“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

[...] Illness is often another mode of expression, but nowhere does science mention that illness might have its purpose, or its groups of purposes, and I do not mean that the purposes themselves are necessarily derogatory. [...] [Sickness] can be a badge of honor or dishonor—but there can be no question, when you look at the human picture, that to a certain extent, but an important one, suffering not only has its purposes and uses, but is actively sought for one reason or another.

I do not want any of this to appear too simplistic, but we must begin somewhere in this kind of discussion…. This is far from the entire story [of illness], but it is enough for this evening’s saga. [...]

[...] He knew what Jane was up to, but had only a peripheral interest in “psychic phenomena.” [...]

[...] We didn’t see each other as often as we used to, but one morning each week, on his way to school, David left his magazines and newspapers at our back porch door, whether or not we were up, or saw him.

You work, for example, perhaps, as many hours as you want, or can—but you completely change the hours, or you work as usual, but you change the furniture in the rooms, or turn the rooms to different functions—or whatever—but allow for such changes in the overall routines. [...]

[...] I sat with this notebook on my lap but didn’t exert myself to open it. [...] “But I’ll be okay. [...]

[...] But when I’d told myself I wanted to relax, I’d had no idea such a profound state could be obtained. [...] But at the same time I wanted to know more.

[...] Now you liked that work, Joseph – not only because of the art, but because of the communication that was involved. Particularly when you drew animals, you could use them as symbols for noble virtues, but in any case it was the means of communication, a communication that to some extent could bridge the particular emotional troubles people might be having at any given time.

[...] But she’s written very little on them. [...] But at the moment it seems that everything is difficult, or worse, especially so when I worry about how far she has to go simply to get her legs to straighten out at least partially. [...]

(Seth paused, so I asked: “But what does he think he’s doing? [...] I’m not asking for a perfect performance, and I couldn’t deliver one myself, but it’s extreme behavior on his part when he can’t walk across the goddam room—”)

[...] “I’ve seen the same situation come up many times in the past, and let it go, but we can’t do that now....” [...] But I added that FL could massage her legs “till doomsday,” and it would do little good until we came to terms with the basic causes behind the symptoms.

[...] But I’m working on it.”

[...] I thought she might be getting ready to erupt, but instead she sat finally with her face almost down to the tabletop. Then: “I’m safe here in the chair, but I’ve got to get back over there somehow.” [...] But she was very restless. [...] More and more I was concerned about getting her off her ass and into bed, but I was afraid to mention it yet. [...]

[...] “Please, Bob, move me, move me, but don’t swing me so far out into the room, out in the middle like that....” But I had to, I explained, in order to be sure her chair legs cleared the table legs. [...] There was a little shouting at me—very little—which I didn’t record, but no tears. [...]

[...] I want to cry, but I need to get more comfortable.” [...] “I feel like screaming,” Jane said, “but it scares me....” [...]

[...] But it seemed that now she would try to shut off the crying, or sidetrack it, at this time. [...] Ordinarily the crying would hurt me, but now, this time, I really wanted her to let it come through. [...]

[...] The personality exists inward in ways that are not at once apparent, but it also exists outward in ways that you do not see. [...] But the unit selves retain their identity, as in a nation the citizens retain theirs, even though the nation at times may act as a unit, and share particular mass characteristic drives and desires, and work toward various goals.

[...] But with his limited knowledge he did not see that this unconscious would exist outside of your three-dimensional system entirely, holding future as well as past, nor that it has such a cohesive effect upon humanity as a whole. It is the one self with its origins within your system, but its existence outside.

[...] Due to the nature of action creation cannot be anything but simultaneous. [...]

[...] Behind thoughts are images, which are more basic but still physically oriented. [...]

[...] We are due around $50,000 from the insurance company now on the major medical claim, but according to the chart, we’ll owe but $3,501.54 of that amount. [...] He tried to call Syracuse but the line was busy. [...]

[...] It was raining heavily, but warm—about 35—and I got my feet wet because I’d left my rubbers in 330. [...]

(I asked her to try to watch out for such events and catch them before they happen, say, but she said this was often impossible. [...]

[...] When Andrew called I went to see him, showing him the two latest communications from Blue Cross, with the new claim numbers for Jane’s account; he copied them, and reiterated that the company was stalling: “It helps their cash flow, but it doesn’t do anything for ours.” [...]

[...] But crisis time was here, and something had to be done. [...]

(I was quite surprised the other day when Jane told me that our two apartments were okay to her if she was a writer, but not all right for a psychic—especially one who was becoming well known and was visited by all kinds of people, etc. [...]

[...] Some of this should be clear, and is, I know, but we will put it together, and I will clear some issues for you.

[...] Not because he did not like the material, but because then, at least, he understood that for him (underlined) assembling it during his creative hours was not fulfilling his kind of creative need.

If a man wants to change his fate, desire is not enough, but expectation is. Desire may grow into expectation, but alone it is not enough. [...]

[...] Not your desires but your expectations, for you will only construct physically that environment which you believe capable of construction. It has been said that oftentimes men’s expectations are too high for their abilities, but indeed expectations form abilities; and if expectations were higher, so would abilities flourish.

You are secure as long as you put a good portion of energy into painting, but this distortive expectation of yours could end up making you bitter even against your painting; because even when you are pleased with your work, it could tend, definitely, to prevent you, in strong terms, from seeking not only financial reward from it, but other satisfactions as well by preventing you from showing it where such showing in galleries and exhibitions throughout the country is important.

[...] We thought briefly of asking for a special session to deal with the rather surprising turn of events, but decided against it, not wanting to cultivate any such dependent habits. [...]

I wanted you to know that I was here; but, more than that, I wanted you to know that you are ready for more information. But I am going to ask something of you this time. [...]

[...] I do not expect you to jump ropes around your consciousness, but I do expect you to realize that you can use it in many ways. I do not expect you to play tricks with it, but I do hope you will realize that you can use it as a flashlight—that you can turn it in different directions. [...]

There is some information that I want to give you, but I will not give it to you this evening. [...]

[...] But I will not be speaking to you for that time. [...]

(My own position may be too simple, but I do not believe a body can be coaxed to good health by others, or sessions, or whatever. [...] She said through tears that she wants to get well, but that meant little to me, I’m afraid, since her state flatly contradicts such protestations. [...] In ordinary terms her behavior is an extreme — and I added that when I asked Seth about this, he countered by talking about the extremes of poverty in Africa, say, but he said precious little about Jane per se. [...]

[...] But more importantly, that they, too, reflected a dogged resistance to change on her part — of certain portions of the personality, that is. [...] When Seth began saying that Jane would resume walking in reasonable comfort, I at first believed him, but soon came to not believe him, for I saw no sign of such a change even beginning. [...]

He is afraid of going home because of current conditions — but that fear also prolongs current conditions. [...] Both of you do indeed think in terms of impediments that do indeed seem all too real: the responsibility of maintaining good health, the financial question — and on Ruburt’s part, at least, the fear that he would not recover fully enough, but become ill again and require hospital attention once more.

[...] But then, ultimately it had to be chosen. I found myself thinking as the session progressed that what’s needed is not the allaying of any current fears about going home, but the more basic ones that are “responsible” for the whole situation to begin with. [...]

[...] A missionary fervor, a congregation or student body of approximately 200, but in name only—the center, however, of about 26 participants. [...] A well-educated but misunderstood man, whose childlike tendencies are now in prominence. [...]

[...] Up until I asked if Seth was at the location, she saw what she described, but not clearly [or Seth did]. [...] She felt suspended in air, but capable of movement.

[...] (Pause.) Entirely different temperments, but very close. [...]

[...] They are near the corner to the right, but not at the corner.

[...] If he can, then have him imagine himself not faltering, but continuing on. [...] If he has difficulty with the exercise, however, then let it go, but continue with the safety suggestions.

[...] Jane looked in the mirror and didn’t agree, although she did admit that her hair wasn’t white, but gray and white. [...]

[...] But she needed the new one after the new girl on the floor had pulled it loose several times while taking care of her. [...]

(Jane, with Carla’s help, tried to call me twice last night, but I didn’t get back to the house from John Bumbalo’s until about midnight. [...]

[...] She couldn’t recall it clearly, but it featured her talking to a man, objecting to him that he’d told her something he’d given her would be painless—but that it was instead quite painful: a suicide pill, or something like that, she said. [...] Jane had agreed to do something that wouldn’t hurt, but it did. [...]

[...] You are both coming along quite well now, but yes, you should cut Frank’s visits to every other week, for you need to concentrate now upon your own approaches. Many of Frank’s ideas are appallingly shortsided, and while you are working with your own beliefs a visit every other week is enough for now—without courting Frank’s opinions, as can happen when Ruburt wants Frank, in conventional terms, to acknowledge improvements that are definitely occurring, but that Frank is too slow to perceive.

[...] You might quite properly say that much “work” is involved, but it is of an interior, concentrated, intent and largely invisible nature. [...]

I have given information on this before, but you settled upon the idea of work, as you think of it, because it was the only way at the time that you could justify art to yourself. [...]

[...] Her expression was smiling but fixed. [...] Jane held a cigarette but seemed to be unaware of it. [...]

[...] At times Jane has seen images after the appearance of this inner light, but Bill has seen only the light. I have experienced this type of inner glow on a few isolated occasions, but have seen few images in this manner.)

But I will do my best, and it will be considerable. [...] But we will have our effects, never fear.

(Later, resting on bed after work with eyes closed, saw a quick but rather violent vision of a round, very bright daylight-type light. But this light seemed to be clearer than daylight, and to be almost like a mirror that was reflecting another mirror. [...]

[...] You see in Ruburt’s physical condition the clearest representation, but this is simply the clearest sign of events that exist in your own private experience also. You go out into the world to do the chores, grudgingly, but you go. Ruburt goes ahead creatively, lately, grudgingly, but he goes.

Psychological events have their own integrity, wholeness, but as the dimensions of an object can be more or less ascertained and agreed upon by many, the greater free flow granted to psychological events allows for no such easy conventional recognition. [...] Psychological events are automatically manufactured by each individual, and no one but the individual can really ascertain the quality of the product.

[...] But the threat—and you must try to understand me—the threat does not exist in that world, but only in your beliefs toward it. [...]

[...] I realize of course that you live in time, but I also know that the quality of creative work is not bound to time, but defies it. [...]

[...] Her eyes had opened often during delivery, but I had noticed nothing different. Jane however was quite aware of a subjective difference, other than Seth, but couldn’t explain how she knew this.

(Jane thought Seth would speak if a session were held, but this did not prove to be the case. [...]

(At 8:59 Jane said, “It’ll take a few minutes, but I can tell, it’s going to be all right,” meaning a session would be held. [...]

Many elements separate us, but time and space have little to do with the distances between us. [...]

You are all pieces, you see, of the whole; but you are not all the same pieces of the whole, but rather individualized pieces of the whole. [...] You are the whole, but you are all highly unique. [...] It can contact that whole self which in your terms does not yet exist, but which is of course always present. [...] All ways are one way, but your way is your own way. [...] He is right, but he is wrong in taking pleasure in his rightness. [...]

[...] But in knowing itself, more of itself is constantly created. [...] You are part of the whole, but you constantly enlarge the experiences of the whole. [...]

[...] It is there for the taking, but you must learn how to take it; for if you try to take it, you lose it, you see.

[...] The voice that does not “speak" in your terms is yours, but the instructor is not yourself as you know yourself. [...]

[...] You see but a representation of me, as you realize. You see but a representation of this Sumari, as you realize. You see but the representation of yourselves in the mirror, as you realize, but behind these representations are larger multidimensional realities, and we have many teaching methods and you are apt learners. [...]

[...] But let you remember that the language and the sound and the noise are packages that have been parceled for you, but for you personally, tailored for you exactly according to your own purposes and needs. [...]

Then that is not a matter of health foods, but of honesty, and that you must deal with yourself, but tell yourself you will know the answer and make the reasons for your objections clear. [...]

[...] You will know, but it is much more fun if you figure it out for yourselves. [...]

[...] They are given to art, but in its broadest sense also, trying to make an “art” of living, for example. [...] Others might build social structures from their work, for example, but the Sumari themselves, while pleased, will usually not be able to feel any intuitive sense of belonging with any structured group.²

[...] Many of the Sumari choose to be born in the springtime,³ but all those born in the spring are not Sumari, and no general rule applies there. They also have a liking for certain races, but again no specific rules apply. [...]

[...] Obviously they’d change within limits from class to class, depending not only on which members were in attendance, but on which ones are Sumari. Seth hasn’t pointed out every Sumari in class; some have strong feelings about belonging to that family of consciousness, but others don’t.

“Your [Sumari] consciousness is that kind of consciousness, and so is mine, except that my boundaries are far less limited than your own, and I recognize them not as boundaries but as directions in which recognition of myself must grow. [...] In other words, this is not an undifferentiated consciousness that addresses you now, but one that understands the nature of its own identity.

(The night was very hot and uncomfortably humid, but Jane didn’t want to miss the session. [...]

The window of each day can be opened or closed, but it is framed by your current psychological experience. [...]

[...] Abilities focused upon in one life may be recognized as your own now, for example, but not strongly utilized.

Vague yearnings toward certain accomplishments may be clues that the necessary characteristics are inherent but untrained in the self that you know. [...]