"Looking down on man's life in this way from above, it seems as though his
free will could be exercised only in certain crises in his career. He
arrives at a point in his life where there are obviously two or three
alternative courses open before him; he is absolutely free to choose which
of them he pleases, and although someone who knew his nature thoroughly
well might feel almost certain what his choice would be, such knowledge on
his friend's part is in no sense a compelling force. But when he has
chosen, he has to go through with it and take the consequences; having
entered upon a particular path he may, in many cases, be forced to go on
for a very long time before he has any opportunity to turn aside. His
position is somewhat like that of a driver of a train; when he comes to a
junction he may have the points set either this way or that, and so can
pass on to whichever line he pleases, but when he has passed on to one of
them he is compelled to run on along the line which he has selected until
he reaches another set of points, where again an opportunity of choice is
offered to him."
But, interesting and wonderful as this phase of future-time clairvoyance
undoubtedly is, it pales before the fuller and more complete phases. And,
in the latter, we must look elsewhere for the explanation--or approach to
an explanation.
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