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Seth and the Pretty Things.
Nov. 20th, 2003 10:46 amInteresting how with the change of a CD an entire train of thought can be lost. I kind of had something planned for this post, but it went away as I was thinking about what I was listening too. It was because I was surprised by a hidden track on a the latest remaster of "Surrealistic Pillow" by Jefferson Airplane. I ordered it through my job a few days ago and finally got a chance to listen to the whole thing. Now I'm just in a 1967 vibe and am listening to another of the great Hippy albums from the period: "SF Sorrow" by the Pretty Things. They're one of those UK psychedelic underground bands you've never heard about. This album was considered the first "rock opera," just don't ask me what it's about. I'm still not entirely sure, and I doubt anyone involved in the project ever was either. This is the album that lead to The Who's "Tommy."
Now enough of my random music lecture . . . I think I meant to write about a dream I had a night or two ago. I've been trying to get it straight. Dreams that stick with me tend to lead me in some sort of direction or another. I actually turned a dream of mine into a story, one that of course still needs some work, but that's usual. This one was different though.
The background for this one goes back a while. A few years ago a good friend of mine leant me the first of Jane Roberts' Seth books. She told me basically that they had changed her perspective on the Universe. While reading through it (I never finished it then, nor have I ever really finished in the past couple years after purchasing my own copy) I felt like reading it was more like remembering how things worked. for those that don't know, Jane Roberts was a medium and writer who channeled a being named Seth who imparted knowledge and advice to her students back in the sixties. Jane's husband recorded every word as proof to the sessions, and they even made a few audio recordings here and there.
My friend told me (if I have this correctly, I still need to talk to her about it) that she had been visited by a being named "Seth" in some of her dreams over the years and that they talked about this and that (not the usual garden variety bullshit that comes up in conversation, more like stuff on the nature of things, etc.). Those are the basics I can get into due to my limited memory. It's pretty shoddy up there.
A couple nights ago I was dreaming about oddly enough work. It wasn't exactly the store I work at, it never is in my dreams, there are always details that are entirely different, but in the dream world I accept them, whatever. We were closing up and trying to get people to leave, without a whole lot of success. Then a man comes in. He was older, but I can't quite remember many more details beyond that. He was older, balding perhaps, white haired. He looked at me without saying a word. His look asked me if I knew him. I shook my head yes, while in my head saying "you are Seth." He nodded to me in agreement. Then from there he proceeded to show me things, what I can't quite say. He taught me how to do things, basic manipulation, etc. Specifics I don't quite remember, all I remember is that feeling.
Then I woke, and I was pretty startled, for some reason though I didn't think to go write it all down. Eventually, I went back to sleep and dreamed other things. I've been in a pretty active dreaming cycle lately. I knew it had to be important for the mere fact that I remembered the dream, also I never had the feeling that was simple dream nonsense. I usually can dismiss them, but from time to time, I get the flash of something important going on in my head. I couldn't shake the feeling all day. I went on with my day as normal, but the encounter was still back there. It really took a while for my head to process it all. My acceptance was the crucial thing. I keep trying to write it off, but I can't. I try to justify the dream, wondering if I was thinking about Seth's books lately, etc. But I really haven't. It was completely out of left field.
Granted, I've occasionally been writing a story kind of along those lines, and I did name the main character Seth as a homage to the Seth-being, but I've only been thinking about it in writing terms. I've been reading On the Road by Kerouac and it got me thinking, which is more interesting: the normal man living an extraordinary life, or the extraordinary man wanting to live a normal life? I was thinking this in relation to Seth and my other character, Jacob Tyler. I've been considering simplifying their characters and allowing them to go through extraordinary changes by meeting key figures.
Still though. . . . Why an older man?
-Patrick
Now enough of my random music lecture . . . I think I meant to write about a dream I had a night or two ago. I've been trying to get it straight. Dreams that stick with me tend to lead me in some sort of direction or another. I actually turned a dream of mine into a story, one that of course still needs some work, but that's usual. This one was different though.
The background for this one goes back a while. A few years ago a good friend of mine leant me the first of Jane Roberts' Seth books. She told me basically that they had changed her perspective on the Universe. While reading through it (I never finished it then, nor have I ever really finished in the past couple years after purchasing my own copy) I felt like reading it was more like remembering how things worked. for those that don't know, Jane Roberts was a medium and writer who channeled a being named Seth who imparted knowledge and advice to her students back in the sixties. Jane's husband recorded every word as proof to the sessions, and they even made a few audio recordings here and there.
My friend told me (if I have this correctly, I still need to talk to her about it) that she had been visited by a being named "Seth" in some of her dreams over the years and that they talked about this and that (not the usual garden variety bullshit that comes up in conversation, more like stuff on the nature of things, etc.). Those are the basics I can get into due to my limited memory. It's pretty shoddy up there.
A couple nights ago I was dreaming about oddly enough work. It wasn't exactly the store I work at, it never is in my dreams, there are always details that are entirely different, but in the dream world I accept them, whatever. We were closing up and trying to get people to leave, without a whole lot of success. Then a man comes in. He was older, but I can't quite remember many more details beyond that. He was older, balding perhaps, white haired. He looked at me without saying a word. His look asked me if I knew him. I shook my head yes, while in my head saying "you are Seth." He nodded to me in agreement. Then from there he proceeded to show me things, what I can't quite say. He taught me how to do things, basic manipulation, etc. Specifics I don't quite remember, all I remember is that feeling.
Then I woke, and I was pretty startled, for some reason though I didn't think to go write it all down. Eventually, I went back to sleep and dreamed other things. I've been in a pretty active dreaming cycle lately. I knew it had to be important for the mere fact that I remembered the dream, also I never had the feeling that was simple dream nonsense. I usually can dismiss them, but from time to time, I get the flash of something important going on in my head. I couldn't shake the feeling all day. I went on with my day as normal, but the encounter was still back there. It really took a while for my head to process it all. My acceptance was the crucial thing. I keep trying to write it off, but I can't. I try to justify the dream, wondering if I was thinking about Seth's books lately, etc. But I really haven't. It was completely out of left field.
Granted, I've occasionally been writing a story kind of along those lines, and I did name the main character Seth as a homage to the Seth-being, but I've only been thinking about it in writing terms. I've been reading On the Road by Kerouac and it got me thinking, which is more interesting: the normal man living an extraordinary life, or the extraordinary man wanting to live a normal life? I was thinking this in relation to Seth and my other character, Jacob Tyler. I've been considering simplifying their characters and allowing them to go through extraordinary changes by meeting key figures.
Still though. . . . Why an older man?
-Patrick
