賽斯
賽斯資料(英語:Seth Material)是美國靈媒珍·羅伯茲的一系列作品,由其從1963年開始,口述給其丈夫,直至她於1984年逝世為止。珍·羅伯茲宣稱,賽斯資料來自一個叫做賽斯(Seth)的靈體,賽斯借用她的身體說話。[1]賽斯資料被認為是新時代(New Age)哲學的基石之一,在新時代運動圈裏是第二次世界大戰後,除了愛德加·凱西的作品與《奇蹟課程》之外,最具影響力的通靈作品。[2]阿爾格西大學臨牀心理學教授Jon Klimo在其關於通靈的書中稱,在通靈的概念進入公眾認知的過程中,賽斯資料發揮了重要作用。[3]
其他的靈媒作者也陸續寫了號稱通靈自賽斯的資料,特別是在羅伯茲過世之後。這些作者有創立賽斯-荷米斯基金會(Seth-Hermes Foundation)的湯瑪斯·馬薩里(Thomas Massari),他說他早在1972年即與賽斯通靈,另一位靈媒作者琴·盧米斯(Jean Loomis),她是康乃狄克州寶瓶座中心(Aquarian Center)的主任。[4]美國各地出現了專門與賽斯資料共同合作的研究團隊。[5]
芝加哥大學美國宗教史教授嘉芙蓮·阿勒本尼斯(Catherine L. Albanese)在1970年代指出,賽斯資料開啟了美國全國上下關注通靈趨勢的紀元,而且也是崛起的新時代運動自我認同的來源。[6]約翰·紐波特(John P. Newport)研究新時代思想對社會的衝擊,指出賽斯資料的中心思想是每個人都能創造自己的實相(Reality,即境遇)。這是新時代運動裏首次明確出現在賽斯資料裏的基本概念。[7]根據布拉德利大學研究宗教的歷史學者羅伯特·富勒(Robert C. Fuller),賽斯人格填補了心靈引導的角色,他稱之為「非教會的美國靈性」(unchurched American spirituality),其主題涵蓋了輪迴、業報、自由意志、古代形而上學的智慧、「基督意念」(Christ consciousness)。[8]
歷史
1963年晚期,珍·羅伯茲和其丈夫羅伯特·霸茲(Robert Butts)以通靈板為實驗器材,撰寫一本有關超感官知覺的書。[9]根據羅伯茲和霸茲,他們於1963年12月2日開始接收來自一男性人格的連貫信息,此人格後來被確認為賽斯。不久之後,羅伯茲說她在腦中聆聽這些信息。她開始不用通靈板寫下聽到的信息,而她最後也捨棄通靈板不用了。直到1984年羅伯茲過世為止,這二十一年間她持續接收賽斯資料(但其中一年因病而空缺)。通靈時她會進入出神狀態,據稱代表了賽斯本人傳達信息。[10]
根據羅伯茲的說法,賽斯人格形容自己是「不再聚焦物質的能量人格元素」[11],獨立於羅伯茲的潛意識之外,雖然羅伯茲曾表達她對賽斯來歷的懷疑[12],而且常說賽斯的的教導僅是「理論」[13]。賽斯人格說,他已完成了塵世的輪迴,在毗鄰的存在層次(或「實相系」、「宇宙」)對我們說法。賽斯人格形容自己是一位「教師」[14],又說賽斯資料的信息會交給每一代的人類[來源請求]。
靈媒愛德加·凱西於出神狀態時用古代的句法說話,且內容含糊不清。羅伯茲跟他不一樣,當賽斯上身時,她的句法風格現代而內容清晰。賽斯附體時,羅伯茲經常坐在安樂椅上,偶爾吸煙、啜飲啤酒或葡萄酒。然後,她通常已記不得賽斯附體時的說法內容,因而要閱讀聽寫紀錄或讓人告訴她賽斯說了什麼[15]。
概要
賽斯資料的核心思想是以意識創造物質實相的理論為基礎的[16],指出每個人都可以透過思想、信念和期許創造自己的實相[5][17][18][19][20],而且吾人在當下就可以通過威力之點(point of power)影響事物的變化。[18]。
賽斯資料探討的形而上學概念包山包海,包括上帝的本質在內,說它「一切萬有」(All That Is)[19][21],有時也會提到「多次元上帝」(The Multidimensional God)(現身於平行宇宙或可能存在的宇宙中)[22];物質實相的本質[22];宇宙的起源[21];基督的故事[8];靈魂的進化、死亡和重生的所有面向,包括輪迴、業報、前世、瀕死經驗、「護衛靈」(guardian spirits)、高昇至「較高意識」的層次[8][18][20][23];生命的目的和善惡的本質;受苦的目的[20];多次元實相[24]、平行生命[5]、超個人層次[18][23]。
自我的本質
根據賽斯資料,整個自我或「存有」(entity)是完形的,由內在自我(inner self)和多種自我所構成。賽斯資料假定此一存有通過過去的存有(有形或無形的)而存在,同時也因所有當下的化身自我(incarnated selves)和可能存在的對應面而存在[5],而輪迴則是賽斯資料的核心原則[23]。
阿姆斯特丹大學荷米斯哲學教授福特·漢拿赫夫(Wouter Hanegraaff)表示,羅伯茲對自我本質的觀點(以賽斯的身分)影響了其他的新紀元著者(他們有些人使用「較高自我」這個詞指涉相同的概念),而且羅伯茲使用的術語也為某些著者所採用[25]。漢拿赫夫說,賽斯使用各種詞彙詮釋「自我」,包括「存有」(entity)、「全我」(whole self)、「超靈」((over)soul)[25]。
現實
有些與賽斯資料相關的中文獻把 Reality 翻譯成「實相」,但是 Reality 有個眾所周知的意思,就是「現實」,一般辭彙中並沒有「實相」一辭,因此,把 Reality 譯成實相,有點難知所云。而佛經中的「實相」意指「終極不變的狀態」,而在賽斯的論點中,終極不變的狀態是不存在的,Reality 絕不是「終極不變的狀態」。直接把 Reality 譯成「現實」,表示「現在是事實」,再也恰當不過,不用另闢蹊徑。再不然,將之譯成「實境」「世界」「天地」「界域」等常用詞彙,也遠比譯成「實相」讓人更易了解[26]。賽斯資料說,所有的個體都創造了自身的境遇,並於共同的塵世環境經歷境遇。這類似「責任承擔」的教義。「你創造你的現實」這句話表達了這個概念[20],而此概念可能源自於賽斯資料。內在自我負責建構、維持個體的肉身和當下的物質環境,而外在自我的期許、態度和信念則決定了事件的開展。外在自我就是人類所認知的自己[18]。
賽斯書探討一個概念,即物質環境乃由個體佔有者(包括動物在內)的內在自我所建構、維持[27]。內在自我在物質現實裏投射出「整體」(en masse),而物質現實則充滿了個體所需的能量。所有的事件也是以這種方式產生的[20]。
著作集成
- Roberts, Jane (1966). How To Develop Your ESP Power. Publisher: Federick Fell. (Later retitled and reprinted as The Coming of Seth.) ISBN 978-0-8119-0379-0.
- Roberts, Jane (1970). The Seth Material. Reprinted, 2001 by New Awareness Network. ISBN 978-0-9711198-0-2 .
- Roberts, Jane and Robert F. Butts (1972). Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul. Reprinted 1994 by Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-07-5.
- Roberts, Jane (1974). The Nature of Personal Reality. Prentice-Hall. Reprinted 1994, Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-06-8.
- Roberts, Jane (1975). Adventures in Consciousness: An Introduction to Aspect Psychology. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-013953-5.
- Roberts, Jane (1975). Dialogues of the Soul and Mortal Self in Time. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-208538-0. Poetry.
- Roberts, Jane (1976). Psychic Politics: An Aspect Psychology Book. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-731752-3.
- Roberts, Jane (1977). The "Unknown" Reality Vol. 1. Prentice-Hall. Reprinted 1997, Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-25-9.
- Roberts, Jane (1979). The "Unknown" Reality Vol. 2. Prentice-Hall. Reprinted 1997, Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-26-6 .
- Roberts, Jane (1977). The World View of Paul Cezanne: A Psychic Interpretation. ISBN 978-0-13-968859-1.
- Roberts, Jane (1978). The Afterdeath Journal of An American Philosopher: The World View of William James. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-018515-0.
- Roberts, Jane (1979). Emir's Education in the Proper Use of Magical Powers. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-1-57174-142-4. Children's literature.
- Roberts, Jane (1979). The Nature of the Psyche: Its Human Expression. Prentice-Hall. Reprinted 1996, Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-22-8 .
- Roberts, Jane (1981). The Individual and the Nature of Mass Events. Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0134572599. Reprinted 1994, Amber-Allen Publishing, ISBN 978-1-878424-21-1.
- Roberts, Jane (1995). The Oversoul Seven Trilogy. Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-17-4. Edition: Paperback; May 1, 1995 (originally published as three separate books: The Education of Oversoul 7 (1973); The Further Education of Oversoul Seven (1979); Oversoul Seven and the Museum of Time (1984).
- Roberts, Jane (1981). The God of Jane: A Psychic Manifesto. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-01-335749-0. Reprinted 2000, Moment Point Press. ISBN 978-0-9661327-5-5.
- Roberts, Jane (1982). If We Live Again, Or, Public Magic and Private Love. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-450619-7. Poetry.
- Roberts, Jane (1986). Dreams, Evolution and Value Fulfillment. Prentice-Hall, two volumes, ISBN 978-0-13-219452-5 and ISBN 978-0-13-219460-0.
- Roberts, Jane (1986). Seth, Dreams and Projections of Consciousness. Stillpoint Publishing.
- (1993). A Seth Reader. Vernal Equinox Press. Compendium edited by Richard Roberts. ISBN 978-0-942380-15-6.
- Roberts, Jane (1995). The Magical Approach : Seth Speaks About the Art of Creative Living. Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 978-1-878424-09-9.
- Roberts, Jane (1997). The Way Toward Health. Robert F. Butts (Foreword), Amber-Allen Publishing. ISBN 187842430.
- Roberts, Jane (2006). The World View of Rembrandt. New Awareness Network. ISBN 978-0-9768978-2-8.
- Roberts, Jane (1997 and after). The Early Sessions (Sessions 1 through 510 of the Seth Material). New Awareness Network. Edited by Robert Butts. Nine volumes. ISBN 978-0-9652855-0-6.
- Roberts, Jane (2003). The Personal Sessions. New Awareness Network. Deleted session material. Seven volumes. ISBN 978-0-9711198-4-0.
- Roberts. Jane. The Early Class Sessions. New Awareness Network. Two volumes.
他人撰寫的賽斯書籍
- Watkins, Susan M. Conversations with Seth. Moment Point Press, 2005, 2006, two volumes. ISBN 978-1-930491-05-2 and ISBN 978-1-930491-09-0 (original version published: Vol. 1 (1980), Vol 2 (1981).
- Dahl, Lynda Madden (1995). Ten Thousand Whispers. Moment Point Press. ISBN 978-1-889964-06-5.
- Stack, Rick. Out-Of-Body Adventures : 30 days to the Most Exciting Experience of Your Life. Contemporary Books. ISBN 978-0-8092-4560-4.
- Ashley, Nancy. Create Your Own Reality : A Seth Workbook. Prentice-Hall Press, 1984. ISBN 978-0-13-189127-2.
- Ashley, Nancy. Create Your Own Happiness: A Seth Workbook. Prentice-Hall Press, 1988. ISBN 978-0-13-189226-2.
- Ashley, Nancy. Create Your Own Dreams: A Seth Workbook. Prentice-Hall Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0-13-189382-5.
- Norman Friedman. Bridging Science and Spirit: Common Elements in David Bohm's Physics, The Perennial Philosophy and Seth. Living Lake Books, 1994. ISBN 978-0-9636470-0-9.
- Norman Friedman. The Hidden Domain: Home of the Quantum Wave Function, Nature's Creative Source. Woodbridge Group, 1997. ISBN 978-1-889964-09-6.
- Susan M. Watkins. Speaking of Jane Roberts: Remembering the Author of the Seth Material. Moment Point Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-9661327-7-9.
- Rich Kendall. The Road To Elmira. Rich Kendall Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9835776-0-7; ISBN 978-0-9835776-0-7.
- (Soon to be published). Seth: The Ultimate Guide. New World View Publishing. Compendium edited by Paul Helfrich.
批評
查爾斯·厄普敦(Charles Upton)在其專門批判新紀元運動的《敵基督的系統》(The System of Antichrist)一書中指稱,羅伯茲多重化自我的作法實則出自對死亡的恐懼,而賽斯資料只不過是因誤解基督教和東方宗教而來的。厄普敦也認為,「賽斯的教訓裏可以發現秘傳教義的確切痕跡」[22]。特瑞·侯里(Terry Holley)、克爾文·畢斯那(E Calvin Beisner)和羅伯特·柏曼(Robert M Bowman Jr)所著的《占星學和靈媒現象》(Astrology and Psychic Phenomena)特別着重闡述東方神秘主義及其哲學所隱含的影響。他們說,「身為夫君的羅伯特·霸茲承認賽斯的想法和各類宗教、哲學乃至神秘教義之間都存在相似性。這些思想從近東、中東、到遠東……例如,我們的確讀了一些佛教、印度教、禪宗、道教的資料,更不要說薩滿教、巫毒教和奧比巫術了。」[28]心理學家兼超心理學批判家詹姆斯·阿勒卡克(James E. Alcock)下結論:「從所有的賽斯思想來看,賽斯資料只能被看作是微不足道的。人們有的是時間和才能扮演好騙局的角色,但我們又無從分辨騙局的可能性和潛意識產物的可能性--不管怎麼樣,這些因素也沒有足夠的理由讓我們考慮超自然力量介入的可能性。」[29]
參考資料
- ^ Roberts, Jane. ESP Power. 2000; Stack, Rick. Out-Of-Body Adventures. 1988; Hathaway, Michael R. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Past Life Regression. 2003, p. 208; Watkins, Susan. Conversations With Seth, Book 2: 25th Anniversary Edition. 2006.
- ^ Talbot, Michael. The Holographic Universe, 1991; Hanegraff, Wouter J. New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought, SUNY Press, 1998, pp. 122–126; Hammer, Olav. Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age. BRILL, 2004, p. 342; Upton, Charles. The System of Antichrist: Truth and Falsehood in Postmodernism and the New Age. Sophia Perennis, 2005, pp. 169–173.
- ^ Klimo, Jon. Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources. North Atlantic Books 1998, p. 22.
- ^ Fuller, Robert C. Spiritual, But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America. Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 187; Newport, John P. The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing 1998, p. 165; Klimo, Jon. Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources. North Atlantic Books 1998, p. 62.
- ^ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Larson, Bob. Larson's Book of World Religions and Alternative Spirituality. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2004, p. 484.
- ^ Albanese, Catherine L. A Republic of Mind and Spirit: A Cultural History of American Metaphysical Religion. Yale University Press 2007, p. 501.
- ^ Newport, John P. The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing 1998, p. 165.
- ^ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Fuller, Robert C. Spiritual, But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America. Oxford University Press 2001, p. 60.
- ^ ESP Power, by Jane Roberts (2000) (introductory essay by Lynda Dahl). ISBN 978-0-88391-016-0
- ^ Other Lives, Other Selves: A Jungian Psychotherapist Discovers Past Lives, by Roger Woolger (1988). ISBN 978-0-553-34595-7
- ^ Chapter 1, Session 511, Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul, by Jane Roberts (1972).
- ^ Klimo, Jon. Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources. North Atlantic Books. 1998: 30. ISBN 1-55643-248-8.
- ^ Chapter 10, The Seth Material, by Jane Roberts (1970).
- ^ Chapter 1, Session 511, and Chapter 2, Session 514, Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul, by Jane Roberts (1972).
- ^ Tyler, Paula J.; Fran Stagg. New Age Metaphysics: An Introduction for Young Adults. Ozark Mountain Publishing. 1987: 40. ISBN 0-9617920-0-0.
- ^ Chapter 1, Seth Speaks, by Jane Roberts (1972); "Consciousness creates form. It is not the other way around".
- ^ Clarke, Peter Bernard. New Religions in Global Perspective. Routledge. 2006: 25. ISBN 0-415-25748-4.
- ^ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Leskowitz, Eric D. Transpersonal Hypnosis: Gateway to Body, Mind, and Spirit. CRC Press. 1999: 107, 163, 173. ISBN 0-8493-2237-5.
- ^ 19.0 19.1 Bruce, Alexandra. Beyond the Bleep: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to What the Bleep Do We Know!?. The Disinformation Company. 2005: 116–117. ISBN 1-932857-22-2.
- ^ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Wolf, Joachim. Understanding the Grand Design: Spiritual Reality's Inner Logic. Trafford Publishing. 2003: 136–7,163,176–8. ISBN 1-55395-567-6.
- ^ 21.0 21.1 Hanegraaff, Wouter J. New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought. SUNY Press. 1998: 122–4,125,126. ISBN 0-7914-3854-6.
- ^ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Upton, Charles. The System of Antichrist: Truth and Falsehood in Postmodernism and the New Age. Sophia Perennis. 2005: 169–173. ISBN 0-900588-38-1.
- ^ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Neff, Joanna Neff. Soul Retrieval: Return to Wholeness. Trafford Publishing. 2003: 59, 63. ISBN 1-4120-1613-4.
- ^ Brennan, Barbara Ann. Hands of Light. Bantam. 1987: 243. ISBN 0-553-34539-7.
- ^ 25.0 25.1 Hanegraaff, Wouter J. New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought. SUNY Press. 1998: 214. ISBN 0-7914-3854-6.
- ^ 葉乃嘉. 意識、時空與心靈. 台北: 台灣商務印書館. ISBN 9789602575523 請檢查
|isbn=
值 (幫助). - ^ Session 610, The Nature of Personal Reality, by Jane Roberts (1974). ISBN 978-0-13-610576-3
- ^ Kole, Andre; E Calvin Beisner, Robert M Bowman Jr, Terry Holley Astrology and Psychic Phenomena Zondervan Publishing House 1989 ISBN 978-0-310-48921-4 p.51
- ^ Kole, Andre; E Calvin Beisner, Robert M Bowman Jr, Terry Holley Astrology and Psychic Phenomena Zondervan Publishing House 1989 ISBN 978-0-310-48921-4 p.52
外部連結
- Guide to the Jane Roberts Papers, Manuscripts and Archives(頁面存檔備份,存於互聯網檔案館), Yale University Library Archival Collection includes both published and unpublished materials
- Seth Network International[1] The Global meeting place for Seth readers
- Seth Center(頁面存檔備份,存於互聯網檔案館) Index to the Early Sessions
- Seth Learning Center (頁面存檔備份,存於互聯網檔案館) An overview of titles and related audio clips, New Awareness Network
- Nirvikalpa Archive of over 1500 quotations and excerpts
- www.out-of-body-guide.com - 賽斯書系列 (頁面存檔備份,存於互聯網檔案館) - 賽斯書書目、簡介
- 賽斯文化出版社 (頁面存檔備份,存於互聯網檔案館)- 賽斯書系列
- - 心靈與意識
- [2] 新時代賽斯教育基金會
參見
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