Session 405: The Seth Material

Welcome to a relaxed deep dive into Session 405 from The Early Sessions, Book 8 of the Seth Material, recorded on the evening of April 18, 1968. Grab a drink, kick back, and let’s explore what happens when a cosmic teacher gives a bit of a performance review to his channel.

The Cosmic Identity Crisis

In this session, Jane Roberts (referred to by Seth as Ruburt) was feeling a bit tangled up. She had just received a rejection for her dream book, and she was feeling the pressure of trying to live up to the "spiritual" expectations of others. Seth, ever the straight-shooter, stepped in to clear the air about who—and what—he actually is.

• Not Your Average Ghost: Seth is very clear that he isn't some "white-robed spirit" floating around. He describes himself in "emotionally neutral terms" as an energy essence personality.
• The Wireless Analogy: Seth describes Jane's role as an "excellent wireless" that brings in messages from beyond the usual frequencies. The problem arises when she tries to color those messages with "lesser ideas" found in conventional psychic books.
• The God Trap: Seth admits he avoided the word "God" for a long time because it creates a stereotyped, limited image. He prefers the reality of All That Is. Jane only started using the word "God" after reading other people's books, which Seth says "automatically limits the reality of All That Is by its very connotations."
• Stop the Comparison: Jane was comparing herself to other psychics of the time, like Ruth Montgomery or Edgar Cayce. Seth basically tells her to stop it. He notes, "He (Ruburt) is not Cayce nor Montgomery, nor the woman with the crystal ball."

The Publishing Drama and the "Springboard"

There’s some juicy behind-the-scenes talk about the publishing world of 1968. Jane was worried that the Seth Material wouldn't be financially viable because her current publisher, Frederick Fell, was being "overly cautious."

• The Rejection was a Win: Even though the dream book was rejected, Seth viewed it as a necessary "springboard." Jane had to finish it to see her own inner condition and "perceive the problem."
• Publisher Vibes: Seth gives a hilarious psychic read on the publisher, Frederick Fell, noting that while he's "privately enthralled" by the material, he’s "business-wise overly cautious" and actually "frightened of his own intuitions."
• The Direction Forward: Seth points Jane and Rob toward the encouragement they received from Prentice-Hall as the right path, telling them that the Seth Material itself is the "touchstone."

Spontaneity vs. Sore Arms

Jane was dealing with some nagging arm symptoms, and Seth links this directly to her psychology.

• Fear of Hitting Out: Jane was so afraid that her "spontaneous thoughts" might be destructive or hurt others that she was literally inhibiting her physical movement.
• Trust the Self: Seth offers a chillingly beautiful reminder that "natural thought will be more positive than negative." He encourages her to rediscover her "spontaneous self" and stop brooding.
• The Soil and the Flower: One of the most poetic moments of the session explains that struggle isn't a tragedy: "The flowers thrust themselves up through soil, but they hardly consider the soil or thrusting a tragedy, nor resent the time spent in the frozen earth, for they realize the frozen earth is a condition of their blossoming."

Study the Material

Visit the New Awareness Network website and bookstore at sethcenter.com/the-early-sessions.

As Seth says: "Your inner self is aware of this. The light does not resent the darkness which it illuminates." Stay spontaneous, friends.