“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The information came in a natural manner—which is, again, excellent. I do not want to rehash his entire early background, but it is important that he become aware of its emotional content. I wanted to make a few additional points. Ruburt became aware of non-Catholic Christianity to any degree only after our sessions began. The Sinful Self is quite as evident there as it is in the Catholic Church. The Protestant version is often intermixed, however, with psychic organizations. In that light, as in the Catholic one, the female’s guilt is seen as even larger than the male’s. So that additional pressure is cast upon the women, who are indeed seen as spiritually inferior—or (underlined) on the other hand painted as pure, pedestal-like individuals in the manner of the Blessed Virgin. That particular subject matter can be discussed at another time. Ruburt has often wondered at the poor quality of most intuitional material, particularly since it is supposed to be so important. The truth of course is not intrinsically in the nature of the material itself, but in the very fact that it is almost exclusively translated in terms of Christian thought, however bizarre that interpretation might be. For that matter, such material often simply restates the entire concept of the Sinful Self in different form. Often that form is highly inflammatory. The main point is a good one to remember, however.

The Sinful Self was highly suspicious of any such activity. I believe we have begun an excellent natural therapy in that regard. Ruburt is working at all angles of the problem at other levels of consciousness now, and the Sinful Self is beginning to feel a new sense of give-and-take. (Pause.) Other portions of Ruburt’s personality do utilize our material also, of course, and we deal with a certain kind of natural pacing. It is an excellent idea to go over these sessions one at a time and keep the material in the forefront of consciousness for a while.

The Sinful Self itself can also make such realizations once the door to communication is opened. You are bringing contemporary information into the past, freeing blockages and clearing the way for natural healing. Again, there will be a natural pacing, and on the part of the entire personality additional motion as the information is assimilated and adjustments made to a greater accommodation.

(9:21.) That treatment reinforced his beliefs that he must indeed be a wicked or sinful person. Remember all of this material, again, in the light of what was said about his public image. Where he felt he was expected to behave in an almost supersaintly fashion—for you have of course two completely different versions of the self there, each unreasonable.

I am pacing these sessions now, granting the four or so a week, according to his own experiences, so that the material can also be assimilated along the way. The last few sessions are highly important. (Long pause.) Some of that material is now being used by the so-called Sinful Self itself—which is now open to new information. It is quite earnest in its own desire to “be good,” or to feel a sense of grace in its being, so it does understand that kind of purpose.

All in all, those results are considered by the Sinful Self, now, as regrettable but necessary, as perhaps the use of overly severe discipline, or the use of punishment “for the personality’s own good”—all of which makes perfect sense within the belief structure of the Sinful Self and the larger philosophical structure of Christianity itself.

(A most revealing and damaging answer. “Does the Sinful Self have any conception that its policies have now become self-defeating?”

In the framework of the Sinful Self’s points of reference and in the Catholic philosophy in which it is based, suffering for a good purpose, toward a good end, toward a good goal for the sake of the soul, is a virtue. (Pause.) The entire Catholic dogma is built about Christ’s agony and death. Now to a portion of the personality believing in that system, Ruburt’s position makes hardly a ripple. That system regards the body as highly distracting, disruptive, heir to the lusts of the flesh, and so forth. Its discipline through suffering is one of Christianity’s most appalling effects.

(9:38.) The ideas of the flesh itself being graced also seemed quite blasphemous then to the Sinful Self. It is quite ready to reorganize its reasoning, however, once it is reached. In the past it has been ignored—another good question. Incidentally, it has been unaware of Ruburt’s own knowledge of the close connection between inspiration, for example, and the body’s comfort and relaxation. (Pause.) It approves of inspiration, but it is the part of the personality that is also afraid of unofficial information because of the very belief system that gave it birth.

(“Is the Sinful Self that closely connected with the physical self, then, or did other parts of Ruburt’s personality bring about the symptoms because they knew of the beliefs of the Sinful Self?”

(“Did the Sinful Self have help in creating the symptoms, in other words?”)

(I thought so too. The first question automatically led to the following ones. There were many more to be asked, too. I was appalled, while thinking at the same time that perhaps at last we’ve finally reached the core of the problem, and can take steps to do something about it. The Sinful Self.... What a concept, I thought, speculating briefly about the untold damage it must have done to millions of people over the centuries. My first thought after the first question’s answer had been that it must be excised from Ruburt’s character, or at least that its beliefs must be changed so much that it becomes unrecognizable compared to what it is now.

(Jane turned on the television after a very brief discussion. I wanted badly to study this session with the idea of basing future questions upon it. I wanted to know how suffering could be good for the soul, among other questions, since from its supposedly exalted position one would hardly think the soul needed suffering to improve its position or understanding. My feelings toward the Sinful Self were certainly not charitable, nor was I about to concede it a state of grace in view of its damaging actions, even if Jane has ignored it and shut off communication. There is much to be learned here. Perhaps we’ve finally got a good hold on what needs to be done.)