Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul

Have you even gazed up at the stars on a clear summer evening and wondered about the universe that lies above? Do you remember those moments of introspection when you pondered the meaning of your existence, or when you wondered so fervently where that deceased loved one or pet might be now? Seth, a "personality" channeled by medium Jane Roberts, reveals these questions and more in his first of many books in the Seth Series. Seth first came through Jane in the early '60s and continued to relay information right up to her death in the early `80s. In this book, "Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul," Seth addresses the true nature of our physical/spiritual existence, much of which is blind to us in our conscious physical state. While Jane Roberts is the credited author, ironically, she is really the ghostwriter (no pun intended). The real writer is Seth, who has lived this physical reality more than once. His intent is to impart upon us a view of "reality." Not "reality" as we know it; reality as it really is. Seth says our current perception of reality is "an illusion." We live within a sea of molecules, which we use to create the physical existence we experience. Our real existence emanates from our soul, where our inner self exists as the primary component to a physical identity we think of as our true being. The narration draws upon topics as wide reaching as metaphysics and spiritual consciousness, dream states and analysis, psychology, religion, and the experience of physical death. Whether or not you agree with Seth, this book will widen your thinking, expand your view of the world and your placement in it. Many of Seth's concepts, which he relayed in 1970 through 1971, mirror concepts discussed in quantum physics and reality. The message he sends is not designed to establish a dogma but to remind us of a reality our soul already knows and we spend a lifetime trying to remember. True inner growth comes with spiritual awareness. Consciousness precedes form; everything we experience is created within, then projects outward. Being reminded of the many aspects of our true being awakens the inner self, bringing us continually closer to All that Is. Many of these concepts are "heady" and may not be understood in this review. After reading Seth Speaks, their true meaning will make sense. Clearly communicated and brilliantly conceived, this book is a decongestant to the pathways of the soul. It will open those channels to your inner being and, if nothing else, will cause you to view those stars that shine so brightly on a clear summer night far differently than you did in the past.

Using the words “Truth”, “Reality” and “Objective” is a misnomer, but I couldn’t figure out a better way to describe what’s in this book. These words are misnomers because reality is completely subjective, and subject to being shaped totally by our focus. But it is more than that. It’s hard to explain, but Seth in Seth Speaks demonstrates the wisdom of Infinite Intelligence as he lays out the details of life which humanity knows so little about. If you’re at all inclined to interest in life after “death”, you are going to want to read this. Supremely profound, spot on (in my experience) and thought provoking, this read will open your eyes to what is really going on in “life.” It’s not for everyone. My experience brought me to it with perfect timing. Had it come earlier, I would have blew it off as hooey, not because it is, but because my preparation for reading it was woefully inadequate. Nearly every page, every paragraph every sentence, every word contains so much wealth of information, I found myself highlighting nearly the whole book! I was highlighting so much my fiancé at the time suggested I highlight the parts I thought were NOT important. That would be easier She said LOL. I devoured and resonate fully with Seth’s complex analysis of “life” in all it’s manifestations, both in “life” as we know it and in that part of life that exists beyond what we call “death”. What inspired me so much about reading the first part of the book is how immense post-death life is. I so am eager to experience that more! The section on dreams and the multiple dimensions of existence threw me though. I wasn’t ready to consume that material. I find myself getting through it now though and as my experience with the material matures, I am finding the material about dreams and how to access consciously these unfamiliar dimensions fascinating, thought-provoking and, believe it or not, adding a richness to my life that I knew in the corners of my mind were possible, but didn’t know if I’d actually experience it. This is life-changing material. If you’re not ready for it, you’re not going to enjoy the journey. If you’re in the right space and ready to receive this material, I strongly encourage you to dive into this book. How will you know? You’ll just have to give it a shot I guess!

Wow, what an amazing book! It truly blew my mind. I found myself needing to slow down just to absorb its depth and meaning. Even now, I'm still processing everything I've read. It's profound, inspiring, and mind opening. A must-read for anyone seeking a deeper perspective! I can't wait for the day when I am able to communicate with all my probable selves and see what's going on with the other parts of me! That would be interesting! Haha!

In 1945 philosopher Aldous Huxley published a book with this title. The title is self-explanatory – it is about an idea that keeps on recurring through the ages. What is this idea? It is expressed in many different ways by various sages but the fundamental core is belief in a deity. This article was originally a book review but it was re-shaped at the suggestion of the editor as an article because it moved me to explore other writings on themes raised by the Seth dialogues. The book at its heart was Seth Speaks: The eternal validity of the soul, as channelled by Jane Roberts [Amber-Allen Publishing & New World Library, 1972, 454 pp. ISBN 1-878424-07-6] This text is one of over two dozen books that are published as the thoughts of a mystical spirit called Seth, as channelled since the 1960s by the American author, poet and psychic Jane Roberts, a trance medium. The work is a treatise of spiritual guidance: it is a much more extended version of comparable channellings to be found, for example, in the Jeshua channellings to Pamela Kribbe, in Life in the World Unseen by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, channelled through Anthony Borgia; or from Stephen the Martyr to New Zealand priest Michael Cocks, which I have reviewed earlier. The material here is compiled by Jane’s husband Robert F. Butts. Books such as these try to give us a glimpse of what our soul’s existence in the afterlife will be like, but also give us practical and spiritual guidance as to how we should live a spiritually worthwhile and satisfying life on Earth. The messages are familiar ones. Our present human life is but one of a number of lives our soul is likely to experience. The most satisfying life we can lead is one that is devoted to understanding and developing ourselves – our souls, and in so doing serving others – a life dedicated to providing inspiration to as many people as possible. Focusing on material things may make our earthly life more pleasant, and will offer us opportunities for spiritual development; it is our spiritual progression on Earth that provides us with greatest contentment and satisfaction in the afterlife. If I list some of the topics covered in the twenty-two chapters it will give readers an idea of the scope of the book: “My Present Environment, Work and Activities; How Thoughts Form Matter; The Potentials of the Soul; The ‘Death’ Experience; Reincarnation, Dreams and the Hidden Male and Female Within the Self; The Meaning of Religion”. The treatment of these subjects will give the enquiring mind much to ponder. I found the whole book uplifting and mentally stimulating, but the authenticity of the experience was confirmed for me in the opening chapter and by watching Jane speak as Seth on YouTube. Robert acts as scribe but as Seth has known him from previous lifetimes he refers to him as Joseph. Jane herself also has lived before as both male and female and is described by Seth as Ruburt and ‘him’. I was also drawn into the book early on (p.4) by the trenchant statement ‘Consciousness creates form. It is not the other way around’. A statement such as this from an old spirit endorses the views of contemporary rationalists found in books such as Mind Before Matter [reviewed earlier – can’t find it in back issues so new copy attached]. The printed pages of a book do not contain information – they transmit information (p.60), just as the notes in a manuscript score in themselves are merely symbols. It is only when the notes are played that they convey the feelings of the composer to the listener. (Skilled musicians of course can realise the sounds just by reading the score.) Similarly, it is our thoughts and feelings that create the material world we experience through our senses. Bishop George Berkeley is rarely read nowadays except by philosophers but his contention that esse ist percipi (to be is to be perceived) implies that material objects exist only in the consciousness of the perceiver. Our sense impressions, said Berkeley, are ideas in the mind of God. And if we interpret ‘God’ as Universal Spirit we get very close to twenty-first century scientific ideas as to the nature of consciousness. The deeply philosophical issue of the nature of those ‘material objects’ that give rise to our mental images is not discussed here. Then there is affirmation (also p.4) that the soul lives on through many human lives: ‘you have each lived other existences, and that knowledge is within you though you are not consciously aware of it.’ The Bhagavad Gita tells us ‘You always are and you always will be’, which should reduce the fear of death for us all and it certainly has for me. With deep perceptions like this of the meaning of life I hope it will be clear why I thought this book was worth working through. Chapter 4 deals with the controversial topic of the relativity of time – as space is relative and space-time form a continuum, time must also be relative: ‘time is not a series of moments’ (p.47). The idea of our successive yet simultaneous incarnations is presented using the allegory of a series of plays upon the stages of the world. The multi-dimensional self participates in all of these activities simultaneously, though we are unaware of this. Thus, when we reincarnate, it is simply the soul within a different body and a different play – the continuity of the soul is unbroken and there is no awareness of our having played a different role previously. I would suggest that the rationalist who may find this concept difficult read Anthony Peake’s ‘The Labyrinth of Time’. ‘The soul is not something that you have – it is what you are’ (p.70). Chapter 11 deals with a subject that I have always found difficult – that we choose the life path we are to follow in each incarnation. As someone born with somewhat debilitating congenital abnormalities I found it difficult to accept this contention, though there are others who are far more disabled than I. Seth explains this with a clarity I had not found before: so often, the situation is either denied completely (as I used to do) or is dismissed glibly with “Well, it was your choice”. Seth explains how these successive incarnations, whether easy or difficult, build up the experiences for development of the soul. Chapter 13 on the Hidden Male and Female Within the Self finds an echo in C.G. Jung’s concept of the animus and anima, aspects of male and female personality that are found respectively in every female and male. Just as Rupert Sheldrake has talked about the morphic field of universal memory and Ervin Laszlo described the akashic field of the Upanishads that shape our personalities and human consciousness we meet continually in this book ‘modern’ ideas that have permeated the human mind for at least ten thousand years. We struggle now to find commonalities in the concept of deity between the religions of east and west. The next chapter describes the Multidimensional God that all religions quest after, whether overtly or not. When Einstein combined ‘time’ with the three dimensions of space into a space-time continuum, this was a revolutionary idea. The suggestion that there may be eleven or more dimensions could not have emerged before quantum physics. But here, Seth is describing convincingly (at least to me) a multidimensional universe: “The outer world is a reflection of the inner one” (p.324) or, as we have heard before, “as above, so below”. The existence of what we call evil is often seen by religious adherents as incompatible with a loving God. But, as Seth explains in a very philosophical way, that good and evil are simply the opposite sides of human morality – just as the top and bottom of an apple are still parts of the same apple, or light and darkness (often associated respectively with good and evil) are simply the consequences of Earth’s universal situation with respect to the sun. So very many of the moral issues that torment us here on Earth are explained in simple terms by Seth in this presentation. While I have great respect for the messages presented in these trance sessions and I found so much that was reassuring and challenging to me as a rational scientist I did find the notes and timings added by Robert rather irritating and a distraction from the message, especially when the more complicated issues arise. Overall, this is a very thought-provoking book with a comforting message of the immortality (or eternal validity) of the soul for those whose minds are open enough to absorb it. I find it encouraging and uplifting that sources both temporal and spiritual keep arriving at the same conclusion: that the happenings in our material world were initiated and are continuously overseen by a cosmic spiritual energy whose wisdom is slowly percolating down to the human world. [1500 words]

My favorite book of all time. I really resonate with the Seth Material. I like that it has an index for quick and easy reference.

This book, and also the series (The Seth Material), is worthy of all time and effort... Speaking in monologue, Seth reminds us of the truth that we collectively chose to ignore and forget. His guiding words are a great help to understand the various aspects of our multi-dimensional existence. The messages shared in this book cover a wide range of topics like reincarnation, future-of-mankind, The Second Coming... The whole series was channelized through Jane Roberts over a period of 21 years! The book contains a nice description of the Jungian concepts of 'anima' and 'animus.' Of course, a flexible mental attitude will be required to go through all that is given here. At times, this book went so 'out-of-the-box' for me that I had to start making notes to continue further. The classification of levels of consciousness is remarkable towards the end of the book. One issue that I felt was the lack of editing in the book. Same words and phrases have been repeated too many times. Repetition of certain ideas, of course, is necessary but I am talking about the material that seems to be present just because it wasn't edited out. At least a quarter of the overall size of the book can be shortened. This issue is characteristic to many channelized works including Edgar Cayce Material. Contrary to this, 'A Course in Miracles' serves a good example where a thorough-editing (7 years) was accepted as much a part of the overall work as scribing itself. The techniques/exercises given in the book are very impacting. These have enriched the book by adding the practical element that one can immediately adopt in practice. These also serve as a bridge to a general reader's level and things that sound 'too high.' But the given techniques are few in number, just five or six! Overall, this is a GREAT book!

Antes de polarizar, reclamar ou se vitimizar, já pensaram em retomar o poder que é teu de origem. Digo, voltar a ser protagonista da sua existência ao invés de culpar o sistema? Controle sobre sua vida, saúde, oportunidades e sucesso? Bora ler este livro.