“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The sportsman that you might have been would have gathered, from that same available background, other attitudes and ideas that would have fit in with his concept of himself, and with his core focus. The childhood camping background served as a rich source material, to be used in any way you chose. The sportsman, the writer or the artist — any of them would utilize that background differently, but well, and in such a way that it peculiarly suited each of them.

(In mentioning my “sportsman self,” Seth referred to information he’d given about three of my probable selves in a private session on January 30, 1974 — just a few days before starting “Unknown” Reality. The session contains many personal insights that I now recognize as being quite true. But even without Seth’s help, interesting results can flow from an awareness of the probable-self concept: The reader can begin to intuitively consider his or her own probable selves, or those of others who may be closely related psychically or physically. I’m not writing here about rationalizing the existence of one or more probable selves to account for personal shortcomings in this reality, however, but of simply using the idea to enlarge our basic notions of the human potential. See Note I for Session 679.

The painting also, innately now, involves going outdoors, though you seldom paint from nature out in the landscape. Nevertheless, you would be determined to be free enough to do so. The sportsman that you might have been still lives within you enough so that, for example, you automatically stay trim and limber.

Your father’s creativity, as mentioned [in earlier, unpublished sessions] had its side of secrecy, privacy and aloneness … you identified creatively with his private nature. The writing self became latent as the sportsman did, yet the writing self and the artist were closely bound. You felt conflicts at times. It never occurred to you that the two aspects could release one another — one illuminating the other — and both be fulfilled. Instead you saw them as basically conflicting. Time spent writing meant time not spent painting. You believed the painting self had to be protected … as you felt that your father had to protect his creative self in the household …

The sportsman that you might have been would have gathered, from that same available background, other attitudes and ideas that would fit in with his concept of himself, and fit his core focus. [...] The sportsman, the writer or the artist—any of them would utilize that background differently, but well, and in such a way that it was particularly suited.

He had no sportsman-like background; on the contrary, a lack of ordinary physical orientation and interaction. [...] The dancing represents Ruburt’s end of the sportsman proposition—his gymnastics.

(Notes before session: My sportsman self. [...]

[...] The sportsman that you might have been still lives within you enough so that, for example, you automatically stay trim, limber.

[...] (To me:) Your “sportsman self”* was never endowed with the same kind of force as that of your artistic or writing self. [...]

[...] As an audience watches a sportsman perform, so those who read the comics watched your characters perform in action across the page. [...]

7. In Volume 1, see Appendix 2 for Seth’s discussion of the conflicts I felt between my artistic, writing, and sportsman selves. [...] The writing self became latent as the sportsman did, yet the writing self and the artist were closely bound. [...]

(To Rob:) Remember the private session I gave you the night before last, in which I told you that you could have developed very well as a sportsman⁷ — considering the athletic qualities involved — instead of as an artist or writer. [...] The sportsman that you might have been would have used the same tools far differently.

[...] There are classic, distorted stories of the weakly scholar as opposed to the hearty sportsman. [...]