The failure of the intellect

[Bora137]

I did at one time think the intellect was master, now I avoid its advice as much as I can ( except for negotiating my way through life's systems like roads and shops). Everywhere now I see the failures of the intellect.

"(9:44.) It is certainly too simple to say what I am going to say, yet it is almost as if you would be better off turning the entire rational approach upside down, taking it for granted that all of its assumptions were false, for they are indeed more false than true (intently). Again, you see, the divisions are arbitrary on your part. The intellect is, again, the result of highly spontaneous processes of which it itself knows nothing, and the intuitions that are considered so undisciplined and unreasonable are based upon calculations far more spectacular than those of which the conscious mind can conceive. The intellect could not follow them, so the distinctions are not basic: They are the result of beliefs and habitual usage. Therefore, of course, I speak of them separately, as you think of them.

The magical approach takes it for granted that the human being is a united creature, fulfilling purposes in nature even as the animals do, whether or not those purposes are understood. (Pause.) The magical approach takes it for granted that each individual has a future, a fulfilling one, even though death may be tomorrow. The magical approach takes it for granted that the means for development are within each individual, and that fulfillment will happen naturally. Overall, that approach operates in your world. If it did not, there would be no world. If the worst was bound to happen, as the scientists certainly think, even evolution, in their terms, would have been impossible, of course — a nice point to put somewhere (all intently)."

—TMA Session Three: August 13, 1980

I'm all for the magical approach now when a few years ago I would have laughed at it.

[Deb]

Bora I'm with you. I've been told by various people throughout my life to listen to my instincts, which I always thought was woo-woo speak (even though two of them were doctors).

Great quote from The Magical Approach, it makes so much sense and is reassuring. Over the years I have listened to my instincts or gut feeling more consistently thanks to Seth, and I can say I've never been sorry. The times when I ignore them, I get feedback and think, "oh yeah, I get it, thanks." It's usually with the little things where I'll choose to go against my instincts, and I appreciate the feedback because it's validating.

I think using the magical approach has freed me in some ways. For instance, when I hear something in the news that instantly provokes fear in many people, I check my gut and often a red flag goes up (or as I think of it, my BS meter) that something is not right. Eventually it turns out to be inaccurate or even fabricated. Then I have to wonder if my instincts are really that good, or I'm that good at creation, lol.

So here's to "turning the entire rational approach upside down." I haven't turned off my rational self, I try to use both approaches in tandem. They are my twin rudders.

[Sena]

I did at one time think the intellect was master, now I avoid its advice as much as I can ( except for negotiating my way through life's systems like roads and shops). Everywhere now I see the failures of the intellect.

Bora, that seems to me a rather extreme interpretation of Seth's teaching on the intellect. For a more balanced view, consider the following:

"The intellect is brilliant, but on its own, now (underlined), it is indeed in its way isolated both in time and in space in a way that other portions of the personality are not. When it is overly stressed, with all of the usual frameworks or rationales that go along with it, it can indeed become frightened, paranoid, because it cannot really perceive events until they have already occurred. It does not know what will happen tomorrow, and since it is overly stressed, its paranoid tendencies can only fear the worst. Now those tendencies are not natural to the intellect, but only appear when it is forced to operate in such an isolated fashion — isolated not only in time and space, but psychologically isolated from other portions of the personality that are meant to bring it additional information that it does not possess, and a kind of magical support." (from "The Magical Approach: Seth Speaks About the Art of Creative Living (A Seth Book)" by Jane Roberts, Robert F. Butts)

https://amzn.eu/i9OukCH

[Sena]

I haven't turned off my rational self, I try to use both approaches in tandem. They are my twin rudders

Deb, I agree,

[Tob]

I haven't turned off my rational self, I try to use both approaches in tandem. They are my twin rudders

Deb, I agree,

Session 90:

"Knowledge on your physical plane must be applied in human terms and human values, or the possibility of helping someone else either through the sort of a session we held last time, or through a more regular session, should not be ignored. (...) The last session falls under a category of applied knowledge.

(...)

There must be abstract knowledge and concept before there can be any applied knowledge in real terms. The more philosophic material, or what could almost be called academic material, suits both of you greatly, and is indeed where my own interests mainly lie. However the human element must not be ignored, and whatever personal help and inner understanding this material brings to others will incite their intellectual curiosity, and this is all to the good."

[Bora137]

I did at one time think the intellect was master, now I avoid its advice as much as I can ( except for negotiating my way through life's systems like roads and shops). Everywhere now I see the failures of the intellect.

Bora, that seems to me a rather extreme interpretation of Seth's teaching on the intellect. For a more balanced view, consider the following:

"The intellect is brilliant, but on its own, now (underlined), it is indeed in its way isolated both in time and in space in a way that other portions of the personality are not. When it is overly stressed, with all of the usual frameworks or rationales that go along with it, it can indeed become frightened, paranoid, because it cannot really perceive events until they have already occurred. It does not know what will happen tomorrow, and since it is overly stressed, its paranoid tendencies can only fear the worst. Now those tendencies are not natural to the intellect, but only appear when it is forced to operate in such an isolated fashion — isolated not only in time and space, but psychologically isolated from other portions of the personality that are meant to bring it additional information that it does not possess, and a kind of magical support." (from "The Magical Approach: Seth Speaks About the Art of Creative Living (A Seth Book)" by Jane Roberts, Robert F. Butts)

https://amzn.eu/i9OukCH

Thanks Sena, I would say yes in better circumstances the intellect is a powerful tool but I feel Seth here is saying the situation on our planet at this time with the prevailing beliefs we have adopted just so isolate the intellect and cause it to perceive fears and threats where there are none. And yes I also agree with Deb, when the supporting intuition is highly valued and given an equal footing with the intellect then both can work in tandem. I'm looking more to my intuition at the moment though just because everywhere I look I see the intellect in a state of self induced panic.

[Tob]

I haven't turned off my rational self, I try to use both approaches in tandem. They are my twin rudders

Deb, I agree,

Session 90:

"Knowledge on your physical plane must be applied in human terms and human values, or the possibility of helping someone else either through the sort of a session we held last time, or through a more regular session, should not be ignored. (...) The last session falls under a category of applied knowledge.

(...)

There must be abstract knowledge and concept before there can be any applied knowledge in real terms. The more philosophic material, or what could almost be called academic material, suits both of you greatly, and is indeed where my own interests mainly lie. However the human element must not be ignored, and whatever personal help and inner understanding this material brings to others will incite their intellectual curiosity, and this is all to the good."

Session 95:

"Also I mentioned that the spacious present knows no beginning or end, and that energy, of which everything is composed, can never be withdrawn. Nor can individualized energy ever lose its individuality, nor in a very actual sense can anything which has ever existed go out of existence, but merely change its form. Since energy cannot be withdrawn but only change its form, then there can be no ending, but only a contraction such as that which I have earlier explained. And expansion must then follow, the expansion in your terms bringing a new beginning.

(...)

Energy is self-perpetuating. The universe and all planes and universes of existence, come indeed from what you may call energy, vitality, idea; or despite Ruburt's stubborn blocking, from a personality essence or psychic gestalt which you may refer to as God if you prefer. And this statement is an extremely simplified version of actuality.

(...)

Before any universe as you know it, or as I know it, existed, there was first a striving. To make this as simple as possible is difficult, since it has been simplified for me. In ultimate terms, there is and never was a beginning. This strains the intellect, and so I will say that in your practical terms, of which we have somewhat spoken in the past, there was what you may all refer to as a beginning, when strife and striving and a wish to be formed itself and gathered itself sufficiently together to form a contracted whole in which all possibilities were latent.

You will ask me, then, the source of the wish to be. You will of course ask me the source of the source, and I will say again that only within the framework of your intense but limited camouflage universe does such a question have meaning or validity. Far be it from me to reinforce my little atheist's early catechism lessons. I must however substitute the word God for energy, but still say that energy always was and always will be.

It is not to minimize the importance of the intellect that I once again repeat: Inner reality will only be known directly through the inner self, and the inner senses. The intellect must deal and interpret the realities of camouflage existence, this being its purpose. There is a constant, ever-enfolding and ever-expanding reality. The pyramids of psychic gestalts of which I have spoken represent in your terms all beginnings and all endings, which again expand into new beginnings and new forms."

[barrie]

I did at one time think the intellect was master, now I avoid its advice as much as I can ( except for negotiating my way through life's systems like roads and shops). Everywhere now I see the failures of the intellect.

Bora, The intellect has its EQUAL place alongside intuition. They do a choreographic dance which keep us successfully exploring and moving in and out of F1 and F2--able to learn and grow. The intellect is our great translator between F1 and F2--and the practical conscious guide putting into practice the lessons it has learned and translated from the intuition, dreams and imagination.

Seth (ESP Class, 7-30-74): "I challenge you to encounter yourself playfully and joyfully; to look at your beliefs as objectively as you would a flower, or a rose, or a skunk, or a chunk of coal. Simply be aware of the content of your own conscious mind. Learn to use your intellect and your intuitions together, and you will discover that there is no competition. You do not need to fear that you will be devoured by your emotions. You do not need to fear that your intellect will lead you astray. You do not need to fear anything.

"Your emotions and your intellect go together. Only your system of beliefs makes it seem that there is a difference – that one contradicts the other. There is no contradiction. You feel as you feel because you believe in a certain fashion. Your feelings follow your conscious beliefs, no matter what you have been told. You are not therefore at the mercy of any unconscious feelings from this life or any other."

Seth (ESP Class, 1-29-74)  "Ruburt is not so gullible. In him you find the intellect and the intuition blended to an advantage. And the caution that he uses is well grounded because I have taught him the nature of beliefs.

"Now, the intellect, basically, and the intuition are wedded as man and wife. But in your society you have separated them so that it seems to you that the intellect must question always what the intuitions know. You believe that you are being masculine and intellectual when you question what you know already. You believe that you are being gullible and stupid and feminine when you accept what you know intuitively. This has to do with your cultural beliefs.

"The intellect and the intuition are wedded – they are one. They are meant to work together. Ruburt was taught to separate them, as many of you were, so it has taken him some time before he began to use them together as they were meant to be used. And because of his earlier beliefs and his caution, he is able to speak to you and to others who started out with the same beliefs. He is able therefore, to speak to your reality and to make sense in it.

"Many of you believe that to believe you must give up your intellectual qualifications. You must accept, willy-nilly, anything that is told to you under the banner of psychic phenomena. You will resist to your dying day the idea of original sin, but you will accept karma. It is new and hip and in. It is the same theory in old clothes.

"You will believe anything told you often, now, as long as it is not connected with an organization, as long as it is disreputable, as long as it is not "in," as long as it is against the establishment. And so, unwittingly, you can therefore accept a new dogma without realizing what you have done."

Seth (ESP Class, 10-21-69): "Now you believe that you are using your intellectual abilities, but you have only begun to use them. You have not begun to use your intuitional abilities to anything like their true extent.

So I encourage you to use both, and you are welcome to our classes whenever you can attend.

"I tell you to examine what you see and what you hear, not only here in this room and in these classes, but to examine what you see in physical reality in your normal life. The two of you can be of great benefit to each other, but only when you feel free to use your intellectual AND intuitional abilities to their full – and do not fell hampered on either side."


Seth (ESP Class, 1-14-69): "It is not that you do not have good intellects. It is that you have made a bargain with yourselves. And the bargain is, that you will not use your intellects fully so that you can manipulate more comfortably in your own environment.` Now, I hope to show you that you can use your intellects fully and still operate more effectively in your environment.

"You must also use your intuitions. The intuitions know first, but there is no reason why your intellects cannot follow. None of you in this room use 50% of your intellect and there is no reason why you cannot use it. None of you use 50% of your intuitional abilities, and there is no reason why you cannot use the abilities."

[Tob]

Session 100:

"Our sessions are but barely beginning. I did want to mention the fact that Ruburt is doing very well with the initial chapter that will introduce our material. I also hope that you both realize how your abilities have begun to ripen, and how our sessions have led you into an increased awareness in all avenues of focus and activity. We are as I have told you going slowly, and yet the progression will be a steady one that rests upon disciplined sensitivities, without those possible dangers that can result when there is an overly intensive or fanatical attention to one line of focus, and a lack of disciplined understanding.

We are not attempting to enlighten the intuitions at the expense of the intellect. We are attempting to work in such a manner that added knowledge from the intuitional inner self is also made known to the intellect. (...) The ego however is not an afterthought disconnected from the whole self, and when the intellect becomes aware of data given to it by the intuitions or the inner self, it is then capable of informing the ego, which then changes its attitude accordingly. This way we are assured of the cooperation of the whole self, and avoid any possibility of splitting one self, one part of the self, against another."