My feelings about the Psychological Significance of Christmas
This text explores the conflict between the symbolic significance and historical accuracy of Christmas and Christ’s story. It emphasizes the psychological and cultural importance of the holiday, highlighting its therapeutic effects and its portrayal of ideal human qualities. Overall, it suggests that while the historicity might be debated, the psychological and cultural impact of Christmas holds substantial value for individuals and society.
Some words to Joseph
Seth: One of the reasons, Joseph, for your own lack of festive spirit in the past has been the result of your realization that this gap between idealism and action is great. You could not therefore enter into what you felt to be the hypocrisy of the season. All the more since you have no particular conviction, anymore than Ruburt has, concerning the historic existence of a Christ.
To some extent I have explored some of this, but it would do you well to join wholeheartedly into the very necessary spirit of the time, for it is constructive and most beneficial. And in so doing you help yourself and others.
Now. There was no historic Virgin Birth and no historic Crucifixion. This does not mean that these do not represent symbolic
Session 213.
The Psychological Significance of Christmas, a Seth session
This feeling that Christmas represents hypocrisy has been one of the main reasons for your own low spirits during the season, for it represented a rather deep disillusionment with the culture in which you were nurtured.
“The legend of Christ is of great psychic import however, and is intrinsically true. This does not mean it is based in historical fact. In many ways it is more true than historic fact, for man himself created that which had not been provided. The creation nevertheless happened in quite real terms, and is part of mankind’s inner recognition of the pyramid gestalts of which I have spoken.”
“This was as close as man could come in his imagination to that which is, and this is all right. The basic idea behind Christmas is definitely important, whether or not the intellect is able to see its significance.”
“Now. Psychologically alone this is beneficial, for it acts against those feelings of despair that can creep up during the winter season. And by reminding men of a birth and a resurrection it hints at the innate abilities of the race to transcend physical time and space.”
“The getting out of oneself that is involved is excellent therapy, and therapy that does others good, as well as the self involved. There is much more here, however. Culturally speaking, there is a strong connection with the pagan intuitions, deep and meaningful, that found newer and broader expressions.”
“The character of Christ as it is portrayed is an excellent one, since it stressed human rather than specifically male qualities. Or should I say it stressed human qualities rather than those unfortunately considered male qualities. It stressed the best qualities of the race as a whole.”
“The personality of Christ is an idealization, and a clue to the entity of which each individual personality is composed. And as far as prayer is concerned, though I realize that neither of you pray in those terms, someone does indeed listen. The self who prays listens, and makes necessary adjustments and improvements. For the individual is part of All That Is, and therefore partakes of the abilities of the psychic gestalts of which we have so sketchily spoken.
“The Early Sessions”, Book 5, Session 213, December 1, 1965, by Jane Roberts
(c) 1999 by Robert Butts
(c) Laurel Davies
All images are artificial generated by Dirk Bosman and licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0
