Seth Material

The Seth Material is a collection of metaphysical texts dictated by the American psychic Jane Roberts to her husband from late 1963 until her death in 1984. The words were purportedly suggested to Roberts by a discarnate entity who referred to himself as "an energy personality essence, no longer focused in physical matter", and calling himself Seth, who, she said, took control of her body and spoke through her. The material is regarded as one of the cornerstones of New Age philosophy, and the most influential channelled text of the post-World War II "New Age" movement, other than A Course in Miracles. Professor of psychology Jon Klimo writes that the Seth books were instrumental in bringing the idea of channeling to a broad public audience.

Other authors have written material they said was channeled from the Seth entity, especially after Roberts' death, including Thomas Massari, who founded the Seth-Hermes Foundation and said he had channeled Seth as early as 1972, and Jean Loomis, director of the Aquarian Center in Connecticut. However, in the introduction to Seth's first dictated book, Seth Speaks, "he" says, "communications will come exclusively through Ruburt at all times, to protect the integrity of the material". In The Seth Material, Jane Roberts wrote: "Several people have told me that Seth communicated with them through automatic writing, but Seth denies any such contacts."

Study groups have formed across the United States to work with the Seth Material.

Catherine L. Albanese, a professor of American Religious History at the University of Chicago, said in the 1970s that the Seth Material launched an era of nationwide awareness of the channeling trend and contributed to the self-identity of an emergent New Age movement. John P. Newport, in his study of the impact of New Age beliefs, described the central focus of the Seth Material as the idea that each individual creates his or her own reality, a foundational concept of the New Age movement first articulated in the Seth Material. According to historian Robert C. Fuller, professor of religious studies at Bradley University, the Seth personality filled the role of guide for what Fuller called "unchurched American spirituality," including the topics of reincarnation, karma, free will, ancient metaphysical wisdom, and "Christ consciousness."