“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(I explained to Jane my mental saying, “Sorry, Mom, but I don’t have time any more for your shaky beliefs or ideas,” as it had spontaneously grown out of Seth’s comments about why my right hand is shaky, in a recent session. The suggestion is working fairly well. I think it’s quite humorous and original, and so does Jane. It may have a cumulative effect, and I’d like Seth to comment.

You were each surrounded by some highly unfortunate beliefs, that were at least partially paranoid, but in any case unfortunate. They were beliefs that had to do with talent, ability, or genius —

(4:12.) These were distortive offshoots connected with misinterpretations of ideas of equality, connected with a democratic government. These same ideas also had involvements with psychology, dealing with “the norm,” the average man, and so forth. People try to be as much as possible like their neighbors, hiding eccentricities, failings and even talents and abilities that might close them off from their fellows. The end result was a series of beliefs that ran as follows:

(Long pause at 4:16.) The more unusual and original your gift, the more you must protect yourself from the distrust of others. This line of belief continues as follows: If your talent is extremely unique or original, it may be safer to deny it entirely, or to adopt some disability or handicap that will quell the jealousy or envy of others who might otherwise hunt you down.

Now both of you were saturated with those beliefs — Ruburt because of his poetry and writing, and you because of your art. You early went into commercial work, where your love of painting could be sheltered beneath the Average Joe’s love of money. That is, you obviously were an artist in order to make a living. This was just another version of the American male’s conventional role.

His beliefs about poets were contaminated by ideas that said that the poet was too sensitive, too vulnerable to life’s experiences — that this sensitivity brought weakness instead of strength, and that true artists or true poets came to a tragic end for that reason.

Other personal beliefs held by both of you to some extent or another, with the usual cultural connotations, stressed a false humility over the rightful natural pride of ability. Such beliefs are often given to children, appearing in such forms as, “don’t be a showoff,” “don’t be an exhibitionist,” followed by, again, the dire warning that your fellow creatures suspect any neighbor who is different or who shows any superior abilities.

This entire belief system was detrimental enough, when you were devoted to writing and painting as these are generally understood. When Ruburt’s psychic abilities began to show themselves, however, those same beliefs made both of you even more cautious than before, and more worried about reprisal from others — and as far as Ruburt was concerned, more worried about criticism or scorn. All of those beliefs existed along with many unfortunate ones that were sexually oriented — those that dictated, for example, the traditional roles of man and wife, or man and woman. Ruburt felt some guilt in expressing psychic abilities in such a marked fashion, when it seemed that the male of the relationship should be the most highly talented, and by far the most successful financially (intently). So your roles in that manner upset both of you at times.

(4:40.) Ruburt, at one period, even feared that the young psychologist at Oswego was correct — that his psychic abilities were mere attempts to prove himself superior to you.^* These are all beliefs that both of you have wrestled with over the years. You also had many excellent beliefs going with you also, so that you did indeed use your abilities and express your natures. You enjoyed your relationship with each other, the relationship with friends, and you did also enjoy some financial success.

(Long pause.) The effect of those old negative beliefs, however, was stronger in Ruburt than in yourself, for he certainly thought at one time that if he curtailed physical motion people would not attack him for his amazing psychic and mental motion. The inhibition of physical motion obviously took place little by little, until he began to learn the truth — that human beings are meant to express all of their abilities, mental and physical, and that life is an arena of expression. In fact, life is expression.

This session will serve as a reminder, however, to both of you, and will help brush away the remainder of any old lingering beliefs. Earlier, Ruburt was afraid to trust his body, afraid to let his body heal him, for fear he would be attacked by others. You both also believed that you must protect your special abilities with all of your might — but you can see the road of contradictions that is constructed in such a fashion.