by Shepherd Hoodwin

Since the future, by definition, hasn't happened yet, it is impossible to make consistently accurate predictions. Some psychics and channeled sources are adept at picking up probabilities based on where things are heading, but since each individual has free will ? probabilities are constantly shifting as we make choices ? nobody knows for sure. Even when certain changes are more or less inevitable, the form they take, and the way people react to them, are not. Timing is especially difficult to predict, and even when different channels and psychics agree in their predictions about specific events, the dates often vary.

Sometimes people tell me that a psychic or a channeled entity told them that something terrible was going to happen, which upset them a great deal. That strikes me as inappropriate. I'm not suggesting that someone should lie if he sees a strong negative probability on the horizon, but it should be conveyed in such a way as to empower the person listening. Besides, since nothing is carved in stone before it happens, it is misleading to say that something is definitely, without a doubt, going to happen. 

It is wise to take predictions with a grain of salt. Rather than asking if and when an event will happen, it might be more useful to ask what percentage the probability is, and if there are agreements or karmas putting force behind its happening. For example, at a given moment, a person might have a sixty-two percent probability of getting a particular job. That is a very high probability, since probabilities rarely rise to about eighty-five percent until something is actually in the process of happening; even a fifty percent probability is quite high. Nonetheless, people don't always keep their agreements, for a variety of reasons, and the person may not be hired. If, unexpectedly, someone comes along who seems better qualified or who is a friend of the company's owner, the probability might drop to thirty-seven percent, which is still fairly high, but, obviously, not overwhelming.

If we have an agreement to meet someone at a certain time, we may not be able to keep the "appointment", but if it's an important agreement, chances are that we will reschedule it, and it will eventually work out. This is an organic, ever-changing world. Nothing is carved in stone. Every significant choice a person makes can change relevant probabilities.

"We do not know for a certainty what the future will bring for ourselves, or for you. That makes the game of life much more interesting and challenging. If everything could be predicted ahead of time, we would all have to be automatons, and if we are expressions of the Tao, then the Tao would likewise be an automaton. Fortunately, this is not the case. We cannot predict what others will do with assurance, because others themselves do not know what they will do -- and even if they think they know, they might change their minds. We can only give our best projections, based on where things appear to be going, taking into account the relevant agreements and karmas. 

"Imminent events are easier to predict. If an object is teetering precariously on the edge of a shelf, one could safely predict that it will fall. However, even in such a situation, someone might come along and move it.

"It is a great fallacy that you need to predict the future to choose well now. Relying on predictions of the future weakens your capacity to make good choices. When you think that you have everything figured out, you may start to drift by on your preconceived notions, rather than playing the game in the present moment with all the skill and attention you can muster."

Even if events do not go as our essence planned, and predictions therefore prove wrong, sometimes things work out for the best anyway. A case in point was my apartment when I lived in Manhattan. Affordable apartments were next to impossible to find when I moved there, especially those larger than one-bedroom. However, my guides told me that I would find an inexpensive two-bedroom apartment to share. I got a photographic image of it, and a couple of my friends psychically saw similar images. Apparently, my guides were working on a few possible apartments that fit that description, but all of them fell through. I still found an affordable apartment, but it was a studio. It had been one of my guides' "back-up" choices, but they hadn't told me about it ahead of time. It was disappointing at first, but it turned out to suit my needs better in some respects than the envisioned apartment likely would have. 

I don't subscribe to the idea that everything works out for the best ? the highest outworkings are sometimes thwarted because, again, people have free will ? but I do believe that the universe is basically benevolent, and as a whole conspires to our highest good, if we let it. Perhaps, sometimes, it does so in ways of which even our guides and essence are not aware.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE

No one on any plane of existence is infallible or knows everything we need to know. In addition, we all have our own experience of reality and ways of describing it. There is no right and wrong in this regard, only infinite facets of truth. We do have much to learn from each other, and those on higher planes usually have more experience, greater resources of information, and a larger perspective than we do on the physical plane. However, their counsel is more accurately viewed as coming from loving friends than from a deity. No one is more "God" than anyone else.

We are each responsible for ourselves. We experience more growth if we don't do things merely because we think someone else, incarnate or not, told us to. It is well to examine what we hear others say with appreciation and respect, but we don't always hear what is actually meant, for one thing. More importantly, no one knows us better than we know ourselves, at least potentially. We must make our own decisions and mistakes, and form our own understanding, if we are to learn to guide the course of our lives wisely. Besides, true teachers don't tell people what to do. They give greater perspective and understanding, so that their students can make well-informed choices. Beware of those who issue orders, or who are certain that they know what's best for someone else, even if they are being channeled from a higher plane. Just because material is channeled does not mean that it is appropriate or a fully realized expression of truth.

RECOGNIZING TRUTH

Channeled material, like everything else, must be interpreted through the understanding of the hearer. Sometimes, we draw conclusions or make associations that are not valid, or we simply misunderstand. The truth is precise; it is as important to hear what is not being said as what is. The ability to recognize truth is crucial. Truth is always associated with love. It has a certain feel about it. It is not necessarily comfortable, but it is penetrating, and ultimately liberating.

Often the truth or value of channeled material isn't fully apparent until later. It may seem at first to be deceptively simple or general. If we have that experience with something channeled for us, we have nothing to lose by living with it a while, and seeing if it looks different later. One client told me that after her session, she wasn't particularly impressed, but two months later, she listened to her tapes and couldn't believe that Michael had said what they did; it was almost as if she hadn't heard it the first time. This is a common reaction.

In my brochure for new clients, Michael says:  

"You will get the most out of this session if you review the material in a week or two. It's hard for so much new input to soak in the first time. A defense against overload is to make it seem less than it is. This is normal, but often, our students find their channeling to be far more meaningful weeks or even months later. It is the mark of a good teacher (and we aspire to this) to give what the student is almost but not quite ready to hear. That way, we promote growth. Obviously, the material becomes more meaningful when the student is actually ready."

THE LARGER PERSPECTIVE

We are in the midst of a planetary transformation. There are many nonphysical beings who are assisting with it, whether we know it or not. Channeling is a means of consciously working with them. They are often as gratified to make the connection with us as we are with them. Used in a responsible way, channeling can be an important tool in our personal and collective growth.

Whether or not we call ourselves channels, it is becoming more and more essential that each of us develop our inner connections with the larger universe if we are to move creatively with the changes occurring.

This article was excerpted from:

"The Journey of Your Soul: A Channel Explores Channeling and the Michael Teachings" by Shepherd Hoodwin

Info/Order this book

About The Author

Shepherd Hoodwin is an intuitive, workshop leader, and teacher. He also does past-life therapy, counseling, and channeling coaching (teaching others to channel).  He is the author of "The Journey of Your Soul - A Channel Explores Channeling and the Michael Teachings", "Meditations for Self-Discovery - Guided Journeys for Communicating with Your Inner Self", and "Loving from Your Soul - Creating Powerful Relationships". His next book is "Opening to Healing Energy". He is also working on a collection of new age humor. Shepherd can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , through his web site at http://summerjoy.com, or toll-free at 877-SUMMERJoy (877-786-6375).