“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(“Insight, February 25, 1981, 1:20 PM. Although Jane enjoys the sessions, as Seth himself said in the session for February 1, 1981 She is still somewhat afraid of what he will produce in the future—new theories and ideas that either might or will place her in further confrontation with the major tenets of our ordinary world—meaning science, religion, medicine, history, whatever. She fears then, Seth going too far as an expression of her creative and spontaneous self. This expression then must be kept within strict, safe limits. This fear of future developments ties in very well with her natural concerns about becoming a public figure, one that should be able to solve the world’s problems. Once more, I know I’m on to something here, while agreeing in advance that I’ve expressed the insight in simplistic terms.”

(“The insight also reminds me of one of my questions for Seth: I plan to ask him for hints about what sort of ideas he would advance if he’s given the freedom to do so by Jane. He’s already alluded to this notion through a rather recent reference to the fact that he “toned down” some of his material for Mass Events in order to make it more acceptable. I now wish I’d asked him at the time, acceptable to whom? Jane and me, Prentice-Hall, the world, critics, the post office?”

(Jane called me for the session at 8:25. “I don’t feel Seth around and I don’t feel like a session,” she said, “but I guess I’d better....” We sat waiting for some time. I showed her my rough notes on the latest insight, and took pains to explain to her that it wasn’t a negative statement, but one that I saw as having only beneficial connotations. “What I think would happen if Seth were free to do anything he wanted to, would be great,” I said. “Whether it was ever published or not. We can talk about it later.” We agreed the insight represented something of a new idea.

—for our friend. (Pause.) He has indeed of late made a decision to let go of a good deal of his bodily armor.

The body is softening. The affair frightens him nevertheless because, as mentioned earlier, he identifies strongly with his own bodily tensions. Letting them go brings him into a more or less constant encounter with many of the fears that helped generate them. Some of these have to do with an erroneous idea of relaxation in general, of course, with his father, and with spontaneity.

It often seems to him that to relax is to be lax, to let down, do nothing, achieve nothing, as if spontaneously left alone he would be lazy, unambitious, and again lax. He has those feelings and fears. (Pause.) At the same time there are feelings that to relax would be to let go too much (louder)—slide into overly spontaneous behavior, to lack control over one’s life, to lose the observer’s fine focus. As his body begins to relax—as indeed it has—those feelings become more prominent than before. Under the circumstances he is handling them rather well.

They do present difficulties, however, and are the cause of the panicky emotions he feels at times. The body’s relaxation is as of now uneven. Certain muscles relax for the first time in recent times, while others might momentarily contract so that balance is maintained—so the body is in a state of constant change.

The change itself, and the relaxations, give him a feeling sometimes of having no firm support (as Jane said earlier today). He should try to talk with you, however, when he is anxious, to foreshorten such periods. The fears do indeed prolong this particular period.

(9:20.) Ruburt, far more than other people, is involved in a life that utilizes conscious and unconscious activity, so that any dilemmas in that regard are certainly physically reflected. (Pause.) Anything that I may say in a session is relatively agreeable to him, though its publication in book form may at times cause difficulty as he wonders how the material will be interpreted by others.

Taking some kind of writing or sketchbook or whatever into the bedroom will help, so that he can do some creative work there if he wants to. The same applies to the couch.

The idea that it is indeed safe to relax is important, coupled with the realization that all creativity is basically now—basically—effortless, and that this applies to the body’s motion also. When he is effortlessly creating a poem he is not worried that he is relaxing too much, or going too far, or giving up control. Instead, he is letting go by going with himself (all intently)—and that attitude makes all the difference.

(Pause.) The rigidity that was a general characteristic is breaking up, you see, so that by contrast portions of his body do feel vulnerable to him—soft, unprotected—but those feelings were to a large degree covered over before. Now he is physically aware of them, and mentally also. They can be encountered far more directly then, and as they are the body will feel more and more able to respond more, and let go the other stops that still do operate.

(Pause at 9:32.) The particular paper of suggestions—he will know what I mean—does contain a good variety of suggestions for him, couched in terms that are highly beneficial. Again, certain suggestions couched one way will work at one time, according to the circumstances, while the same group may be rather adverse to fit other circumstances. Overall suggestions do of course give excellent leeway, so that the pressure can be taken off any specific areas of overconcern.

(Long pause at 9:35.) Give us a moment.... the displacement aspect mentioned (in the last private session) helped in the improvement of Ruburt’s lumps on the arm. For example (gesturing to the area), when he had simply momentarily forgotten about them in other concerns about his condition.

I am trying to give information that will be of practical benefit immediately, since Ruburt was so concerned. There are a few other suggestions that he knows of, on a pad, that are also good now. He looks for your approval and reaction, and your own responses have been excellent in that regard (leaning forward stiffly). I have mentioned quite a few different issues here, and they involve recommendations, including Ruburt’s reading of those prior sessions frequently.

I am trying to hit all important points. (Pause.) I will in time, along with your questions, give some material, again, on Ruburt’s attitudes toward both of his parents as these relate to his difficulties. For now, however, I will bring the session to a close, though he may hold brief spontaneous sessions, you know, at other nights than our usual ones. I bid you a fond good evening.