The Infinite Universe Series

This is the Reason Why “Infinity” Requires “Free Will”

[Updated July 4, 2022] Does “free will” actually exist, or is everything predetermined by a hidden Matrix?

Non-Medium subscribers can access this full article here.

CONTENTS

[1] What is “Free Will”? — [1.1] “Does Free Will Exist or is Everything Predetermined?” [2] 6 “No Free Will” Perspectives — [2.1] The Universe is a Matrix with No Free Will (Only Source/God/The Creator has Free Will) — [2.2] The 3D Matrix has No Free Will (but Dimensions/Beings Higher than 3D have Free Will) — [2.3] The Cause & Effect Universe (a mostly Non-Spiritual view) — [2.4] The Universe is Random & Meaningless (Nihilism & Radical Nondualism) — [2.5] Our Autopilot Ego has No Free Will (but our Thinking Mind does) — [2.6] Free Will is Relative (a Jury will Decide) [3] Spiritual Relativity — “Yes, We have Free Will” & Sometimes We Don’t — [3.1] Free Will in Different Stages of Awakening: (1) Unity Consciousness; (2) Radical Nonduality Witnessing; (3) God Consciousness [4] “Yes, We have Free Will”, and the Matrix Exists — [4.1] Is Reality an Open or Closed System? — [4.2] Infinity & an Unlimited Matrix [5] “Infinite Universe” Responses to the 6 “No Free Will” Perspectives — [5.1] My responses to the original Facebook question, posted above [6] Free Will in Dreams & Dimensions [7] Related Resources

[1] What is “Free Will”?

“DO HUMANS have Free Will?” is one of the most debated questions in the history of humanity. People on each side of the question are convinced that they are right, and the other is wrong. And they have very logical and experiential reasons to support their side.

Free will is such a passionate issue is because we use it to understand the world we are experiencing.

— When we feel like the world is controlling us or that we cannot control ourselves, when things seem hopeless, we say we do not have free will.

— When we want to assign responsibility, either credit or blame, to ourselves or others for actions and outcomes, we say there is free will.

We often associate free will with the past, with traumas, depression, lower vibration, anxiety, apathy, limitations, confinement, disempowerment, distrust of others, and low self-confidence.

We associate feelings of having free will with a hopeful future, new opportunities, empowerment, positive expectations, higher vibrations, expansion, initiative, personal agency, and greater self-confidence.

Psychological studies support these generalizations, although there are, of course, many exceptions. Spiritualist beliefs often say that light/positive and dark/negative energies are both required for the universe to exist. We cycle through these polarities at individual, social, and planetary scales all the time.

So it is no wonder that, at any point in time, about half of the population feels there is no free will and half feels there is free will.

[1.1] “Does Free Will Exist or is Everything Predetermined?”

This was a question posted on a public New Age spiritualist group on Facebook. After about a day and a half, there were some 300 comments posted.

Clear responses to the question were roughly 50–50. Half said, “yes”, we have free will, and half said, “no”, we do not have free will because everything is predetermined (or controlled by unseen powers). There were also a lot of “I don’t know”, and a few “I don’t remember”.

Here are some examples of the comments (edited for grammar and typos):

• Yes, we make choices, but these are made at the level of our ‘soul’, long before our incarnation on Earth. Our ‘ego’, being nothing more than an illusion that ‘believes’ it is real, also believes ‘it’ is making decisions (free will). But in reality, it is just following the ‘script’ as dictated unconsciously by the ‘soul’.
• You see, you’re not actually free at all. You only live under the illusion of free will, which happens to be your everyday life decisions.
• Nothing in creation has “free will”. The future is already known by our Omnipotent Creator. — And a direct response to that statement: It’s quite the opposite, actually.
• I feel I am here of my own free will, and it is an honor and opportunity to be here learning and expanding my consciousness.

Besides Facebook, here are a few other free will quotes I have come across from spiritual teachers:

• “The only freedom is the surrender of desire for an individual sense of power.” — Shunyamurti
• “As long as there is a sense of individuality, there will be a sense of free will.”— Ramana Maharshi
• “The ego has free will in the physical plane [3rd Dimension] only.” — Seth/Jane Roberts
• “Only the Spirit has free will. The body and soul do not.” — Matias De Stefano

[2] 6 “No Free Will” Perspectives

THERE ARE 6 ways that people argue the “no free will” perspective.

[2.1] The Universe is a Matrix with No Free Will (Only Source/God/The Creator has Free Will)

Some say that we “never have free will” in any dimension of manifest reality. That is because God/Source/The Absolute/The Creator created everything and controls all the dimensions and all realities. This is a common perspective in Christian theological debates over free will (see the article link in section [2.3] below on that).

So the entire universe (past, present, and future) is a matrix where everything connects to everything else and is all predetermined by Source/God/The Absolute/Brahman. I have also heard that description used for the Akashic Records. (Philosophers call it “determinism”).

When spiritualists, such say that everything we experience, including us, is an illusion (maya in Hinduism), they mean that true reality is only one thing. Many call it Source/God/The Absolute, and they anthropomorphize it as a human-like being. But other say it is actually unknowable.

We (our ego-self) are a temporary story or dream of that one thing. And because we are not real, there is no one who could have free will. But others suggest that because we are a fractal or aspect of The Absolute, we also have a fractal or aspect of its free will. Thus, the Advaita Vedanta teacher, Roger Castillo said (in his satsang on June 25, 2022),

“I have free will in the moment, and everything is God’s will.”

I have also written about how everything and every event has a purpose and is never an accident. That can be interpreted to mean that everything takes place in a grand, pre-planned matrix, leaving no room for free will.

[2.2] The 3D Matrix has No Free Will (but Dimensions/Beings Higher than 3D have Free Will)

Some say we had free will before we came into this physical, 3rd Dimension (3D) Earth incarnation. But we do not have free will in 3D because it is a “matrix” that controls us completely. They suggest that physical laws (like gravity) and social rules (“you must do this”) in 3D are so strict that if we have any free will, it is extremely limited.

We often say higher dimensional beings (but not Source) created our 3D Matrix. Many see those beings as evil aliens or demons, who apparently have free will.

So we do not have free will in the 3rd Dimension. But beings in a higher dimension above us (such as Angels & Ascended Masters) have free will. Different teaching place free will at different levels. I have heard that it exists for our individual soul (or inner self), our oversoul (or spirit), our higher self, the universal soul, and Source, as in [2.1] above.

There can be some comfort in believing that a higher intelligence takes care of everything and we have no individual control over anything. But from that perspective, we get our free will back when we ascend to a higher spiritual dimension of reality, such as 5D:

[2.3] The Cause & Effect Universe (a mostly Non-Spiritual view)

This is like the 3D Matrix but removes the spiritual argument. The standard scientific view is that everything happens because of cause-and-effect (known as “causal determinism”). So there is no free will. The decisions we make and the actions we take are all the result of our past, our environment, our neurology, and our physiology. These determine how we respond to the world (also known as “conditioned responses”).

Psychological studies have shown that a decision to act occurs about 500 milliseconds before “we” are consciously aware of it. Based on simple decision-making studies (such as pushing a button), they argue that this shows there is no free will. But others say the complexity of a free will decision is far more complex than that simple study. (See the “free won’t” article link in section [2.5] below for some of those arguments.)

This argument often suggests that we do not have “free will”, but we have a “will” to live and act. That “will” is an energy that enlivens our being and actions. It also gives us a “feeling” or “sense” of free will, though it is not really “free”. In other words, our sense of free will is an illusion or trick that we play on ourselves. (See the poster in section [7.3] on many ways this illusion plays out for us psychologically.)

This may be the position of someone who is non-spiritual. But I have also heard some radical nondualists (Neo-Advaita) support their propositions with these same types of cause-and-effect arguments. (Some radical nondualists say what they are talking about has nothing to do with spirituality or science, or anything else that can be talked about.)

Cause-and-effect might be a universal law. But causes are seldom direct, and we humans often oversimplify the causes of the effects that we see. There is a difference between saying something will cause a certain response, and something can cause a certain response. Will implies direct causation — in every instance B will follow A. (Not watering a plant will cause it to die.)

Can implies a set of probabilities and possibilities — sometime B follows A, and other times not. (Drinking alcohol can cause alcohol addiction.) Some radical nondualists say that life is so complex that we can never know the true cause of anything, or even if a cause exists.

As such, we can say that cause-and-effect is as much a belief as any other spiritual system. (Some argue that science itself is a belief system, and even a religion.)

For more on non-spiritual, philosophical, and psychological views on free will, see this lengthy article from Stanford University. There is a section on “theological” views at the end, but it is short and entirely based on western Christian thought. The word “spiritual” does not appear in the Stanford article at all, although metaphysics are discussed philosophically. Interestingly, the same is true of the video in section [7.2] below — spirituality is completely ignored and religious views are given a footnote at the end.

[2.4] The Universe is Random & Meaningless (Nihilism & Radical Nondualism)

This is a non-spiritual, 3D, philosophical argument that is the opposite of an all-controlling matrix. It is a nihilistic approach, which sees everything as completely random. Instead of everything being predetermined (through causal determinism) as in section [2.3], in this perspective, nothing is predetermined.

Because everything is random, there is also no cause-and-effect, and no meaning or purpose to anything. As such, there is no free will to express anything, because free will implies a purpose. In this approach, cause-and-effect, purpose, meaning, and free will are all illusions or stories made up to justify a temporary ego identity. That is the position of most radical nondualists. It is the opposite of the perspective in section [2.1].

Radical nonduality speakers often say that everything “just happens”, with no meaning or purpose. Everything is just energy randomly circulating and which our ego-self selectively builds stories around. (Our ego-self is an illusion, as described in [2.1] above. Note that I have heard some nondualists say our temporary ego-story-self lives in a cause-and-effect universe [2.3], and so the story needs to adapt to that.)

Traditional philosophical nihilism can lead to despair and depression if our ego has a strong hold on us. But radical nonduality liberation, which is a dropping of ego identification, leads to a realization that anything is possible, and everything is a wonder of creation (“unconditional wow” is how one person calls it).

Radical nondualism arguments are often criticized as unrealistic. I think that is because they are too difficult for our ego-minds to grasp. Nondualists themselves say it is impossible for the ego to grasp. (See video [7.1] in the Related Resources section for one example of a Radical Nondualism perspective on free will.)

[2.5] Our Autopilot Ego has No Free Will (but our Thinking Mind does)

One definition of our “ego” is that it is the “autopilot” part of our mind. It responds to the world without our conscious control. Past experiences (or memories) condition (or determine) our autopilot ego’s actions (thoughts & behaviors), just like Pavlov’s dog.

The autopilot ego exists to keep us safe as we navigate our 3D Earth experience, especially when we are not in conscious control of our situation. Because our biology and beliefs condition our autopilot ego entirely, it is the part of us that has no free will.

A similar perspectives divides us into a working mind and thinking mind. Our working mind is the part of us that takes care of our daily chores and repetitive tasks where free will is seldom needed. Our thinking mind is more forward looking, and so more free will oriented.

Thus, our autopilot ego and working mind (conditioned responses) are like the Matrix in section [2.2] above, with no free will. Those parts of our psyche are embedded in what we have experienced and learned in the past.

By contrast, the free will parts of our psyche are future-oriented and more open to probabilities and possibilities. Our “thinking and deciding ego/mind” is more future oriented and has more free will under this approach. The more we identify with or rely upon our autopilot, the less likely we feel we have free will.

This is also somewhat in alignment with coming into a state of consciousness in which the “outer ego” (which includes the autopilot) allows our “inner ego” or “soul” to shine in one’s life. That is what most call “awakening” or “enlightenment”.

Some neurologists say we have no free will, but we do have “free won’t”. Our thinking and actions are the result of the conditioned responses we have accumulated since birth (and before). And we cannot change those. But, somehow, we can always say “no” to what our brain is telling us to do.

That argument points out two versions of free will that can act in response to our autopilot ego-mind:

1. The freedom to determine one’s own destiny (self-determination), which is what our future-oriented thinking mind does; and
2. The freedom to say no, or to do something different from what is expected.

Life is complex. The reality of our experience is one complex paradox after another, which makes the consciousness behind our decisions the most difficult for us to understand. [See video [7.2] in the Related Resources section below for more on this.]

For more on our different egos, see:

[2.6] Free Will is Relative (a Jury will Decide)

The problem with the arguments above is that they often do not align with — [1] our personal experience, and — [2] our legal justice system and sense of moral behavior.

For most non-spiritualists and many spiritualists, morality and the ability to punish a wrong-doer are the most important aspects in judging the validity of free will arguments. Most people reject any definition of free will that suggests a wrong-doer did not have the free will to choose a different action.

But most of the arguments above say our personal experience is an illusion. We only think we have free will. But we really do not. Or if we do, it is very limited.

For moral and justice issues, our societies have settled on the relativity of free will. Sometimes we have free will, and sometimes we do not. Some individuals have a lot of free will, and others have very little. Slaves (past and present) usually have less free will than people of wealth, for example.

This perspective sees us sometimes in a matrix and other times, not. That is how most humans would describe their experience in our 3D Earth life.

Legally, we can avoid or reduce responsibilities for some actions by claiming we had no control over what we did. But most of the time, if people (a jury of some kind) are convinced we did something (good or bad), then we are fully responsible for that action. That is a very strong an argument that our modern human societies believe in free will in most instances.

From a spiritual perspective, Matias De Stefano suggests a no free will Matrix applies more to those who are not awakened spiritually than to those who are. That gives some understanding of why some people seem to have free will and other not. But, of course, that kind of measure would not hold up in a court of law, or of public opinion.

Five geometries … create what we call “the Universal Matrix”. While we are unconscious, we are being created by the Matrix. When we become aware, it is ourselves who create the Matrix. — Matias De Stefano (on YouTube)

[3] Spiritual Relativity — “Yes, We have Free Will” & Sometimes We Don’t

FOR AS long as I can recall, I have been in the “Yes, there is Free Will” camp. That is probably because of the New Age spirituality that has drawn my attention since age 19. These included Be Here Now (Ram Dass), Seth Speaks (Jane Roberts), and Transcendental Meditation, among others.

As Seth says, “You create your own reality”. Seth applies that creation to everything in our universe. But even if one does not take it that far, there is a wide belief that we at least create our experience of reality. So, if at your deepest level, you believe there is no free will, you will have no free will. If you believe you have free will, you will have free will.

For more on creating your own reality, see:

I believe, though I can’t prove it, that free will exists. But we express it relatively (like #[2.6] above) to different degrees at different times.

[3.1] Free Will in Different Stages of Awakening

Our ego is a major force in our 3rd Dimension (3D) reality experience.

Some say that our ego does not have free will to create our 3D experiences. They say that only our soul-level (or even deeper) has free will to create our life and reality.

Some say that while our ego cannot create our reality, it has free will to interpret the experiences that arise in our life. But others say it does not even have that ability because it is simply a robot-like set of conditioned responses.

As a 3D, physical reality, ego (which I am), we see:

1. People who feel disempowered and say they have no sense of free will.
2. People (the majority?) who feel they sometimes have free will and other times do not.
3. People who feel their ego has total free will to get whatever it needs or wants.

These are 3 different states of consciousness (or awakenings?) within the normal waking state of 3D consciousness. This can be seen if we associate free will with manifestation: — Suffering (#1, a low state of consciousness) is when we have no or less free will — we cannot manifest our desires. — Material abundance (#3, a high state of consciousness) comes when we have more or complete free will to manifest our reality. (#2 is, of course, in between these.)

As we ascend in spiritual terms, we go through stages of feeling that free will exists and does not exist. A common definition of spiritual ascension is becoming less or our separate and limited ego-self, and becoming more of our inner-self, true-self, or soul-self (among other terms used).

A common New Age spiritualist belief is the closer we identify or know ourself as our Soul or Source/God, the more free will we have to manifest or create our reality. That is the basis of The Law of Attraction, for example.

As our ego-self, we often resist what our soul-self desires for us. Instead, we try to align with what we believe other people say we should desire and be. Early in life, we learn to measure our self worth against those types of standards. We learn that to have the most full experience of 3D physical reality. But, of course, it also disconnects us from our spiritually more powerful soul-self.

As we spiritually ascend back to our soul-self, our will and desires come into greater alignment with the will and desires of our soul-self, and ultimately with Source/God. As that happens, we discover that our free will is more effective (or powerful).

So as we ascend (expand our consciousness), we have access to more free will. Our ego’s meager ability to exert free will does not change — it is as powerless as ever. But that is less of who we are. Instead, we are more of our soul-self (and Source). And as such, we feel the free will power of those levels of consciousness.

A rise in synchronicity is a major way our ego-self is aware of our soul-self expressing its free will.

Higher states of consciousness are more aware of the oneness and perfection of everything as it is. The main desire is for harmony. Our ego-self desires fade away, and we are more interested in manifesting for others than for ourselves.

For more on synchronicity, see…

[3.1.1] Unity Consciousness

Reaching a state of oneness or Unity Consciousness can bring us back to a no free will perspective. “Unity Consciousness” is a knowing that everything that we experience in our reality is one thing. People sometimes report intuitively knowing the entire life history and purpose of something they observe.

In that state of consciousness, we accept everything unconditionally as it is. Because of our “unconditional love”, we have no desire to change anything from what is. In that sense, we have no desire to exert free will.

But if we felt the need to exert free will, we would manifest it almost instantly. That is because our actions and desires are in close alignment with those of nature and the universe, and receive their full support. (At least that is how it works in theory in teachings like The Law of Attraction.)

[3.1.2] Radical Nonduality Witnessing

In Unity Consciousness, there is still a sense of a separate I that is identifying with the oneness of all creation. In Radical Nonduality, the separate “I” dissolves. We see both our ego-self and all manifest reality as illusions.

Time, space, the ego-self (personal identity) are all seen as fictional stories playing out on the pages of a book. A movie on a screen is another popular analogy. When the book or movie ends, the story ends. We realize we are not the story. As an analogy, we are the blank pages of the book and the blank movie screen that is witnessing the story, but is not involved in the story.

When we become the nonduality witnessing, “we” (the story) are seen as the temporary illusion we are. There is no real I or me. So there is no real person to have or express free will. But there are also no limits on what can arise in the illusion. And we meet everything that arises with unconditional wonder and love.

Part of what we see in the story/movie is our ego-self imagining it is expressing free will. But we know it is only an illusion, along with everything else in manifest reality. We are the witnessing that is impossible to describe because it is beyond manifest reality and all descriptions.

[3.1.3] God Consciousness

Radical nondualists believe being the witnessing beyond manifest reality is the highest state of consciousness there is. And there is no free will in that.

But others disagree. For them, there is a state of God Consciousness in which we are aware of the unity of us and the universe, and that the universe is creating everything in every moment.

In that state of consciousness, we are The Creator/God/Brahman. That is the ultimate free will.

Some say we are always The Creator/God/Brahman, so we always have free will. It is only our limited ego-mind that tells us we do not. When we stop listening to our ego-mind we return to who we truly are. That sounds a lot like Radical Nonduality. And that is the aim of spiritual practice.

For more on the differences between the Law of Attraction and Radical Nonduality, see:

For more on the stages and forms of awakening and enlightenment, see:

[4] “Yes, We have Free Will”, and the Matrix Exists

WHILE I am in the “yes, we have free will” camp, I also believe that there is a matrix that connects everything in existence. As noted above, people also call this the “Universal Soul”, the “Universal Mind”, and sometime the “Akashic Records”.

That Everything Connects to Everything Else is the basis of the essential oneness and singularity of the universe. This can be hard to see in our 3D separation experience. But it is clear from a higher dimensional perspective, such as when we are in Unity Consciousness. We associate Unity Consciousness with the 5th Dimension, but we can experience mentally while in our 3D bodies.

Theoretical quantum physics suggests that, at the level of the smallest particles, everything is a vibration or frequency operating in a quantum field or wave of energy. The universal quantum field is the “Universal Matrix” that encompasses all reality (see [2.1] above). Different vibrations in different parts of the universal energy wave create the diverse physical and mental universe we experience.

For a spiritual perspective on that, see:

Because universal quantum energy field interconnects everything, each part affects every other part. The theoretical “butterfly effect” is an example of the singularity or oneness of all creation. In it, the smallest action in any one part of the field affects every other part of that interconnected system. The butterfly flapping its wings affects the entire universe, and every dimension of that universe.

(Dimensions are different perspectives on the same, one reality. For more on that idea, see: “Matias De Stefano’s 9 Dimensions of Spiritual Reality”, or “The One Most Complete Guide to Spiritual Dimensions of Reality” — the second article is much longer than the first.)

If that is true, and I think it is, you cannot say that free will exists in one part of the universe, but not in another. An expression of free will in any one part will affect the entire universe and every dimension of that universe.

[4.1] Is Reality an Open or Closed System?

But there is one more crucial requirement for free will to exist: The Universal Matrix needs to be an open system.

You may agree that everything interconnects to everything else in a matrix of oneness. But you may also believe the Universal Matrix is a closed system that is limited, finite, and has boundaries. In that case, free will is probably an illusion.

Alternatively, we can see the Universal Matrix as an open system that is infinite, eternal, and boundless, and always creating something new. If you believe that, then there must be free will. To say there is no free will is to put a boundary on the universe and on Source/God. That is not possible.

For more of my views on The Matrix, see:

[4.2] Infinity & an Unlimited Matrix

So, we either have:

1. A universe that is finite with everything controlled by a matrix of some sort, and in which free will is an illusion; or
2. A universe that is infinite in which everything has free will, and the matrix of control is an illusion.

The second option is, of course, my belief. And it is only a belief.

I cannot prove that the universe is infinite, but then neither can our science. While quantum physics points to the connectedness of everything, the infinity of our universe cannot be proven one way or the other.

Mathematicians have many types of infinite numbers (YouTube video), as well. One version is called “Absolute Infinity” which they cannot quantify, which puts it outside of mathematics. I like that one.

I take my belief in infinity a little further than many physicists and astronomers. I also believe that we have infinite parallel universes, infinite timelines and incarnations, and infinite dimensions of reality. That is our Unlimited Matrix.

The Many Worlds Multiverse Theory comes closest to my belief. It theorizes that every time you decide to do one thing and not another, you split your universe in two. In one, you are doing what you chose. In the other, you are doing what you did not choose. The result is an infinite number of split universes, which is how you express free will.

We live in a universe that is most likely infinite, and that might be one of an infinite number of other universes. Both these ideas are theories. But since we do not know if infinity exists or not, then why not just assume that it does? Even if there is no infinity, our universe and the multiverse are still big enough to feel infinite in our human reality.

So, my conclusions are:

• Infinity means that anything and everything is possible.
• Free will is how the universe expresses its infinity.

Infinite means there are no boundaries and no limitations. The only way to prove there are no boundaries or limitation is to go beyond all known boundaries and limitations. We do that in every act of free will and creativity. That makes our universe an Unlimited Matrix.

To me, the limited matrix illusion comes from the limited perspective of the outer ego (or autopilot ego, as noted above). From our ego’s perspective, how others (people and society) define us limits who we are.

“You must be this”, “you must do that”, “we must behave in this way” — for example. It is what we learned in early childhood. From that perspective along, it can seem like there is no free will.

Free will comes from the perspective of our soul, which is that part of us that is closest to God / Source / the Absolute. To realize that, we need to expand our consciousness beyond our ego-self.

One of the most common definitions of “awakening” these days is to realize that we are more than our body, mind, emotions, and ego. We are God / Source / the Absolute experiencing physical reality through this body and ego.

But in the end, it is all based on our beliefs. I like the belief that we live in an infinite universe — because I then believe, feel and act as a being with free will. To me, that is a better perspective than believing that “everything” is predetermined or random and meaningless.

[5] “Infinite Universe” Responses to the 6 “No Free Will” Perspectives

Here is how I respond to the “No Free Will” arguments presented above:

#[2.1] The Matrix Universe exists, but we cannot prove whether it is finite (closed) or infinite (open). We can believe either, and we shape our life experiences by which of these two options we believe.

#[2.2] The 3D Matrix exists in the same way as the Matrix Universe. It exists or not based on our beliefs. Our physical 3D bodies are the most limited part of us come closest to a 3D Matrix. Our mental bodies have the potential to be multidimensional far beyond the limits of a 3D Matrix.

We go to 4D dreamlands every night. And I increasingly hear people say they are experiencing 5D Unity Consciousness — though I doubt this. Either way, blaming our lack of free will on the 3rd Dimension is simply not knowing who or what we fully are.

#[2.3] The Cause-and-Effect Universe is a 3rd Dimension (physical reality) scientific and philosophical perspective that considers nothing beyond what we can empirically (objectively) measure and argue. It does not accept non-physical perspectives, so there is no spiritual argument to make in response to this. Quantum physics is teaching us that there are other realities that differ greatly from our physical reality, and that subjectivity may be more important than objectivity. Perhaps a quantum free will may emerge from that, but it is far to early to tell.

From a purely 3D perspective, the “all is cause-and-effect and not free will” argument does not adequately address moral issues. If there is no free will, then we can never take or assign responsibility for good things and bad in our world and life. We can never give credit where credit is due and blame where blame is due. That is why some leave a crack in the door for a limited degree of free will or free won’t.

#[2.4] The Random and Meaningless Universe does not adequately address morality and the human sense of responsibility (same as [2.3]). It also denies empirical science because nothing is predictable. And, of course, it is not compatible with most spiritual understandings, although it seems to have a home with some radical nondualists.

I like the simplicity of Radical Nonduality — nothing exists. There is an apparent me, an apparent story, an apparent manifest reality, and an apparent sense of free will. But ultimately they are all not real. In philosophy that is known as a tautology, it is a complete system, real or not. I am OK with that. If everything is an illusion, then there is no other option but to be the illusion — until we awaken beyond the illusion.

#[2.5] The Autopilot Ego exists and how much it dominates a person’s life may show the level of self-awareness (or awakening) that person has. We should not judge another based on that, because every path has equal value and purpose from our Soul’s perspective. This is another way of looking at free will as relative (as in [2.6] below).

#[2.6] Free Will is Relative. As noted above (and in [2.5]), I agree that free will is relative. But I am not so sure that our current legal approach to judging moral issues is the best because it does not fully recognize our spiritual nature. And our system even worse because it focuses on punishment rather than expanding consciousness.

Expanding consciousness means learning that we all move in and out of experiences of free will (or freedom) and control, just as we move through higher and lower vibrations, energies, and emotions. That oscillation gives us our 3D experiences and drives our desire to move to higher and longer-lasting levels of free will/freedom.

We lose our free will when we give it away to someone or something outside of us. We see this in our addiction as well — we give up our free will to get the things we are addicted to. (This may be the true meaning of “selling our soul to the devil”.)

It is all too easy to blame our parents, society, criminals, governments, aliens, the news media, and our food for our poor circumstances. It is much harder to take personal responsibility for our situation.

We hold our free will when we take inner responsibility for our actions. This includes how we respond within ourselves to things that happen to us. (We still need to respond appropriately to dangers that may arise. In terms of free will, what is more important is our internal response.)

When we hold our free will, we can choose how we want to navigate the path of our evolution and ascension.

Because the universe is infinite, you always get the reality you create. So choose your reality with care.

[5.1] My responses to the original Facebook question, posted above

RE: Free Will — which so many so easily dismiss. — We live in an Infinite Universe — God/Source is Infinite — We are expressions of God/Source and we are Infinite.

*Infinite* means there is no beginning and there is no end. There is no box that manifest reality exists within.

In manifest reality, infinity is seen and experienced through the constant emergence of something *new*. God/Source is constantly creating something new through us to experience its infinity. Newness cannot exist within boundaries.

The ONLY WAY to have a constant emergence of something new is through *Free Will*. To say that we (who are forms of God/Source) have no Free Will is to put God/Source in a box, which is impossible in an infinite universe.

My two-bits. 😛

And…

If one believes that the Absolute is infinite and that its creation (the universe) is also infinite, then, to me, that implies the existence of free will. Free will is what makes the universe infinite, unbounded, and ever-expanding into something new and surprising.

The Absolute expresses / experiences its infinity in the phenomenal world through the Soul and, ultimately, through the free will of the individual ego (personal self). I do agree that the more separate the ego is from the Soul and the Absolute, the less free will it can express. When it knows its place, that is when the magic happens.

[6] Free Will in Dreams & Dimensions

I HEARD this short interview with a psychologist (on YouTube) about free will and dreaming. He suggested that in our waking state, we have some free will. We make decisions that affect our daily and long-term life. But there is also a lot of randomness that arises in our waking reality. (Spiritually, our “normal” waking state is the 3rd Dimension.)

He said that in our normal dream state, we have no free will. Things happen to us randomly and we simply react to that. If we try to take a significant action, it often fails. (In New Age Spirituality, we often associate our REM dream state with the 4th Dimension.)

However, when we become lucid in a dream, that changes completely. We have complete free will. We know we are dreaming and we have control over our dream in magical ways. We can fly, we can change a monster into a puppy dog, and we can create entirely new realities and universes. (The lucid dream state is the 5th Dimension, and is where many New Age Spiritualists are hoping to ascend to, both individually and as a planet.)

Discovering your true Free Will is the first step on the path of Awakening.

And finally, from Seth/Jane Roberts on God & Creativity…

“No stimuli is ever accidental. No stimuli is ever accidental. I repeat the sentence so you can understand it. You are never controlled. God is creativity and he creates creativity or other creators. Creativity of necessity, because of its nature, leads to further development and existence — to further creations. Control leads to rigidity, nonexistence and the negation of all. In the terms that are usually used, perfection would be death and annihilation, for it presupposes an end beyond which no progress is possible.

Creativity always knows that further development always lies latent. New possibilities grow constantly from the heart and spirit. To control is to court rigidity. No God knows the word or the meaning of control, nor does he exert control as far as his abilities are concerned, for it would lead to dead alleys, and spirituality would go and leave him dried up as a fruit pit.”

— Seth/Jane Roberts, The Early Class Sessions, Book 1, ESP Class Session, October 22, 1968

[7] Related Resources

• [7.1] ⬇️ This zoom meeting with Emerson (on YouTube) is an example of a Radical Nonduality perspective on free will. That view emphasizes oneness and no separation, which means there are no separate beings of any kind anywhere that can have free will. Makes sense to me. For me, from that perspective, the universe is infinite, and it is not; it is expanding, and it is not; there is free will, and there is not…

• [7.2] ⬇️This documentary (on YouTube) tells of a 4-year, international and interdisciplinary research project on free will. Although there is a “religion” component, it seems restricted to organized religion. There is no discussion of New Age spiritualist concepts, which my article above is about. However, if you want to know what scientists and philosophers think about free will, this will be of interest. Even after 4 years of funded research, they continue to disagree as much as us common folk. 😛

• [7.3] ⬇️ This is how our conditioned responses respond to make decisions that we believe we make from free will.

• [7.4] Another related quote from Seth/Jane Roberts. This quote is about ‘desire’, which I see as psychologically inseparable from a ‘free will’.

“If anyone here thinks it is a virtuous advantage to forget desire, to learn a distaste for life, to become detached, then look you to those who have lost desire, who have become detached, and who cry aloud in that agony for a sense of meaning and sensual validity. Those who say “There is no meaning to my life. Where shall I look?” have become detached from the fountainhead of being, the biological and spiritual fountainhead of being.

The soul is not dead. It is not finished and done with and beyond desire. It is desire! It is vitality so strong that it gives birth to your being and grows you from a dream to a physical reality. That is desire! God is desire! A flower, or a dog or a frog is desire!

… I have lived as you live. I speak of the survival of the personality, personality distinctness, not annihilated in the blindness of a Nirvana, not squashed in a benevolent god-head. But, the essence of what I am survives and is and continues and grows, as your essence survives and continues and grows. It is not lost in the blinding corridors of some godhood’s brain.

God, in those terms, so loved individuals that he individualizes himself. Or, to any, any, any feminists around, she individualizes herself!

… Therefore, neither is that great integrity and privacy of your being ever scandalized or broken apart or shattered, for the God that created it loves it dearly. And in its uniqueness, that God feels its own being expanded and glorified — not in your annihilation, but in your triumphs does All That Is continue to form its realities.”

— Seth/Jane Roberts, unpublished ESP class session, November 29, 1975

[7.5] For more on Our Infinite Universe, see this collection of articles:

• Note that the articles in that collection are behind the Medium paywall. For paywall-free access to my articles go to www.AlanLew.com, linked below.

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