trust

Trust Clue Dossier

1. What specific claims does Seth make about this concept? How many times, in which books, and does the wording change over time?

The material does not address this.

2. What mechanism does he provide?

• If one has loving regard for oneself, one will trust one's own direction, accept the present position as part of the direction, and from this generate all the creative elements needed; being oneself and trusting one's own integrity automatically helps others [personal-reality §676].
• One must begin to trust oneself; otherwise one will forever seek others to prove one's worth, never be satisfied, and will resent those from whom one seeks help [personal-reality §677].
• Trust the miracle of one's own existence, drawing no dividing line between the body and the spirit [personal-reality §677].
• In cooperation, trust (mutual trust) is an indispensable factor, as necessary as spontaneity and honesty [early-sessions-4 §179].
• Trusting one's own intuitions is feasible; for example, Einstein trusted his intuitions and used his inner senses [unknown-reality-1 §701].

3. Are there observable inferences or explicit predictions (including time, quantity, conditions)?

• Trusting the body and its wisdom produces observable physical releases: for example, in one observation, the head's rightward turning motion improved, the shoulder region released further, the jaw and hip regions released correspondingly, and discomfort in the eyes was noticeably reduced [personal-sessions-3 §1977-07-23].
• When trust is diminished, bodily improvements are ignored: the material indicates that if trust is insufficient, progress that could otherwise be clearly felt becomes "apparently invisible" and leads to further anxiety [personal-sessions-3 §1977-07-23].
• There is a conditional association between trust and improvement in bodily movement: the material suggests that if a specific individual is reminded in the morning that "despite soreness, a definite feeling of life and mobility emerges," the leg muscles are stretching and being reused—stiff muscles ache and respond irregularly after release—"all he needs is confidence" [personal-sessions-3 §1974-11-25].
• Trusting one's own inner integrity enables a person to "clearly assess his own abilities, neither exaggerating nor underestimating them" [mass-events §870].
• If one's basic identity is trusted, one's impulses receive natural expression and can enrich both the self and society's achievements [mass-events §870].
• Trusting the basic legitimacy of one's own existence is the necessary starting point for changing both one's personal life and social conditions: the material states explicitly that "you must begin by changing your own life; there is no other way," and this process begins with accepting one's own value and granting the same recognition to others [mass-events §870].
• Trust entails an operational time prediction: one passage predicts that, should relevant conditions change (such as the attitudes of two individuals in an organization and the death of one person in its upper echelons), a major position change for a certain individual in that organization will not occur until after the inevitable reorganization—the reorganization will show an "apparent decline" within six months but will then recover, the recovery taking one year, with the overall reorganization being inevitable; this person's acceptance of a better position and change of residence will occur within five years [early-sessions-4 §166].
• In physical healing, trust is associated with "thought transference" or a change in inner intent: the material indicates that in almost all cases of illness, if a "thought transference" could occur, the illness would rapidly disappear; even in the most tragic cases, with a sudden falling in love or a change in home environment, the illness can vanish overnight [way-toward-health §1984-06-12].
• Trust is directly related to program rewriting: the exercise requires self-affirmation that "I am a very good person," rewriting programs and ridding oneself of contradictory thoughts; this exercise can open inner communication channels and accelerate the healing process [way-toward-health §1984-06-12].

4. Where does he say the science of his day was wrong, and in what direction should it look?

Where science went wrong

• If your scientists use only the outer senses and their instruments, they will deal only with camouflage patterns and eventually reach a dead end—not because they close their eyes, but because they do not use the right ones [dreams-projections §2].
• Scientists on the wrong track will discover more and more elements and build instruments to capture smaller and smaller particles, seemingly without end, yet in reality becoming prisoners of their tools; the instruments themselves will translate measured data into familiar camouflage, continually distorting the original [dreams-projections §2].
• Instruments are designed to capture specific camouflages, and their translation process simplifies and distorts the raw data until the original meaning is almost unrecognizable; translating one phenomenon into another necessarily loses understanding [dreams-projections §2].
• Space travel is severely impeded by the element of time; your current "expanding universe theory" is erroneous. Space itself is warped, and so-called intergalactic travel must be accomplished by shedding material camouflage, not by physical navigation [unknown-reality-1 §702].
• Science regards the universe as a closed system (the second law of thermodynamics), but in reality no closed system exists; energy is always exchanged between systems. The assumption of "closure" stems from the limited interpretations your nervous systems place upon physical reality [unknown-reality-2 §744].
• The Darwinian theory of the accidental origin of life leaves a fundamental contradiction: before life appeared, who manufactured the proteins that sustain life processes? Science also fails to consider the role consciousness plays in its experiments [unknown-reality-2 §744].
• Your science may be turning into another religion, and its distortions could bring consequences as truly catastrophic as those of religious distortions [unknown-reality-2 §744].

Where it should look

• Scientists will be forced eventually to use the inner senses; otherwise they will only deal with camouflage and never touch the basic essence of life [dreams-projections §2].
• The task is not to invent new instruments, but to use the "formless" instrument you already possess—the mind (not the brain)—which is the meeting point of the inner and outer senses and the place where the secrets of the universe will be discovered [dreams-projections §2].
• Explore the places that seem empty, because they are filled with content; look between events—what is clearly visible is all camouflage, and the gaps lacking camouflage will instead yield evidence [dreams-projections §2].
• Atoms can move in several directions at once; particles such as electrons perform a complex and profound "dance"; behind all systems of reality there exists fundamental unpredictability [unknown-reality-1 §702].
• Space travel should turn toward the mobility of mind and psyche (traveling through the transformation of psychological energy), rather than the extension of physical tools [unknown-reality-1 §702].
• Consciousness always creates form; form does not create consciousness. All matter (including atoms) is composed of conscious entities—if science acknowledged this, it might touch the connection between "design" and "life" [unknown-reality-2 §744].

5. What experiments or exercises did he suggest? What did Jane and Rob actually do and observe?

The core claim Seth gives in the material regarding "trust" is that full communication presupposes trust in one's inner abilities, and this trust is itself one of the conditions by which Seth confirms a genuine mode of existence. Seth explained to Jane and Rob that he "never believed in the written word as much as the spoken word," and noted that "on your level, trusting both is difficult," which is why he preferred to communicate in a conversational manner [dreams-projections §2]. On one key occasion, Seth spoke through Jane's inner voice, saying: "I cannot give you any predictions at this time, because I am afraid you would distort them, and then it would appear to be my fault"—a limitation triggered by Jane's lack of trust. Seth then added: "You are both doing your work; but I have begun to trust you both a little, and you have begun to trust me a little. That is a good beginning... Do not judge yourselves or me. All will be well." This statement treats trust as a precondition for ongoing communication and experimentation between both parties [dreams-projections §2].

The trust-related experimental exercises Jane and Rob actually conducted in the early period include the following: Rob performed a simple and deliberate experiment in his studio following the information of the first inner sense—he gazed at objects in the living room such as a vase, paintings on the wall, and plants, trying to see the backs of the objects with his "mind's eye"; he then stood by the window looking out at Walnut Street Bridge, imagining himself walking across it, feeling the planks beneath his feet, passing the signal light at the far end, and using "inner touch" to perceive the houses and trees on either side [dreams-projections §2]. In the subsequent twenty-second (spontaneous) session, Seth told Rob that "he had done very well and should try this exercise often" [dreams-projections §2]. Jane, after her "idea construction" experience of December 8, 1963, began at Rob's suggestion to attempt experiments in ESP and expanded consciousness; these experiments ultimately led, through the Ouija board, to the first contact with Seth [dreams-projections §1].

The trust-related phenomena Jane and Rob actually observed include: Rob spontaneously experienced a clear and detailed vision while painting—he "knew" it was the bedroom where his brother Dick had died in a previous life in England, and he immediately sketched it; in the same session, Seth described further details of the room that Rob had seen only partially, as well as more information about Dick's life in England, consistent with Rob's vision [dreams-projections §2]. While Jane was washing dishes in the kitchen and wondering inwardly whether Seth would "show up" to comment on her publishing letter, the reply came as an inner message, clear and with humor: "Are you masochists?"—she then entered a trance state almost immediately, and Seth said: "Well, the chickadees must be restless tonight... By the way, I seldom visit your little apartment unless you invite me in some fashion, and tonight you called my name from the rooftops." This passage served as practical observational evidence of the degree of Jane's trust [dreams-projections §2]. Additionally, Jane reported that during one experiment in the spring of 1965, in a drowsy state she clearly heard a low male voice whisper "twelve-oh-five"; she checked with a pendulum and concluded she had received "random telepathy." On another occasion, upon wakening she found herself standing in gray-white smoke, smelled the smoke, and the experience broke off when she felt panic [early-sessions-4 §153].

Regarding the concrete manifestation of trust in experimentation, Seth further explained that "this method of communication suits my temperament. Automatic writing could become an institution for me... I never believed in the written word as much as the spoken word," and noted that the conversational method allows both parties to ask questions, thus maintaining the quality of genuine communication—this in effect constituted a certain recommendation regarding the trust relationship between Jane and Rob [dreams-projections §2].

6. Supplementary or contradictory concepts given by other concepts in the corpus related to this concept?

• Trust is defined as a "spiritual as well as a physical imperative," even "a condition of biological existence"; it is the foundation of all human curiosity and the courage to explore [personal-sessions-6 §?]
• The survival of every species depends on trust—a kind of "biological optimism" that allows a species to feel it can develop the potential of its members in relative safety; animals and infants naturally do not doubt the nature of their own existence [dreams-evolution-2 §912]; not to trust the nature of one's impulses is to distrust one's own life, the universe, and the nature of one's own being [mass-events §870]
• Trust in oneself and trust in others are mutually conditional: one must begin to trust oneself, otherwise one will forever seek proof from others, being both dependent and resentful; when one affirms one's own legitimacy in the universe, one naturally cooperates with others and allows others to be themselves [personal-reality §677]
• Distrust arises from comparing oneself with others or from trying to conform to idealized images divorced from one's own background, which leads to distrust of oneself; conversely, trust strengthens the individual's inner creative aspects and self-confidence [personal-sessions-6 §?] [personal-sessions-2 §?]
• In intimate relationships, trust and distrust exist in opposition: the trust of love can reconcile and heal, while losing the trust of a loved one rekindles old doubts, making a person afraid to make decisions and afraid to act [personal-sessions-2 §?]; contradictory beliefs can generate distrust—for example, holding a positive belief about one's abilities while simultaneously believing oneself unworthy, so that "because he does not trust himself," limits are placed on the exercise of ability [personal-sessions-2 §620]
• At the bodily level, the process of learning to trust one's body is often accompanied by doubt, but trust can be established by attending to new evidence; each experience of the body's self-healing accumulates a "sense of trust in one's own bodily processes" [personal-sessions-5 §?] [mass-events §870]
• There are supplementary and contradictory relationships among trust, impulses, beliefs, and ideals: impulses are saturated with the quality of belief and drive action, yet belief systems can erode the natural spontaneity that impulses bring; one must balance trusting impulses with evaluating choices [mass-events §870]
• Beliefs about the meaning of life conflict with trust: a philosophy that believes life is meaningless damages hereditary activity, while trust and biological optimism promote hereditary potential; trust belongs to the individual's cognition of the legitimacy of his own existence [dreams-evolution-2 §912]

7. Questions that have not yet been asked

Appendix: Claim Inventory (for Stage C)

id	claim	type	source
trust-1	Trusting one's own integrity naturally helps others; being oneself and trusting one's own integrity automatically helps others.	mechanism description	personal-reality §676
trust-2	One must begin to trust oneself; otherwise one will forever seek others to prove one's worth, never be satisfied, and will resent those from whom one seeks help.	mechanism description	personal-reality §677
trust-3	Trust is an indispensable factor in cooperation, as necessary as spontaneity and honesty.	ontological assertion	early-sessions-4 §179
trust-4	Trusting the body and its wisdom produces observable physical releases: for example, improved head rotation, shoulder release, etc.	case evidence	personal-sessions-3 §1977-07-23
trust-5	When trust is diminished, bodily improvements are ignored; progress that could be felt becomes "apparently invisible" and leads to anxiety.	mechanism description	personal-sessions-3 §1977-07-23
trust-6	Trusting one's own inner integrity enables a person to clearly assess his own abilities, neither exaggerating nor underestimating them.	ontological assertion	mass-events §870
trust-7	Trusting the basic legitimacy of one's own existence is the necessary starting point for changing both one's personal life and social conditions.	ontological assertion	mass-events §870
trust-8	Trust entails an operational time prediction: a major position change for a certain person will not occur until after the inevitable reorganization—the reorganization will show an "apparent decline" within six months but will then recover, recovery taking one year, with the overall reorganization being inevitable; this person's acceptance of a better position and change of residence will occur within five years.	testable prediction	early-sessions-4 §166
trust-9	In almost all cases of illness, if a "thought transference" could occur, the illness would rapidly disappear; even in the most tragic cases, with a sudden falling in love or a change in home environment, the illness can vanish overnight.	testable prediction	way-toward-health §1984-06-12
trust-10	If scientists use only the outer senses and their instruments, they will deal only with camouflage patterns and eventually reach a dead end; they should use the inner senses and explore the places that seem empty.	methodological recommendation	dreams-projections §2
trust-11	Space travel is severely impeded by the element of time; the current "expanding universe theory" is erroneous—space itself is warped, and interstellar travel must be accomplished by shedding material camouflage, not by physical navigation.	ontological assertion	unknown-reality-1 §702
trust-12	Behind all systems of reality there exists fundamental unpredictability; atoms can move in several directions at once, and particles such as electrons perform a complex and profound "dance."	ontological assertion	unknown-reality-1 §702