, Ruburt’s writing of books, his poetry and his painting—these states by themselves contribute to his health. Worrying, future projections of unpleasant conditions, concern over a public image, or whatever, even overconcern about his work itself—these cause strain and tension. (Pause.) When you see yourselves as being primarily in direct opposition to the ideas of the world (pause), then Ruburt feels the need also to overprotect himself from it. You should see yourselves as primarily in an excellent position to help the world, which brings about an entirely different set of feelings and beliefs.

(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.

(Pause.) You do not understand the nature of your own psychological extensions, or how your written words influence others. You said that Benny Hill (the English comedian) advertises his beliefs in his program, and in the same way your notes in our books advertise your own beliefs, and provide an example of a creative and also reasonable framework in which to interpret psychic behavior.