posted March 30, 2008 08:41 AM         

We choose our destiny. Before we were born, we had an opportunity to see all the possibilities for our life. Using an analogy, it is like standing on a mountain top looking at a large river below. We saw all the possibilities like a person can see all the branches and tributaries of the river. Our mission is to float this "river" of life. All the branches (opportunities) eventually return to the river (our mission) and to the sea (God). Returning to the sea is predestined, but how we decide to float the river it is based on our own free will.

Everyone assisted in planning the conditions on earth, including the laws of mortality which would govern us. These included the laws of physics as we know them, the limitations of our bodies, and spiritual powers that we would be able to access. (Betty Eadie)

A heavenly process exists in the spirit realm that is designed to help us choose our destiny. (Dr. Allen Kellehear)

The heavenly process determines the number of destinies a soul can choose from. This process is an astrological process. This astrological process is connected to the various realms of the afterlife. (Edgar Cayce)

A cosmic matrix of rainbow light exists around the earth. This matrix provides souls with a number of earthly destinies from which to choose from. Then, before we are born into the world, we are required to forget these memories. (Plato)

We choose the life we are going to live and how much karma we are going to meet and settle. (Arthur Yensen)

Before we were born, we choose our stations in life based upon the objectives of completing our missions. (Betty Eadie)

We choose which body we to enter before birth. (Sandra Rogers)

When planning our life before birth, we do not deal with the details. Instead, we have before us our relationships to others and to situations. But some people have squandered their opportunities to such a degree that they are not completely free in their choices. (Edgar Cayce)

Because our spirits remember the plan we chose for this life, we are often drawn to people or situations that impact us in important ways. This is often the force behind 'chance' encounters. I was told there are no coincidences. However, making the most of these opportunities is up to us as we exercise our free will. (Betty Eadie)

The decision to be born into this physical world is not an easy one. Our souls left a world of total wisdom, where they exist in a blissful state of freedom, for the physical and mental demands of a physical body. (Dr. Michael Newton)

The rejuvenation of our energy and personal assessment of our soul takes longer for some souls than others, but eventually the soul is motivated to start the process of being born. While our spiritual environment is hard to leave, as souls we also remember the physical pleasures of life on earth with fondness and even nostalgia. We feel the pull of having a physical expression for our identity. (Dr. Michael Newton)

Dr. Michael Newton: Training sessions with our counselors and peer groups have provided a collaborative spiritual effort to prepare us for life in the flesh. Our souls takes action based upon three primary decisions:
(1)
Am I ready for a new physical life?

(2)
What specific lessons do I want to undertake to advance my learning and development?

(3)
Where should I go, and who shall I be in my life for the best opportunity to work on my goals?

Once the decision has been made, we are directed to the place of life selection. We then consider when and where we want to go on earth before making a decision on who they will be in life. We then entered a heavenly building which resembles a movie theater to allow us to see ourselves in the future, playing different roles in various settings. In this place of life selection, our souls preview the life span of more than one human being within the same time cycle. When we leave this area, most souls are inclined toward one leading candidate presented to us for soul occupation. However, our spiritual advisors give us ample opportunity to reflect upon all we have seen in the future before making a final decision. (Dr. Michael Newton)

After we completed our consultations with guides and peers about the many physical and psychological ramifications of entering the physical realm, the decision to come was made. Afterward, we underwent a significant amount of preparation in a place called the recognition class. This heavenly class is where prepare ourselves for entry into the physical realm in a manner that is similar to cramming for a final exam. (Dr. Michael Newton)

One of the last requirements before being born is that we went before the Council of Elders. The Elders reinforce the significance of our goals for life. Once we were ready for entering the physical realm, we were like battle-hardened veterans girding ourselves for combat. This was our last chance for us to enjoy the omniscience of knowing just who we are before we adapt to a physical body. (Dr. Michael Newton)

We are given teachings, training, and anything we need to help us prepare for entering the physical realm. We choose our own pace and need not be hurried through the realms of the next dimensions. It may take what might feel like eons of time before our soul knows what is best for our development while in the flesh. (Betty Bethards)

As part of our training, we are allowed to watch people on earth to see how they handle situations in life. When we are ready, we can choose to be shown our past lives. If we don't believe in reincarnation it may take a long period of time before we are able to deal with this. Reviewing our past lives helps us recognize all the strengths we have built and all the karmic debts we have created which must be dissolved. (Betty Bethards)

After integrating the knowledge learned from our past lives, we have reached a state of total objectivity. We feel no remorse or condemnation, but see it as merely a review of why situations occurred and had to be worked through. (Betty Bethards)

When we made the decision to enter the physical realm for soul growth, we first planned with the members of our soul family the karmic considerations because our relationship with them is vital to what we desired to accomplish in earthly life. (Edgar Cayce)

There was a vast amount of planning that was done before we were born. When planning for entering into the physical realm, we do not have physical details before us. Instead we have before us relationships to others, to situations, and to those forces which have prepared us. (Edgar Cayce)

God not only prepares us to do his will, he also gives us all that we need to do it. He sends to our path the right people when we need them, whether we realize it or not. (Betty Eadie)

In our decision-making process about the life we currently lead, we dealt largely with two factors:
(1)
We worked with our motivation for entering, then with the potential we had for entering.

(2)
The rest was left for the great adventure of life. (Edgar Cayce)

Any habit-forming pleasure can traps them into the cycle of reincarnation over and over, until their appetites are finally put aside while they are in the flesh. This is a lesson for those souls who would like to break the cycle of reincarnation. (Ruth Montgomery)

The nature of our missions

Information gleaned from many near-death accounts provides us with a wealth of information concerning concepts such as destiny, predestination, free will, missions and how they relate to our lives. Here are some of them: