“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

An experimental séance was the next on the list of experiments for my book. We had only the foggiest idea of what a séance was, never having attended one. We did think that more than two people should be involved, though, so we decided to ask Bill Macdonell to join us, since he was the only one who knew of our experiments. Bill dropped by on the evening of January 2, 1964, and on the spur of the moment I suggested that the three of us give it a try.

But as soon as the séance was over, I was appalled. Instead of being encouraged by Seth’s part in the events, we were upset. We all knew what we had seen. Rob had even touched the hand at one time, and Seth had given us many occasions to check effects as they occurred. We couldn’t accept the evidence of our senses, nor could we really deny such obvious evidence. Though we were trying the experiment for the book, we thought that seances were kooky, somehow unrespectable. We didn’t want Seth involved, and specifically had made a point of not asking for him.

I think Rob and I were angry at being brought up short, forced to face issues we weren’t ready to face. Everything was happening so fast. It hadn’t been a month yet since we began with the Ouija board. Our ideas of what was possible were being turned topsy-turvy. We decided to hold one other session to see what Seth had to say about the affair, and again we considered dropping the experiments, book or no book. Yet we could hardly blame Seth, since the séance was our idea to begin with. I had to write up the séance results for one of my early chapters, and I hardly knew how to go about it.

“Not knowing just how to go about having a séance, we plugged in a small red electric Christmas candle. Our walls are white, so we could see fairly well once our eyes were adjusted.

(During the seance, Jane rubbed first her left arm and then her right arm, saying they hurt. [...] In the seance Jane was not Eve, but the driver of the car in the accident; she was a woman, with Eve a passenger beside her.

[...] There was also a strange similarity between some of the data given in the seance, by Jane, in the 435th session.

(The seance-session, the 435th, was held on Wednesday, September 11, 1968. [...]

(This account will also draw from the chapter on seances in Jane’s projected book on ESP. She made detailed notes on our amateur seance the day after it took place, when her memory was fresh. [...]

(However, once the three of us began talking about a “seance” [a word I did not want to use describing our sessions and experiments], getting into the mood, we found ourselves trying things that ordinarily we might not have considered.

[...] Not knowing just how to go about a seance, we had a small red electric Christmas candle on. [...]

[...] We have not tried to hold another seance, partly because of time limitations, partly because of a fear of failure [we imagine], and partly because we want to learn more about such things from Seth before we try again.)

[...] In the experimental seance, due to the circumstances and lack of training on Ruburt’s part, we redistributed some energy. Ruburt, during the seance, weighed somewhat less than his usual weight. [...]

[...] You wanted some data that would serve to explain the results of your first experimental seance.

(We need answers concerning the rather spectacular results obtained in the 11th session because Jane is writing a chapter on this seance for the Seth book. [...]

[...] In our seance we were, again, manipulating energy and forming objects from it—objects that you could perceive with your physical senses. [...]

(We tried an impromptu seance with our guests, Judy and Lee Wright, Sunday evening. We burned incense during the evening, and while holding the seance sat at a coffee table and held hands.

[...] Twice during the seance Lee obtained effects or results which seem to fit in with Seth’s description of some of the inner senses and their use. [...]

(Lee Wright also breathed very heavily during the seance, felt a great relaxation, and yet also felt he could end the experiment at any time. [...]

(Malba said it takes time to prepare for a seance, 15 minutes at least in relaxation before; a black cloth on our table reaching to the floor would help, as well as drapes on the upper half of our windows, to cover the white Venetian blinds. [...]

(According to her, ectoplasm formed the various changes and materializations about my hand in our previous seance with Bill Macdonnel. [...]

[...] Practice will help in seances. [...]

[...] Bill Macdonnel should be good in seance sessions, though he is somewhat like mercury, changeable; at times he may not do well, other times good. [...]

(Several days after the seance, we still have no clues as to any basis the seance might have. [...]

[...] For a similar episode, see the Jerry Kramerick seance, of January 13, 1968, described in the 391st session. [...]

[...] By now I was remembering the Jerry Kramerick seance.[See Session 391 in Volume 8 again.]

Ago century, seance. [...]

(“Can you give us the location of that seance?”)

[...] This meeting and our other meetings are not seances, and your experiments with your friend Mark are not seances, according to the implications usually given. So-called seances, when they are legitimate, are simply exercises in the use of the inner senses.

[...] As far as your neurotics are concerned—for some reason speaking of the affairs usually called seances reminded me of neurotics—as far as neurotics are concerned, this neuroticism is part and parcel of an inadequacy on the part of the physical body and the personality both, that involves an inability to handle camouflage patterns.

[...] I’d say that I could use my abilities far more fully even in those areas already being explored—Seth, the library, Sumari, etc., even if I wanted to leave other areas alone (seances, etc.). [...]

[...] A ring manipulated at a seance under controlled conditions is but the most simple kind of demonstration of the great ability of mind to interact with matter. [...]

The seance affair (last session) frightened the ego to some extent. [...]

[...] She was also frightened at the tests in sessions, of being wrong, and of the seance. [...]

(Before the session we discussed the one séance we’ve ever tried, and which is described in Chapter 3 of The Seth Material. [...]

[...] Bill Macdonnel asked Jane and me to attend a seance on the deserted third floor of the building in downtown Elmira, where Bill has his studio. [...]

(Tonight we were not sure what Seth would discuss, so just before the session I asked that he talk about the seance held last week, representing the 435th session. [...]

[...] And a description of a particular seance attended by Lodge and two others. [...]

The seance given by a woman, as described in the book, with dark hair, parted in the middle. [...]

(Seth’s reference to experimentation on our part involved a discussion re holding another “seance” involving Jane, Bill and I. We had meant to set a date for such an effort but neglected to do so.)

[...] Spiritualism exists with such fervor in your country because Americans like the idea of a communication with the dead on an individual basis, minus the intervention of priests, and hence the pioneering spirit was early tuned to do-it-yourself séances and the like. [...]

[...] (Pause.) Your suggestions as to the séances and Ruburt’s as to other experiments — these ideas are both good ones.