“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The experience of your species involves a certain kind of consciousness development, highly vital. (Pause.) This necessitated a certain kind of specialization, a certain “long-term” identification with form. Cellular structure maintains brilliant effectiveness in the body’s present reality, but knows itself free of it. Man’s particular kind of consciousness fiercely identified with the body. This was a necessity to focus energy toward physical manipulation. To some important extent the same applies to the animals. The cell might gladly “die,” but the specifically oriented man-and-animal consciousness would not so willingly let go.

Man’s consciousness, and to some extent that of the animals, is more specifically identified with form, however. In order to develop his own kind of individualized awareness, man had to consciously ignore for a while his own place within the structure of the earth. His experience of time would seem to be the experience of his identity. His consciousness would not seem to flow into his body before birth, and out of it after death. He would “forget” there was a time to die. He would forget that death meant new life. A natural message had to replace the old knowledge.

7. Just a week ago, in the 686th session, I asked Seth to comment on our ancient origins, but without getting an answer. At this writing, then, we still don’t know what period in our past he’s referring to. Evidently it’s a very long time ago; even in conventional paleontological terms, recent discoveries in East Africa place a toolmaking man in action 3 million years ago, with a lineage possibly going back 14 million years. Now we plan to ask Seth to develop his man-animal material soon, adding more specifics and including the probabilities involved.