What happens to the spirits who do not belong to the Plan of Salvation during preparation for incarnation? Are they subjected to this separation with their consent, without their consent, or in what way are they prepared?
The Guide: It works along the same principles. They are always consulted and are given a free choice first. Together, they then consider what this choice may mean, what results it may produce from the point of view that is important, namely spiritual development. A wiser and higher developed spirit advises and points out certain things that the spirit in question may not have the overall view to see as yet.
As is explained in Lecture #34 Preparation for Reincarnation, in some instances their own choice is fully considered because it is wise. In other cases, it is pointed out that their choice may be dangerous. It is shown to them how and why. Then they may accept the advice or they may not. Still, their wish is considered. In other cases, their choice is too easy and therefore the coming life would not offer them any chance of growth. Again they are advised and shown; again they may or may not accept.
Again, in yet other instances, their choice must be denied outright because it is so blind and so far away from understanding the purpose of life that they would bring great harm to themselves and others by following through on their own suggestions. Besides, doing so would violate the law of cause and effect, and free will. They must remain within the effects they themselves have brought about by their previous actions and reactions. There is some leeway to that, but it is limited.
A spirit who has gained some understanding and vision, some self-awareness, even before he is part of the great Order of the Divine Spirit World, will make his choice within the framework of his own causes. If an entity stubbornly refuses to take advice, he will just naturally fall into the channels he has prepared for himself by his previous free will.
Then his will seems limited, but this is erroneous, for the limitations are the product of his free will. In short, the same principle holds true for all spirits, whether they belong to the Plan of Salvation or not. The difference is only that the former will make wiser decisions for their lives from the viewpoint of reality.
Not all spirits want to become incarnated. But after a certain time, they have to. Sometimes they are advised that it would be better to do it now and sometimes they accept the advice. If they do not, they are allowed some further time. Others are overeager and desire to incarnate too quickly. Then too, they are advised accordingly, and they may or may not accept the advice.
Only when their choice is too obviously against the natural law of cause and effect are they drawn into incarnations almost like the development of growth that you cannot stop. If a human child wishes to remain a child in body, it cannot succeed. Natural growth takes place. It is similar in this respect.
All these laws, the laws of reincarnation as well as any other laws, follow a natural procedure and do not happen arbitrarily or forcefully. They are created in infinite wisdom and farsightedness; not only the individual entity in question is considered in these laws, but his own fulfillment of the law is part of the Great Cause. One works within the other, one never interferes with the other. This is hard for humanity to understand. The concept is too broad for you to really comprehend.
Incidentally, by looking at and knowing another human being, you may sometimes quite easily tell whether that person was eager to incarnate or whether it happened against his or her shortsighted will – which is not contrary to free will. People who do not like to live, who fight against life, are usually those who did not like to come, who would have preferred to remain in the Spirit World, where conditions are often easier but the possibility to develop is so much slower.
If the instinct of destruction is strong, it is a product of the anti-life force; if the life instinct is small, if the will to live is weak, you can be quite certain that the entity was not eager to incarnate because he or she did not understand some basic matters. On the other hand, with people whose life force is strong, who have a positive outlook on life, one can be reasonably certain that they liked to incarnate, but did not do it sooner than was good for them. It is also possible that a negative and weak person, destructively inclined, has incarnated sooner than was good for him.
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