“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

[...] Planned distractions (with amusement) of short duration, but more numerous than your present habit allows. [...] Only your habits and attitudes have prevented this, but the idea should be practically put to work.

[...] Impulses should be acknowledged, and according to their nature acted upon—or not—but expressed.

2. Another important way of building his trust is the following—and, in parentheses, (I have given you this material before, but I am organizing it for your current use). [...]

[...] The body is responding, and his trust is growing, but it must be built up considerably.

On the screen we saw a parade of citizens expressing shock, sadness, and outrage, frustrated by the knowledge that it had all happened before—not only in our country but around the world—and that it would happen again many times more. [...] I think the Seth material contains some penetrating insights into such questions, but those ideas aren’t nearly well-enough known to help on a national scale. Seth didn’t comment upon the shooting, It wasn’t that he couldn’t, or wouldn’t—but that Jane herself is basically so innocent, so repelled by the violence involved in such episodes, that she often chooses not to go into the subject. [...]

[...] But in some newish way I seemed to understand how much seemingly mental work is dependent upon physical vigor, flexibility and so forth; and then rather strongly—emotionally it came to me that I’d thought it my duty to clamp down physically, to cut down mobility in order to … have mobility as a writer; that is, to sit down, cut down on impulses, distractions, to make sure I’d ‘do my work,’ pursue my goal undeviatingly; that new [book] contracts instantly led me to that kind of behavior and that I really see that such behavior carried to its extremes would end up smothering my writing, defeating the purposes it (seemingly) meant to protect. But I did fear that impulses and body motion were … distractions to work…. [...] I’m not writing here tonight about the reasons behind such behavior—many ideas—but did want to get something down now….”

[...] I don’t mean that as a physical creature she has magically switched temporal realities, but that she’s closely allied with that version of herself in that other reality. When I mention this to her, she nods but says little. Jane’s “mission” (a term she wouldn’t use) would be to give us not only greater insight into what our species has done within our historical context, both for better and for worse, but to signal what we can do—to open up unexpected vistas before us, to encourage us to explore those realms far more actively than we have so far.

[...] We’d known that Emir hadn’t been setting any records since its publication in September 1979, but we’d also thought the book’s sales were respectable enough that the people at Delacorte Press would keep it in print until it became better known. Perhaps our shock came about because we’d become spoiled without realizing it, but of Jane’s 14 books Emir¹⁰ is the first one to be withdrawn—and, ironically, the last one she’d had published. [...]

So after getting to the position that yes, these ideas are factual (or even, larger than facts) is okay, good—but only part of the picture, and the premise could actually be misleading and limiting.... [...]

[...] Nothing wrong with that of course but we’re still in the same arena only our explanations are better than official ones. [...]

[...] But to discuss Seth or Seth’s ideas primarily from the true-or-false framework is the same thing as considering the Mona Lisa only from the validity of the physical properties of paint and canvas; very, very limiting. [...]

For Seth to comment on our world is okay, but for me to somehow insist that his material offer solutions to all of men’s problems is not— instead it limits the sessions creative thrust. [...]

Action may show itself as motion, but it is much more than motion in the terms which you usually use, and motion is but one small dimension within action’s realm. [...] Identities, some identities and some forms of consciousness, particularly the ego, perceive a past or a present, but this is merely the result of the manner in which such identities and consciousnesses view available data.

[...] It was definite but not very strong. [...] At break, now, she checked to see if this was the effect she had sensed, but it did not seem to be, although traffic does pass our house rather heavily at times.

A particular consciousness is a gestalt of these conceptual patterns; but there is nothing to prevent a consciousness from increasing itself by experiencing other conceptual patterns or patterns of perception. [...] But the patterns of perceptions may grow, and the consciousness reach out. [...]

[...] The ego, through its own nature and characteristics, attempts to limit such change, but it succeeds only in limiting itself by limiting its perceptions. [...] But it changes along certain lines, moving within certain patterns of perception which are characteristic of it.

But usually you think in your own language, and so in quite practical terms the words and the intent merge. [...] When you say, “I am tired,” mentally you are not only giving silent messages to yourself — I say messages rather than message because the general statement is broken down; many portions of the body must be affected before you feel tired — but beside this the inner sound value of the messages automatically affects the body in just that way.

[...] Some of it is perceived by “nonphysical entities” who organize it into their system of reality, where it does have meaning, but we will not be concerned with it here.

[...] The miraculous constant translation of spirit into flesh is carried on with inexhaustible energy by these inner portions of being, but in all cases the inner self looks to the conscious mind for its assessment of the body’s condition and reality, and forms the image in line with the conscious mind’s beliefs.

[...] But the blueprint is made by your conscious beliefs. [...]

[...] After this I believe I asked him to contact me, but this becomes fuzzy and vague. There was more but it was indistinct and is totally forgotten now. But this is the first instance I was able to follow Seth’s advice and attempt to impress my presence upon others when I had the chance.

(Jane began dictating in a normal voice and at a normal rate, but her speed of delivery soon began to slow down, as will be noted, until it became almost painfully slow. [...] But the amount of material obtained will alone show that Jane spoke very slowly for much of the time. [...]

Matter is continually created, but no particular physical object is in itself continuous. [...] This appearance appears, that is, this physical object appears to change and to age, but the material does neither. [...]

(By 8:45 Jane was somewhat nervous; but she said that for recent sessions she has not felt as unsettled as she used to.

But however we attempt to define Seth’s reality, I’m convinced of one thing by now: He is delivering to our conscious minds our deepest unconscious knowledge about ourselves, the world, the universe, and the source of Being Itself. Not that Seth claims any kind of omnipotence, because he doesn’t. His material, however, is clearly providing such translations of unconscious knowledge, and intuitive disclosures; disclosures, according to Seth, no more remarkable than those available in nature itself, but we have forgotten how to read nature’s messages; disclosures no more mysterious than those available in our own states of inspiration, but we’ve forgotten how to decipher those communications too. [...]

[...] Perhaps this isn’t a good analogy — Seth is far from a dream character, and in fact I hardly ever dream of him at all — but he is a personality whose platform of reality isn’t the same as ours, a personality who writes books through me, but from his standpoint, not mine.

[...] But certainly as Seth often states, even the unconscious portions of our personalities are actually conscious. [...] Not that Seth is just another focus of mine, for it’s quite legitimate to say that I’m a focus of his consciousness in that same context; but that Seth represents that larger portion of the psyche from which our own kind of consciousness emerges. [...]

[...] Many spectacular national events have happened, of course, since our first sessions took place late in 1963, but Seth seldom mentioned such issues, and then only in answer to our own questions. [...]

[...] but had not tried to get to the plant today. [...]

(For a time we held sessions in the back of our apartment to avoid such interruptions, but Jane prefers them held in the large front room. [...]

Ultimately it is not self-generating, but for the purposes of our discussion it may be termed so. [...]

[...] Not only does the human system for example become influenced chemically, electronically and psychically by physical weather, but also the human system electronically, electromagnetically, chemically and psychically affects and creates the climate in which existence is possible.

His new room gave him the view that he wanted, but no protection—and not only that, but then he was the one who met guests head-on.

(I mentioned to Jane a question I’d thought of during the session but hadn’t interrupted to ask: If the subconscious can reason, as Seth tells us, why doesn’t it understand that at times it can go too far sometimes?—that obviously the idea of selfprotection can be very damaging if carried to extremes. [...] Jane listened, but didn’t get anything from Seth in answer, so it’s for next time. [...]

[...] I’ve helped her somewhat, but plan to do much more. [...]

[...] Some of this material has been given before, but it is important here. [...]

Above all, individuals who receive such information in states of expanded consciousness are already those who feel deeply within themselves connections not only with the earth itself, but with deeper realities. [...] They do not accept answers given by others, but insist upon finding their own.

Such knowledge requires not only more responsive and responsible behavior, but involves a sympathy with life that may earlier have been lacking. [...] Many individuals have experienced unusual, quite valid and intense expansions of consciousness, but found themselves unable to correlate the new knowledge with past beliefs, to make the changes necessary to handle the sensitivity. [...]

[...] She said that the living room seemed “different” this evening, significant; but it was a “nice difference,” she added. [...]

(Jane’s voice was still relatively quiet as she spoke for Seth, but her delivery was faster and much more intense now, and she used many gestures.)

[...] You have added to the nature of his consciousness, but then so has he added, in his way, to the nature of yours.

[...] They have nothing to do with Ruburt, for example, holding back, but with probabilities now assembling.

Both of you operate best in your private worlds, but the books vastly extend that world, and represent a far greater communication with others than you presently understand. [...]

To some extent Ruburt does still set up barriers, when for example Tam comes, but that in its way is all right—a part of his nature. [...]

[...] They originate in the subconscious, it is true, but before this an idea quality is received by the inner senses. [...] But the conscious ego is the primary manipulator of camouflage patterns and the obvious mover. [...]

This involves on the part of the entity the use of personalities, which are in a manner capsules of itself or even compartments—part of the whole entity but neatly divided as far as memory and so forth is concerned. [...] This is rather difficult but you will see that it is really quite logical.

Art creations represent such an awareness, but here the creation of another plane must be intertwined with the camouflage pattern with which you are involved. [...] You do this to the best of your ability, but in order for the painting to have a reality in your world it must be materialized to some degree on the physical plane.

Art creation is a most basic creation then, not even a mimicking act but a genuine creation of another plane, done self-consciously from the perspective of an imprisoning camouflage pattern. [...] It should be simple as an analogy to consider the next point, where the figure in a painting would not only have a certain consciousness for example but would have other freedoms also; and this would give you a limited conception of what is involved in the creation of other planes of more varied scope.

In the time those fears originated, he shared the belief framework of Christianity, so that he believed that outside of that framework there could indeed be nothing but chaos, or the conventional atheism of science, in which the universe was at the mercy of meaningless mechanistic laws—laws, however, that operated without logic, but more importantly laws that operated without feeling. [...]

(We’d thought that Seth might refer to them in the session for last Monday, but none was held because once again Jane was so relaxed on the couch after supper. [...]

(She was very quiet as session time approached, but wasn’t too comfortable in her chair. [...]

I do not want to go into a history of culture here, but your organizations historically have largely been built upon your religious concepts, which have indeed been extremely rigid. [...]

(The evening was very humid but cool after a late-afternoon thunderstorm. [...] She had no questions for Seth, but expected him to continue his material of last Wednesday night, when he’d started an answer to my question about the relationship between the host organism and disease. [...] I think there’s a whole lot there — but you know, it’s not quite here yet,” she said.

[...] It affiliates itself with the body of which it is part, but in a way it lends itself to that formation. (Pause.) The dreams of the species are highly important to its survival — not just because dreaming is a biological necessity, but because in dreams the species is immersed in deeper levels of creativity, so that those actions, inventions, ideas that will be needed in the future will appear in their proper times and places. [...]

(Then a minute later: “Another thing I just got was that when man was with other men in the physical world, he could point to stuff to share descriptions with others, but that he learned to really speak when he tried to describe dreams. [...] He could point to a tree and grunt, but there wasn’t anything in a dream he could point to. [...]

[...] In that regard, every person paints his or her own portrait in living color — a portrait that does not simply sit in a tranquil pose at a table, but one that has the full capacity for action. [...]

[...] She’d wanted to start the session at 8 o’clock, but it hadn’t worked out. “But now I’m beginning to feel him around,” she said at 9:10. [...]

[...] Not that he has not used them so far, but that he has not focused upon them in what you consider the main lines of civilized continuity. [...] They appear in politics and business, but as the largely unmanifest intuitive background, which is largely ignored. [...]

[...] But if what I am telling you is true, then it is obvious that when I say that your physical world originated in the world of dreams, I must mean something far different from the usual definition of dream reality. Again, I could choose another term, but I want to emphasize each person’s intimate contact with that other reality that does occur in what you think of as the state of dreaming (all very intently).

Dictation: This inner universe (pause) is a gestalt formed by fields of awareized energy that contains what we will call “information” for now—but we will have some comments later, for this is not the kind of information you are used to.

[...] Now you do vary in your attitudes, but only in degree. You will be more adventurous or inventive perhaps at this time, but the strict emotional attitude remains the same. [...]

[...] But you did not encourage him to express the feelings. [...]

He told himself he understood what the feelings were, and did not approve of them, but he did not allow them expression at all.

But see what should have been done. [...]

[...] Those who cooperated survived, but they did not think in terms of the survival of their own species alone — but, in time terms, of a greater living picture, or world inviolate, in which all survived.

[...] For example: You feel the wind and its effects, but you cannot see it. [...] They are biological in that they are to some extent composed of mass cellular knowledge — basically free of time, but directing physical activity in time, and thereby maintaining physical equilibrium.

[...] Again, on deep biological levels beneath normal consciousness, and on psychic levels above normal consciousness, you are aware of the integrity of your being — but also of your great connection, while living in flesh, with the natural environment of time and space. The earth-god concept can be consciously used, but only to your greatest advantage if you understand the purposes of your conscious mind and its relationship with your biological nature.

(Neither Jane nor I could remember what last Thursday’s session was about, and I had but one page of it typed from my notes — a situation quite similar to that prevailing before the last session. [...]

At a later date even the fabulous four will be unseated, but you should weather this. [...] You may be expected to move now, but waiting for the further changes would serve your interests more. [...]

The changes of which you know are initial ones, that will not affect you as directly, or rather as beneficially as you might suppose, but will initiate changes that will affect you beneficially.

[...] A grab bag has been set up, and the grab bag is good, but you are not to grab for you will be offered what you want as these changes continue to develop. [...]

[...] One man appears to have the advantage, but another will take it from him, and your best interests will lie with this second man. [...]

History, as you think of it, represents but one thin line of probabilities, in which you are presently immersed. [...] Evolution, as you think of it and as it is categorized by your scientists, represents but one probable line of evolution, the one in which, again, you are presently immersed.

I am speaking now, in this chapter, mainly about your own planet and solar system, but the same applies to all aspects of your physical universe. You are aware, then, of only one specific, delicately balanced but unique portion of physical existence. [...]

[...] (Leaning forward, smiling but intent): How do you like that?

History, as you know it, represents but one single light upon which you focus. [...]

[...] She had some trouble but kept at it until interrupted by Dawn, taking her temperature—97.6—and pulse. Then she finished the session, with but very little help from me occasionally, gotten a late start this afternoon because we watched an old movie that didn’t end until 3:15 PM. I worked on mail while it was running, but couldn’t help Jane with a session, exercises, and so forth until it was over. [...]

(“But you must,” I said. [...] But right now she wanted to do exercises. [...]

(She’d done few movements yesterday, but today she seemed to make up for it. [...]

(In answering my question, Jane said she knows what motions she’s making, but often pays no attention—which is good, since it means she’s letting the body do its thing in its own way. [...]