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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the narrator realize about the way he has lived his life?

2. What does Wil say would help troubled, trapped souls?

3. What does the narrator say solidified fear in both the conservatives and the liberals?

4. What do Wil and the narrator observe on the plane where they go in the beginning of Chapter 7?

5. Into what did the narrator say the freedom of the 1960's grow?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe hell in Chapter 7?

2. What does Wil say is their task concerning the Group of Seven?

3. What does the narrator say he realized about humans born into the world?

4. What does the group do after Charlene explains why she is in the valley?

5. In Chapter 8, what does the narrator hear as he returns to the physical plane and what does Webber tell him about the noise?

6. What does the narrator realize about all his previous lives and what he thinks is needed to change the trend?

7. What does Wil say about the scenarios the narrator saw?

8. What did the narrator see begin to emerge that changed the way humans interacted with the world?

9. Who is one of the souls the narrator recognizes in hell?

10. What happens to the group from the cave in Chapter 8 as they go towards the building with the Experiment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The repeated coincidences the characters enact challenge credibility. All these points are ultimately moot when considered alongside the author's apparent intention - he is not, it seems, striving to create a logical narrative, but rather to lead the reader into a broader experience of spiritual possibility and understanding.

1. Explain, with examples, why the coincidences in the book are narrative contrivances.

2. If the whole basis of this book is to proselytize for a certain spiritual viewpoint, could one argue that the coincidences were the result of "divine" intervention? Why or why not?

3. Do you think the author could have achieved his purpose without so many coincidences? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your opinion.

Essay Topic 2

There is a juxtaposition of two highly contrasting characters - the harsh, cynical Joel and the nurturing, insightful Maya (interesting that the cynic is a male and the nurturer is a female). The clear intention here, as the narrator himself realizes, is to create a vivid, embodied sense of the tension between what the narrative indicates are the main sources of energy on this plane of existence - the Fear and the desire to evolve.

1. Compare and contrast the characters of Maya and Joel. How are they different? How are they similar? Are they as contrasting as they seem? Why or why not? Use examples to show the harsh aspects of Maya and any nurturing aspects of Joel you can see.

2. Throughout the history of humanity women have always been thought of as being nurturing, because they bear children, and men as less so. Give an explanation, with examples, of how this view of women has been used to keep them in a lower status in the world than men.

3. Explain what behaviors of Joel indicate he is Fear based in his perspective and what behaviors of Maya's that might indicate she has a desire to evolve and why those behaviors seem to illustrate those two principles.

Essay Topic 3

Some of the theories expounded in this section are certainly interesting - the idea, for example, that past unresolved conflicts are the source for present tension, and the idea that Soul Groups are unified by what might be described (but which actually aren't) as a talent.

1. Discuss what the ramifications would be for individuals if much of their behavior and personality were a result of previous lives.

2. If Soul Groups were indeed true, discuss in detail why it would be logical for them to be grouped as like talents.

3. For the sake of argument, assume reincarnation is true and argue for or against the idea that animals also experience reincarnation.

(see the answer keys)

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