(Long pause.) You can only make so many conscious decisions, or you would be swamped and caught in a constant dilemma of decision making. Time organizes the available choices that are to be made. The awakening mentioned earlier, then, found man rousing from his initial “dreaming condition,” faced suddenly with the need for action in a world of space and time, a world in which choices became inevitable, a world in which he must choose among probable actions—and from an infinite variety of those choose which events he would physically actualize. This would be an almost impossible situation were the species—meaning each species—not given its own avenues of expression and activity, so that it is easier for certain species to behave in certain manners. And each species has its own overall characteristics and propensities that further help it define the sphere of influence in which it will exert its ability to make choices.

This time reference is perhaps the most important within earth experience, and the one that most influences all creatures. In experience or existence outside of time (pause), there is no necessity to make certain kinds of judgments. In an out-of-time reference, theoretically speaking now, an infinite number of directions can be followed at once. Earth’s time reference, however, brought to experience a new brilliant focus—and in the press of time, again, certain activities would be relatively more necessary than others, relatively more pleasant or unpleasant than others. Among a larger variety of possible actions, man was suddenly faced with a need to make choices, that within that context had not been made “before.”

(9:17.) Each species is endowed also, by virtue of the units of consciousness that compose it, with an overall inner picture of the condition of each other species (pause), and further characterized by basic impulses so that it is guided toward choices that best fulfill its own potentials for development while adding to the overall good of the entire world consciousness. This does not curtail free will any more than man’s free will is curtailed because he must (underlined) grow from a fetus into an adult instead of the other way around.

The differences among all species are caused by this kind of organization, so that areas of choice are clearly drawn, and areas of free activity clearly specified. The entire gestalt of probable actions, therefore, is already focused to some degree in the species’ differentiations. In the vast structure of probable activity, however, far more differentiation was still necessary, and this is provided for through the inner passageways of reincarnational existence.

[...] This simply does not exist to the inner ego, therefore the inner ego is effortlessly aware of any choices or decisions that you may make freely in say 1970. It does not affect your choice. It has absolutely nothing to do with whatever future choice you may make. It is aware of such future choices simply because the camouflage future does not exist for it.

It is quite true that the inner ego is aware through the inner senses of any choices that the outer ego will make with the use of free will. [...] It only means that the inner ego is not bound by the dimensions in which those free will choices are made.

Free will as I mentioned earlier certainly does operate, but you must remember that while it does operate, personalities on your plane are extremely limited as to choice. [...]

Free choice therefore is not the widerange experience that you suppose. [...]

[...] Realize that to some extent or another your dilemma or your illness has been chosen by you, and that this choosing has been done in bits and pieces of small, seemingly inconsequential choices. Each choice, however, has led up to your current predicament, whatever its nature.

[...] There is no need to feel guilty since you meant very well as you made each choice — only the choices were built upon beliefs that were beliefs and not facts.

[...] The idea of making choices should be stressed: to live or to die is indeed each person’s choice.

[...] If you commit suicide, however, your choices for this life are over.

[...] Again, however, the individual must make his or her own choice, and without facing the additional burden of worrying whether or not the soul itself will be condemned for such an act.

AFTER-DEATH CHOICES AND THE
MECHANICS OF TRANSITION

[...] This cannot be done, however, until the reincarnational cycle, once chosen, is completed, so the last choice exists for those who have developed their abilities through reincarnation as far as possible within that system.

(9:03.) Through your mundane conscious choices, you affect all of the events of your world, so that the mass world is the result of multitudinous individual choices. You could not make choices at all if you did not feel impulses to do this or that, so that choices usually involve you in making decisions between various impulses. [...]

[...] If probabilities did not exist, and if you were not to some degree aware of probable actions and events, not only could you not choose between them, but you would not of course have any feelings of choice (intently). [...]

[...] It is the personality who makes the choices. The entity may not either aid or prevent any choice that the personality may make. The entity may not like any particular choice made by the personality, but he, the entity, cannot change the course that the personality chooses to take.

If you say that the personality cannot take any choice of which the entity is not aware, then this is true; but it is also true that the entity is utterly incapable of changing that choice made by the personality, even though the entity knows about the choice ahead of time, so to speak.

[...] A person may become so frightened of using his or her own power of choice or action that the construction of an artificial superbeing is created — a seemingly sublime personage who gives orders to the individual involved.

Donald may be so terrified of making choices, so indecisive, that he constructs an imaginary superbeing who orders him to do thus and so. [...]

The individual, like Donald, has also given up the responsibility for his own choices, and feels that he or she cannot be held responsible for any destructive acts that might be committed.

[...] The tree of knowledge, then, did indeed offer its fruits — and “good and bad” — because this was the first time there were any kinds of choices available, and free will.

Good and evil then simply represented the birth of choices, initially in terms of survival, where earlier instinct alone had provided all that was needed. [...]

[...] Satan represents — in the terms of the story — the part of All That Is, or God, who stepped outside of Himself, so to speak, and became earthbound with His creatures, offering them the free will and choice that “previously” had not been available.

[...] Again, good and evil and the freedom of choice came to the species’ aid. [...]

[...] What you actually have behind such a belief is a fear of free will and of making choices.

The more extensive your knowledge, the more aware you are of probable actions, and of the conglomeration of choices that then become available. [...]

[...] You are always making choices between probable actions and alternate courses. A choice presupposes probable acts, each possible, each capable of actualization within your system of reality. [...]

[...] Any choice you make privately affects it biologically and psychically.

[...] This means also that you are bringing such an issue into conscious light, that you are not afraid of making such a choice, and that you are thankful that the choice itself is available to you. [...]

[...] Any decision is of course your own—but the overall willingness to explore the creativity possible in such a probability is perhaps more important than any choice you make. [...]

[...] He will have choices to make that before he did not have—choices he avoided consciously. [...]

[...] Say, for example, that you have three choices and it is imperative that you select one. Using this state, you take the first choice. The alternative present is the moment in which you make that choice. [...]

(10:30.) You do the same with each of the other choices, all from the framework of that state of consciousness. [...]

[...] There are always backings off, you see, and new choices however. [...] The various choice possibilities were known in the dream episodes. You foresaw then future possibilities within the main choice system.

[...] No one is going to deprive a child of food, and yet food can be used in such cases, in terms perhaps of treats, if the child must ask for them, or in some way indicate a choice. Autistic children are afraid of making choices. [...]

[...] According to its tenets, any such feeling of conscious choice is instead the reflection of the brain’s attitude at any given time. [...]

To some extent, such a child symbolizes what happens when an individual believes that he or she is unworthy, that he or she cannot trust impulses, that choices present more problems than advantages. [...]

[...] It would be quite improbable for you, Joseph (as Seth calls me), to suddenly turn into a tailor, for example, for none of your choices with probabilities have led toward such an action.

[...] But within the range of workable probabilities, private and mass choices, the people of the world are choosing their probable 1980s.

[...] As I have said, the choices among probabilities go on constantly, both on conscious and unconscious levels. [...]

These choices however are based upon your changing perceptions of past and present. [...] But this is dependent upon my prediction as to which choice you will make, and the choice is still your own.

[...] And the choice is dependent upon your choices in both past and present.

[...] If the ego were allowed to make all the choices, with no veto power from other layers of the self, you would all be in a sad position indeed.

The available events are not fully perceived on a subconscious level, and therefore choice is limited. [...]

[...] You have your choice of many channels. [...]

[...] Your job is simply to choose the programs of your choice on any evening. [...]

In this book I will try to tell you what goes on behind the scenes — to show you the ways in which you choose your daily physical programs, and to describe how those personal choices mix and merge to form a mass reality. [...]

They also make choices as to which plays they will take part in. [...]

“These choices, however, are based upon your changing perception of past and present. [...] But this is dependent upon my prediction as to which choice [of probable events] you will make, and the choice is still your own … Predictions, per se, do not contradict the theory of free will, though free will is dependent upon much more than any freedom of the ego alone. If the ego were allowed to make all the choices, with no veto power from other layers of the self, you would all be in a sad position indeed.

[...] Probabilities have been mentioned in such a way that alternate realities are presented, showing such people that choices are available.

[...] In that respect, the choice is yours, but all the events you do not accept occur nevertheless.