“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

“I’m glad somebody thinks so,” I said to Rob, but now that things were safely back with the board, my curiosity was at me again. I told Rob to ask if one of us alone could work the pointer, and the pointer suggested that we try. Rob put his hands on the pointer and asked a question, but it barely moved.

We were surprised that the board worked for us. I thought it was a riot, two adults watching the pointer go scurrying across the board, and we didn’t take it too seriously. For one thing, of course, neither of us particularly believed in life after death—certainly not conscious life, capable of communicating. Later on, we did learn that a man with the communicator’s name was known to have lived in Elmira, and died in the 1940’s—that took me back a bit. But we were much more interested in finding out what made the pointer move than in the messages it gave.

The third time we tried it, the little pointer finally began to move beneath our fingertips. It spelled out messages supposedly coming from a Frank Withers (not the real name) who had lived in Elmira and died during the 1940’s.

Here are a few examples. Rob asked the questions. The pointer spelled out the answers.

[...] Jane and I sat facing each other with the board on our laps, hands on the pointer but asking no questions. [...] Slowly the pointer began to move.)

(After hesitating, the pointer indicated the second 3.

[...] The pointer hovered near the word Good-bye on the board. [...]

(In the word o’clock, the numeral 0 was indicated by the pointer, not the letter o.)

Unless otherwise indicated in the early sessions, the pointer gave yes and no answers by moving to the appropriate word printed on the board, rather than by spelling out the answer letter by letter. Also in the first few sessions the pointer very often indicated the word yes between each word of the message being received. [...]

[...] Jane always kept both hands on the pointer. [...] At times my onehanded approach slowed up the pointer’s transmission, but if I touched my right hand to it, it picked up speed. [...]

(As of the time I type this, Saturday, April 2, we haven’t yet found the pointer. [...] Jane searched the papers there but didn’t find the pointer. But collections have been made recently and the pointer, if there, could be gone easily enough by now.)

[...] Both of us had almost forgotten that we wanted Seth to help us locate the little three-legged pointer that goes with the Ouija board. Last weekend we had discovered the pointer was missing, and had been trying to find it ever since.

(When we discovered the pointer was lost, I remarked to Jane that now Jimmy would probably want the board back. [...] Jane and I looked for the pointer again while Jimmy waited. [...]

You have both been so consciously concerned with your Ouija board pointer that it is difficult for me now to get much information through. [...]

[...] We sat with our hands on the pointer at the given hour, but asked no questions. The pointer began to move.)

[...] Nevertheless she insisted on letting the pointer go to each letter of the answer, as a means of checking.)

(Three times the pointer moved to the above word on the board. [...] Joking, I asked Jane what she was doing to the pointer.

(This time, the pointer did begin to move, quite slowly. [...] It was almost as though either the pointer or myself deliberately chose to produce nothing at all recognizable.

[...] The words yes and no, spelled out on the board, are here indicated in parentheses whenever the pointer moved to them.

[...] Needless to say, while using the pointer both of us were very careful to see that we did not consciously move it.

[...] She did not tell the Pipers, but she had the whole name in mind by the time the pointer had moved to the letter F. She was quite surprised, and has never had the experience before, although it has been some months since either of us watched others working the board—indeed, since the Seth material began to flow. [...]

[...] The pointer however, hesitated over several numbers in giving the Pipers an answer, so the results here are inconclusive.

[...] But Jane and I plan to repeat this experiment with other couples, while we observe and see if either of us can pick up, in some fashion, answers the pointer will give.)

(I sat with my hands alone on the pointer.

(The pointer moved slowly, not at all certain, and finally stopped.

[...] The pointer moved before either of us said a thing. [...]

Rob yawned, and the pointer spelled out: I HOPE IT’S NOT THE COMPANY.

The pointer began to dash across the board. [...]

[...] We touched our fingers to the pointer.

(To begin this evening’s session Jane and I sat at the board as usual, with our fingers touching the pointer. [...]

(Jane and I sat at the board, hands on the pointer. [...]

(Jane asked me her second question, as we sat with our hands on the pointer:

[...] We touched our hands to the pointer.

The pointer spelled out LOREN, THE MAN WAS A MONK ON A PILGRIMAGE.

The pointer replied: ASIA WAS WHERE YOU SAW HIM, THOUGH HE WAS IN MANY OTHER PLACES, TRAVELING IN HIS MIDDLE YEARS, DOING PENANCE FOR HIS SINS ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMS OF THE AGE.

[...] These are simply pointers. [...]

(We moved the pointer to the word good-bye on the board.

[...] To begin we sat at the board as usual, fingers on the pointer. [...]

(Sitting at the board, we used the pointer to say good night.

[...] We sat at the board; as soon as our fingers touched the pointer it spelled out Seth’s greeting.

[...] We sat at the board and indicated good night with the pointer.

[...] As we touched the pointer it began to move.)

[...] The pointer moved.)

[...] Now you may take your break and I will give you some pointers. [...]