Session 541

SESSION 541, JULY 13, 1970, 8:40 P.M. MONDAY em>(No session was held for July 8th, as scheduled. Tam Mossman, Jane’s editor at Prentice Hall, called this morning to say that the first copies of her book, The Seth Material, have arrived at Prentice Hall from the printer. He’s mailing a book to Jane today.

(This afternoon, I gave myself suggestions that I have a projection experience when I lay down, but I did not succeed. Then, shortly after supper, I had a visual experience like that described in the notes for the 534th session, in Chapter Eight. I told Jane about it as it progressed. Once again she was concerned, but as usual I felt no alarm. The experience lasted for perhaps half an hour.

(In Chapter Eight, Seth had said this was my way of trying to see models for my paintings. I hoped to see something really good this evening now that I was prepared, but nothing developed. The only aftereffect was a slight headache, as before, and this soon passed.

(Maybe, I thought, the experience was a delayed reaction to the projection suggestions. Just before the session I asked my pendulum a few questions — keeping in mind that I wasn’t so sure this technique should be used to explore other than physically oriented data. Usually I get excellent results with the pendulum; I learned now that the visual-interference effects had been caused by my unsuccessful attempts to perceive a thought-form sent out by a survival personality. This backed up the reasons given by Seth, then, for the eye phenomenon. Usually we use the pendulum to reach information that is just below normal waking consciousness.

(I also learned that no particular painting of mine was involved, nor were my efforts to project this afternoon; that the survival personality was unknown to me, and that the pendulum couldn’t tell me who the personality was.

(With this explanation, I didn’t feel it necessary to ask Seth about the experience. I did hope he would comment on it, but he did not…. Jane and I were both ready for the session ahead of time, for a change.)

Now, I bid you an early good evening.

(“Good evening, Seth.”)

Resume dictation: Reincarnation involves far more than a simple decision to undergo another physical existence. In this in-between period of which I am speaking, many issues therefore are considered.

When most people think of reincarnation, they think in terms of a one-line progression in which the soul perfects itself in each succeeding life. This is a gross simplification. There are endless varieties of this one theme, individual variations. The process of reincarnation is used in many ways, therefore, and in this time of rest individuals must decide on the unique way in which reincarnation will be of use.

(8:45.) Some, for example, choose to isolate various characteristics in a given life, and work on these almost exclusively, basing a given existence upon, say, one main theme. As seen from a physical viewpoint, such a personality would appear very one-sided, and far from a well developed individual.

In one life the intellect may purposely be very high, and those powers of the mind carried as far as the individual can take them. These abilities are then studied thoroughly by the entire personality, both the benefits and the detrimental aspects of the intellect weighed carefully. Through experience in another life this same kind of individual might specialize in emotional development, and purposely underplay intellectual abilities.

Again, the physical picture would not be necessarily that of a well- developed or balanced personality. Specific creative abilities might be specialized in the same manner. If you looked at these lives as a series of progressions in usual terms, then you would be left with many questions unanswered. Nevertheless the development does occur, but the individuals choose the way in which they prefer this development to take place.

(8:51.) Through denying themselves, say, intellectual development in a given life, personalities also learn the value and purpose of that which they do not possess. The desire for it is then born within them — if, for example, earlier they did not understand the purposes of the intellect. So in the time of choosing, personalities decide upon the ways in which they will develop in the following incarnation.

Some will choose progression at an easier rate and in a more balanced manner. They will help keep all the strands of personality working at once, so to speak, and even meet again and again people they have known in other lives. They will work out problems at a rather easy rate, rather than in, say, an explosive way. They will pace themselves as dancers do.

In this time of rest and choosing, all counsel is given. Some personalities do reincarnate before they are advised to, for many reasons. This is usually unfortunate in the short run, for the necessary planning has not taken place. But in the long run great lessons will still be learned from the “error.” There is no time schedule, and yet it is very unusual for an individual to wait for anything over three centuries between lives, for this makes the orientation very difficult, and the emotional ties with earth have become weak.

The relationships for the next life have to be settled upon, and this involves telepathic communication with all those who will be involved. This is a time, then, of many projections. There are those who are simply loners, who reincarnate without any great feeling for earth’s historical periods. There are others who like to return when their contemporaries from some particular past historical time return again, and therefore there are group patterns that involve reincarnational cycles in which many, but not all, are involved.

(To me, now, at 9:02): You, for example, did not operate within a cycle in those terms. Now: There are personal cycles of course, in which families may reincarnate, taking different relationships to each other, and you have been involved in several of these.

There are different depths to be probed in reincarnational existences. Some choose to “go all the way.” These personalities specialize in physical existence, and their knowledge of this system is most comprehensive. For these there is a movement through each of your racial types — a requirement that is not laid upon most. There is intensive preoccupation with historical periods. Many of these personalities live comparatively short lives, but very intense ones, and they experience more lives than most other individuals. They return, in other words, in as many historical times as possible, finally helping to shape the world as you know it.

You may take your break.

(9:08. Jane’s pace had been fairly fast most of the time, her voice quiet. As she came out of trance we heard the paperboy coming up the stairs. I paid him.

(Not long after these sessions began, several years ago, Seth told Jane and me that the three of us had experienced lives in Denmark in the 1600’s. Ever since then I’ve thought my interest in the art of Western Europe for that same period, embracing the work of Rembrandt and Vermeer, Van Dyke, and Rubens, et al., more than coincidental. I mentioned to Jane now my curiosity as to whether my artistic career had any connection with my Denmark life. I wanted to know my life span then, also.

(Resume at a slower pace at 9:20.)

Now: Dictation. In one way or another you are all travelers before you begin even your first reincarnational cycle. To make it as simple as I can, I will say that you do not have the same backgrounds, necessarily, when you enter the physical system of reality. As mentioned earlier, earthly existence is a training period; and yet as far as possible I would like you to forget your ordinary ideas of progression.

Ideas of good, better, best can lead you astray, for example. You are learning to be as completely as possible. In one way you are learning to create yourselves. In so doing during the reincarnational cycle, you are focusing your main abilities in physical life, developing human qualities and characteristics, opening new dimensions of activity. This does not mean that good does not exist, or that in your terms you do not “progress,” but your concepts of good and progression are extremely distorted.

Now many personalities have extraordinary talents along specific lines, and these may show up again and again in succeeding existences. They may be tempered, used in various combinations, and yet overall still remain a personality’s strongest mark of individuality and uniqueness. While most people adopt different trades, occupations, and interests, for example, throughout the reincarnational cycle, with some there will be a very noticeable line of continuity. It may be broken occasionally, but it is always there. They may be priests or teachers, for example, almost exclusively.

There will be some more material in this book dwelling specifically upon reincarnation, but here I want to point out that in this time of choosing between lives, many more issues are at stake than a simple matter of proposed rebirth.

On occasion, some personalities may be given an exception to the general rule and take a sabbatical (humorously) from reincarnations, a side trip so to speak, to another layer of reality, and then return. Such cases are not common, however. Such matters are also decided at this time. Those who choose to leave this system, whose reincarnational cycles are finished, have many more decisions to make.

Entering the field of probabilities can be compared to entering the reincarnational cycle. There will be a sustained focus of awareness and existence in an entirely different sort of reality. Powers latent but barely glimpsed within the multidimensional personality are drawn upon and used when such a choice is made.

The psychological experience varies considerably from that you know, and yet there are hints of it within your own psyche. Here the personality must learn to group events in an entirely different way, and completely without any reliance upon the time structure as you know it.

(9:40.) In this one, as in no other reality, intellectual and intuitive abilities finally work so well together that there is little distinction between them. The self that decides upon reincarnational existence is the same self who chooses experience within the probable system. The structure of personality, however, within the system is quite different. The personality structures with which you are familiar are but one variety of the many forms of awareness available to you.

The probable system, therefore, is as complicated as the reincarnational one. Now I have told you that all action is simultaneous; therefore, on the one hand, you exist in both systems at once. However, to explain to you that decisions are involved, and to separate these events, I must simplify them to some degree. Put it this way: A portion of the whole self focuses in reincarnational cycles and handles developments there. Another portion focuses in probabilities and handles developments there.

In parentheses: (There is also a probable system, of course, in which no reincarnational cycles exist, and a cycle of reincarnations in which no probabilities exist.) The openness and flexibility of the personality is highly important. Doorways to existences can be opened, and the personality can refuse to see them.

On the other hand, all probable existence is open, and consciousness can make a door where there was none in those terms. There are guides and teachers in this time of choosing and decision, to point out alternatives and to explain the nature of existence. All personalities are not at the same level of development. There are therefore advanced teachers and teachers at “lower” levels.

(9:51.) But this is not a time of confusion, but of great illumination, and unbelievable challenge. There will be later material in this book on the god concept that will help you understand some things that remain unsaid in this chapter.

Now for those who choose to recombine, “mix or match,” events from the immediately past life — to try it over in new ways for example, lessons must also be given. In many of these cases there is a severe problem and a certain rigidity coupled with the perfectionist characteristics mentioned earlier.

The earth years will be experienced again, but not necessarily in continuity. The events may be used in any way the individual chooses; altered, played back the way they happened for contrast; the way, perhaps, an actor would play an old movie in which he appeared over again in order to study it. Only in this case, of course, the actor can change his approach or the ending. He has full freedom with the events within those years.

The other actors, however, are thought-forms, unless a few contemporaries join in the affair together.

Now you may take your break.

(10:00. During the last delivery someone began to move into the apartment above us. Once out of trance, Jane said she had been bothered by the racket over our heads, but that she “held on to the trance” until break. Resume at the same slow rate at 10:12.)

Now: Under these conditions the personality manipulates events consciously of course, and studies the various effects. The focus demanded is quite intensive.

He is told the nature of those who participate with him. He realizes they are thought-forms, for example, and his own; but again, thought-forms do possess a certain reality and consciousness. They are not cardboard actors for him to simply push around at will. He must, therefore, take them into consideration, and he has a certain responsibility toward them.

They will grow in consciousness and continue their own lines of development on different levels. In one way, we are all thought-forms, and this will be further explained in the material dealing with the god concept. Understand, however, that I do not mean that we lack our own initiative for action, individuality or purpose — and remember also here that you live from the inside out. Then perhaps the statement will have more meaning for you.

Now in this time of choosing all of these matters are considered, and suitable preparations made, but the planning itself is all a part of experience and of development. The in-between existence, therefore, is every bit as important as the period that is chosen. You learn to plan your existences, in other words. You also make friends and acquaintances in these rest periods whom you meet again and again — and only, perhaps, during in-between existences.

With them you may discuss your experience during reincarnational cycles. These are like old friends. The teachers, for example, are themselves within a cycle. The more advanced ones have already encountered the systems of reincarnation and probabilities, and are themselves deciding upon the “future” nature of their own experience. Their choices, however, are not your choices. While I may mention some other realms of existence open to them in a later chapter, we will not be involved with them here.

Now give us a moment. End of dictation. (Pause, at 10:27.)

(I yawned. Amused): Are you awake and alert?

(“Yes.”)

Then give us a moment…. We have two broken-up periods for you. One very brief, 1611 to 1635. This is Denmark. Then 1638 to 1674. In one of these the information is as I gave it (several years ago). I was a spice merchant, and well traveled. I also carried paint pigments, or what ended up as paint pigments. Now give us time. (Pause.)

There was a group of three men, painters. We will get what we can. Pronunciation is poor. We are after a name that sounds like M. A. then Daimeer (my phonetic interpretation). I do not know if that was called Madaimeer. (With gestures.) There is a connection someplace here with music and a Peer Gynt suite. Do you follow me?

(“Yes.”)

Woods and charcoal. Coal fires. You, I believe, now working on the floor of a hut, involved in the final process of making charcoal. (Long pause.)

A connection with Van Elver, though I am not sure of its extent.

(I’ve painted a portrait of Van Elver, who is the fourteenth-century artist Danish or Norwegian) from whom Seth receives information on painting techniques.)* The name Wedoor (phonetic) and a Germanic firm who handled artists’ supplies then, and was also famous for the dyeing of cloth and clothes.

To assemble this material is difficult. Not to get it.

Van Elver the younger. (The cities were) clearing houses for country artists, but many more painters did portraits of wealthy farmers and their land and establishments. These were hung of course in places of honor in the homes.

Even the poorer peasants and farmers bought portraits of themselves, however, from perhaps less gifted artists, and many unknowns took payment for portraits in the form of room and board, and painted all the more slowly.

(Jane, as Seth, smiled and leaned forward.) Now, you were a minor artist of that nature for a period. Not, therefore, during your entire life. You did better than room and board, and purchased land where you determined to settle down.

Two friends continued to travel and paint, however, and visited you occasionally, and you envied them to some degree. One became fairly well known at the time. His name was Van Dyck, but not the famous one. You loved your land but blamed it also, thinking that perhaps you might have been well-known as an artist had you not obtained it.

You thought you would settle down and paint on your fine farm, but instead you turned into a farmer, and a lecherous one at that. There is some connection here with your ambiguous feelings about money now, you see, and possessions.

Family name, as close as I can come: Raminkin, or Ra-man-ken (both my phonetic interpretations). The letters H, E, I, M. These form either the first name or were tacked onto the name just given. (Emphatically): You did my portrait then, too.

(“That’s interesting.” As Seth, Jane pointed to my portrait of Seth; it hung on the wall behind me, so that she faced it as she sat in her rocker.)

You did a better job this time.

(“That’s good.”)

Give us a moment. That was my last full reincarnation, adopted then because I loved the sea, and it served a strong purpose in spreading ideas from one country to another. The men who traveled with me also took part in the seeding of ideas. We spread them about the world as it was then known.

Frank Withers was a fragment personality of mine. He will continue, himself, to reincarnate and go his own way. Many of us leave fragment personalities as you leave children. Do you follow me?

(“Yes.” Frank Withers was the original name given to us when the sessions began in late 1963.)

And now I wish you a fond good evening.

(“Good evening to you, Seth. Thank you very much.”)

And you must do me in charcoal sometime.

(“Okay.”)

I may even appear and sit for you, though briefly.

(“All right.”(10:57 P.M. Jane’s trance had been deep. We’ve received little information on our past lives, preferring to wait on this endeavor for various personal reasons. We found the data concerning Denmark intriguing. Jane and I ended up unsure, though, as to whether I lived two short lives, or one longer life divided into two spheres of activity.

(This in turn led me to wonder if tonight’s session contradicted one held several years ago, in which Seth stated that I had lived to an old age in the Denmark life. Jane had been my son. Actually there was no contradiction — merely a misinterpretation on our parts. Seth goes into more detail on this in the 595th session, in the Appendix.

(I do a lot of drawing in charcoal in this life, too.)