Explaining how it is we who direct our reality, Kuan Yin in The Living Word of Kuan Yin explained the purpose behind the eternal cycle of birth, death and soul evolution in the following passage:

“A lot of spirit energies are “coming in” all the time," states Kuan Yin. "Soul evolution is linear for some, non-linear for others. Some jump around experiencing a variety of lifetimes. It’s a way for the soul to develop compassion,” informs Kuan Yin. “While Americans have acquired many material things, they’ve lost something in the area of spirituality...Overly engrossed, invested in the birth, death cycle, people don’t understand that birth and death are choices.”

What might influence a soul incarnating on earth? There are those who believe there are two main reasons: either one has karma or one wants to return to earth to develop compassion, helping those who are suffering or in need. In an interesting passage, trance channel Lena Lees saw herself in another incarnation--on another planet.