immortality不朽

In The Early Sessions Book 1, Seth offers a unique and profound interpretation of the concept of "immortality." He not only defines "immortality" as the continued existence of life and consciousness, but also explores how humanity came to recognize this truth in the course of historical development, and how, at the end stage of individual reincarnation, immortality is embodied through creative work rather than physical reproduction. First, Seth points out that "immortality" is the word humanity uses to refer to the truth of "continued existence." In prehistoric times, humanity evolved the ego and ego consciousness in order to cope with the camouflage patterns it had created. When the inner senses led humanity toward a reality that could not be easily manipulated, humanity, fearing loss of control, produced the "soul fantasy" or "spirit fantasy." Although this fantasy split the whole self and set it in opposition to itself, it also forced humanity to confront a truth, namely the continued existence of life, and called it "immortality" ^[1]. However, this early recognition of immortality also brought negative consequences, leading to a superstitious attitude toward the entire inner world. One of humanity's most comical and tragic misunderstandings is the attempt to find a dwelling place composed of physical camouflage patterns for the nonphysical inner self ^[1]. Second, Seth emphasizes that "That which is, is never blotted out" ^[2]. For an individual who has undergone many reincarnations, the knowledge acquired in past personalities remains in the mental genes, while the memory of the physical body remains in the physical genes ^[2]. When an individual's reincarnations on earth are nearing their end, they no longer need to continue life through producing physical offspring. In the final earth life, physical possessions are left behind completely, and no part is carried over to that level through children. At this point, the individual is able to contemplate and experience "immortality" through their own "work" rather than through physical offspring ^[2]. The reason immortality is contemplated through work is that the individual's "entity" has already fully known itself through the physical body, and therefore is no longer bound or attracted by physical reproduction ^[2]. However, this does not mean that the psychic love for earthly phenomena disappears. Seth clearly states that even on other levels, the individual's sensory instinct for and appreciation of the earthly habitat will be maintained ^[2].

In The Early Sessions Book 4 (dictated in 1965), Seth develops a multi-angled discussion of the concept of "immortality." These discussions mainly revolve around why evidence for immortality was lacking in the past, the tension between scientific proof and personal belief, the manifestation of immortality across multiple lives, and immortality at the level of artistic creation.

1. Reasons why sufficient evidence for "immortality" was not obtained in the past

Seth points out that humanity's failure to obtain sufficient evidence for immortality in the past can be attributed mainly to the following factors:

1. Limitations of laboratory environment and atmosphere: Traditional scientific laboratory experiments and atmospheres are too rigid to accommodate and permit the emergence of "spontaneity," which is essential for the manifestation of such phenomena ^[1].
2. Foolishness and credulity of seance participants: In many notorious seance cases, the participants often held foolish and gullible attitudes. These self-deceiving, well-meaning but foolish people were ready to accept any fraud and cheer for it, which greatly damaged the seriousness of the evidence for immortality ^[2].
3. The inherent difficulty of proof: Seth emphasizes that proving immortality is very difficult. No matter what demonstration he makes, people will always attribute it to some kind of deception or trickery ^[3].

2. The tension among scientific proof, emotional impetus, and personal belief

Addressing Dr. Instream's pursuit of immortality, Seth analyzes the complex relationship among reason, intuition, and scientific proof:

1. Conflict between belief and scientific evidence: Dr. Instream is inclined to believe in immortality, but because he lacks a certain kind of scientific evidence, he cannot fully accept the possibility ^[4]. Seth expresses understanding of his objectivity and belief, and promises to try to satisfy him on both counts ^[4].
2. Emotion as the impetus for transmitting material: Seth points out that Dr. Instream's personal and practical interest in immortality provides the necessary "emotional impetus," which is precisely what allows Seth to transmit the material he needs ^[5].
3. Not exploiting desire for manipulation: Seth makes clear that he cannot exploit Dr. Instream's desire for immortality to stimulate his interest in this material ^[3].
4. Limitations of proof and future forms: Seth mentions that proof acceptable to certain individuals may not necessarily be accepted by the scientific community ^[3]. He predicts that one future form of proof will involve strong facial changes in Jane during sessions, changes that can be photographed and recorded ^[3].

3. The manifestation of immortality in multiple lives and reincarnation

Seth links immortality with the individual's multiple lives:

1. A time span beyond the present life: Seth tells Dr. Instream that he has more time than he imagines, not only in his present life but also in his other lives ^[5].
2. Rotation of gender and roles: When discussing the question of immortality, Seth points out that everyone present not only knows what it feels like to be an old man, but some of them have also been old women in the past, revealing the soul's experience of different genders and life stages in the course of immortality ^[6].

4. The unique immortality of artistic creation

In addition to the eternal existence of consciousness and the soul, Seth also mentions another form of immortality. He points out that Jane's poems and Rob's (Joseph's) paintings are both excellent, and that they will attain a kind of "immortality" of their own ^[7].

In Seth Speaks, Seth offers a detailed discussion of the concept of "immortality" that overturns traditional views.

1. The nature of immortality and the definition of the soul Seth points out that humans often mistakenly equate "immortality" with the unchanging continuation of the ego in eternity, but such an eternity that refuses change is actually lifeless ^[1]. The true subject of immortality is the soul (or entity), which is not an object that can be possessed, lost, or saved, but an indestructible, most vital and creative unit of consciousness ^[2]. The individual personality, as an aspect of the soul, is by no means obliterated or swallowed up after physical death, but continues to grow and develop ^[3]. When a person experiences many births and deaths and realizes that existence continues, a sense of "divine comedy" arises, and consciousness moves in creative "play" ^[4].

2. The continuity of life and death and "small deaths" Seth breaks down the absolute boundary between life and death, pointing out that there is no single, specific "point of death" ^[5]. Life is a process of "becoming," and death is a part of it ^[5]. During physical existence, humans constantly experience the death and rebirth of cells (that is, "small deaths") ^[5]; at the same time, consciousness flickers on and off like a firefly, and when it is completely unfocused upon physical reality, it is in a sense "dead" ^[6]. Therefore, physical death is only consciousness undergoing a longer rhythmic pulsation and making a longer stay in another reality ^[7].

3. The perception and creativity of the soul The soul does not depend upon the physical senses, the laws of matter, or time ^[8]. Seth emphasizes that "you are the soul now," and that the soul's methods of perception before physical birth, during life, and after death are exactly the same ^[9]. After death, consciousness is freed from the constraints of physical time and can perceive past and future with equal clarity ^[10]. The soul not only perceives experience directly but also possesses extremely strong creativity; through states such as sleep and dreaming, it separates from the physical garment and exists "eternally," and physical existence is only one of the ways in which it experiences its own actuality ^[11].

4. Choices after death and the shaping role of belief Immortality does not mean a single final end. After death there are infinite possibilities of experience, including reincarnation, focusing on reshaping a previous life, or entering entirely different probability systems ^[12]. The specific encounters after death depend greatly upon the individual's beliefs, degree of development, and understanding of reality ^[13]. Thoughts and emotions are likewise materialized after death, and beliefs about death held during life (such as symbols like the River Styx, heaven and hell) will be objectively presented after death, with guides assisting in the transition ^[14].

5. Deepening of wording and concepts In his discussion, Seth defines "death" as "complete lack of focus within physical reality" ^[6], and compares consciousness to inextinguishable energy that does not depend upon chemical reactions ^[15]. He uses "inner self" to refer to the unconscious portion that directs physical operations and perceives more ^[15], and points out that "you continue to create your soul, and it continues to create you" ^[11], showing that immortality is not static preservation but a two-way, dynamic process of creation.