074 Childhood Trauma Fuels Workplace Drama

The Prickly Porcupine, The Panicked Poet, and The Prosaic Prescription

Welcome, cosmic travelers, to our deep dive into Session 74 of The Early Sessions, Book 2 of the Seth Material, recorded on a sweltering Monday night, July 27, 1964. Tonight, Seth puts on his therapist hat (if he wore one) to deliver a hilarious, insightful, and slightly spicy intervention for Jane Roberts, aka Ruburt, concerning her workplace drama.

The Problem: When Authority Knocks, Ruburt Bristles

The main event of the session is Seth's analysis of Ruburt’s intense panic reactions to a new authority figure at her gallery job. This fear, Seth explains, is a conditioned reflex from a childhood with a "frightening, threatening, sometimes cruel, and capricious" mother. Now, faced with a new boss, Ruburt transforms.

"At once our Ruburt is like a porcupine, feeling trapped and prickling all over, eyes glaring, and attitude more prickly than a porcupine’s quills."

Seth reveals that this isn't just about the boss. When Ruburt feels professionally bruised from a writing rejection slip, she seeks ego satisfaction at the gallery, fighting for a position she doesn't even truly want. Her rebellious spirit even extends to her spelling, which Seth cheekily points out is a defiant act: "If authority says spell a word one way, Ruburt defiantly spells it another."

Seth’s Chill-Out Prescription

Fear not! Seth comes through with a multi-pronged plan for helping Ruburt find her center and put the daggers away.

• The Magic Back Exercises: Seth repeatedly champions a set of back exercises for their ability to instill quietude, concentration, and relaxation. The ultimate goal is to rewire Ruburt's nervous system so that "relaxation will be the built-in conditioned reflex that panic used to be."
• Strategic Retreat: He strongly recommends taking "occasional whole days away" and a vacation near a large body of water, preferably the ocean, calling them "excellent psychic refreshers."
• The Unthinkable Invitation: In a moment of sheer bullheadedness, as he calls it, Seth pushes through Ruburt's mental blocks to suggest they invite the director over for a drink. He admits the suggestion "amounts to a treason of sorts" for them but insists it would do them good.

Cosmic Landlording and Final Thoughts

Seth also drops a few tantalizingly mysterious tidbits, mentioning he has been "preparing your house for you." When pressed for details on how, he simply replies with a smile, "In my own way."

This session is a masterclass in compassionate, no-nonsense spiritual psychology. Seth’s advice, while sometimes "prosaic-sounding," is designed to help Ruburt and Joseph avoid pitfalls and find more energy for their work and "the enjoyment of life in general."

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This analysis is based on The Seth Material, generously made available by the publisher, New Awareness Network. We encourage you to study the complete Seth Material books and visit the New Awareness Network website and bookstore at sethcenter.com/the-early-sessions.

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