211 Your Sleeping Self Is Primary Reality

Session 211, November 24, 1965: Dreams, Dr. Instream, and a Left-Handed Spirit

The vibe for this session was high-energy and surprisingly witty, with Seth—the "energy personality essence"—showing off some serious humor while dropping truth bombs about the nature of our dreams and identity.

The High-Spirited Guest List

The session kicked off at 8:58 PM with witnesses Bill Gallagher (nicknamed "the Jesuit" by Seth) and Peggy Gallagher ("the cat lover"). Seth was in a particularly "high mood," joking that "For a spirit I am indeed in a rather high mood myself." The presence of witnesses seemed to fire him up, leading to a fast-paced, expressive delivery through Jane Roberts.

The Dream Experiments: Reality Check

Seth spent a good chunk of time laying down the law for upcoming dream experiments. He warned that we need our wits about us because the dream world is a maze of "primary" and "secondary" realities.

• Primary vs. Secondary Reality: Don't get fooled—walking in a dream might look like a primary action because you do it awake, but it’s actually part of the "primary of motion."
• Warped Time: You might dream of your past as if it’s the present, but Seth notes, "The present within which you seem to experience the dream is not, however, the present in physical time."
• The Identity Secret: In a chillingly cool insight, Seth claims that when you’re awake, you don’t know your sleeping self, yet "The sleeping self is your identity."
• Discovery: Seth insists that "The nature of dreams will only be discovered in such a manner as I am suggesting," rather than in a cold laboratory where scientists won't even look at their own dreams.

Investigating Reality

Seth argues that you can’t understand the universe just by looking at the physical stuff. You’ve got to get weird and look at all levels of awareness.

• "The nature of reality can only be approached by an investigation of reality as it is directly experienced in all levels of awareness: reality as it appears under dream conditions, under other conditions of dissociation, and as it appears in the waking condition."
• Most people only live in the "upper layers of egotistical awareness," which is basically just the surface-level "you" that handles physical chores.

The Dr. Instream "Psychic Hit"

To prove he wasn't just talking big, Seth performed a "Dr. Instream" test. While Jane was in a deep trance, Seth described exactly what Dr. Instream was doing elsewhere:

• He described a gathering of four men and three women in a room with a fireplace.
• He detailed an ornate, round, gilt-colored clock with pink flowers and a green felt base (not electric!).
• He called out a misplaced cigarette holder or lighter and a letter from a former female student regarding references.
• He even predicted a surprise change in the doctor's Tuesday/Thursday morning teaching schedule.

Left-Handed Spirits and Egos

One of the funnier moments happened when "the Jesuit" (Bill) asked why Seth uses his left hand during sessions when Jane is right-handed. Seth’s response was classic:

• "I always used one hand, and he used the other... I have been saying for some time now that I am myself, and that Ruburt is someone else."
• He explained that being left or right-handed comes from "inner mechanisms and brain patterns" that exist before the physical hand even moves.
• When asked about changing Jane's facial features, Seth admitted he can do it, but Jane’s ego is "naturally jealous" of its own physical matter. "All egos fear that which is not ego," Seth observed.

Visit the New Awareness Network at sethcenter.com/the-early-sessions