“Birth is always traumatic and painful. I spoke about this before in another context. The personality needs to squeeze into a very tight stricture that is experienced as painful. When you see the baby’s struggle and resistance, it is not difficult to perceive this. It is also traumatic for the entity, before the birthing process into matter begins, to temporarily abdicate full consciousness and to await that it slowly reawakens by stages. This seems often risky. Will all that you know as unencumbered spirit reach the brain through matter and through the dimmed experiences of earth life? Is it not much more preferable to stay in the continuity you have gained through your growth and development? The break in consciousness can be avoided in that way. This is not always possible, but there are instances when development proceeds very fast and very well when this opportunity arises.” (PL #255)