Inquiry Content:

Looking at the two posts posted on April 9, 2021, "Differences in the degree of life planning made before birth" and August 11, 2023, "Choosing the most difficult life you can endure," I'm not sure whether life is determined by the higher self or whether it is not determined. Please explain.
(End of question)

Thank you for your question.

It seems like you're mixing up two questions.

- Is life determined by the higher self?
- Is life fixed (fatalism), or is there room for free will?

These combinations lead to four classifications.

1. Determined by the higher self, fixed
2. Determined by the higher self, fluid
3. 3. The higher self is not determined; fixed
4. The higher self is not determined; fluid

So, your question is whether it's 1 or something else (2-4).

The higher self basically always has a will, but if that will doesn't reach the lower conscious mind, you'll be pulled along by the desires and wishes you see in front of you, and your life will be one in which your lower desires are realized, rather than one guided by your true higher self. Therefore, your life is not completely fixed by your higher self's will. The extent to which your conscious mind can reflect your higher self's will in your actual life depends on the degree to which your higher self is connected to your conscious mind. If your higher self and conscious mind are separated, it will be very difficult to manifest the life of your original higher self. Even in that case, if your higher self works hard enough, your life may move in a positive direction, but that depends on the magnitude of your purpose and the mission you need to achieve. If there isn't a strong mission, your higher self probably won't work that hard either.

So, while it's true that our higher selves decide everything, life is fluid. Therefore, as for point 2, the granularity of our life plans and the strength of our will to carry out our missions vary from person to person.

I also spoke to ChatGPT about this.



The reason this question has arisen is that an increasing number of people are asking themselves the fundamental question of whether their lives and destinies are completely "predetermined" or "driven by their own choices." Especially in spiritual contexts, it's not uncommon for both the former and latter claims to be mixed together. As a result, when one article explains that "our lives are planned before we're born" and another says that "we choose for ourselves (choosing the best life we can endure)," readers are left confused as to which is true.

Why does this question arise?

Because both "a predetermined life" and "a life of choice" are discussed.

The article "First, the difference in the degree of life planning made before birth" discusses, as a so-called spiritual premise, the existence of "beings (souls) who have life plans before reincarnation." According to the article, some souls plan these plans in detail, while others are planned based on mere general interests. For example, a vague desire to "have this kind of experience in this life" can become a life plan. In other words, "plans" are not uniformly set in stone, and the level of detail and direction varies from person to person.

On the other hand, another article suggests the nuance that "you can choose your own life plan." In other words, the idea is that life is not a "destiny with a detailed predetermined schedule," but rather that we are given a certain number of options from which we choose our own path. This is why readers may feel that the two positions of "predetermined" and "unpredictable" are being discussed in parallel.

The Fundamental Structure That Causes Confusion

1. What are the Spiritual Assumptions?

In spiritual contexts, the "higher self" or "soul" is often spoken of as an entity that transcends material dimensions and physical time. When looking at life from this perspective, it's sometimes said that there is "one grand plan." This speaks as if life has already been designed at a higher level. Because of this expression, it's easy to get the impression that "life is predetermined."

However, the actual explanation in the article isn't that simple. It states that even when we talk about "plans," the "resolution" and "level of detail" vary from person to person. In other words, it's based on the premise that there is diversity: "Some people have everything planned out in detail, while others only have it roughly planned." This isn't a binary choice of "predetermined" or "not decided," but rather a matter of "degree."

➤ 2. The Relationship Between Your Own "Choice" and "Plan"

Many spiritual explanations say that your higher self or soul determines your path and themes of study to a certain extent before you reincarnate, but there's also the implication that this is merely a guideline, not a fixed destiny. In a sense, the idea is that "your life's broad theme is predetermined," but "how you move within it (the specific choices you make) is up to you."

To compare this to a typical life plan:
- Your broad "goal" is decided
- However, you are free to choose the options and detailed path along the way

- That's the image. This explains the former "plan decided before you're born" while also explaining the latter "being able to make your own choices."

In other words, when you're troubled, two perspectives are mixed: freedom of choice (choosing a path you can endure) and a certain direction (the general goal set by your soul or higher self), leading to the question, "Which is true?"

Summary (Based on the Article's Perspective)

1. There is a Certain Level of Life Planning
In the old spiritual perspective, it was said that people sometimes decide on broad themes and experiences before reincarnation. This is the position that "life is not completely random."

2. The Degree of Planning Varies from Person to Person
The article argues that some souls plan things in detail, while others only have a general theme.

3. The Choice is Left to the Individual
Many spiritual explanations hold that we are born with a life situation and a "topic we want to study," but the path we choose is up to our own choices in this life (the "you choose" direction implied by the title).

Conclusion (Explanation for You)

The article itself does not assert that "everything in life is completely predetermined," but merely explains "how planning and choice should be" in a spiritual context.

- The overall theme and the subjects one wants to study can be set before reincarnation.
- However, the specific path and daily choices are up to the individual, and they also make certain "tolerable choices."
- The detail and "fixity" of the plan vary depending on the soul's maturity and purpose.

- Because of this structure, thinking of it as a binary choice of "decided" or "undecided" can be confusing.

I then changed the question and asked ChatGPT.

The fundamental structure that gives rise to doubts

The questioner is confused because the following two articles seem to contradict each other at first glance.

"Differences in the degree of life planning made before birth"
→ It explains that spirits (souls) can sometimes make life plans before reincarnation.
→ However, it also states that the accuracy and detail of plans vary from person to person.

"Choosing the Most Painful Life You Can Bear" explains that we live a life that is as bearable as possible, determined by our higher selves, rather than by our conscious mind.

When these two statements are combined, they are interpreted as:

- "It's planned (determined) before we're born."
- "We live our lives by choice (although it may not seem to be determined)."

This raises the question, "Is life determined? Or not?"

Why is the article written like this?

In fact, the article itself is not fundamentally contradictory.

However, it simultaneously addresses the following two different assumptions, which makes it appear contradictory to the reader.

① There is a "life plan" to some extent, but the level of detail varies.

- Article 1 explains that when spirit makes a life plan, the "level of specificity" varies from person to person.

This has the following structure:
- Spirits that plan in detail → have a clearer life flow
- Spirits that only plan roughly → actual life is close to free choice

In other words, this explains that a life plan is not a fixed blueprint, but something that comes in varying degrees.

There is no deterministic implication here, such as "fate is completely predetermined."

② The "higher self" sets the direction

On the other hand, article 2 states that the direction of life (i.e., which timeline to live) is easily determined by the higher self.

The key points here are:

✔ Your conscious mind (your normal consciousness)
→ tends to imagine a vaguely comfortable future,
→ but the intentions of your higher self influence the life you actually live.

✔ "Your higher self tends to choose a life that is just barely tolerable."
→ This is a spiritual way of thinking about "choosing the optimal life for growth."

✔ The level of detail in your plan (→ how clearly your path is determined)
→ varies depending on your higher self's maturity and personality.

This is why readers get confused.

As such, this article simultaneously addresses three elements:

A. There is such a thing as a "life plan."
→ Your soul may decide your direction to some extent before reincarnation.

B. This plan is not necessarily detailed.
→ It varies depending on your spirit's maturity and personality.

C. Your actual life path
→ depends on the choices made by your conscious mind.
→ It is realized through the intentions of the higher self.

Summary (organized based on the article's perspective)

Position	Article 1's argument	Article 2's argument
Is your life predetermined?	There is some plan.	Your higher self determines your direction.
Can you choose your life?	If the plan is vague, there is a high degree of freedom	There are conscious choices, but they are driven by a higher mind
A completely fixed destiny?	No (there are varying degrees)	No (there is a higher mind direction, but it can change)

Conclusion (Article's Position)

In this article's worldview, life is neither "completely predetermined" nor "completely free."
- There is a life plan before reincarnation.
- However, the details vary from person to person.
- Your actual life is influenced by your daily choices and your higher self.

In other words, we can understand this to be the position they take:
- "While your life is influenced to some extent by your higher self, not everything is predetermined, and there is room for choice."