Book Review

The Nature of the Psyche: Its Human Expression
A Seth Book by: Jane Roberts

This is such a meaty book it's taken me over three weeks to finish. I kept having to put it away and take a break from it because it is so condensed. I'll be talking about it in depth further in small doses here and there as the subject matter pertains to opinions or experiences I have.

The astral personality, "Seth" has written quite a few books over the past thirty-something years. I read "Seth Speaks" around ten years ago and was nudged by Pleroma to find the book again very recently. Upon researching the first book I was flabbergasted to discover just how many more books Jane Roberts has published since.

Yes, I know I am quoting nearly entire pages at a time. Unfortunately, Seth is very ... choosy.. with his wording and specific. Such a large amount of information is crammed into paragraphs that this is the only way for you, the reader, to understand what I'm commenting on.

Page 41

"The [human] species has built into it all the knowledge, information, and "data" that it can possibly need under any and all conditions. This heritage must be triggered psychically, however, as a physical mechanism such as a muscle is triggered through desire or intent.

This does not mean that you learn what in larger terms you already know; as for example, if you learned a skill. Without the triggered desire, the skill would not be developed; but even when you do learn a skill, you use it in your own unique way. Still, the knowledge of mathematics and the arts is as much within you as your genes are within you. You usually believe that all such information must come from outside of your self, however. Certainly, mathematical formulas are not imprinted in the brain, yet they are inherent in the structure of the brain and implied within its existence. Your own focus determines the information that is available to you."

page 42

"This does not mean that any person, spontaneously, with no instruction, can suddenly become a great artist or writer or scientist. It does mean, however, that the species possesses within itself those inclinations which will flower. It means also that you are limiting the range of your knowledge by not taking advantage of such methods. It does not mean that in your terms all knowledge already exists, either, for knowledge automatically becomes individualized as you receive it, and hence, new.

Your desire automatically attracts the kind of information you require, though you may or may not be aware of it.

If you are gifted, and want to be a musician, for example, then you may literally learn while you are asleep, tuning in to the world view of other musicians, both alive and dead in your terms. When you are awake, you will receive inner hints, nudges or inspirations. You may still need to practice, but your practice will be largely in joy, and will not take as long as it might take others. The reception of such information facilitates skill, and operates basically outside of time's sequences.

......"It seems almost heresy to suppose that such knowledge is available, for then what use is education? Yet education should serve to introduce a student to as many fields of endeavor as possible, so that he or she might recognize those that serve as natural triggers, opening skills or furthering development. The student will, then, pick and choose."

**************************

Seth then goes on to briefly discuss categories of knowledge and traditions which allowed individuals to set aside accepted modes of perception to delve into other realms of knowledge. The problem then becomes language. This 'innate' genetic knowledge needs a way to be expressed.

I think that this is the real problem gnostics face and why our past expressions(Nag Hammadi codices, for example) have sided more with romantic verse than normal conversational language. Our 'mind perspective' has become so vastly expanded that our native tongue stumbles. We fumble around, looking for a more perfect word to describe 'immense' and 'forever,' meanwhile information is pouring into, not only our minds, but our hearts. Unspeakable and ineffable are two words which are repeated throughout gnostic texts and for very good reason.

Change is profound. How we deal with this is what makes our journey so unique. Do we stay in rigid dogmatic modes of thought and expression and only rely on those visualizations to express ourselves? Or do we throw caution to the wind and let our mind wander freely?

Seth says, "This heritage must be triggered psychically," and if I had read this book more than two years ago I'd have really been stumped as to what this means. Triggered as in 'decided upon' or triggered as in 'tripped over'? As a lay gnostic this "triggering" mechanism he speaks of means something quite simple and yet profound at the same time to me: connection.

This connection with Pleroma/The All/Source, etc, is like a torrential flood of love and information when activated. How or when does it occur? Awake or asleep, it can occur. We make life altering decisions in our sleep quite often but don't remember it.

We hold ourselves back because we're so utterly terrified of being alone. That is why the contrasting emotions from Pleroma feel so delusional at times. So when that conscious choice is made to (re)connect it seems as though we're bit out of our heads at first. Hence, the honeymoon period. Euphoria. Absolute euphoria. Like being wrapped in the softest, warmest blanket and cuddled.

Small nudges here and there. Turning left instead of right. Not speaking when we normally would have before. Sensing the larger cause and that patience is not just a virtue of some Romantic era but the natural way to function appropriately for your own personal growth. Feeling that, even though the world's gone mad, "everything will be alright" actually makes sense although we don't know why.

Something to ponder: maybe this is why Socrates had more fun listening than talking.