Seth material, organized to answer Andy Hughes’ questions
“Consciousness is not a “thing” in itself, rather, it is a dimension of action made possible by a series of creative dilemmas.
“There are three dilemmas which represent the areas of reality within which the inner vitality of the universe can express and experience itself.
The First Creative Dilemma
“The first dilemma is inner vitality’s desire and impetus to completely materialize itself, and its inability to do so. This results in action, which is a part of all structure.
“Identity may be termed as action which is conscious of itself.
“An identity is also a dimension of existence, action within action, an unfolding of action upon itself — and through this interweaving of action with itself, through this re-action, an identity is formed.
“Identity and action cannot be separated.”
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Excerpt #1 from In the Beginning There was Nothing:
To Be, we must create. To create, we must Be. One creates the other in an endless dance of entanglement. – Pete
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“Without identity, action would be meaningless, for there would be nothing upon which action could act. Action must then, by its very nature, create identities.”
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Excerpt #2 from In the Beginning There was Nothing:
Got your Einstein detective hat on? Consider this: without Energy or the power to act, how can Awareness know and express itself? And without the presence of Awareness, what defines and creates a need for Energy? Doesn’t one need the other for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to exist? – Pete
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“Identity, because of its characteristics, will continually seek stability, while stability is impossible. Action would seem to destroy identity, since action must involve change, and any change seems to threaten identity. However, identities are never constant, for consciousness without action would cease to be conscious.
The Second Creative Dilemma
“Identity must seek stability while action must seek change; yet identity could not exist without change, for it is the result of action and a part of it. This is the second dilemma.
“Identity is not the same as individual personality. Personality represents only those aspects of identity which are able to be actualized within three-dimensional existence.
“The ego at any give time in this life is simply the part of the inner self that surfaces in physical reality; a group of characteristics that the inner self uses to solve various problems. Even the ego as we think of it changes constantly.
The Third Creative Dilemma
“Ego consciousness is a state resulting from the third creative dilemma, which happens when consciousness of self attempts to separate itself from action. This involves a state in which consciousness of self attempts to perceive action as an object… and to perceive action, which is initiated by the ego, as a result rather than as a part of ego’s own existence. This is impossible since no consciousness or identity can exist without action.
“Each of you exists in other realities and other dimensions, and the self that you call yourself is but a small portion of your entire identity.
“Within the self that you know is the prime identity, the whole self. This whole self has lived many lives and adopted many personalities. Personality may be somewhat molded by the circumstances that are created for it by the whole self but the prime identity uses the resulting experience.
Personality and identity are not dependent upon physical form.
“Your prime identity is an energy essence personality which is composed of energy gestalts*.
* “Gestalt” is a German word that refers to an organization of any number of similar or associated elements that provide the observer with the perception of “oneness from many.” For example, it can be used to describe a collection of cells that make up a particular organ in your body or your entire body itself. It can even be used to describe an organization or framework of ideas that can be seen as a particular belief system or worldview. – Pete
“As each individual consciousness grows, out of its experience it forms other “personalities” or fragments of itself. These fragments are entirely independent as to action and decision, while constantly in communication with the whole self of which they are a part.
“These “fragments” themselves grow, develop, and may form their own entities or “personality gestalts”.
“You have constant contact with the other parts of your whole self, but your ego is so focused upon physical reality and survival within it that you do not hear the inner voices.
“No individuality is ever lost. It is always in existence.
“Consciousness is the direction in which the self focuses. Action implies infinite possibilities of focus.
“What you call death is rather your choice to focus in other dimensions and realities.
“You do not acquire a “spirit” at death. You are one, now!
“You adopt a body as a space traveler wears a space suit, and for much the same reason.
“Each individual from birth forms his own counterpart from built-up, individual, continuous electrical signals that include his dreams, thought, desires and experiences. This counterpart of complete experience is a pattern which is then independent of physical reality. At physical death his personality then exists detached from its physical form.”
Seth’s Concepts in a Nutshell continued….
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Part 1 – Seth Speaking About His Purpose
- Part 7 – Probable Systems of Reality
- Part 8 – What Is the Nature of Time?
- Part 9 – Seth’s Concept of God
- Part 10 – Seth on the Inner Senses
- Part 11 – Some Unsorted Information
The portion above about the three creative dilemmas is, in my opinion, the most sophisticated portion of the Seth Material. I’ve never read any other metaphysical text that comes even close to the sophistication of the concepts Seth sets forth in those passages.
“Action” was the term that Seth used in the early sessions when talking about the mental energy which forms God and everything in the universe. Because the energy is in a constant state of movement or activity, Seth called it “action” until he finally described it in detail in one of the later books.