“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Slowly at 11:46:) Ruburt’s condition involved a situation in this life. Some of you may find yourselves concentrating upon the physical aspects of existence, which are themselves quite legitimate, but to the exclusion of other important elements. In larger terms, such focusing in particular areas can involve an entire life situation, reincarnationally speaking, where you choose ahead of time, so to speak, to concentrate your attention in certain areas rather than others; you may pick for yourself a body that does not perform normally, or a mind that is not up to par in usual terms.

(Pause.) Whatever your situation, you have chosen it for a reason. If it involves a circumstance that cannot be altered in physical terms, then you have settled upon it as a framework in order to enhance and use other abilities in concentrated form. The main point is not to concentrate upon the liabilities but to pursue those abilities that you have, for the great energies of your personality will be directed in those avenues.

THE CONCENTRATION OF ENERGY, BELIEFS, AND THE PRESENT POINT OF POWER

(11:36.) Next chapter [Nineteen]: “The Concentration of Energy, Beliefs, and the Present Point of Power.”

Concentration should be upon his love of work, and enjoyment and simple pleasures. For now it is best that he not specifically give suggestions to any particular portion of the body, since he tends lately to concentrate upon that portion in a disadvantageous manner.

Concentration must be taken away from the symptoms. [...] The moods may be recognized of course, but their destructive nature must also be recognized, and concentration then directed to other stimuli.

[...] He must concentrate in other areas. [...] Not, however, when he concentrates upon his symptoms.

[...] Remaining symptoms can be broken by intense concentration in other areas.

[...] Now he is free to concentrate on Aspects, and with a joyful goal also in physical terms at the end. That new concentration will take his attention away from the healing process, so that it can continue unimpeded. For a while there was no other issue to take his concentration away.

The healing process continues, but he is trying to keep track of it too closely, and concentrating upon its progress. He is not concentrating upon the symptoms—but he is trying to watch his progress with too heavy a hand, if he will forgive the murky analogy.

A concentration upon Aspects, freely, as one part of his life. [...]

(This concerns my recent suggestions to Jane that she concentrate upon the beauty and pleasure of the moment; even when she is performing a difficult task, or finds herself brooding, etc. [...]

[...] The concentration must be upon what is right.

You must take that into consideration, but the constant concentration upon the symptoms, and disapproval of self because of them, must cease. [...]

[...] It would be better for now (underlined) that he concentrates upon this—his work and full activities. [...]

[...] There are negative aspects, but you concentrate upon them. You accuse Ruburt of never forgetting a thing that you said of a negative nature, but you hold all of Prentice’s errors in your mind, and so far refuse to concentrate upon any good in that relationship.

You are aware (underlined) of the good, but you do not concentrate upon it. You concentrate (underlined) upon the negative aspects.

[...] You begin to concentrate upon the negative (underlined three times) aspects of the news in the paper. [...]

Now Ruburt worked against that concentration of yours in producing Seven. [...]

You have freedom to concentrate your attention. Choose simply to change that concentration away from Ruburt’s symptoms, each of you, whenever you find yourself concentrating upon them. [...] Simply tell yourself to concentrate upon something else.

The beliefs cause the effects—most important—and you must each follow me here: for the following week continue with my book as given, but concentrate upon your work, each of you, your daily joys. Above all do not concentrate upon the problem, and in your minds to whatever extent possible, minimize it.

[...] You cannot concentrate upon the problem as a problem. [...] Concentrate upon it, if you must, as a challenge. [...]

[...] Ruburt did not concentrate upon the problem of, say, possible poverty. [...] More than that, it is ready to manifest physically, but you must not concentrate upon its “seeming lack.”

[...] He actually concentrated upon Seven, typed it creatively, walked several times a day, began to help with meals and with the house, and comparatively speaking you both had a fairly good week. Then, once again, you both began to concentrate upon the problem. [...]

I have said this so many times —and I do realize it is difficult for you—but you cannot concentrate upon two things at once. So to the extent that you concentrate upon your pleasures, your accomplishments, and to the extent that you relate to the psychic and biological moment, you are refreshing yourselves. [...]

(10:11.) When you become so worried, of course, you concentrate even further on the problem—how bad it is, and what will happen if it becomes worse in the future. [...]

[...] You felt too sorry for him, and yet angry and embarrassed, and all of that was caused by concentrating upon the problem, projecting it in the future, in the definite belief, for all I have said, that that method of problem-solving works.

(11:03.) Ruburt to some extent has also concentrated upon the condition again in an effort to get rid of it. [...] Concentrate upon your love for each other. Concentrate upon your abilities, and on the methods you have now available that, used, will automatically dissolve the problem.

(Much louder and forcefully:) As far as your trip is concerned, concentrate upon the pleasures that are possible within it, so that neither of you manage to overstrain yourselves and forget the condition for one minute. [...] You should each be ashamed of yourselves for ignoring the abilities, the freedoms and the pleasures that you have, and instead concentrating on the one area in which lacks are apparent, while at the same time not utilizing the methods I have given you to fully help yourselves in that area—and instead focusing your imagination to continue the situation.

[...] There are many things, including this trip, that you both can actively enjoy—but not while you are insisting upon absolute freedom, while at the same time concentrating upon those elements in your experience that seem to keep you from it. Then your main concentration is not upon freedom at all but upon the lack of it, so that the freedoms that are available, even physically to Ruburt in his condition now, become minimized, and both of you suffer.

[...] You are each concentrating on negatives when you ignore the freedom that does exist, and denying yourselves pleasures that could help enlarge that freedom. [...]

Hypnosis clearly shows in concentrated form the way in which your beliefs affect your behavior in normal life. The various methods simply focus all of your concentration upon a specific area, shutting out any distractions.

[...] Hypnosis, again, is merely a state of concentrated attention, in which you focus upon beliefs. [...] The one prerequisite is an intense concentration upon specific incoming data to the exclusion of everything else. [...]

[...] She started it in a “normal” state of consciousness and ended up in an altered one — “immersed in a high state of inner concentration,” she said. [...]

[...] Structured hypnosis merely allows the subject to utilize full powers of concentration, thereby activating unconscious mechanisms.

[...] That which is feared is feared so strongly and concentrated upon so intensely that it is attracted rather than repelled. The approach should not be fear of war but love of peace; not fear of poor health but concentration upon the enjoyment of good health; not fear of poverty, but concentration upon the unlimited supplies available on your earth.

Our friend is finally learning to take his concentration away from his symptoms, and he is losing them. [...] Intense concentration even upon an object is useful whenever he is bothered. Concentration, an imagined journey, any exercise that is intense and diverting is beneficial. [...]

[...] When he concentrates instead upon how he is going to get to the store, he is concentrating on the means.

A concentration upon his work, and not upon the symptoms. [...] We want a concentration outward now, away from the self, so that the self can heal itself. [...]

The concentration away from the self is the most important point I can give him now. The concentration should be on work and pleasure and activities. [...]

[...] Again, there must (underlined) be a concentration upon the health that he does have, and the freedoms he does enjoy, for these will lead to greater freedoms. [...]

[...] You are both concentrating on the remaining symptoms, and the improvements escape you. [...] You concentrate on the part of the plant that is not doing as well.

He has overemphasized limitations in the past, of all kinds, and this has led him to deny many of his own positive characteristics—this concentration upon the negative. [...]

[...] Do not give them extra energy through concentration.

[...] (Pause.) Concentration should not be upon feeling well enough in the morning to do something he wants to do. [...]

[...] Your full energy for work and your creative drive is released, and will be, as you creatively use and understand your problems, but not concentrate upon them, not let them close your eyes to the joys and freedoms that you have. You get what you concentrate upon. [...]

Releasing the repressed feelings will also clear the way for freer expression of joy and exuberance, so while repressed feelings are being freed, do not forget to concentrate upon the positive aspects also. You do both, when you are together—often now, but not always—still concentrate upon Ruburt’s symptoms, so that they seem to block out all else. [...]

You both do have an inclination to overstate your problems, and concentrate on them in an effort to solve them, and as you know that is not the answer. [...]

[...] A concentration upon the healthy parts of his body will help increase his health. [...]

[...] When you are concentrating upon destructive elements, you lose on two points. You reinforce the destructive qualities by the very act of concentrating upon them, and you rob yourselves of the constructive qualities that you could be concentrating upon, and therefore that you could be reinforcing.

[...] However, concentration reinforces the quality which is concentrated upon.

[...] The tumor was formed by inner concentration. [...]

Had she concentrated upon constructive elements, upon positive and not negative qualities, not only would the tumor itself be nonexistent, but she would have constructed a positive element in its stead. [...]

What you do in those situations is in a way concentrated. [...] You direct yourselves to concentrate in a particular fashion.

I do not want a concentration upon detail, however. [...] This involves concentrated work, again, that foreshortens time.

[...] They represent concentrated experience in which Ruburt threw aside “for a time” the known beliefs of Framework 1, its laws and regulations.

Even Chestnut Beads, written so long ago, published in an obscure-enough—forgive me (humorously)—pulp magazine, reaches out into time, and affects a woman’s movement that then did not exist in your terms: Ruburt’s imaginative act in writing Chestnut Beads was that concentrated.

[...] At the risk of your considering this Pollyanna, you get what you concentrate upon. When you concentrate upon the limitations and the distractions, then they multiply. [...] When I say to Ruburt “Do not concentrate upon the symptoms because you reinforce them,” then you agree, Joseph, and it makes perfect sense. When you see Ruburt going around for days concentrating upon the physical limitations, then it is oh so clear to you where his difficulty lies. [...]

[...] I put this to you—that you spend time in the same way, but in your way, concentrating upon all that stands in the way of your work and concentration, until finally your work time seems consumed. [...]

[...] You concentrate upon the distractions in the same way that Ruburt does upon his symptoms.

[...] The painting does not bring in money, so to punish yourself you do not enjoy it sufficiently—but concentrate upon the distractions instead. [...]

It may seem in your terms that orgasm demands a letting go—a lack of concentration. Yet instead, a high amount of concentration is involved, as other stimuli are shut out and consciousness is instead focused on visible sensation. [...]

You set up strong barriers in those directions—these have been added to by concentration upon the problem, so you become involved in this vicious circle. [...]

I know you have tried concentrating on pleasing your husband first of all. [...]

[...] Concentrate upon what your body feels. [...]

[...] I want him to concentrate upon his accomplishments rather than any failings, and you also. In a determination to do better, he has begun to concentrate upon failings. [...]

In your efforts both of you often put the concentration upon the things that are wrong. [...] Both of you concentrate more upon those symptoms that remain, forgetting the improvements that he has made. [...]

[...] For when he concentrates upon his failings, for whatever reason, he sees himself as a person of no substance.

(“I’m afraid that Jane’s symptoms lead her to concentrate too much upon them. [...]

You may, instead, just lie quietly and concentrate on a dark screen until images or lights appear on it. Do not concentrate on worries or daily trivia that may arise as soon as you block out physical distractions. [...]

Since we can’t concentrate fully on two things at once, you may focus your attention on the screen again or on any imaginary image—this will banish the annoying worries. [...]

Earlier—I’d forgotten—telling them anything except that I was going to try something—I concentrated on trying to form features out from my face. [...] In here also I concentrated on a ectoplastic arm without telling anyone and Theodore again reported without any suggestion from me that he thought he noticed a change in the same arm, and once thought it was about to rise. I had mentioned nothing at all, nor had I in the other instance when I concentrated on sending energy out. [...]

[...] I concentrated on doing something to my arms, or having someone else do it. [...] (Don’t know if I felt the subjective feeling before or after their comments, but no suggestions as to hand was given by me, and I asked no questions, sitting with eyes closed, concentrating, rather in good trance, but aware of their comments. [...]

[...] Without telling them what I was trying to do, I concentrated on making my aura brighter, saying to myself, fire bright. [...]