The following is spoken by Tim, in the afterlife, channeled information, as he communicated with his mortal friend, a New York psychiatrist; documented in the book, "The Risen," by August Goforth.

The idea of reincarnation and pre-existence were part of a belief system I brought into my [afterlife] existence. I kept expecting the subjects to crop up but they never did. When I asked about them I was met with varied responses. But some… including a few I knew from my earth life, seemed to believe as I did and we spent a lot of energy discussing and debating, wondering and worrying. ‘What should we be doing to get ready for our next life on the earth? Who are the teachers to help me with this? Where and when should we start?’

Someone suggested that maybe there was a special learning center with a library that dealt solely with the subject, but nobody knew how to get there. Usually, if we desire something strongly enough here, it will manifest within our reach. But perhaps we didn’t know enough about what to desire in the way of a learning center or library on this particular subject, because nothing of the kind appeared. And nobody seemed to know how to direct us...

Father Benson reminds us that many aspects of our life lie well beyond any power of choice

In his channeled book "Life In The World Unseen," Benson recounts what he witnessed on the lowest depths of the Dark Realms. As he thought about what he saw, he commented:

We are not given authority to overturn the natural law of sow-and-reap, there is no choosing to set it aside.

The beauty of the spirit world is the outward and visible expression of the spiritual progression of its inhabitants. When we have earned the right to possess things of beauty, they are given to us through the power of creation. In this sense we can be said to have created them ourselves.

Beauty of mind and deed can produce nothing but beauty, and hence we have flowers of heavenly beauty, trees and meadows, rivers and streams and seas of pure, glistening, crystal-clear water…

But ugliness of mind and deed can produce nothing but ugliness. The seeds of hideousness sown upon the earth-plane will inevitably lead to the reaping of a harvest of hideousness in the spirit world. These dark realms have been built up by the people of the earth-plane, even as they have built up the realms of beauty…

The denizens of the realms of darkness have, by their lives on earth, condemned themselves, each and every one, to the state in which they now find themselves. It is the inevitable law of cause and effect; as sure as night follows day upon the earth-plane.

Of what avail to cry for mercy? The spirit world is a world of strict justice, a justice that cannot be tampered with, a justice which we all mete out to ourselves. Strict justice and mercy cannot go together.

We cannot choose to be merciful, we cannot waive away consequences, for those required to learn the lesson of sow-and-reap.

We ourselves are included in this prohibition and cannot absolve ourselves.

However wholeheartedly and sincerely we may forgive the wrong that has been done to us, mercy is not given to us to dispense in the spirit world. Every bad action must be accounted for by the one who commits it.

Just as we cannot choose to opt out of the experience called death, we cannot choose to avoid any aspect of natural law governing our lives.

It is a personal matter which must be done alone, even as the actual event of death of the physical body must be gone through alone. No one can do it for us, but by the great dispensation upon which this and all worlds are founded, we can, and do, have ready and able assistance in our tribulation.

Our only real choice is to face the music of what we've done to ourselves, and then to choose the way of service-mindedness; reincarnation, like opting out of death, is not a choice open to us.

We cannot choose a denial of personal responsibility, which is the essence of reincarnation. 

On the lowest realms of darkness are beings, part human, part animal, with claws and fangs, so hideous - but they once lived on the Earth as common humanity. And if anyone would be likely to choose reincarnation to escape consequences it would be these miserable ones. But they have no power to choose thus. Their only choice is to embrace the "stern justice" of cause-and-effect.

Every soul who dwells in these dreadful dark realms has the power within himself to rise up out of the foulness into the light. He must make the individual effort himself, he must work out his own redemption. None can do it for him. Every inch of the way he must toil himself. There is no mercy awaiting him, but stern justice.

Often we've stated that, in the next world, there is no punishment, but only education. No one is being punished in the Dark Realms. For some, however, this lesson-plan comes with hard edges. And now we see what this means.

Krishnamurti: only those who are not free attempt to choose

As a young man, James Webster heard a lecture in London by Jiddu Krishnamurti and found himself deeply moved by the wisdom of this Indian mystic. I share this assessment.

James sent to me a quotation (below), which strikes me as among the most profound. Let me warn you, however, the insights therein, concerning free will and choice, might seem so counter-intuitive to what we, in the West, esteem as humanistic ideal that one's immediate reaction is to balk.

We think we are free when we choose; but we are not, are we? Where there is choice, there is no freedom because that very choice springs from our conditioned state. We think we have a will of our own, and we exercise that will through choice. But, if you observe, you will see that will is the outcome of innumerable desires, of many forms of frustration, fears; and these frustrations, fears, desires are the outcome of our conditioning, of our background; so when we choose, we are never free. Choice in itself indicates the lack of freedom. A man who is really free has no choice; he is free, not to do this or that, but to be. As long as we have choice, we are really not free and we are not really individuals [i.e., "divided" from the whole].

It is very important to understand this, because most of us live with choice - choosing a virtue, a person, an action - and choice invariably leads to misery; there is no good choice and bad choice. Only the mind that is free from choice is capable of perceiving what is true. Truth does not come through choice. Truth does not come with analysis, with the capacity to choose between this and that, right and wrong; on the contrary, all choice is the outcome of our conditioning which is based on fear and acquisitiveness. We, you and I, call ourselves individuals but we are really not individuals [i.e., "divided" from the whole] at all. It is only when we are free from the background, from our conditioning, that there is real individuality; and that requires a great deal of thought, enquiry.

I wrestled with these precepts for a while, wondering if Krishnamurti could be correct. Finally, I saw that he speaks with Amit Goswami, Eckhart Tolle, and others who understand that it is the Small Ego that attempts to "choose." When we align ourselves with the True Self, the "inner riches," the heritage of having been "made in the image," in a very real sense, there is no "choice" for us; rather, we move toward our destiny, not by "choosing," but by accessing the inner wisdom, that "secret pipeline" to Universal Intelligence; and when we do, our actions do not represent a "choice" so much but a realization, an inner resonance, concerning what God wants for us, and has prepared for us.

Krishnamurti is more than correct to asset that our "choices" in the world represent cultural conditioning. Instead of heeding the "still small voice" of the True Self, we convince ourselves that we want something because of neurotic identification with fashion or peer-group demands; or a teacher in second grade said it was a good idea; or because grandmother or local priest advocated such. But, "truth does not come through choice" or consensus opinion. We don't get to vote on what's real.

Notice Krishnamurti's particular example of the Small Ego's domain - we choose a person to marry. And what's wrong with this? The Small Ego cannot hope to get it right. It will choose a mate based on psychological/biological neediness. Eventually, when you find your Twin-Soul - more likely, in the next world - you will be together, not because you choose him or her - that won't be necessary; instead, your deepest inner-person will so resonate with the beloved - an overwhelming confirmation from the depths of being - that it will be unthinkable for you to be with any other.

We don't choose our eternal mates; that choice was made on a higher level a very long time ago. Our part is to clear away the influence of the Small Ego, allowing for recognition and realization when Spirit Guides bring the beloved near and into one's life.

Likewise, we cannot choose reincarnation as it represents just one more craving of the Small Ego. As we access the "true self," a recognition and realization of sacred destiny will inform us of another path.

a restatement on this issue of "choice"

Much of this discussion of “choice” strikes us as contrary to common sense. This is because the Ego has taken over the subject.

As we mature and grow spiritually, we will come to see that “choice” is no longer part of our decision-making process. Instead, as we access “the true self,” wisdom percolates upward, from the depths of being, and we’re given answers seemingly from nowhere.

But the Ego, knowing nothing of “the true self,” still believes in “choice” as the way forward.

Let’s state this another way: As our “eyes open,” we’ll stop making “choices” and simply allow the answer to come to us. It is only the Ego that wants to “choose.” It will attempt this in all aspects of life, in this world and the next, until we get our heads right, including the area of “R.”

The Ego wants to choose “R” as it desires, in its neediness, any option that might artificially enhance itself or grant to itself “more time.” But the Ego, in reality, doesn’t get to choose anything; except among various options for suffering. That’s what it chooses, and that’s what it’s good at creating. The Ego fancies itself "in control," able to choose, but this is gross illusion. The Ego's little wishes have no power to craft and mold reality.

Why is this so? See the inset box on “The Jungle Always Wins” for a discussion of how all civilizations, all societies, cultures, and social contracts – expressions of the Little Me Ego -- are “passing away,” as the apostle John used the phrase.

Everything the Ego touches eventually turns to tears, brings no satisfaction, comes to nothing, but for the chaos it creates. The Higher Self does not “choose,” in any area of life, in this world or the next. Regarding those very rare instances of certain ones returning to the Earth as a mortal for a special service-mission, this is not a “choice,” as such, but an alignment with Universal Intelligence, which directs the endeavor.

Editor's note: See my essay on "Prayer," which activity, in essence, is not meant to be "gimmee-gimmee," that is, a "choice," but, in its sanctified expression, an atunement of one's spirit with Universal Intelligence.