"It
is not unusual for near-death experiencers returning from
clinical death to report having received information concerning
their pre-existence before they were conceived in the world.
Some experiencers report of learning how they chose various
aspects of their lives to be predestined before they were
born. Some of the choices people have reported having chosen
before birth include the selection of their birth parents,
choosing their mission in life, and even choosing how they
will die. This knowledge received by near-death experiencers
of the past and future shows how some things in life are
predestined while other things are not. It shows how free
will and predestination both exist and work hand in hand.
It means we choose our destiny in life before our birth
into the world to live it. Because reincarnation is a concept
found in many cultures and religions, the metaphor of life
as a river which we chose before we were our birth, shows
up in many of these cultures and religions. There are many
aspects to a river which make it an excellent analogy to
help us understand where we came from, where we're going,
who we are, why we're here, and what life is all about.
The following discussion will attempt to do just that."
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research01.html#a01
