“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(Jane paused, eyes closed, often seeming to grope for words while in trance.) This is, again, difficult to explain, but free will operates in all units of consciousness, regardless of their degree—but (whispering) it operates within the framework of that degree. Man possesses free will, but that free will operates only within man’s degree—that is, his free will is somewhat contained by the frameworks of time and space.

He has free will to make any decisions that he is able to make (intently). This means that his free will is contained, given meaning, focused, and framed by his neurological structure. He can only move, and he can only choose therefore to move, physically speaking, in certain directions in space and time. That time reference, however, gives (underlined) his free will meaning and a context in which to operate. We are speaking now of conscious decisions as you think of them.

(9:17.) Each species is endowed also, by virtue of the units of consciousness that compose it, with an overall inner picture of the condition of each other species (pause), and further characterized by basic impulses so that it is guided toward choices that best fulfill its own potentials for development while adding to the overall good of the entire world consciousness. This does not curtail free will any more than man’s free will is curtailed because he must (underlined) grow from a fetus into an adult instead of the other way around.

Each person, for example, is born with his or her uniquely individual set of characteristics and abilities, likes and dislikes. Those serve to organize individual action in a world where an infinite number of probable roads are open—and here again, private impulses are basically meant to guide each individual toward avenues of expression and probable activities suited best to his or her development. They are meant, therefore, as aids to help organize action (pause), and to set free will more effectively into motion. Otherwise, free will would be almost inoperable in practical terms: Individuals would be faced by so many choices that any decisions would be nearly impossible. Essentially, the individual would have no particular leaning toward any one action over any other (all with emphasis).

“I am free to stand or kneel, to run expectantly forward, for there is nothing ahead of me that I need fear, and the way ahead of me is clear and open. I am free to express my joy, for from it springs my life. I am free to bend. I am free to move easily and well, for I am composed of motion, and I move with the motion of my thoughts, which are free and open.”

[...] Straight and free are my arms, so that intuitive knowledge can flow freely through them, out through my quickly moving fingers to the page. Open, straight and free are my arms to search for truths, and to embrace the magnificence of nature. [...]

[...] And through them the creative energy moves freely, released and free, down to my hands and fingertips. [...]

[...] My spirit is free, and my body reflects its freedom.”

[...] It has been said that only men have a moral sense, that only men have free will—if indeed free will is possible at all. [...]

The beaver is not free to make a spider web. [...] So physically, and on his physical attributes alone, a man cannot use his free will to fly like a bird, or to perform physical acts for which the human body is not equipped.

Through the centuries philosophical and religious thinkers have created numerous complicated variations of ideas involving free will and determinism, so that neither thesis is as simple as it first appears to be. Man related the concept of free will long ago to the question of whether he could deliberately choose evil, for example. [...]

Even in modern terms, our psychological and medical knowledge of mind and brain have added more complications to the doctrine of free will, yet it survives and grows. And all the while I worked on this note, I felt strong connections involving free will, determinism, and probable realities—connections largely unexpressed and unexplored in our world’s societies.

[...] Within certain limits there is free will. Yet these limits themselves were set, or if you prefer, chosen, by the entity itself for any given present personality; and at the entity level free choice or free will is much more extensive, and really has much more meaning.

[...] Free will exists on a limited scale on your plane, but it does exist, and the very limitations themselves are the result of free will choices made on another plane by the various entities.

It is quite true that the inner ego is aware through the inner senses of any choices that the outer ego will make with the use of free will. [...] It only means that the inner ego is not bound by the dimensions in which those free will choices are made.

Theoretically an animal has free choice, and this will do very well as an example of what I mean by limitations. An animal is free enough to travel to, say, California from New York. [...]

[...] The free-wheeling states of consciousness can therefore be of help to him, the free-wheeling characteristic being primarily in relationship to physical reality. [...]

[...] When Ruburt utilizes other focuses and turns his consciousness in other than directly-physical areas, when he turns several angles away, then to some extent (underlined) he frees himself to some degree from beliefs, but certainly from their effects. [...]

[...] While his beliefs are partially responsible for his astonishing facility, once in various altered states he is in a kind of free-wheeling situation as far as physical reality is concerned. [...]

(No session was held today, April 21, 1984, but we did do some free associating, so I’ll present a summary of that material here, and follow it with a session and more free association whenever they come through.

[...] Jane had read the free-association material for yesterday; she got through it okay, but had to struggle a bit. [...]

The following material is for Ruburt, and can be used as material for free association. [...]

Then use this brief session itself as a starting point for free association. [...]

[...] You need to realize that you are (Vera) completely free to so change your position. [...] That you feel completely free to change it is important. [...]

—you must have the feeling that you are free to quit the job and the faith that other positions will be available to you. [...] When you realize that other positions are open to you, if you believe that they are, then you are free to choose. [...]

[...] When you decide that you are free to move, the foot will then clear up. [...]

(Here’s a summary of the free association material we discussed on Sunday afternoon, April 29:

(We tried more free association on the afternoon of April 30:

[...] She thought the loss of voice volume was due to free-association material. [...]

[...] The free association is valuable because it helps to point out those conflicting feelings and beliefs, brings them into consciousness, and into the present moment, where they can indeed be understood in the light of knowledge that has been acquired since — but not been allowed to act upon the old conflicting beliefs.

[...] If he cannot, he should feel free to ask you to do so.

[...] If he honestly does not feel up to it, then he is free to say so, and you shop alone. [...]

[...] Three weeks will see a literally spectacular change, for he is holding himself back to some extent until he feels you are free to move.

[...] Then you are free to move. Then you are free to misplace violence and you are free from it. You are not free when you say: “The idea works for everyone but me—but my symptoms are caused by something else—and when I am violent, different rules apply. [...]

[...] If you would but understand, this is the truth that would make you free. [...]

I have lived through many reincarnations and faced these problems and I was not free until I realized this basic truth. [...]

When I see the shadows that you accept as yourselves and when I see the brilliant and free identities that you are, then it is impossible for me not to speak to you in such a manner. [...]

[...] He has made an extraordinary leap, and it is freeing him physically. You have made as vital a leap, and it is freeing you artistically.

Whenever, and for whatever reasons you block the normally free flow of impulses, you also curtail the exercise of free will, for free will involves you in the experience of choosing between the actualization of one impulse or another. [...] The telling itself makes the affair seem complex—but whether or not you are dealing with private behavior, with the treatment of one person in regard to his or her own impulses, or whether you are dealing with a mass event of political nature, involving the enforced blockage of impulses on the part of one group toward another, you are necessarily cutting down on the exercise of free will. [...]

(This week especially has also been one of emotional turmoil for us, and for many others, on the national scene: the inauguration of President Reagan; the freeing of the American hostages by Iran, and their return to this country in stages. [...]

[...] Your free will is highly curtailed for all practical purposes. [...]

[...] Your free and open communication with each other on this subject can be of far more value than either of you realize, and it is really the only primary point of contention right now. [...]

[...] “Why couldn’t I have known when I was a young man about my abilities, and how best to use them?” Think of yourself as a young man using them, and you will automatically be free of many hampering concepts in your work.

Such ideas, practically speaking anyhow, deny you the use of creative energy and vitality you think you had then, that you think you do not have now—the unbridled free energy and exuberance you have equated with youth. [...]

Tell yourself that you are free to move ahead. [...] You are free to do so, and you should remind yourself of this fequently, for you doubted your ability to handle the problems. [...]

(To John:) You do not feel free to move. [...]

[...] You would not feel free to hunt successfully with the animal, for he was, you felt, the symbol of an unsuccessful hunt in the work world.

[...] You act this out subconsciously then, hampering the free motion of the joints, which then become stiffened through the inactivity. [...]

[...] He must feel free to let himself go free of limiting concepts, but he must see, the self that he is now, that certain ideas that he considered important and basic collected limitations about them. [...]

[...] You made it clear to others that while they be free, free on weekends or holidays, you yourselves were still involved with “work” (underlined)—all of this to show that you were responsible persons. [...]

[...] I said I wanted more material on responsibility, that I wanted Seth to discuss it so it would help free her. [...]

[...] I told her as we waited for the session that I was all for more material on the responsibility question, for I see it as the key to setting her free. [...]

[...] The entire idea of free will involves the making of choices between various gradations of pleasurable behavior. [...]

the secrets are free,

bright and free —

The personality is on its own, with what you may call the power of self-determination and free will. If you had thoroughly remembered our material on value fulfillment, you would know that the only detriment to so-called free will is the built-in necessity for value fulfillment. [...]

[...] The father does not rob the artist of free will, nor does the entity rob the personality of free will. [...]

[...] John is also an indefatigable worker at finding people who are willing to devote free time to typing up extra copies of the material, and he had news for us on this score also. [...]

(John and Bill, Jane and I engaged in a discussion of free will, and in an effort to make some points I was sure the material covered I again became aware of something that was becoming more obvious all the time: namely, that the material has now reached such a length, and has gone into so many subjects, some lightly and others deeply, that I for one can no longer keep all of it on prompt recall.

(Here is a summary of our free-association material for Monday afternoon, May 7, 1984:

(This is a summary of our free-association material for Tuesday, May 8, 1984 — Jane’s 55th birthday:

(May 9: Jane read the free-association material for the two previous days, and did quite well indeed. [...]

(After her lunch and reading of the free-association material, Jane said she didn’t really know what to do with herself. [...]

[...] When I got back I told her I’d try free association with her, or a session. She said she didn’t know if she was up to any free-association efforts — “though I do intend to try it, as Seth says.” [...]

[...] What you actually have behind such a belief is a fear of free will and of making choices.