Session 72
Matter is an Illusion and Objects are Arbitrary
The central mind-melter of this session is Seth’s take on matter. Forget everything you learned in high school physics. According to Seth, solid "stuff" isn't really solid at all. He states, “Form is not a characteristic of matter, despite appearances. Matter in itself does not possess durability.”
So, what is that chair you're sitting on? It's a pattern. You, using energy and consciousness, manipulate a sea of atoms and molecules into a configuration that you and others agree to call "chair." The empty space around the chair is made of the exact same raw material; you just haven't organized it into a recognizable object. In a chillingly direct explanation, Seth clarifies: “Objects then are really arbitrary designations given to certain arbitrary divisions of atoms and molecules as a whole.” Your reality is basically a collaborative art project.
The Objective vs. Subjective Universe Paradox
Is the world real or not? Seth, with what one can only imagine is a cosmic smirk, says it’s both. “There is no objective universe, and yet there is an objective universe.” He explains that on our level of existence, the world is definite and real, and we must act as if it is to function.
However, becoming too attached to the idea of a purely objective world leads to what he calls a “psychic imprisonment which is unnecessary.” The ultimate freedom comes from understanding that this physical reality is a canvas, not a cage. Matter is simply the medium through which consciousness expresses itself. In a future time, he predicts, humanity will grasp these limits and a "great freedom" will result.
The Vicious Circle of Expectation
If we're building our own reality, why does it sometimes feel like we're stuck in a loop? Seth points the finger at expectation. We constantly create our environment based on our beliefs and expectations, which are heavily influenced by our parents and society from birth. This creates a feedback loop, or as Seth calls it, a “vicious circle... where the environment created by an individual will then reinforce the very distortive conceptions that caused it to begin with.”
The good news is that this isn't a life sentence. Once you understand the mechanism, you can begin to change your expectations and, therefore, change your reality. Seth assures us, “Since you construct objects, you can therefore construct them more to your convenience when you realize that matter can thusly be manipulated.”
A Glimpse of the Greater Reality
What we perceive and manipulate is just a tiny fraction of what’s really out there. Seth explains that atoms and molecules are just one dimension of a far greater reality. Our creative power is profound, yet we are only “playing with the very outmost skin of a reality whose true thickness and depth is presently beyond your comprehension.” The true enduring force is not the form, but the consciousness behind it, which is eternal.
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This analysis is based on The Seth Material, gratefully credited to its publisher, the New Awareness Network. To have your own consciousness expanded, we enthusiastically encourage you to study the Seth books and visit the New Awareness Network website and bookstore at sethcenter.com/the-early-sessions.
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