Starting over from where you are

Seth's advice to a very ill and hospitalized Jane ... something we can all do no matter where we find ourself in life.

“What we are going to have to do, then, is start over.  It is indeed quite possible to do so, for you will be working with material with which you are intimately familiar: your own thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.

“You must start from your present position, of course, but there is no person who cannot better his or her position to a considerable degree, if the effort is made to follow through with the kind of new hypotheses that we will here suggest.  These ideas are to some extent already present, though they have not predominated in world experience.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session June 1, 1984)

Heaven on Earth

“In terms of earthly life as you understand it, it is overly optimistic to imagine that eventually all illnesses will be conquered, all relationships be inevitably fulfilling, or to foresee a future in which all people on earth are treated with equality and respect.  For one thing, in that larger framework mentioned earlier in this book, illness itself is a part of life’s overall activity.  Disease states, so-called, are as necessary to physical life as normal health is, so we are not speaking of a nirvana on earth – but we are saying that it is possible for each reader of this book to quicken his or her private perceptions, and to extend and expand the quality of ordinary consciousness enough so that by contrast to current experience, life could almost be thought of as “heaven on earth”.

“This involves a re-education of the most profound nature.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session June 1, 1984)

Things can always get better

“… remind yourself that any situation can be changed for the better. Remind yourself constantly that the most favorable solution to a problem is at least as probable as the most unfortunate “solution”.  Remind yourselves also that despite all of your worrying, the spirit of life itself is continually within your experience, and forms your physical body.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 31, 1984)

No "Evil" Beliefs

I like the analogy of thoughts/beliefs as weather systems … since they do have energy and can be constructive or destructive depending upon the context or situation.  Also, I like the idea of having opinions about things instead of making absolute judgments.  Judgments that something is “good” or “evil” are unfounded since nothing is absolute and all we have is a very limited perception in time and space.  Historically, these kind of judgments have fuelled countless needless wars!

“… in a fashion beliefs themselves are tools, and in some situations beliefs that seem quite negative can also clear the way for more beneficial ones.  With all of this discussion of negative beliefs, therefore, it is a good idea not to call any beliefs bad or evil in themselves. They are no more bad or evil in their own way, say, than viruses are in theirs.  If you look upon them in that manner, you will avoid being overwhelmed by what seems to be an endless parade of negative thoughts and beliefs that can only lead to destruction.  Instead, compare the negative beliefs, for example, with the storms that sweep the country:  they have their purposes – and all in all those purposes tend to promote and support life itself.”(The Way Toward Health,Session May 31, 1984)

Dilemmas

Today’s Seth is an example of the kind of analysis we can do when we’re working to become conscious of the beliefs that we’ve held for most of our life - generally due to social/cultural/parental imprinting.  The beliefs that cause us to stumble in our manifestations (aka limiting beliefs) are the ones we want to weed out.  The question posed by Seth is a good one, since it’s future directed.  Once one decides that changing the belief is a good idea, then one has to find the belief (often a network of related beliefs) that need to be changed.  The simplest way to do that is to ask “What would someone have to believe to be in this situation”.  Once there’s a bit of clarity on the limiting belief(s) then conscious choice can be made.  Note that change happens in an instant … it may seem to take longer and be more difficult than that due to beliefs that change requires a certain amount of struggle.  Note also that the universe (and your Higher Self) respond to your intention and feeling … not your words.

Have fun with that!

“Dilemmas result in many ways.  The person might succeed financially, only to make a serious or faulty business judgment, thus losing the financial benefits.  Another person might express the same dilemma through the body itself, so that “getting ahead” was equated with physical mobility – so that it seemed that physical mobility, while so desired, was still highly dangerous.

“Such reasoning sounds quite outlandish, of course, to most individuals, but the person in question, say with a disease like arthritis, or some other motion-impairing ailment, might ask themselves the question: “What would I do if I were free of the condition?”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 29, 1984)

Cross-purposes

I’m sure most people can point to something in their life along the lines of what Seth is talking about here.  FEAR (Fantasized Experiences Appearing Real) and self-doubt are often the culprits.  Of course, in a physical reality which faithfully portrays our beliefs in each moment … these fears manifest which, of course, is taken as proof that these fears and doubts were well founded … and the cycle goes on perpetually reinforcing itself until we wake up and get out of that cycle.

“… you may discover not just one you, but several you’s, so to speak, each pursuing certain purposes, and you may find out furthermore that some such purposes cancel others out, while some are diametrically opposed to each other. Such cross purposes, of course, can lead to mental, spiritual, physical and emotional difficulties.

“Many people believe that it is dangerous to make themselves known, to express their own ideas or abilities.  Such individuals may be highly motivated, on the other hand, to become accomplished in some art or profession or other field of activity. In such cases, you have two cross-purposes operating – the desire to express oneself, and the fear of doing so.

“If both beliefs are equally dominant and vital, then the situation becomes quite serious.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 29, 1984)

Health check

“Though this book is entitled The Way Toward Health, we are not speaking of physical health alone, but of mental, spiritual, and emotional health as well.  You are not healthy, for example, no matter how robust your physical condition, if your relationships are unhealthy, unsatisfying, frustrating, or hard to achieve. Whatever your situation is, it is a good idea to ask yourself what you would do if you were free of it.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 28, 1984)

Small choices led to current situation

Each of us has made countless tiny choices and decisions during this journey we call life that were necessary for this moment to happen just the way it is.  Seth, in this quote to a sick and dying Jane, is pointing that out but more importantly Seth is pointing out that these seemingly innocuous choices were made in good faith but were based upon the beliefs held at the time which didn't necessarily reflect the facts of physical manifestation.  It’s true for all of us, not just Jane!

“You must realize that you do create your own reality because of your beliefs about it.  Therefore, try to understand that the particular dilemma or illness is not an event forced upon you by some other agency.  Realize that to some extent or another your dilemma or your illness has been chosen by you, and that this choosing has been done in bits and pieces of small, seemingly inconsequential choices. Each choice, however, has led up to your current predicament, whatever its nature.

“If you realize that your beliefs form your experience, then you do indeed have an excellent chance of changing your beliefs, and hence your experience.

“You can discover what your own reasons are for choosing the dilemma or illness by being very honest with yourself.  There is no need to feel guilty since you meant very well as you made each choice – only the choices were built upon beliefs that were beliefs and not facts.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 26, 1984)

You Create Your Own Reality (YCYOR)

Today's Seth reminds me of Deepak Chopra's first book "Quantum Healing" - well worth reading by the way.  The book describes how he took on patients that were basically untreatable with allopathic medicine alone and using Ayurvedic medicine concepts he was able to completely cure some people. The underlying ideas were (as I see it) that (1) YCYOR, (2) the body is a river not a rock (i.e. it's condition is in a dynamic balance), and (3) mind interacts with quantum potential to generate life.  His classic line when meeting a cancer patient for the first time was "Why are you still doing this?", given that there is nothing in the body older than 7 years (most cells and even molecules have a much shorter time in a physical body).  For some that was too big a leap of understanding.  For those that made that leap and worked with the mind and body were the ones who had complete recoveries (not just remissions!).

“If you do have health problems, it is much better to look for their reasons in your immediate experience, rather than assigning them a cause in the distant past.  The reasons for maladies are almost always present in current life experience – and even though old events from childhood may have originally activated unhealthy behavior, it is present beliefs that allow old patterns of activity to operate. …

“You must realize that you do create your own reality because of your beliefs about it.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 26, 1984)

Each life is its own unique vantage point

If we think of the Cosmos as some infinite holographic field of possibilities which we explore with a pair of lasers (our individual laser and a context laser) then our process of manifestation in a reincarnational setting looks like narrowly focusing on disparate regions of the infinite All That Is.  These disparate regions are connected by the nature or our essence (our true "soul personality").  We are attracted to domains of possibilities that make sense to us and align with our "soul's" pursuits

Luckily we never run out of possibilities to explore because each act of exploration (each "lifetime") creates new possibilities.

“Each life, regardless of its nature, possesses its own unique vantage point, and an individual may sometimes take an obscure or a long-lasting disease simply to present himself or herself with experience that most others would shun. An individual might seek such a vantage point in order to look at the universe in a different fashion, asking questions that perhaps could not be answered if asked from any other position.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 26, 1984)

No "Karmic Punishment"

In the previous quote, Seth points out that: "in one way or another the events of one living experience are reflected in each other living experience.  I am not saying that events in one life cause the events in another, but that there is an overall pattern – a bank of probable events – and that in each life each individual chooses those that suit his or her overall private purposes.  Yet those lives will be connected."  In many way these probable events are like a pallet of colours that we draw from ... along with our willing soul buddies who share our purposes and interests ... to imaginatively create new experiences in new contexts.

Metatron refers to epochs (similar to Seth's patterns) ... more like puddles of probabilities.  These are nested ... that is: there are personal epochs embedded in group epochs embedded in epochs of civilization embedded in epochs of humanity on Earth embedded in ... etc.

Lazaris in their channeling "Reality Creation, The Basics" similarly points out the non-existence of time in the realm of soul, spirit and mind and the inevitable conclusion that there is no such thing as causation as we know it - i.e. the causality that we manifest in the linear time slices of 3D perception that we know of as physical reality is an illusion.

What is even more difficult for us to understand is that not only are we choosing to manifest from "already existing" probable realities ... but we are also creating whole new possibilities which may, or may not, become probabilities or manifested physical realities for us.

In many ways, quantum mechanics is probably the best metaphor that we have right now for understanding the manifestation process.  Have fun with the idea of life as an electron (or some other fundamental particle) and imagine what that feels like in the nested groupings of matter - particle embedded in an atom embedded in molecule embedded in a cell embedded in your finger ... etc.

“Many proponents of reincarnation believe most firmly that an illness in one life most frequently has its roots in a past existence, and that reincarnational regression is therefore necessary to uncover the reasons for many current illnesses or dilemmas.

“There is also a rather conventional stereotype version of karma that may follow such beliefs.  Therefore, you may be punished in this life for errors you have committed in a past one, or you may actually be making up for a mistake made thousands of years ago. Again, all of a person’s reincarnational existences are, indeed, connected – but the events in one life do not cause the events in the next one.

“I must remind you once more that all time happens simultaneously, so the confused belief about punishment now, in retaliation for past action would actually be meaningless, since in simultaneous time all actions would be occurring at once.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 26, 1984)

Events are reflected in all Lifetimes

When we think about today’s Seth quote and look around, we’re probably surrounded by subtle reflections of events from other lifetimes that are reflected differently in this one (like living in a hall of mirrors!).  

Of course, the souls we choose to act out parts in this serial episodic drama we think of as human life are often the same ones (our buddies) playing out different roles in ways that moves each of us along on our path of fulfillment.  

But the idea that, for example, the name of the town we live in, pets that have meaning to us, things in newspapers or on the news, events in this life, dreams, etc. can be reflections of past and future lives should give us cause to pay more attention to the details of life and to feel the connections that bring us all together outside of time and space.

Have fun with that 

“… in one way or another the events of one living experience are reflected in each other living experience.

“I am not saying that events in one life cause the events in another, but that there is an overall pattern – a bank of probable events – and that in each life each individual chooses those that suit his or her overall private purposes. Yet those lives will be connected. An individual may have a serious illness in one life.  That event may turn up as one uncomfortable nightmare in another existence.  In still another life, the individual might have a dear friend who suffers from the same disease.  In still another existence the individual might decide to be a doctor, to seek a cause and a cure for the same disease.

“No one is fated, however, to suffer in one life for any crimes committed in another.  The reasons and purposes for one’s own existence in any life can be found directly in life itself.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 23, 1984)

Dream analogy for reincarnation

Today’s Seth is probably a great way to view reincarnation.  Other metaphors include going to a library and reading a book and dreaming the life … or there’s always the "let’s get our soul buddies together and act out our version of this historic play" …. etc.

“Most of your experience happens directly, where senses, imagination, motion and physical actually meet.  In dreams, however, you often feel as if you are in another location entirely, and all of your senses seem pivoted in that location.  Your experience is separated from your usual living area, in other words.  You may dream that you are running or walking or flying, yet those activities are divorced enough from that area where imagination, motion, and physical actuality meet, so that your body remains quiet, relatively speaking, while you seem to be moving freely somewhere else.

“In a fashion, reincarnation can partially be explained using the same kind of analogy.  You may have many existences at once – but each one has its own living area, upon which that portion of you focuses. In fact, that portion has its own name and selfhood and is master of its own castle, so to speak.

“Each self has its own inviolate point where imagination, motion, and physical actuality intersect.  Like the child play-acting, however, events occur within events, all dramatically real and vivid, all eliciting specific responses and actions, and each one possessing its own private living area.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 22, 1984)

Respect

Imagine how different the world would be if we all lived today’s Seth quote!!!!  If one looks at the news headlines it would be obvious that central figures in the human drama only respect money and power … not even life (except their own of course!).  Unfortunately, it seems we need to scare ourselves and expose our weaknesses as humanity before we wake up.  It sure helps that we have such a willing and loving planet that does respect all life … even ours when we don't return that respect!

“… there is a kind of innate gallantry that operates among all segments of life – a gallantry that deserves your respect and consideration.  You should have respect, then, for the cells of your body, the thoughts of your mind, and try to understand that even the smallest creatures share with you the emotional experience of life’s triumphs and vulnerabilities.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 6, 1984)

Value fulfillment

“Remember that each segment of life is motivated by value fulfillment, and is therefore always attempting to use and develop all of its abilities and potentials, and to express itself in as many probable ways as possible, in a process that takes into consideration the needs and desires of each other segment of life.

“...  Value fulfillment operates within microbes and nations, within individual creatures and entire species, and it unites all of life’s manifestations so that indeed creatures and their environments are united in an overall cooperative venture – a venture in which each segment almost seeks to go beyond itself in creativity, growth, and expression.  In a smaller, individual framework, each man and woman, then, is motivated by this same value fulfillment.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session May 6, 1984)

Express yourself

“Ruburt was given strong creative abilities that he was determined to express – but at the same time early in his life he was given the idea that it was highly dangerous to express the very uniqueness that was inherent in his creativity.  ...

“He is to realize that if he has any duty or purpose in life, it is indeed to express those very abilities, since those abilities are so natural in his makeup, they also possess their own protective mechanisms.  He must realize that he is free to express his poetic, psychic nature, and to follow wherever it leads – since it is indeed his natural pathway into existence, and his most intimate connection with the universe, and with All That Is.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 30, 1984)

Love yourself

“He [Jane Roberts] should also realize that pleasure is indeed a virtue.  By all means express your emotions to each other as they naturally occur.  Ruburt was not taught to love himself as a child, and thought of his talents as a way of justifying his existence – an existence of somewhat suspicious nature, he felt, since his mother told him often that he was responsible for her own poor health.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 30, 1984)

Express emotions

“The expression of emotions in itself is an expression of action, of motion. To move requires first of all the expression of feeling, and the expression of any feeling makes room for still further motions.  Self-hypnosis can indeed be invaluable in terms of accelerating bodily motion and healing.  Expression, rather than repression, is vital.

“Often Ruburt has not been in touch with his own feelings, but would try to intellectualize many away.  He needs to realize that it is safe to express himself”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 30, 1984)

Nothing is wrong

This is advice Seth gave to Jane Roberts when she was dying in hospital ... advice that has meaning and relevance to all of us.

“Above all, Ruburt must not concentrate upon what is wrong.  In the deepest of terms, if you understand my meaning, nothing is wrong.  You have instead a conglomeration of severely conflicting beliefs, so that there is no clear single road to action.

“You want to clear the road.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 30, 1984)

Death is not an end or a disaster

“… remember that no consciousness considers death an end or a disaster, but views it instead as a means to the continuation of corporeal and noncorporeal existence.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 25, 1984)

We choose when we die

“I am speaking generally here, for remember that your individual beliefs, thoughts, and emotions cause your reality, so no person dies ahead of his or her time.  The individual chooses the time of death.  It is true, however, that many cancers and conditions such as AIDS result because the immunity system has been so tampered with that the body has not been allowed to follow through with its own balancing procedures.

“Again, however, no individual dies of cancer or AIDS or any other condition, until they themselves have set the time.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 25, 1984)

We are loved

This is true for all of us!

“Remind Ruburt – in the meantime – that he is indeed a beloved daughter of the universe, and that his parents are as much the sea and sky as his physical parents.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 20, 1984)

Suffering

“The subject matter of suffering is certainly vitally connected to the subject at hand, but basically speaking, disease and suffering are not necessarily connected.  Suffering and death are not necessarily connected either.  The sensations of suffering, and the pain, do exist.  Some are indeed quite natural reactions, and others are learned reactions to certain events.  Walking barefoot on a bed of fire would most likely cause most of you, my readers, to feel the most acute pain – while in some primitive societies, under certain conditions the same situation could result instead in feelings of ecstasy or joy.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 20, 1984)

Disease and overall stability of species

“For all of man’s fear of disease, however, the species has never been destroyed by it, and life has continued to function with an overall stability, despite what certainly seems to be the constant harassment and threat of illness and disease.  The same is true, generally speaking, of all species. Plants and insect fit into this larger picture, as do all fish and fowl.

“I have said elsewhere that no species is ever really eradicated – and in those terms no disease, or virus, or germ, ever vanishes completely from the face of the earth.  In the first place, viruses change their form, appearing in your terms sometimes as harmless and sometimes as lethal.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 20, 1984)

Death and disease

“Basically speaking, there are only life forms.  Through their cooperation your entire world sustains its reality, substance, life, and form.  If there were no diseases as you think of them, there would be no life forms at all. Your reality demands a steady fluctuation of physical and nonphysical experience.  Most of you, my readers, understand that if you did not sleep you would die.  The conscious withdrawal of mental life during life makes normally conscious experience possible.  In the same way, there must, of course, be a rhythm of physical death, so that the experience of normal physical life is possible.  It goes without saying that without death and disease – for the two go hand in hand – then normal corporeal existence would be impossible.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 20, 1984)