104 The Frightened Ego Pulls Imaginary Coattails

Session 104 recorded on November 4, 1964, Jane Roberts almost launched her soul out of her head before her ego decided to play "bad cop."

The Ego: A Frightened Dog in a Bathrobe

The session starts with some classic Seth humor. Earlier that day, Jane (Ruburt) had a "peach" of an experience with psychological time. Her inner self tried to make a break for it—a literal "outward rush" through the head—but her ego wasn't having it.

Seth explains that the ego is like a frightened dog sniffing danger. It doesn't really know what’s going on; it just knows something is changing, and it wants to stop it.

"The sensation occurred mere seconds before the outward rush, but provided just enough of a dim warning to the ego. The ego could not prevent the outward rush. It did not react in time... It yelped and pulled the escaping inner self back by its imaginary coattails."

Seth suggests that we need to treat our egos with a little more love. Instead of fighting it, we should offer "gratitude for the ego’s protective concern." Think of it as thanking your overprotective parent for making you wear a helmet while you’re trying to fly a jetpack.

Pro-Tips for Astral Travelers

If you’re planning on doing some "inner acceleration," Seth gives us some very specific branding advice for our affirmations.

Avoid This / Use This

Saying "I will progress slowly." / Saying "I will progress safely."

Why? "Slow" is just neutral and puts things off. Why? "Safely" balances progress with comfort.

Seth compares these inner journeys to flying an airplane: the landing is the most important part. You want to avoid a "crash" when returning to the physical image. He even jokes that while there might be some "bumpings along the ground," he’s there to make sure there are no "airline disasters."

Telepathic Portraits and New York Offices

The session also gets into Rob’s (Joseph’s) artistic development. Apparently, those "made-up" faces he likes to paint aren't actually made up. They are telepathic images of people he’s picking up from the ether.

Seth also drops a detailed psychic forecast about Jane’s writing career. He describes a specific New York office where her manuscript is currently sitting:

• The Vibe: A small, non-elegant office, stories high, looking out over lower buildings.
• The Decor: A modern red leather chair with short round wooden legs and no arms.
• The Players: A collegiate-looking man with graying hair and a reddish-faded mustache, and another "tall, thin, gawky-type man" with protuberant eyes.

The Chilling After-Hours

The notes following the session take a bit of a spooky turn. Jane’s psychological time experiments left her feeling "dissolved below the chest" and shivering with abnormal cold. She even had a premonition dream involving a black envelope from a deceased friend, which she interpreted via a pendulum as a warning about her mother’s health.

It’s a reminder that while the Seth Material can be funny and enlightening, it’s also dealing with the raw, sometimes chilling edges of human consciousness.

Ready to go deeper? Don’t just take our word for it. Study the source, grab the books, and join the conversation at sethcenter.com/the-early-sessions. Stay safe out there in the psychological time stream!