“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I was typing the first portion of last night’s session when I heard President Reagan giving his anxiously awaited first address to Congress; he spoke on economic issues mainly. I took a break at 9:15 to watch some of his speech on TV. Jane was relaxed on the couch as usual. Eventually, however, she surprised me by saying she’d try for a session. Earlier today she’d said she would have one tomorrow night instead.

(The president finished speaking. As the minutes passed and we sat waiting, I asked Jane what she was thinking about. She said she’d decided to hold the session because she “should” have it—whereas last night’s session had been quite spontaneous: she’d wanted to do it. Which raised some intriguing questions about the sense of responsibility she would still feel—indulging that very quality we’re supposed to be so on the lookout for. On the other hand, given our present work orientations the sessions would have to happen sometime during the week—at least twice—and it didn’t seem reasonable to think that Jane would have every one of those on the spontaneous spur of the moment. Somehow, somewhere along the line, some sort of responsible decision to have them would be made....

(Jane’s delivery as Seth was quite animated and brisk.)

(Pause.) This led certainly to conflict. The idea of the public image coming through the correspondence, and as it was interpreted by Ruburt, further deepened the feeling of responsibility. Certainly “a great psychic teacher” had a responsibility of some weight (ironically humorous), and therefore it seemed imperative to Ruburt that he not make errors, that he live up to the characteristics generally ascribed to such an image. Thus, some experimentation was cut out (such as?). He began to think that anything less than this public personality was cowardly.

It seemed that this would be thrust upon him, however—that it was expected, and that indeed furthermore he should expect such performance from himself. (Long pause.) His own earlier attitudes about such matters began to seem cowardly, so he tried to divorce himself from them. That idea, however, together with the idea of responsibility, you see, was always in the background.

In a fashion, the fears became substitutes for the earlier natural feelings that he had been in contact with before. There were reasons then not (underlined) to go out into the world: it was dangerous, and so forth. Those feelings of fear were reactivated to provide a seemingly reasonable explanation for the earlier natural feelings he was no longer in touch with.

Ruburt made gestures of unconventionality. To go on public television, join the workshops and so forth would not be Ruburt’s way, even while he felt that such a course was expected of him. He thinks in terms of individuals. He distrusts crowds. (Long pause.) He has no use for congregations—but all of those feelings remained largely unexpressed in later years.

His body is relaxing because it needs to, and he is finally allowing it. He was able to see the quality of his poetry today for his book. The poetry adds to the world simply by its being. Art is not meant to be a prescription. It is a celebration. People who celebrate do not need prescriptions.

This will be a brief session. I want you to read over the last sessions, however, for your own edification. If you want to, note down any particular questions you want to ask—knowing of course that I will answer them in my own fashion. Ruburt’s material last night in the dream state was excellent, bringing feelings to the surface, and rearousing some attitudes he had forgotten.

This was a session Ruburt enjoyed—also one he had out of a sense of responsibility—but at least with some understanding of the issues involved. I bid you then a fond good evening.

(10.55 PM. Jane thought the session had been short. She was surprised to learn that an hour had passed. She’d also been “a little more comfortable” in her chair.