Such a Credit or Debt, Reward or Pain can only be collected when the person reincarnates to live life in this physical world. This is the purpose of גלגל החיים "Reincarnation of Souls" - the balancing of the spiritual books.

Each of "the 7 stages of life" identifies the natural need for a facet of our soul to develop, refine, mature, elevate and change; once we understand these 7 stages of life we can then understand "Reincarnation" much easier, as a simple method for our soul to progress in continuity of our past life, especially for lessons and stages of life that we failed or were beyond repair in the previous lifetime.

"The 7 Stages of Life"

The physical growth during our lives is simply a reflection of the spiritual growth as the levels of ones soul enters the physical body. As we grow and mature through these stages of life, we transform and change. In each period of our lives a different set of parameters & rules apply. It would be inconceivable that a 30 year old should behave in the same way as a 7 year old behaves, although we all know some people who never seem to grow up !

In understanding each of the 7 stages of life, we can then understand the infusion of the 5 levels and aspect of the soul existence in life :-

1. Infancy & Early Childhood 0 to 7 years old

Learning to survive, relying totally on the people around, copying and emulating everyone. The survival of the first 7 years is based totally, in receiving energy from others by any means possible, crying, demanding, even cheating and deception, or more subtly through loving and "being sweet". Whatever technique is applied to receiving from the adult world, this leaves a lasting impression on ones soul and is carried forward into adult life, unless changed by reprogramming this behavioral pattern.

In this "infancy stage" a baby reacts naturally, when something hurts and pains the immediate reaction is to CRY. Crying clears the negative energy so much that the infant will almost immediately forget the pain after a good cry. Crying is not only a way of attracting attention, but an inner spiritual reaction to dissolving the negative hurt. The child will also immediately forgive the hurt or damage and will never harbour any resentment.

As adults, we forget this "normal" reaction of crying to cleanse our soul that we were supposed to have learnt at this stage; instead adults fight the pain by suppressing the hurt feelings. Until the hurt becomes too much to cope with and affects the health of the adult.

It would therefore be an excellent idea if we would learn from this infant stage, and cry whenever there is hurt instead of "suppressing" the negative emotions and forgive and forget immediately, instead of harbouring resentment jealousy bitterness, and all the negative emotions that prevent us living as complete and wholesome adults with lovely purposeful lives.

2. Childhood 7 - 13 years old

This stage of life starts the emergence of the personality and a very much "copied" identity; during these years a person, still impressed and sensitive to emulate the people, the mannerisms and character of those they come into contact with, copying the behaviour of others especially siblings and of ones parents.

This character is based entirely on the influences that the child comes into contact with. If the child is brought up by a nanny and the television, the parents must expect to see a confused child of our modern society. If the child is brought up by kind intelligent educated, thoughtful and loving parents, whom allow the child to be impressed by their etiquette and decency. The child will indeed copy the identity of those parents.

These years of education and transformation of character are the basis of the adult life. If in adult years the adult makes errors and mistakes, it is because the foundation of ones character in these years was poor. Hence in reforming and changing ones nature in later years, imperatively one needs to look at the influences of these childhood years. Debrainwashing and reprogramming all the false copied characteristics that one was impressed during childhood.

Inherently no person is bad or evil, it is simply their soul and character has been tainted by bad influences. Everyone is intrinsically good, and has the potential to accomplish greatness and goodness with love, kindness and sincerity; if a person doesn't have these good qualities this is indicative that the period of life from 0-13 years old was flawed and the damage needs to be undone.

שער גילגולים הקדמה ב

Reb Chaim Vital explains in the section above in hebrew from שער גילגולים הקדמה ב that a person is given the נפש Nefesh the "Earthly Soul" from the moment of one is created, the Nefesh is within one from Conception to Death, and only when a person has a character the Ruach Breath of spirit can enter ones physical existence.

3. Adolescence, 13 until 20 years old

During these years the element of ones soul known as the "Ruach Breath of Spirit רוח", enters ones physical life and spiritual soul. The RUACH is the power of speech, learning to use this facet properly, constructively, lovingly and thoughtfully is the focus on this stage of life.

The power of speech allows a person to communicate ones inner thoughts to another person. Thereby creating energy whether it has constructive, through intelligent, kind and loving words, or destructive, through lies, deceit and slander.

This period of ones life allows the adolescent to explore these energies through the power of communication for both constructive and destructive, good and bad.

During this stage of life a person solidifies their identity and manner of communicating; if a person lacks confidence during these years from 13-20 then in later years a person will have to repeat this stage of life; and learn or teach oneself how to communicate constructively, creatively and lovingly.

The main reason for most failures at any age in ones life is the inability to communicate properly, indicative that the power of Ruach Breath of Spirit רוח from ones soul needs refining and correcting.

Reb Chaim Vital in the above hebrew text from שער גילגולים הקדמה ב explains that one is given רוח Ruach the "Spirit Soul" in breathing humans; the profound ability to speak and communicate from the age of 13 onwards, however if one mishandles the power of speech the power of רוח Ruach is taken away and one lives life as a earthly basic human.

Losing the power and energy of speech is considered to be a "living death"; Reb Chaim explains that what is meant by losing the Ruach Spirit breathe of life, is that even though people speak their words have no energy nor power. The correction one must make is one of the "3 Keys of Reincarnation".

4. Adulthood, from 20 until 30-45 years old

Adulthood is the creative period of ones life. This stage allows all the lessons and foundations of ones character that one has developed to then assume a responsible role in life.

As a young and responsible adult one is given ones full soul נשמה Neshoma this is the full character of whom you are; this aspect of the soul is the fully awakened spiritual soul, whereby one is creating a purposeful life and is given according to Reb Chaim Vital at the age of 20.

This starts the period of marriage and sexual intimacy for the purpose of creating loving energy and having children. One has transformed ones nature from a "taker" of energy, to a "creator" and "giver" of loving and supportive energy. Ones career and purpose in life are formed in this period, and an identity label of whom you are is formed. This identity is based on your foundations of the earlier stages and guided by your values your set yourself during adolescence that is based on the Nefesh and Ruach.

The achievements in ones life during this period identify whom the person is and are simply a reflection of the inner soul Neshoma. If we compare to a budding flower some radiate beauty, colour scent and aroma whilst some simply grow leaves and seeds. Nonetheless everyone has a purpose and an identity, this period identifies the fruits of ones earlier stages of life.

At this stage one is using all ones thoughts מוֹחין דקטנוּת וּמוֹחין דגדלוּת , that is ALL of ones mind, thoughts and soul to create events that have consequences for yourself and for other people. With the essence of ones Neshoma Soul one takes personal responsibility for all of one's thoughts words and actions.

During this transition from childhood to adulthood, many immature adults feel disorientated, yearning to go back to a playful irresponsible childhood, well for those who refuse to "grow up" the element of the soul known as "Neshoma" is withdrawn from them, thereby leaving their life in limbo until they are ready to WAKE-UP spiritually. Hence the concept of late-developers - people whose spirit of Ruach may enter their physical existence at the age of 30 instead of 13 and people whose soul Neshoma enters at 40 instead of 20. This is known as the "waking up" stage of "midlifecrisis".

5. The Spiritual "Wake-up" Stage of Life

From 26 - 45 years old until the end of life

This period is exceedingly important, and happens to everyone. Reb Chaim Vital calls this stage the "spiritual wake-up call" in our modern day time many call this the "mid-life-crisis" stage.

During this stage in mid-life years, a person will have found their identity and role in life based upon the foundations made from childhood, but there will be a dissatisfaction with attainments in life, one will have a growing awareness of physical decline and mortality, experiencing "down-in-the-dumps" depressing moments, feeling that the life they wanted and dreamt of is not filled with the excitement, vitality and sense of loving creative purpose they had imagined as a child. This stage of life will have the emphasis on a search for truth, meaning and purpose of life.

If one chooses to ignore feelings by suppressing any need for change, one will settle directly into "old age" - a selfish life without use or creative purpose to anyone. With such a bad decision to go into an "old age" mode one looses the spiritual essence of one soul "Neshoma" which goes away, this is known as being spiritually "side-tracked" גלות הנשמה .

Nonetheless one can "find" oneself at anytime anyday of any year to return and come back "on-track" as soon as one recognizes that one has lost the energy of life "Neshoma"; this is the spiritual purpose of a dedicated day each and every year תשובה Yom Kippur, the day of reflection and atonement each and every year on the 10th of Tishrei, as a opportunity every year to "wake-up" spiritually and come back "on-track".

Building Solid Spiritual Foundations

Most people, use these spiritual "wake-up" feelings sensibly to either make slight alterations to their lives or to turn their lives "upside-down" starting afresh and building solid foundations.

Having pursued with vigour - desires, wishes and fantasies of a teenager, by the mid life crisis years, the honest person will realize that these were the wishes and desires of an immature teenager. Now with the wisdom of experience, the gift of intuition, strength of an adult soul Neshoma and with honesty, the individual confronts the innermost feelings. Knowing that getting-it-right will lead to a wholesome and "golden" period in life. Getting it wrong will lead to a premature living death like so many other vacant and empty people.

At this stage in life, it becomes an emergency to CHANGE, at all costs, even at the expense of status in life, (if the job is depressing and draining then there is no other option than to quit the job or business), or at the expense of divorce (if one realizes that the husband/wife is not suitable with the same spiritual or life aspirations).

This time of transformation, is always accompanied by reminiscing the childhood and adolescent years. This is instinctively done by the soul, as a way to help guide the person, the mid-life crisis person feels that they went wrong somewhere, and will investigate honestly where that point in life occurred, by "going back" in time .

The root cause for not having a perfect and wholesome life is that the foundations laid were of poor quality. By uprooting those bad foundations and laying new ones, based on spiritual, purposeful, loving and creative values, the person transforms the inherent "childhood" NEFESH soul and "adolescent" RUACH soul stages that were engrained, (and in some cases brainwashed) by misinformed and misguided parents. One then learns to be ones own parent, laying good foundations.

When a movie director makes a film , the director has a very clear end vision fixed in their head . The director will use his/her experience insights and knowledge to keep going over the same scene until its 100% correct . Similarly the honest adult in mid-life crisis will keep on making the corrections until the perfect "end vision" is fulfilled. However, painful and boring it maybe to keep going over the same scene, the person realizes that unless it is perfect, they will NOT be able to live with the uncomfortable feelings of "uselessness of life".

This intuitive inbuilt feeling of wanting to get-it-right is a demand from within ones soul and is indicative that one soul is reincarnated, one has come back to life to get-it-right in this life. Only when a person has broken the cycle of Reincarnation and succeeded is their a relief of inner tension, this is a sign of spiritual success, until that moment of breaking the pattern of reincarnation one will feel unsettled inside.

6. The Golden Age,

From Mid-Life Crisis Years for Eternity

This period is ONLY applicable to those people whom have worked on themselves during the mid-life crisis years, refining their character with spiritual meaning of life. This person now has a life of creative purpose based on kindness, love and spiritual understanding .

This stage of life is where one acquires the spiritual level of the Soul known as חיה Chaya the Souls Life-Giving energy; this spiritual quality of the 4th Level of ones Soul "חיה Chaya" is where one acts as a channel to bring down spiritual "Life-Giving" energy from the realms of the spirit world to this physical world, this level is called "חיה Chaya" which means Life, as without this flow of spiritual energy there would be no life on earth.

Such a spiritually enlightened and refined person radiates and exudes life and vitality. It is said that many spiritually successful 40-60 year olds look and feel younger that some "Old aged" 20-30 year olds having attained the spiritual level of Soulful "חיה Chaya".

In this Golden Stage of life, comes a maturity, wisdom and knowledge that all of life is interrelated in a cycle of Divine life and loving energy. There is no shortage nor scarcity of love, as love is created by ones soul, thoughts and actions, abundance runs freely in ones life and nothing is impossible. One exudes a peace, calmness and contentment with life.

The next stage of spiritual progression within the "Golden Age" stage is the ultimate existence (5)יחידה Yechida Oneness the Souls desire to be at ONE with GOD, this is the souls existence of Oneness and wholesomeness with the Eternal Divine Universal GOD can come at anytime, but due to the constraints of this physical world one can only espire to live this level of spiritual existence for several hours each day; one would be practically be angelic if one could live at this level all day everyday, nonetheless physical death for all the enlightened souls, means a progression to a permanents state of complete Oneness with GOD in the Eternal Divine Spiritual World.

7. Old age, possibly from 30 years old on

This period of "old age" is the acceptance that ones productive creative years have ended. That the person no longer has anything to offer of any purpose to other people. This stage of life is where one loses חס ושלום ones Neshoma and Ruach and returns to the stage of a child having just a Nefesh soul inside.

The inevitability of such a persons life is going to require another life and the person will surely be reincarnating to live life again in the future. This inner confrontation of accepting eventual death, together with the fact that the person knows that they have messed up their life beyond repair in this life, brings upon them "old age".

But this attitude is a false one as if a person really wishes they can restore life vitality at any age; the freewill choice is in everyone's hands; however the older a person is the more difficult changes can be, nonetheless for so long as a person is alive it is NEVER too late to change.

Reincarnation is ONLY necessary

When a Soul is Beyond Repair in One Lifetime

Now that we have explained the 7 stages of life that exist during the course of ones physical life, we can now understand the "Meaning of Gilgulim -Reincarnation" - which is in fact the purpose of living in this life as a correction & continuity of our souls experience from our previous life, especially when and if a soul and situation are beyond repair in one lifetime, and therefore a Credit or Debt is issued over a persons soul.

Such a Credit or Debt, Reward or Pain can only be collected when the person reincarnates to live life in this physical world. This is the purpose of גלגל החיים "Reincarnation of Souls" - the balancing of the spiritual books as we explain in the next chapter "Meaning of Gilgulim -Reincarnations.