Do we really want to know? Consider what Dr. George Rodonaia and PMH Atwater have to say about it:

 "The point is to live the questions now, and perhaps without knowing it, someday we will live into the answers. Live the questions and the universe will open up its eyes to you." (Dr. George Rodonaia)

 "The drama of creation is unbounded and is neither limited by our perception of it, nor by our ability or inability to comprehend it. This drama is as stupendous as it is terrifying, as awesome as it is wonderful, as miraculous as it is mysterious, as beautiful as it is the ultimate act of all-consuming love. To witness even a glimpse of such glory, to know the Real Truth of it, leaves a mark so deep and so profound you are forever uplifted and transformed." (Dr. PMH Atwater)

 According to information obtained from the human experience with the universe in the realms of science, religion, metaphysics, and near-death experiences, the universe is waiting right now for us to open our eyes and see the answer that will help us attain our goals on the River of Life. From what I can gather, the story resembles a modified version of the parable of the prodigal son who left his father to experience life on his own and to discover new worlds.

As a soul, we come to this world to have a life experience as a human being. Everyone has been doing this for millions of years. We are bringing God into this garden called Earth. We are bringing light into darkness and peace into chaos. We come to help our loved ones within our soul group and humanity in general evolve and learn lessons that only a human experience can give.

Millions of years of ago, the human experience began when souls, like pilgrims and prodigals, began exploring the universe. We came to earth and began influencing and eventually inhabiting the bodies of a particular species of humanoid. Through evolution we influenced these creatures to come out of the trees create societies. Throughout the course of human evolution, as a soul, we could come here and have a human experience, fulfill whatever mission we came to do, then death would free us to return as a soul back to where we came from which is our true home in non-physical realms.

Living in this world is analogous to experiencing on-the-job training. We come here to attain growth as a soul (an individualized aspect of spirit). As a spirit, we are already perfectly one with God. But with every human body and life we experienced on earth over the millennia, we create a different soul body to be the vehicle for our spirit as it experiences the world in the vehicle of a human body. At the physical level, our body is conscious. At the soul level, our mind is subconscious. At the spirit level, we are superconscious. We are multi-dimensional and exist in three different worlds at the same time. There are many abodes and many dimensions. We are working our way back up "Jacob's ladder" of success toward the goal of perfected individuality as a soul to go along with our already perfect Wholeness as a spirit. We are evolving into an individualized version of the Whole which is "God" consciousness.

As a human being, we seem like such a small creation in an infinite universe, but this is really only an illusion. As individuals, we are the human and soul part of God. We are extensions of thought in the Mind of God (the collective Whole). We are bringing this higher universal consciousness into this tiny world called Earth while at the same time we are developing individual consciousness. We are the Mind of God becoming human. We are the body, mind and spirit of God evolving into a perfect individual-divine unity. We have examples of this human-divine unity in the lives of Jesus and Buddha and others. The goal in human evolution is for us to attain a human-divine consciousness which can overcome the limitations of the body, walk on water if we choose, or even live forever on this planet as a human if we choose to. We are powerful spiritual beings with a oneness of the Whole and the wholeness of the One. On a higher level, we are gods just as Jesus said. This is another way of saying we are "godlings" or "children." We are growing up to be like our Parents. The core of our being, our spirit, is perfect love and perfect "God consciousness." We travel this River of Life to bring the "kingdom of God" to this world. (Kevin Williams)

When Mellen-Thomas Benedict entered into the light during his NDE, the light responded to him by saying:

"This is the RIVER OF LIFE. Drink of this manna water to your heart's content."

When he did said that it was ecstatic. He asked the light to see the whole universe and beyond. The light told him that he could "go with the Stream." He was then carried through the light at the end of the tunnel. While in the light, Mellen-Thomas learned our higher purpose. Here are some of his and other NDE experiencers insights:

 Creation is God exploring God's Self through every way imaginable, in an ongoing, infinite exploration through every one of us. Through every piece of hair on your head, through every leaf on every tree, through every atom, God is exploring God's Self. (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

 The interesting point was that I went into the void, I came back with this understanding that God is not there. God is here. That's what it is all about. So this constant search of the human race to go out and find God ... God gave everything to us, everything is here - this is where it's at. And what we are into now is God's exploration of God through us. People are so busy trying to become God that they ought to realize that we are already God and God is becoming us. That's what it is really about. (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

 In this expanded state, I discovered that creation is about absolute pure consciousness, or God, coming into the experience of life as we know it. (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

 "Through our physical life we must discover how to return to God. By the good that we do to each other here, by the ways we improve our minds, and by the ways that we learn to cope with a physical body and physical life, we earn our right of safe passage back to God; and in doing so, we honor God. It is God's love that sends us on the journey and it is our love for God that will allow us to return to God's loving arms." (David Goines)

 Our life in this world is a preparation for a fuller, freer and richer spirit world. It can be compared to life in the womb being a preparation for a fuller, freer and richer existence in the physical world. (Nora Spurgin)

 The conquering of self is truly greater than were one to conquer many worlds. (Edgar Cayce)

 Everyone who passes through this world must learn their final lessons in this world, where our free will is called into play in a fashion different from existence in other realms of reality. (Edgar Cayce)

 If we choose to clean up the mess we create on earth, we will not contribute to the mess of others and this will contribute to the healing of the earth. Reincarnation is the process which allows us to return to earth to "clean up our mess." (David Oakford)

 Everyone's gain or loss affects everyone else to some degree because we are all connected. (Dr. PMH Atwater)

 In order to return to God we have to come to ourselves and realize that our lower nature is leading us down the road of materialism and of living only for ourselves. This causes us to turn away from God and our divine destiny. This caused us to forget who we are and it caused our spiritual death. (Dr. George Ritchie)

There are a number of good reasons why people believe they have lived before they were born. Here is a list of them:

(1)

During a near-death experience, people such as Betty Eadie have received forgotten memories of a life in heaven before they were born. Such memories have been called "pre-birth" memories. Other experiencers have also re-remembered such memories during a NDE.

(2)

Some experiencers, such as RaNelle Wallace and Plato's account of the NDE of Er, see people in heaven who are yet to be born during a NDE. Sometimes people are even seen preparing for being born into the world.

(3)

A relatively small number of people, such as Roy Mills, were permitted to retain vivid pre-birth memories when they were born. As such people grow older, they usually forget these memories.

(4)

Some people, such as Jeffrey Keene, are inspired by their day-to-day life experience to remember past-life memories. In Jeffrey Keene's case, he has very compelling circumstantial evidence identifying him as a particular individual in history. People can also recover past-life memories through such means as near-death experiences, hypnosis, meditation, hallucinogens, and dreams, just to name a few.

(5)

The eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism teach reincarnation. In ancient times, Christianity and Judaism held a belief in reincarnation. In such countries were these religions are dominant, very young children have vivid memories of past-lives. There is evidence that such memories appear in young children born in the West as well; but, because reincarnation is generally considered an alien concept in western society, young children are often told these memories are imaginary and that they are encouraged to not entertain these thoughts and feelings. As they grow up, these thoughts and feelings are forgotten.

(6)

There exists compelling circumstantial evidence concerning the possible reincarnation of some individuals such as President Kennedy and Jeffrey Keene.

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)

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:

 The purpose for our earth lives includes the opportunity to pay and receive karmic debts from family members. We plan to connect once again with members of our soul family on earth because of our love for them. (Edgar Cayce)

 Our stations in life are based upon the objectives of completing our missions. We bonded with family and friends to help us in completing them. (Betty Eadie)

 We are here to learn. Our mission in life has to do with love. (Kimberly Clark Sharp)

 The fact that we are born here shows that we are on the path to developing an individual consciousness. Ultimately, we will find God within ourselves because this is our true identity. (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

 If we were born with our pre-birth knowledge intact, our resulting choices would be predictable and would be a violation of our free will. Free will is a highly important power given to us by God. Almost all of our choices must be made according to it. (Hal)

 Our missions mainly have to do with love, but the purpose of life is also to experience joy, gain spiritual understanding and self-awareness, play with the joyful abandon of a child, absorb ourselves in the delight of each moment, let go of obligation and duty, and live for the pure joy of being. (Jan Price)