September 17, 1977

[DELETED SESSION]

[SEPTEMBER 17, 1977 9:25 PM SATURDAY]

(Before the session Jane read her summary of the week's events, including her continuing improvements. Her knees especially have shown many signs of loosening. Tam called her Friday; he'd received the) James [presentation, and was most enthusiastic, which cheered Jane a great deal. Then Saturday we learned by mail that Bantam is about to contract for the paperback edition of] Politics [.

We are also waiting for the September royalty payment from Prentice-Hall, due probably next week. Tonight Jane remarked: "If only I could get my physical condition to work as well as the money one." But she's making progress. And last night we had a congenial group of friends in.]

[(Neither of us had any questions for Seth.)

Now: good evening--- (Good evening, Seth.)

---and since I can choose my own topic, let us begin with suggestion.

Ruburt has made some effort to avoid negative projections, and has therefore met with some success. Last evening, however, he became involved in a round of such projections, which operate, of course, as negative suggestions. When he voiced some of these you immediately told him that he was doing so. Previously this round of projections had been almost automatic---that is, he did not catch himself at it, but accepted the worries as worries, without seeing that the situations might or might not occur.

The two of you have been working much closer together, however. Your remark therefore instantly alerted him, and in spite of company coming almost immediately, and in spite of his worries generated by the rojections, he did immediately use your remark in such a way that he was challenged creatively to change his approach at once.

He resolved that he would refrain from such projections [for the evening] , and he did. This required initially some considerable effort, but once he decided upon this a mechanism took over so that for a while he behaved almost automatically in the new manner, as before he had behaved almost automatically in the old way. Your remark therefore operated as an excellent suggestion, that he desist from such activity.

It served to remind him what he was doing---but more, it allowed him to recognize the situation, which you saw clearly while for a time it was invisible to him.

The affair was important because it showed him that such techniques do work, and it is an excellent example of one of the most important ways you have of helping him. You did not lecture him, for example---simply stated your recognition of behavior that you knew he would not want to continue, and was trying to break.

His method of dealing with the affair was also good in this way. He gave himself a time period that he knew he could reasonably handle. There is no use in telling yourself in absolute terms that you will never project negatively. To expect any kind of commitment to an invisible future is too much in that regard. Ruburt can, however, each day tell himself that for that day he will try to avoid such negative projection. That kind of method gives you something to work with, and a time period you can handle.

Since his intents have now changed some, he is able to use any remarks by you that lead him to recognize such behavior.

Your simple remark then was strong enough to completely alter the attern of his thoughts and behavior last evening, and most of today, so I want you to recognize the importance of your comments. In the past Ruburt might have reacted differently, perhaps with self-pity, but now he is much more amiable to beneficial suggestions, so that one can completely turn him about, back to his course.

(9:41.) Your intimate periods are of prime importance from all angles. Each of you needs to realize the importance of pleasure for its own sake. You always recognize pleasure in work, but the body also enjoys its own creature-reality, as any animal enjoys stroking---and in the past you have stroked your kitten more than you have each other.

This is a way of encouraging Ruburt's physical spontaneity, for his emotions and body each together want to move at such times. It is a way of assuring your own physical selves that you have a right to physical leasure, as any animal does, whether or not you succeed in the world, or reach work goals, or meet any of the other issues that may concern you. Such periods also provide definite regeneration of the spirit, body, and mind. Carried to the extreme in the past, Ruburt would not even want to take time for a decent shower, unless his other goals for the week were met.

(It should be noted that this Saturday morning, for the first time in many years, Jane took a shower when she got up---even before breakfast, in other words.)

Now: his body is continuing to regenerate. The (typing) table is still a necessary help. He should not feel worried about using it, or being dependent upon it. It is allowing him to navigate while his body undergoes certain vital readjustments. He knows he can write. He would not think of beginning a book by saying "I cannot write a book." He has been convinced, however, that he could not walk properly, and so we had to work in that context. You have, after all, "the physical evidence" to support that hypothesis. We have concentrated upon the fact that he could walk better, then, and that the body could improve itself ---as indeed of course in that context it can, and does.

The belief that he could not walk properly is the result of all the issues we've mentioned. It is indeed a [side effect] . You saw how well your remark last evening worked. It was hardly a momentous affair, yet it meant that Ruburt could forget his physical problems to a considerable extent, stop worrying about whether he would have to go to the bathroom, or how to get there, or when people would leave so he could get there, and so the evening was effectively altered for the better.

I want, therefore, to reinforce certain points. I must always couch my material for you personally---the two of you, that is---according to your situation and understanding. And there are indeed multitudinous levels, each quite valid, that are involved.

At your present "working level," Ruburt goes through a series of beneficial physical changes, of posture, body alignment, release of muscles. These are all occurring. They are for that matter accelerating.

The practical value, for example, of good suggestion finally does accelerate into improved behavior, though some periods of time may be involved. Finally, however, the suggestions accumulate, so to speak, in the realm or level we are speaking of.

For example, you can see this operate in terms of creativity: money comes to you now without new work involved, in terms, say, of paperback sales. Those paperback sales were latent, so to speak, when the hardcover books were sold. In the same way highly significant improvements not yet visible, are in the offing in Ruburt's condition, that will, say, seemingly require no effort when in your terms they do appear. All of this applies in the terms in which you are now working---that is, in your present framework.

(10:02.) [I want you to keep this framework as a working one] . I also want, however, to gently introduce another framework, that I want you to use simply as a point of higher reference for now.

In that framework the rules are different. In that framework the truth is that Ruburt can indeed walk normally now , and that nothing prevents it except for the belief that it is not so. Now I would like the truth of this higher framework at least to affect the framework in which you are now operating in this other framework, and I will have to use your points of reference (with almost a laugh.)

We will call your working framework, Framework 1 for purposes of discussion, and this higher framework, Framework 2. In Framework 1, time must be allowed for the body to respond, physical time. In Framework 2, and in the terms of Framework 1's understanding, such body work is not really necessary, since the body itself has nothing wrong with it except the application of beliefs.

Even if you think the body does have something wrong with it, then the necessary adjustments would be made in another kind of time that in Framework 1 would take no time at all---or, the amount of time you thought required.

The whole idea of the release of muscles, joints, the physical rocedure, involves necessary methods and procedures while you are operating in Framework 1, and there you always are looking for the necessary quite vital evidence of improvement. You are checking to see how you are doing---again, quite necessary when you believe that there is indeed something wrong with the body. In Framework 2, there is nothing wrong with the body, again. It is responding, however, to suggestions almost automatically applied. In that framework you deal with mental patterns, beliefs, and emotions.

There , you are confident enough to forget the body entirely, as you work with the nature of suggestion, and with the changing of mental patterns. There, you are so confident of the truth that your beliefs form reality that you need not check the body at every oint to see how it is reacting, for you know it will respond as completely to the new suggestions as it did to the old, even though you recognize that practically speaking some time might be involved in Framework 2's time.

You feel, however, the new reality take hold in Framework 1, so that you are not worried: the paperbacks will come out (intently) .

The process of recovery that you have chosen, therefore, exists in Framework 2, though you are between both frameworks now, operationally speaking. You are reaching for Framework 2, while doing all you can in Framework 1.

So keep Framework 1 for working purposes, but become more and more aware of Framework 2. In your terms this will cut down the time necessary drastically.

Saying all this, I want to make certain things plain, however. You are still largely in Framework 1, so I do not want you to think in terms of absolutes. I do not want you to suddenly expect in Framework 1 sudden, normal activity on Ruburt's part, or to compare his present behavior against that standard. That operates detrimentally.

(10:21.) Give us a moment.... In terms of creativity, however, Ruburt has long been operating in Framework 2, and this session should help him make certain correlations so that he can automatically begin to use such methods in regard to his physical condition.

The suggestion that he have heating dreams will work now, for work can indeed be done in the dream state that would otherwise take physical time.

I simply want to remind you of that other level, so that you can begin---gently, now, gently---to alter your emphasis, to begin to emphasize the use of suggestion in a new creative way. I have used the word creative before, asking you both to utilize creative methods to the hysical situation. What I was actually doing was trying to point you toward Framework 2, where you do each have faith in the nature of ideas, suggestions, and achievement. You know the power of an idea, but you have not applied that to the physical problem. I hope that the session will arouse you both in that regard.

Your introduction of intimate moments, Joseph, is a small example. You have been afraid of dreaming of physical success, for fear you would not succeed, but the dreams are what makes Ruburt's improvements possible.

Plan for a vacation. Dream about where you would go. Open your minds to such dreams, for when you do you do not close your imaginations. You need not set a time schedule, but at least in your minds gives yourselves freedom. You do not even have to decide that Ruburt is completely recovered---but the very plans for motion will definitely have beneficial effects on his condition and on the shape of your daily life.

I will have more to say about suggestion, how it operates personally, and how it affects political beliefs and even economic conditions, for it causes your daily reality. In your lives you see the results of the suggestions you have given yourselves---some extraordinarily excellent, bringing about superior understanding, growth of character, achievements on both of your parts, and a comfortable living in financial terms.

Others have resulted in Ruburt's physical condition. Your small suggestion about last night---because he was ready and open---altered the evening. Because you are less affected obviously by the negative suggestion, you can catch him, and he will now respond beneficially.

In Framework 1, it does take some time for new habits to form, but even there constructive suggestions accelerate as beliefs change, so I would like you both to pay particular attention to the suggestions that operate in your lives.

That is what I wanted to say for the evening, so unless you have questions I will end the session.

(Well, let's take a break.)

You may indeed.

(10:37. I thought since the hour wasn't very late yet, we could get some information on other subjects. Jane had no questions. I speculated about my painting of the Italian woman, as I call her, and about a assage I read recently in] Seth Speaks [; in it, Seth had mentioned that he'd been a black in Ethiopia. Perhaps, I suggested to Jane, we could get some material on his life then.]

(Jane wasn't particularly interested, however. There followed a rather complicated discussion between us about the idea of questions for Seth---why I seemed to have them, but Jane seldom did. Much of Seth's material to follow these notes deals with the topics of our discussion.

Resume at 10:58.)

Now: you each operate differently.

You think in a more detailed fashion, or you begin from a more specific viewpoint, and then move outward toward concepts and large philosophical issues.

Ruburt begins with the large philosophical issues, and somewhat urposefully adopted a thinking pattern at least, or a method of operation, that [to some extent] ignored details, lest he become too involved in them---in, say, slaying a multitudinous number of detailed paper dragons. He does not deal with generalities, however, but he does not think in terms of specific questions, allowing specifics to emerge in a fresh way from the larger subjects of his interest.

The two of you often misunderstand your patterns of behavior in that regard, for they operate at many levels of your lives. Ruburt is ragmatic, however, in that he insists upon relating philosophy to daily life---but, again, by providing overall models for behavior, rather than, say, specific detailed method.

(A connection here with the codicils?)

Often your detailed questions, however, will initiate new concepts that will themselves provide, by the way, the required answer. Your specific questions, however, also serve to give necessary ribs to the delivery of the material, so that many aspects are covered, and details not ignored . The two of you together then add to the entire sychological structure, and keep the delivery of the material in an excellent overall balance.

This balance is to a large extent responsible for the fact that the material reaches so many people, and your own joint characteristics in that regard are more obvious to your readers than to yourselves. The entire scope of the material of course reflects your joint questions---but Ruburt's are often unformed, dealing with intuitive issues that he does not trust to verbalization.

He trusts the direction of the sessions to cover whatever detailed information is necessary, and he does rely upon your questions in that regard.

The material follows its own flow: there are certain things I want to say, but how I say those things is colored and tinted by your own characteristics jointly, and your experience daily. Your different ways of working are obvious in your other creative endeavors, and your own questions and appliance to detail are highly important in your notes to our books, serving as important ribs, again.

("Thank you, Seth.")

(End at 11:32 PM.)