The Structure of the Self

Seth Early Sessions, Vol 6, Session 274

The Structure of the Self

Before we speak any further about projections, the structure of the self must be more thoroughly discussed.

Its composition is not easy to explain in your terms.  At your end there are strong chemical and electromagnetic connections that you do not understand.  These in large measure help form the physically oriented ego, or at least form its characteristic manner.

Without these chemical and electromagnetic connections, the ego as such would not exist.  The ego is largely dependent upon the physical mechanisms that compose the corporeal image.  It has its beginnings with corporeal birth.  While we speak of the ego, this part of the self is hardly permanent or constant, but ever-changing.  However the intellect is also a portion, or an attribute, of the ego.

Obviously the ego is a part of the whole self.  Directly its experiences must be physically oriented, and yet with training it can also learn to appreciate realities that are not physical.  It must not be pushed, but with the proper attitudes it can and must participate to some extent in all psychic experiences, if the overall stability is to be maintained.

Now where the ego operates you will always find chemical repercussions; to some extent or another then the physical body will be involved.  Deeper or less familiar portions of the self exist without a chemical manifestation.  These usually take electromagnetic forms to some degree however.

Now certain chemical changes must come about in the physical organism before projection can occur.  Were it not for these you would still be imprisoned within the corporeal image.  You know that dreaming has definite chemical basis, that chemicals built up during periods of waking existence are released through dreams.  Not only are they released but they form a propelling action that allows energy to flow in the opposite direction.  As chemical reactions allow the body to utilize energy and form physical materializations, so the excess built up then becomes a propelling force, allowing action to flow in what you would term subjective directions.

Now this same chemical reaction must also occur, only more strongly, before a legitimate projection of the self from the physical organism can occur.  This is one of the main reasons why such projections happen rarely.  Usually, and without training, the chemical excess is used in the dreaming process.  In periods of exuberant energy and well-being a more than normal amount of excess accumulates.  This can trigger a projection.

Also in periods of momentary indisposition however, the dreaming process may be blocked and the chemical excess accumulated.  Again, a good time to try projections.

These chemical excesses are a natural byproduct of consciousness that is bound up in physical materialization.  The more intense the characteristic experience of reality, the greater the chemical excess that is built up.  Consciousness itself, when physically oriented, burns up chemicals.  The more intense the individual the hotter the fire, so to speak, and the greater the chemical excesses that must be released.

Released they must be, or the organism would not survive.  Periods of intense activity may also then generate additional chemical propellant.  Now.  Although this necessary chemical fuel is generated through intense activity of a mental or psychic nature, it is released, making projections possible in alternating periods of quietude and rest.

There must be a disciplined focus of the propellant therefore, if projection is to be achieved.  Now.  Periods of heightened sexual activity of a strong and deep nature will help.  However, periods of no sexual activity will also help.  On the one hand the chemical excess is built up as a result of overintensity.  On the other hand, and in the latter case, it is built up because psychic and sexual release has not been granted.  Eggs and asparagus are helpful.

I am obviously not suggesting a whole diet composed of eggs and asparagus.  These plus fish oils are beneficial however, but not when taken with acid foods.  Periods of especially intense psychic and mental activity can help you achieve projections.  Periods of very little, unusually sparse, mental and psychic periods are often apt to result in projections – also however for the same reasons given concerning sexual activity.

Now I am speaking not only of legitimate projections, but of projections vivid enough to be recalled and recorded.  Projections in other words in which the ego can take at least some small part.  Spontaneous projections of which you are not aware occur frequently.

I suggest a more thorough examination of your dreams here, for many of them contain such spontaneous projections.  They are most apt to occur in the early hours, between 3 and 5 AM.  The body temperature drops at such times.  Five in the afternoon is also beneficial from this standpoint.  The drinking of pure water also facilitates projection, although for obvious reasons the bladder must be empty.

The north-south position is extremely important in this context, and indeed a necessity for any efficient dream records.  The reasoning parts of the brain can work most efficiently along with the intuitive portions of the self when the physical organism is in that position.

The whole organism operates more effectively, generally speaking, in such a position, but more than this, the whole self operates more as a single unit.  The intellectual processes are to some extent diminished in other positions.  This has to do as I have said with electromagnetic properties.

In other positions it is the ego and intellect that suffer most, and since our purpose is to enlighten them as much as possible, this is not to our advantage.

Energy is most easily utilized in this position, for one thing, and this cuts unnecessary restrictions to a minimum.  There is a vast difference between ordinary dreams and projections, whether or not the projections occur from the dream threshold.  Dreams are constructed and sent upon their way.  As you know, they maintain an independence within their own dimension.

Projections involve many more aspects of the whole self, and are a mark that the personality is progressing in important ways.  The inner senses are allowed their greatest freedom in projection states, and the whole self retains experience that it would not otherwise.  When this knowledge becomes part of the usual waking consciousness, that is when you realize what you have done, then you have taken a gigantic step forward.

An almost automatic determination must be set up however if projections with conscious awareness are to be anything but rare oddities.  With you both the problem is somewhat different than it might be with others.  These chemical excesses are used up for one thing in your own creative work.  You do this now automatically.

It goes without saying that your work will gain immeasurably through the extended experience of projections.  The yoga exercises allow you, when they are faithfully executed, to draw an abundance, indeed a superabundance of energy.  This energy results also in chemical excesses that can be utilized in projections without drawing away energy for your work.

The expectation and the knowledge that you are part of all energy will allow you to realize that all the energy you require will be given, since you are part of it.  Only your own attitude, only any man’s attitude, limits the amount of energy at his command.

I find myself trying to instruct you both again in the true nature of practicality.

Your attitudes toward what is possible determines what is possible for you and in very definite terms.  Your attitude creates possibilities and impossibilities.  Your attitude toward money creates your bank account.  I am not speaking of you personally, alone.  These laws apply to all.  What you expect you create, and that is the beginning and end of it, whether you are speaking of psychic matters or physical matters.

Until you learn this you learn little, and until you learn this you do not know what it means to be practical.  If you did not think projection was possible for you, you would never achieve a projection.  You create your reality, and no one else can create it for you.

Now.  There are definite chemical changes during projections.  There are also electromagnetic changes that can be perceived with instruments.  Certain electrical fields will also make themselves known under these conditions.  The fields have always existed but they will only become apparent to physical instruments when they are being crossed.  In other words, at the very act of projection.

The mirror in your bedroom is an excellent aid, incidentally.  Certain temperature variations are also helpful.  A cool body temperature for example, and the outside temperature, or rather the room temperature, between 73.8 and 75.9 or .10.  High humidity is poor.

The color of a room is important.  Your room, the bedroom, is a good color for this purpose.  Cool colors are best.  Too-warm colors are detrimental, being too closely allied with earthly aspects.  For various reasons in your particular climate, May, October, February, March, are best.  August can be beneficial according to the weather.  Also September, April at times. Too-warm weather is detrimental.

Now this has to do with the electrical currents about the skin, and sweat on the body.  Also with saline composition of the body at various times of the year.

These projections take a strong propelling force, for you are literally travelling from one dimension or reality to another.  And yet you will retain awareness.  All of this evening I have been speaking of projections in which awareness is retained, and not of more frequent projections which are usually forgotten.

The psychic energy necessary is considerable.  It is twice as considerable when you attempt to manipulate in these seemingly alien conditions.  Yet you must do so, and safely return.

We shall discuss various kinds of projections in detail, for you will become acquainted with them.  Unless the structure of the personality, or of the self, is clearly understood, projection itself will not seem possible.  A self that is conceived of as a physical composition only would never be able to project, nor survive physical death.

Through the year a history of personal projections will serve to prove to you the nonphysical aspect of the self.  You may even meet me in some future projection.  My meetings with you here involve to some extent projections on my part and on Ruburt’s part.  As yet he is not consciously aware of these projections.  When I am here, he is often somewhere else.  Part of him remains to keep check on me, and unfortunately this is the part that could be, but is not as yet, aware of his other surroundings.

You often project when you are painting, and you do not know it.