“Vistas” by Paul Giurlanda

[Sena]

The above book is of interest because the Kindle edition contains 53 references to "Seth". Paul Giurlanda is a professor of Catholic theology of thirty years standing, teaching at St.Mary's College, California. At the age of sixty he embarks on a series of metaphysical adventures. He is sceptical at first, but eventually finds that the Seth books give the best answers to the metaphysical questions which have troubled him for most of his life. Giurlanda makes the point that the practice of "channeling" of spirits of the dead is not all that different from Western notions of "revelation", in which divine wisdom makes itself known through a human medium.


Paul's journey towards Seth began when he went for past life regression therapy with Virginia Bennett:
http://drvirginiabennett.com/past-life-regression/


The highlight of his first session was his realization that a student of his named Noel had in fact been his son in a previous existence. At the end of the session, Virginia recommended that he read "Seth Speaks". Paul found the book "tedious", and he gave up after a few chapters. At the next session Virginia recommended "The Nature of Personal Reality". Paul finished reading this and went on to read "Adventures in Consciousness". He liked Jane's analogy of a circle representing the "real self":
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"This, both center and circle, is you, your true, "source self", non-physical and non-temporal, unimaginably creative, powerful and wise. Seth calls this the "Entity"."


Paul quotes Jane Roberts:


"The source self is the fountainhead of our present being, but it exists outside of that frame of reference......We are the instruments through which we know the earth."


Paul comments: "By living my life to the fullest, I act as an explorer for my parent self."


When Paul reads Seth's idea that one chooses each incarnation, he questions why one would choose incarnations of pain and suffering?


After the second regression, Paul joined the Bay Area Seth community. On his third regression, he found himself in between lives. He was with his "team" and the discussion was whether he would be interested in incarnating as a gay person to a working class Sicilian immigrant family in Detroit. At first he vehemently rejected this idea, but he gradually began to consider positive sides of this choice, and he was eventually able to see the benefits not only for him, but for those with whom he would be living this life.


Next he attended a week's intensive course at the Monroe Institute, and as a result had two interesting experiences. The ending of the book is a bit inconclusive. Paul has read most of the Seth books and is sympathetic to the ideas, but it does not appear that he has made much effort to put the ideas into practice. He has not, for instance, told us anything about his dreams.

[Deb]

Wow, that's very interesting. I wonder how many other books are out there by people who have read and somewhat adopted the Seth teachings. I have to say I had a similar experience to his with reading Seth Speaks. I read The Seth Materials first, thought it was dry and was not that much into it, but still read Seth Speaks. It wasn't until reading NOPR that I really got the bug for Seth. I probably should read the first two again, now that my perspective has changed.

AND he attended the Monroe Institute! For quite a while I was hell-bent on doing that myself, was actually going to do it this year then decided to go full throttle and take myself out of the country for a couple of weeks instead. I've been to the Institute only as a visitor, it's heavenly. I'd love to do past life regression as well, but so far I apparently can't be hypnotized and it's too expensive to keep trying until I break through whatever walls I have up.

it does not appear that he has made much effort to put the ideas into practice.

I wonder why?
It seems Jane and Rob were the same way (for the most part), but they were so focused on getting the books out that they had little time to do much else. Or at least that's what Rick Stack says.

[Sena]

it does not appear that he has made much effort to put the ideas into practice.


I wonder why?

It would seem that Paul had some specific problems relating to his gay status and his R.C. Sicilian immigrant background. He found enough information from the Seth books and other sources to change his "world view", but he did not seem motivated to push further. I wonder how active the Bay Area Seth group is? Paul gives the impression that there was an emphasis on social activities. He appears to me a very honest man.

[John Sorensen]

Interesting reading, thanks for posting senafernando