Behaviour Not-In-Character?: Do People Have Souls?

I believe so, although I am not particularly religious. I believe it is important that people are allowed and helped to make up their own minds, make their own mistakes even. There has been talk in counselling circles over whether people should be given advice. Giving advice is not a part of counselling and therapy, though some situations may differ, so long as it is used wisely. I find that, whatever a situation looks like, things can alter significantly. The best person to handle decisions is the person whose life it is. Something may look like a dead cert; often it is not.

The best healer can be someone who comes along in a person's life, and a relationship forms. Even if it breaks up, with luck it leaves the individual strong enough to make decisions for themselves that may also affect others. Obviously, these things can work out adversely for an individual, but it can also work miracles.

Cults, Controlling Relationships

When someone gets drawn into a relationship with an individual with a strong imbalance of power, or where a guru-type cult-leader, or a cultic group is involved, attempts are made to control increasing amounts and areas of individuals' lives. There are some excellent books and blogs about these issues. In essence, the leader sets him- or herself up as a kind of demigod - who has to be obeyed and never questioned. To my mind, that is where souls come into it. Somehow the leader gains power, and has increasingly to exert control. Some notorious and devastating cults seem to have begun with high ideals and quite ordinary behaviour.

Some business enterprises can become similar in effect. One of the main problems with a controlling spouse, or boss, or group leader, is that friends may see what is happening and sound an alarm, which falls on deaf ears. Their friend has got well and truly hooked, and cannot hear anything or anyone else. It can happen fast; alternatively the build-up is slow and insidious.

In closing this section, I'll just mention that some powerful cults began by portraying themselves as beneficial therapy groups. They worked, but very destructively. One cannot help but wonder if that is their real purpose, to get in under the radar to the Soul. You've heard the phrase about capturing Hearts & Minds. If the game-plan is to 'capture' Souls, leaving no route out for those selected, that could explain a thing or two. If some higher echelon in a cult or in wider society, reckons that sexual abuse of youngsters particularly, seriously hampers their development and wellbeing, does that explain even more? As to whether perpetrators (or some faction behind the scenes) actually gains power or strength through these activities, we do not know.

Another catchy phrase is Divide & Conquer, where factions are set up so as not to get-it-together, see the picture and cooperate, or go against each other, argue Yes, there's lots of abuse - believe survivors, or No, no proof - back under the carpet. The same thing has happened over ritual abuse. A convenient plan, for some? A plan nonetheless.

Watch yourself. Protect yourself.

Personal Responsibility

When people write about reincarnation or past lives, they may wax lyrical on the glamour of certain eras or quests, and that some groups of people tend to come together in groups. It can be very offputting to those who are excluded, or have no guidelines as to what life is about, what they're meant to be doing and so on. Why does any of it matter? Perhaps because people can get drawn into things that aren't what they really believe in, and would not otherwise have responsibility for. It can happen so easily, for one reason or another, or simply inexplicably. Unless we are careful. Sometimes people share living accommodation, which has an impact on things like boundaries and privacy, and I've seen people lose parts of their individuality or identity.

Some of the most down-to-earth writers on esoteric subjects, advise people to make up their own minds about what matters in their circumstances, and just keep doing the best they can.

Searching for Meaning

This is getting into an area I had no intention of starting on, and will leave readers to continue. I have listed writers on some esoteric subjects you may wish to follow up. If people have souls, then they may also have other lives in other times & places, other themes or tasks, other explanations. Believe or reject or leave for now.

When I became concerned over accounts of ritual abuse, I went to lectures, mixed around, got shed-loads of books, my usual efforts towards getting answers to questions. I sat at a talk where suddenly the lecturer said he thought some experiences of multiple personalities were likely to be when people got 'stuck in their archetypes', and we spoke afterwards. It is over my head and not my usual way of thinking. However I feel it worth considering. Also people can act as though they are influenced by characters on-screen or in books, and emulate people they come across. So what really is character or personality, today and many years down the line? I've known people who became very different. I changed a lot. Have you?

Just as we do different things at different times in the day, we will have different emphasis or purpose at different times of life, handling things as best we can. There are likely to be a few people who tend to help, or some who hinder. The stuff of myth and fairy tales perhaps.

For more on Souls, crime, groups, heredity, skip to
Full Circle: Wrapping Things Up https://notincharacter.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-post_54.html

Also see some End Times authors at https://groupsandminds.blogspot.com/2019/03/blog-post_14.html - Souls & ETs

To load all of this Blog onto one page, go to https://notincharacter.blogspot.com

Link to Cultures or Cults: Do They Hypnotise Us? https://notincharacter.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-post_10.html

For some strategies when boundaries become a problem see On Protection https://notincharacter.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-post_28.html