Free Will

A Conversation of Questions 

In the notes from your sessions, I keep reading about free will.  What is it?

Free will means we have the ability to choose whatever we want in our reincarnation on earth, but we are responsible for the consequences of those actions.  Every thought process and every action we take is a form of free will.  We are responsible for the progress and the setbacks in our own life.  As humans, we have the freedom to think and decide, so we are in control of many of our choices and our own destiny.  When we transition into the spirit world, we keep our free will. 

Do we keep our free will in the spirit world?

Yes.  Free will refers to the ability of a spirit to follow the path that it creates for itself, making its own decisions and choosing its own acts. The discarnate spirit enjoys that liberty when it has reached a level of evolution in which it is allowed to chose - alone or with guidance of mentors - the trials and expiations of its next incarnation.  However, it must be understood that spirits do not have absolute freedom, that is, a freedom of action without consequences.  The more enlightened a spirit's conscience is, the greater its free will, and the more accountable it will be for its actions.  This is where responsibility is employed.  The spirits tell us¹that we do not experience absolute freedom of action because we need one another.  They explain that only a hermit in a desert enjoys such freedom, for as soon as two people find themselves together, they have reciprocal rights and duties to respect, whereby they are no longer absolutely free.  It should also be pointed out that our evolutionary progress depends our abilities to interact appropriately with our fellow human beings, and therefore, the life of a hermit does not allow for much advancement.

I was born into a certain place with certain people - so what are the free will choices that I get to make?

- We choose to think or not
- What to think about
- How much and how long to concentrate on an issue
- How many options to consider
- Which of the options to select, etc.
- We also choose our goals and values (such as moving away from where we were born, choosing our own family, desirable character traits, careers, friends and lovers, and moral decisions such as when to lie or tell the truth)

With our spirit guides to advise us, why do we even have free will? 

It is an individualized expression of who we are.  Our goal in this reincarnation is to move into a place of consciousness where we have trust and faith, so we can progress and move forward in this life by making smart choices.  Our philosophy of life (our faith) has an influence over nearly every aspect of our lives.  We can choose whatever we want, as God and the spirits always respect our freedom to make choices.  But having the control over our choices means that we must accept responsibility for our decisions.  It's important to use our free will with awareness and understanding.  If we ask for help, the spirits may offer also guidance when needed.  We are responsible for our own progress.

Great!  So I can ask the spirits which job I should take?

The spirits give suggestions and advice.  If we counted only on their support to make our decisions, we would not be acting on our own accord, and our spirit would not progress.  In order to advance, we need to acquire experience.  Some of it may be difficult, as many people learn only by trial and error. Think of a child learning to walk.  The parents are around to help, but the determination of the child is what ultimately leads to walking.  Any spiritual influence is always presented in a way that still allows us to have our free will.

But these spiritual influences wouldn't allow us to make the wrong choices, would they? 

In addition to our free will, within each one of us are blueprints and guidelines.  Call it your conscience, if you like. We agreed to these expectations before our reincarnation.  If we don't always follow or understand them, there may be spiritual help - but not always.  Because we have free will, we may choose to ignore what we have been taught, just as we may ignore the spiritual help/suggestions.

It sounds complicated.  What if I no longer want free will?

- Without free will, we have no control over our goals and choices
- Like animals or robots, all of our choices would be made for us - and life would be bleak
- We would not progress in this lifetime without planning, self-esteem, morality, and social responsibility
- We want and need control over our lives, because we understand and think (we have logic and reasoning)

- As humans, we are responsible for our lives and actions

- An important aspect of what makes us human is that "we know better"
- We will suffer the consequences of our actions anyway - by freewill or by default - so it makes sense for us to use our free will wisely to make the decisions that are likely to bring us closer to optimizing our lives - by setting goals and achieving them.

Sources:

- Kardec, Allan, The Spirits Book: Modern English Edition; pg. 205-206, 2003
- Dennett, Daniel, Consciousness Explained; chapter 5, 1997
- Prigogine, IIya and Stengers, Isabelle, Order out of Chaos; (introduction),1984
- Churchland, Paul,The Engine of Reason, the Seat of the Soul; (various),1996