“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I mentioned black and white thinking in the notes, and Seth has also used that phrase several times recently. I remarked to Jane today, then, that what we need is more insight into the phenomenon of such thinking itself—for after all, that approach to life’s challenges has led to our problems, it seems to me. I meant, of course, that all of us indulge in such black and white thinking at times, on some subjects, and I added that I periodically have to catch myself when I overreact to certain events. The question is why the personality would choose to use black and white thinking to begin with, when the results are so often deleterious to the whole personality, if we can just dissolve such approaches.... I’d like Seth to comment.

(Pause.) You had some time ago an old newspaper article you had saved, on the dangers of using the words “should” or “would” too often—and there is perhaps nothing else you could do that is as detrimental to the true development of the natural self. Part of the difficulty in what Ruburt thinks of as the development of his abilities, or the more frequent insertion of inspirational work of his own, is the very fact that he feels so responsible to so thusly perform. All of these issues are highly important. The idea of responsibility, as described here, blocks creativity, hampers natural psychic and physical flow: “I should be doing thus and so.” “What do I like to do? What do I feel like doing? What makes me feel good?” Those questions are far more pertinent. When you want to do something truly there are usually few real impediments. Desire flows freely into action.

I will go into the question of Ruburt’s attitude toward me very shortly, as per your own question in a note. There is some application there, but the larger one applies to his own ideas of what someone in his position should (underlined) be doing, and the idealized image is partially a construct to which you also added details unwittingly in the past.

It is further inhibited if that sense of responsibility is wedded to solving the problems of the world or of correspondents, or when such an attempt is allowed to tinge any book sessions. I am not here referring to Mass Events, which was indeed directed toward the condition of the world, but to matters—whatever they may be—where Ruburt feels a responsibility on his part (underlined) for me to dictate specific material that might answer questions he thinks scientists or others might have in mind about any given subject matter; for I write from a different viewpoint, and our material is of course not to be dictated in any (pause)important way by the statement of your official knowledge at any given time. It is to rise beyond such categories. It is to present a larger thematic framework, which then can be used to put the world together in a different fashion for those who want to do so.

(10:42 PM. “Well, I’m glad I did that,” Jane said. “I sat there thinking about it for fifteen minutes before I called you. I thought I should be doing the dishes.... I really want to read that one—I think there’s stuff in it that will help me right away....”