“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Jane read yesterday’s session, but found lots of it hard going. She did better toward the end, though, after several attempts, then did very well indeed reading rapidly through her favorite session — and mine — for March 19.)

Play is a very important — indeed, vital — attribute in the development of growth and fulfillment. Children play naturally, and so do animals. For that matter, insects, birds, fish, and all kinds of life play. Even ants and honeybees play. Their sociability is not just a matter of constant work within a hive or an ant mound. This playful activity is, in fact, the basis for their organized behavior, and they “play” at adult behavior before they assume their own duties.

I do not mean to imply that it is always detrimental to make such queries as “Are you ill?” or “Are you tired?” Such questions do indeed predict their own answers. When a person is feeling in good health, exuberant and alive, such queries will be nonchalantly shoved aside — they will have no effect whatsoever. But constant questions of such a nature do not help an individual who is having difficulties — and in fact too frequent expressions of compassion can also worsen a person’s state of mind, stressing the idea that he or she must be very ill indeed to attract such feelings of compassion. It is far better, then, to make no comment at all under such conditions. (Long pause.) I am not speaking of genuine questions of concern so much as rather automatic, unthinking, negative comments. Period.

On the other hand, it is an excellent practice to comment upon another individual’s obvious zest or energy or good spirits. In such a way, you reward positive behavior, and may indeed begin a chain of positive activity instead of continuing a chain of negative reactions.