Right now, on electronic media, you are likely to see many images of people suffering terrible hardship from the effects of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Many have died and many are injured. Those still alive have lost their homes, all they owned, as well as friends, neighbours and loved ones. They are left cold, hungry and homeless.

As we watch these images, you and many others might be asking, “Why is there so much suffering in our world?”

This question is often asked by my clients during their regressions. They are always given an answer. On YouTube, I have been watching people report their Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). While on the “Other Side,” they too ask this question and are given an answer.

You might be surprised to learn, whether from a regression or a NDE, the answer is always the same: “You chose it!”

Why would we choose to suffer?

Shock and loss bring suffering. Acceptance is the way out. But how challenging it is to accept the loss of a loved one, to accept the loss of all your physical possessions, to accept the freezing cold with no shelter? In fact, how difficult is it for any of us to accept major setbacks in life?

You know the answer. It is almost impossible, especially when you are in the middle of dealing with a severe trauma. Even after it is over when wounds have physically healed and shelters are available, many people struggle to let the trauma go. That is called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

During regressions and NDEs, people frequently experience what they describe as profound love, a love they have never experienced on Earth. They struggle to find words to explain its depth, intensity and vastness. This great expansive ethereal love contrasts significantly to human love which tends to be more constrained, transitory and conditional.

Experiencing contrast is related to our willingness to choose suffering.

We know we can become accustomed to our way of being in the world. The disadvantaged can become accustomed to hardship, and struggle to imagine anything else. The wealthy can become accustomed to their privileged life and can act entitled whenever they don’t get exactly what they want.

Over lifetimes, the experience of hardship in one life and advantage in another builds understanding, gratitude and compassion. Believing we only experience one life on Earth is an extremely limiting perspective. Suffering only makes sense when we can see how our souls develop over many lifetimes.

I remember one client who returned to a life of each extreme, one of privilege and one of suffering. He was thrilled that he had experienced both, developing a wholistic understanding of human existence. He was able to appreciate, without judgement, people from all walks of life.

For him life became easier. He was more able to peacefully accept the challenges which came his way and be comfortable with other people no matter how they presented.

One young woman on You tube explained her NDE which happened during a dangerous coma. On the “Other Side” she was given the choice to stay or come back to Earth. At first, she wanted to stay, but her life contract had not yet been fulfilled. When she asked what it would be like to come back, she was told she’d suffer a long, painful recovery. But just then she felt the energy of two beings who she sensed needed her care. Only years later did she discover that those energies had belonged to her two subsequent children. Despite the inevitable suffering, she had decided to return to Earth.

Reporting her NDE journey, she summed up the reason she came back, “to use the darkness and the pain to help and inspire others.”

Our souls are not foolish. We choose suffering because it is in our long-term interest to do so. We decided to incarnate on Earth because it is a beautiful place with many opportunities. We want to test ourselves, learn, and eventually develop wisdom. Our experiences teach us the importance of embracing our journey. Our goal is to be here cherishing the wonder, beauty and fun that Earth existence can offer.