Reason and Intuition...

In addition to emotion, we are endowed with reason and intuition. With the power of reason we can analyze each situation and the pain or happiness which it produces for ourselves or for others, forming essential intellectual conclusions as to the appropriateness of specific courses of action. And through our intuition we are able to seek and obtain guidance from higher levels of wisdom.
Thus prepared we set out on the great Journey of Evolution. As the individual soul or spirit descends into worlds of increasing density and matter, it develops correspondingly an increasing sense of individuality.
During the descent of Spirit, often called the downward arc, there is not only a tendency towards greater materiality, the Spirit in-volving itself in Matter in order to learn to receive impressions through it, but there is also a tendency towards differentiation, the stream of Divine Life dividing and sub-dividing itself into an ever-increasing number of streamlets and units of consciousness.
By descending into progressively denser and denser matter, the soul experiences an increasing detachment both of contact with, and knowledge of, the Higher Spheres. At the same time the soul is experiencing a sense of separation from other souls and a corresponding increase in the awareness of self which in turn develops into ego-centeredness. This increasing sensation of self is reinforced by the need to satisfy the requirements of a physical body in a world of dense matter where food and protection from the elements are essential to survival. Thus the soul+body combination is forced to focus on self-preservation which can easily become competitive and exploitive in relationships with others pursuing similar objectives. The nature of the dense physical body itself can also lead to the various temptations of sensuality, the so-called "sins of the flesh".
This potent combination of the effects of physical matter, ego-centeredness and bodily demands, first creates then enhances to an extreme degree the conflict between Ego and Unity, between Self and the Flow of Creation. This inherent conflict in turn provides the many complex opportunities for the exercise of our Creator's gift of free choice (or "free will") which allows the evolving soul to explore paths and directions of evolution alternative to the Highest Wisdom, and to experience and learn from their effects.
Indeed we are forced to confront, and to learn from the results of all our actions; this "law" is expressed in the occult wisdom and oriental philosophies as the Law of Karma, namely that we must experience, fully comprehend and assimilate the effects of all our actions both good and bad before we can continue to the next lesson or experience. Every thought, every action has its effect which we must ultimately experience and learn from. Similarly everything that happens to us has its cause, and that cause can ultimately be seen to originate from our own past action or thought. Cause and effect. Everything existing now is the result of past actions, good or bad; and the future will be the result of present actions.