148 Using Gray Hair to Justify Smoking

Insights from Seth: Session 148 (April 21, 1965)

Welcome to a relaxed breakdown of Session 148 from The Early Sessions, Book 3 of the Seth Material. Recorded on April 21, 1965, this session is a bit of a "short and sweet" vibe because, honestly, even multidimensional personalities know when you just need a break.

The session kicked off with Jane Roberts (referred to by Seth as Ruburt) and Robert Butts (Joseph) feeling a bit under the weather. Jane was dealing with some serious tension, and Seth, ever the insightful observer, decided to skip the heavy metaphysical lectures for the night to give some much-needed life advice.

The Ego, The Cigarette, and The Silver Hair

Seth jumped right into the "basic causes" of Jane’s physical discomfort, and he didn't pull any punches. It turns out, Jane was stressing about her book actually getting published. Talk about the anxiety of success!

• The Ego Image Crisis: Jane’s self-image was tied up in being a "black-haired young woman" and a "woman writer who smokes."
• The "Silver Threads" Trap: Seth pointed out that Jane found a few grey hairs (the "silver threads among the black") and it sent her ego into a tailspin.
• The Trickery of the Mind: Seth hilariously called out Jane’s subconscious "trickery," noting that she used the "horror" of these few white hairs as an excuse to smoke more. He noted: "This horror, these few white hairs, then very naturally become the reason to increase smoking, for he now has an excellent reason to feel sorry for himself."
• One Step at a Time: The advice here was simple: don't try to overhaul your entire identity overnight. Seth suggested tackling the smoking first rather than worrying about the hair color.

Prescriptions for a Chill Evening

Since Jane had been reading a book on abnormal psychology before the session (not exactly light bedtime reading), Seth stepped in with some mandatory relaxation orders.

• No More Heavy Lifting: Seth explicitly told Jane to ditch the heavy books for the night. Instead, he recommended "light reading" or even just watching some television.
• The Power of a Back Rub: In a rare moment of practical physical advice, Seth suggested Joseph give Jane a back rub before bed. Talk about a supportive spirit!
• The Social Mandate: Seth emphasized that the couple needed to get out of the apartment more. He suggested a weekly outing for "an evening of enjoyment" to be around other people, provided it was financially feasible.

Key Quotes to Vibe With

To give you a taste of the session's flavor, here is a small slice of Seth's perspective from that evening:

"I see that we are all in high spirits. You realize that when one of you is indisposed, you may of course cancel a session... There is, indeed, nothing seriously wrong with our cigarette smoker, Ruburt. Tension however has caused a disturbance."

Seth also noted on the importance of maintaining a rhythm without obsessing over perfection:

"We have much time available to us, and need not worry over an occasional missed or short session, as long as our overall pattern is maintained."

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