Is it possible that we may have chosen the life we have before we were born?

Question

It seems quite possible to me that the soul/ wisdom selects its challenges to help with unfoldment?

But, could this have started before birth?

*This comes from a chap I know who's son suffers with schizophrenia. The son says that when you die you have 3 choices:
a: Go to heaven/Nirvana.
b: Return to Earth.
c: Or you can go to the 'planning room' to design lives that will help souls to learn.

It is a really interesting view.

Answer 1

From the mouths of babes.....I have heard that schizophrenics are aware of themselves multi ~ dimensionally, but are out of alignment, the energies are not flowing cleanly as it were, and so therefore the discord...

anyway, I am aware of the same options, from a slightly different perspective. But the planning room, it is real. And the main tool for the planning, it is likened unto a computer (think about that parallel, all you YA'ers...)
There are the designers, and they assist the returners with their various options, based on the issues, who is available where etc.

Then, birth happens. We go from the best of intentions and the best laid plans into bodies. Our intended looks change, the plans change -it all becomes abstracted, as it has to pass through the judgments held within the soul. (soul as our anchor, our portal to being here) So, those then are the karma's that create the challenging circumstances -

the Buddha realized there are not enough austerities to be performed to be "good enough", as the dark night of the soul has no bottom....so instead, to walk the middle path, to be light, to accept self as simply good enough right now -and whoosh -suddenly, self transcends time, and you are free of said karma's. They still exist, in a sense, but you are no longer at the effect of them.

Brilliant child. Hope he gets the assist he needs to be in peace....

Answer 2

Yes your higher self chooses the life that will be lived in conjunction with the laws that have been invoked, which laws are the victories or defeats of the previous expression from the soul in this world. The laws of your birth are decided from the genes of your soul's progression and expression does it take root, fro the parents, to the environment, everything is decided before hand. There is a divine strategy to it all, there is no mistakes neither is there any uncertainties from soul reality. All have been chosen, even the experiences that are to follow that shaken even the most political correct of man. This higher soul perspective defeats all the thoughts of what is good and evil in this world, everything serves the purposes of development, and evolution of the spiritual seed in you. In that realm where the higher beings of light reside, which is our higher natures, they decide together what is to come. Also when you sleep, they meet together to discuss the following day events.

However, in regards to heaven/Nirvana, true heaven and Nirvana is you the little self coming to know and being born into this higher entity of light that is your higher nature (of whom is our own higher divine selves), but heaven/Nirvana for these entities of light would be the completion, which isn't decided by simply going somewhere, it takes much development and is something achieved over the course of many life times of development and harmony of the natures/levels of consciousness that compose you, each finding its completion - you don't go to heaven you grow to heaven and this heaven is the birth into the mind of God, becoming one with God/the Whole/your source through your oneness obtained through the various levels of your being. And if you don't achieve these things while in the body, when you die you will achieve nothing. There are astral places though, their is a astral place for every belief that one has had on earth; a Christian plane, Muslim plane, Buddhist plane, and etc, all there to fit the need of a life that most work on what they need to in order to move on, some stay earth-bound as disincarnate spirits which is probably the saddest reality of them all.

But again this is from my Gnostic perspective.

Answer 3

I heard of this planning room too. When we are spirit, our perspective is spirit.

We couldn't possibly know about that, after having drunk of the "Cup of Forgetfulness" at birth. Once having drunk, our perceptions are clouded, and we see only the material veil. We see how miserable our lives are and we interact as if this were the real world. Some see "as a glass darkly."

As we awaken (very soon,) and we will see as Christ saw, and will be able do "Miracles" and "signs and wonders" (which are nothing more than obeying greater laws) what heretofore were impossible and un-comprehendible. As we awaken from this slumber, we will understand far greater laws than ever before.

There will be those that will not even be awake enough to realize what's happening. They are drunk with this bitter "Wine of Forgetfulness," which makes their life more agonizing still.

But then again, what do I know?

Answer 4

To me, this is a metaphor for a process that happens spontaneously without any individual choosing. We might imagine a given level of awareness that, simply due to the dynamics present, (some call it karma) needs to have certain experiences in order to transcend some limitations and move forward.

These conditions and experiences are not chosen outside of time or arranged ahead of time but are spontaneously created as they are experienced. It's the nature of experience and the desire that unfolds within it that we are always exploring our own boundaries of awareness and creating experiences to help us explore.

Time is a human illusion. Outside of that temporal illusion, how can thinking, choosing, planning take place?

Answer 5

I can tell you this Dr Elizabeth Kubler Ross a very well known Psychiatrist in America, believed this. I have read some of her books she was a Spiritualist and I have read some of her articles, on this subject and she believes you have a choice to come back to learn more, or a punishment
because of the way you left other people
when you were on this earth. A very good question.

Answer 6

Absolutely... I'm currently working on a book about this exact premise! =)


EDIT:-
The individual above me said, "... I certainly wouldn't have chosen this life to live..." And, well, I know this thought all to well. I used to think the very same way!

But, then it dawned on me... "What IF I chose this life before I was born? Maybe I should look at my life from THAT perspective! If that is the case, then ALL of these experiences in my life are here for a REASON!"

I then realized that I had to look at my life in a whole new way. I had to see it from the perspective of actually creating all the life experiences I would have within life, BEFORE I was born.

This, I can say, was a pretty amazing paradigm shift!

Answer 7

The three options are really not too far off from the Buddhist perspective, and as for the 'pre-choosing' of our current lives the law of cause and effect (i.e. karma) would hold that all of our cumulative actions (current and past life) as well as actions of others affect the next stop on our cosmic journey.

Answer 8

I have wondered if maybe all were angels in heaven and volunteered to come to earth for the experience just to love God more. I guess if we did we will know someday. I think that would make a lot of sense.

Answer 9

not only interesting but common - check out rudolph steiner and cayce too...it's my personal belief - you choose the issues you need to face to further your spiritual development BEFORE you come 'here'...kinda gives you a whole new perspective on people that organised religion tends to patronise..ie these are old souls who 'know' FAR more than those who would like to think themselves as do-gooders who get off on their 'holiness'! eeeyooo

also raises the question of which 'I' is you!!! you believe you are only ONE being? jeesh you GOTTA be young!!! check out gurdjieff for a nice metaphor of the ladder of selves.

Answer 10

Read 'journey of souls' by Dr Michael Newton. It says something very similar in there.