“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Note that I managed to finish Tuesday’s session last night after all, by working a bit later. Jane read it. By bedtime at midnight she had some things to say about the content of my notes—defending herself to some extent, naturally, and I told her to type her notes and add them to the session today. She made some good points, but I didn’t agree on others. At least, I thought, while talking she showed more animation than she had in some time.

I would like to make a few comments regarding “programs”—that is, certainly it must seem to you both that you begin many therapeutically designed programs only to have them disappear. There is a rhythm to such programs, however, and it is natural for the self to rouse at certain times, begin such activity, then apparently (underlined) discard them.

They begin with a certain impetus, give you a certain kind of progress, and regardless of how great or small that progress may be, there is a necessary time of assimilation—that is, the stimulation over a period of time is more effective when it is in a fashion intermittent, when certain methods are tried out, applied and so forth, but by the very nature of the healing process there is also the necessity of letup, diversion and looking away.

Left alone, the self knows how to utilize such rhythms. If you trusted the characteristics of the basic natural person, you would not need such sessions as ours, generally, in the world at all—for such knowledge would be part of it and implied in its cultural organizations, and the daily habits of the people.

(This material was very similar to thoughts I’d had while painting this morning. My ideas had been triggered by an article I’d read yesterday in a recent Science Digest article, which I’ll file: At first glance, I’d told Jane later, the article seemed very good. It dealt with the idea that imperfections in the universe gave birth to life and all we know—that if the “big bang” had expanded perfectly uniformly there would be no life in the universe, merely a perfectly uniform cloud of lifeless hydrogen gas. It took me a while to realize that the author had said nothing at all about the idea of life as we know it being latently present all the while in the primordial cloud before it began to expand. Then I thought that in the perfectly expanding, uniform hydrogen cloud, nothing would be needed, in those terms [the author’s]—not even life itself. “There’s something very wrong with that guy’s thinking,” I told Jane. Probably that there is no such thing in nature as perfection, and that although we think we can conceive of such a quality, we really cannot—hence the way is left open for such messy manifestations as “life,” etc.)

In your circumstances, in one way or another you have to build up that feeling of trust or confidence, often, again, in the face of old conflicting beliefs. (Pause.) Therefore Ruburt’s idea of a new program is a quite natural therapeutic one.

Another point: regardless of any seeming contradictions, the beneficial aspects of any particular creative activity far outweigh any disadvantages. (Long pause.) The nature of creativity, regardless of any given specific manifestation, is shown in an overall generalized fashion that automatically increases the quality of life, and such benefits are definite regardless of what other conditions also become apparent. I mean to make clear here that regardless of any complications that may seem only too apparent to you, in the production and distribution of my last book, and Ruburt’s, Mass Events—the benefits far outweigh any disadvantages.

(Long pause at 8:48.) If the apparent trigger of a difficulty is a creative accomplishment, then the difficulty itself is “loaded” also with its own natural therapeutic solutions. I am trying to make this point as clear as I can to you, because I know it has concerned you both.

(Long pause at 8:51.) Give us a moment.... In a like manner, it may seem childish—or worse, futile—when after all this time Ruburt still has the feeling that changing his room around will somehow help bring about the overall solution to any problem. Yet the feeling is the result of the natural person’s knowledge of the symbolic nature both of objects and thoughts, and of the rhythmic patterns that both follow, so that, again, on such occasions such activities do trigger new unconscious activity and set up new patterns of organization.

Concentration upon them will rise and fall naturally in the entire procedure. Each time they will be understood more and more, become less detrimental, until they are mere annoyances. In the same manner, a few suggestions or reminders, such as those Ruburt already has on tape, should be a portion of the program.

The habitual nature of the programming that you give your own minds helps continue the chronic condition. (Long pause.) Such a program, to be effective, must also include Ruburt’s initiative, so that he rouses himself and definitely begins to take advantage of those energies that he has—that is, energy exercises for himself. These should be done on a regular basis.

As it naturally occurs to him, Ruburt should read over material he has of the Sinful Self, and it will with its own rhythm lead toward further therapeutic adjustments. You should begin such a program as soon as possible, regarding it, however, as not a last desperate approach toward an unsolvable problem, but as a proper step of development in your understanding of the magical approach to life.

I will give you further pointers, and continue also with whatever regularity toward the completion of our book, unless either of you make other decisions. You can, however, change your lives for the better in the twinkling of an eye. You can certainly add to life’s enjoyment and bring about some improvement at the very least in Ruburt’s condition. You also have the ability to completely alter the nature of your days.