“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

What do you think this physical universe is? You may not have thought of the question consciously, but each of us has an opinion and we guide our daily actions by it whether we realize it or not. By physical universe I mean everything with which we come into contact in any way at all—stars, chairs, events, rocks, flowers—our entire physical experience. What you really believe about these things causes much of your behavior. You’ll feel safe or panic-stricken, happy or sorrowful, secure or insecure, according to your private view of reality.

I used to feel this way. When I fell in love with Rob, my joy served to double the underlying sense of tragedy I felt, as if death mocked me all the more by making life twice as precious. I saw each day bringing me closer to a total extinction that I could hardly imagine, but which I resented with growing vehemence.

I’m dealing with this subject, the nature of physical matter, first, because it is basic to any understanding of Seth’s theories. Seth says that we form the physical universe as unselfconsciously as we breathe. We aren’t to think of it as a prison from which we will one day escape, or as an execution chamber from which all escape is impossible. Instead we form matter in order to operate in three-dimensional reality, develop our abilities and help others. Physical matter is like plastic that we use and mold to our own desire, not like concrete into which our consciousness has been poured. Without realizing it we project our ideas outward to form physical reality. Our bodies are the materialization of what we think we are. We are all creators, then, and this world is our joint creation.

This simple statement alone liberated Rob and me from all kinds of preconceptions that had inhibited our daily lives.

Seth explains exactly how we translate thoughts into physical reality. To our knowledge, this explanation is original with the Seth Material To say the least, the supposition that we actually create matter gives rise to all kinds of questions, and Rob and I have considered many of them at one time or another. Was Seth saying that we created tables and chairs as well as events? And when we were ill, were we creating our own disease? If we create reality to begin with, then can we change it for the better?

“Chemicals themselves will not give rise to consciousness or life. Your scientists will have to face the fact that consciousness comes first and evolves its own form. … All the cells in the body have a separate consciousness. There is a conscious cooperation between the cells in all the organs, and between the organs themselves. …

“Physical matter makes consciousness effective within three-dimensional reality. As individualized energy approaches your particular field, it expresses itself to the best of its ability within it. As energy approaches, it creates matter, first of all in an almost plastic fashion. But the creation is continuous like a beam or endless series of beams, at first weak as they are far off, then stronger, then weak again as they pass away.

Session 68 was held on a very warm night. All the windows were open. We were drinking iced coffee, and as the session started, my glass sat on the wooden table. At that time I still paced the room as I spoke for Seth, my eyes open with the pupils dark and dilated. As usual, Seth addressed us by our entity names, referring to me as Ruburt, and Rob as Joseph. Bill Macdonnel he called Mark. (As I mentioned before, these names refer to the whole personalities of which our present selves are only a part.)

For one who felt poorly at the start of the session, Jane now said she felt fine. Seth had “knocked her out quickly,” she said. Our cat, Willie, now became active. He began to stalk through the apartment, crying out. He behaved in quite a scary fashion, looking all about him, though there were no bugs about, or unusual sounds to upset him.

“I will have something to say about the apparition shortly. First of all I would like you to notice that Ruburt’s voice is somewhat lower, and then with your permission, I will continue.

Jane took the second sketch from Bill’s hand and paced about the room, talking as she examined it. I caught a glimpse of the drawing as she waved it briefly in my direction. All the while Bill continued to stare into the doorway.

Rob’s hands were tired from taking notes; we took a break. I was somewhat bewildered. Bill swore up and down that he had seen the apparition for nearly an hour. It was not as solid as an ordinary body, but it was far from transparent. Seth had made numerous comments about it. Yet I had seen nothing. Rob hadn’t been able to leave his chair, so he had seen nothing. The lights had all been lit, but I just couldn’t accept the idea of an apparition.

“Oh, all right.” Suddenly I felt silly. I sort of danced around to the doorway, laughed, and said, “Okay, Bill, now exactly where did you see your man in the doorway?” I clowned about, moving around in the open doorway. “Here? Or was it here?”

We resumed the session, with all kinds of questions in our minds. Bill told us that he still sensed the first apparition, sometimes quite strongly. He had made two sketches, and was still making corrections. Since the session began at nine and lasted until midnight, I won’t attempt to include it all. The deep masculine voice was to last for the entire session, becoming more and more Seth-like as the evening continued.

“It represents the appearance that these abilities of mine take on when closely connected with the physical plane. This does not necessarily mean that in all planes I have the same image. It is the first such representation of me, and I am quite fond of it.

Here are some later excerpts explaining how we project our ideas into events and objects. I’d better mention at this point that Seth says that telepathy operates constantly, providing inner communications to back up all sense data.

“Mental enzymes are connected with the pineal gland. As you know them, body chemicals are physical, but they are the propellants of this thought-energy, containing all the codified data necessary for translating any thought or image into physical actuality. They cause the body to reproduce the inner image. They are sparks, so to speak, initiating the transformation.

“This is the general procedure. All such images or thoughts are not completely materialized in your terms, however. The intensity may be too weak. The chemical reaction sparks certain electrical charges, some within the layers of the skin. There are radiations then through the skin to the exterior world, containing highly codified instructions and information.

“Every nerve and fiber within the body has an inner purpose that is not seen, and that serves to connect the inner self with physical reality, that allows the inner self to create physical reality. In one respect, the body and physical objects go flying out in all directions from the inner core of the whole self.”

And what is the point of all this? Seth says: