“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

In June of 1969 we were really startled when Seth told us that Rob might be visited by one of his “probable selves.” At the time of the session, we didn’t know what probable selves were, though Seth had used the term once or twice in the past. What is a probable self? According to Seth, each of us has counterparts in other systems of reality; not identical selves or twins, but other selves who are part of our entity, developing abilities in a different way than we are here.

In our system, for example, Rob is an artist. A few years ago he did some medical artwork and was amazed at his proficiency at it, and with the medical procedures and terminology, which were quite unfamiliar to him when he began. Each of Rob’s sketches and paintings won prizes for the doctors for whom he did them. In this session, the 487th, Seth told Rob that in another system of reality, Rob has a probable self who is a doctor who paints as a hobby. This is why Rob took to the medical drawings so easily! (To the doctor, of course, Rob is a probable self.)

“In the same way that thoughts can be sent through space, so individual consciousness can be sent through systems of reality [other dimensions]. As a seed can fly through the air, so individual consciousness can travel through these systems, but it must be protected. Certain drugs can protect it. [All of this is the method used by Rob’s probable self as he projects out of his probable system.]

After the session, when Rob told me what Seth had been saying, we just sat looking at each other for a few minutes. “Probably you have a probable self,” I said finally, with a laugh.

“It’s not really a new idea,” Rob said. “Scientists have theorized about a probable universe.”

“I’m ready,” Rob said; and he was. Over the next few weeks he did psychological time exercises suggested by Seth, and tried to be intuitively alert to anything out of the ordinary. In the meantime we had another session, and Rob had quite a few questions ready to ask Seth. According to what Seth told us, this probable self is a Dr. Pietra. He is an older man in his system of reality than Rob is in ours, and while he is engrossed in his painting, this interest is subordinated to his medical work.

“Does Dr. Pietra know I exist?” Rob asked.

“But will I see him physically?” Rob asked. “Granted we do make some kind of contact, will I know it consciously?”

“But when will he be here in our terms?” Rob asked quickly, because it was almost time for the session to end.

This session was held June 9, 1969. Seth told Rob again that contact could be facilitated by the Psychological Time exercises. (These will be explained in the chapter dealing with the development of psychic abilities.) Rob did these exercises several times that week without making any contact with Dr. Pietra as far as he knew. On June 16 Seth surprised us by saying that near contact had been made twice.

“When did this happen?” Rob asked.

Rob had been working on portraits and human figures, so this data made sense to him. He didn’t recall any strong inner image of the interior of a body, though; yet he said that he had been thinking of body interiors—something that I didn’t know. Seth went on to say that fuller contact was still possible, “though Dr. Pietra’s focus is not certain, and the intensity of his presence varies.”

Here I want to include excerpts from three sessions in which Seth explains the difference between a physical event and a probable one, and the relationship between us and probable systems of reality. (Remember, Rob and Dr. Pietra are each individuals. Seth explains this relationship by saying that the two are related, like distant cousins.) He begins with what I think is an excellent description of the whole self or entire identity as it is related to this and other existences.

The thought of such contact is highly intriguing, and we cannot help but wonder what effect it would have, not only on Rob and Dr. Pietra, but on their separate systems of reality. Only Seth’s assurances that contact is possible under certain conditions leads us to even consider it; the chances against such contact seem so high. We both feel that we need much more information and hard work, and look forward to further experiments along these lines through the years.