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These effectively infinite and continuous adjustments to the Finally, it is fitting that we should consider what all this might most probable future are totally overwhelming to our mortal mean for humanity as a whole. If we imagine our collective minds, but from all the evidence we have been given by our future as represented by the branches of the ubiquitous tree of pioneers we must assume that they are well within the compass life, one route through it may take us more or less directly of the time masters who control the process. This is arguably the towards the more spiritual existence that many think is our ulti- closest we might get to understanding the real meaning of the mate destiny. Another route may be much more tortuous an common suggestion that all possible futures occur in parallel winding, but it may still, eventually, emerge into the light of the universes. Sun. But I do not think we can be foolish enough to ignore the So what are the implications of this analysis? The past is fact that some branches will wither and die, trapped in dense indeed fixed, and cannot be altered—at least not in the context of foliage before they get to the sunlight. Because of karmic choice the fully interactive physical plane. But the future is not. At any and free will, these are all possible courses for the future of one "now" point, there is only one version of the future that is humanity. most probable, but it changes almost If we were to end up taking a dea instantaneously based on decisions end and destroying our magnificent taken by individual souls from planet, it would be a terrible moment to moment. indictment on our ability to treasure N) ill i A hysical birthright. But, aint seeikesate | But they do represent major J Phsstsy nachos. Bas oe in the physical realm because it will probabilities for that life, would in all probability transfer over never happen exactly like this. But A to other inhabited planets—to at our fixed point in time it nonethe- or sometimes lesser continue with the ultimate quest of less exists as a conception of the alternative possibilities. the transcendent evolution of all time masters. souls, wherever their temporary I would therefore argue that at any physical home might be. ° "now" point it would be at least the- oretically possible to progress a sub- References and Notes ject hypnotically so that, with vary- ¢ Lawton, Ian, The Book of the Soul: ing degrees of clarity, they see the most probable version of the Rational Spirituality for the Twenty-First Century (Lawton future as it is conceived by the time masters at that point in time. Publishing, 2004); see especially chapters 3 to 8. Note also that I But would they be seeing their own individual future, or just a discuss the idea of psycho-spiritual "feedback loops", by which more general snapshot? If progressions are at all reliable, which mechanism "time" might be conceptualised as running both is arguably a big "if", then the level of detail provided in some concurrently and consecutively all at once, in a separate paper on cases would suggest that the subjects must be seeing their own my website at http://www.ianlawton.com/bosmisc2.htm. individual future lives as they stand at that point, even far into * Stevenson, Ian, Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation the future. (University Press of Virginia, 1974), Children Who Remember Previous Lives (University Press of Virginia, 1987) and Where Conclusion: The Future of Humanity Reincarnation and Biology Intersect (Praeger, 1997). I hope I have shown that a spiritual worldview based on the * Newton, Michael, Journey of Souls (Llewellyn, 2002) and twin concepts of reincarnation and karma is arguably the most Destiny of Souls (Llewellyn, 2003). logical we can adopt given the huge breadth and depth of modern * Ramster, Peter, The Truth about Reincarnation (Rigby, 1980) evidence available to us. Moreover, karma most assuredly does and The Search for Lives Past (Somerset Film & Publishing, not involve predestination and reactions to past events, but 1992). instead involves choices and learning. ¢ Snow, Chet, Mass Dreams of the Future (McGraw-Hill, 1989). But it is precisely for this reason that we would not expect * Goldberg, Bruce, Past Lives, Future Lives (Ballantine, 1993). al attamnte ta tah But they do represent major probabilities for that life, Conclusion: The Future of Humanity T hope I have shown that a spiritual worldview based on the twin concepts of reincarnation and karma is arguably the most logical we can adopt given the huge breadth and depth of modern evidence available to us. Moreover, karma most assuredly does not involve predestination and reactions to past events, but instead involves choices and learning. But it is precisely for this reason that we would not expect attempts to progress people into their future lives to have any real validity. On a prosaic evidential level, if attempts to see further ahead in this life are not particularly accurate, to attempt to progress into future lives is likely to be even more fruitless. But from a philosophical perspective, if we could predict the future with any great accuracy, free karmic choice would go out of the window—and everything else we know from modern regression and other evidence would have to go with it. Joan Grant echoes this view in her first autobiographical account of a past life, Winged Pharaoh (published in 1937), with a poetic beauty superior to anything I could achieve: The past is fixed; that which has happened cannot be changed. But every action changes a future that is fluid and can be modified in a past that is lasting. Your next day or the next life you will be born in is like your mirrored image ina pool: at any moment you can check what the pool of your future looks like, but through your own free will you can make storms rage over it or make waves on its peaceful surface. That is why so few forecasts bear out. About the Author: lan Lawton was born in 1959. Formerly a chartered accoun- tant and IT consultant, he turned his back on the commercial world in his mid-30s to become a full-time writer-researcher specialising in ancient history, esoterica and spiritual philoso- phy. His first two books, Giza: The Truth (1999, co-written with Chris Ogilvie-Herald; see review in NEXUS 7/01) and Genesis Unveiled (2002; see NEXUS 10/01), were published by Virgin and have sold over 30,000 copies worldwide. Through them he has gained a considerable reputation for adopting a scholarly and logical approach, even to the spiri- tual aspects of his research, and he has lectured extensively in the UK and USA. In 2004 he published his third book, The Book of the Soul (Lawton Publishing), the critical acclaim for which led him to found the Rational Spirituality Movement; see http://www.rsmovement.org. For more details or to order the book direct, visit lan Lawton's website at http://www.ianlawton.com. NEXUS +53 or sometimes lesser alternative possibilities. DECEMBER 2005 — JANUARY 2006 www.nexusmagazine.com