The Avatar – Also Known As Your Human

Introduction:

 Congratulations, Player. You’ve been assigned the Avatar [Insert Human Name Here] in The Game of Humans. Think of it as your human costume, ego, and loyal companion all rolled into one. And let’s be honest, operating it isn’t always smooth sailing. Your human form will henceforth be known as The Avatar. Mastering The Avatar is part of the challenge—much like in Zelda, where learning to wield the sword is essential to completing the game. At its core, your Avatar is instinctual, driven, and sometimes as stubborn as a mule. Your mission is to learn to work with it, not against it—like breaking in a wild horse: powerful, unpredictable, and, at times, hilariously obstinate.

Player-Avatar Relationship

You Call the Shots:

Yes, your Avatar is out there acting out life’s drama, but you, the Player, are the one with the deeper wisdom, influencing every move from the subconscious. Their successes? That’s you. Their mistakes? Also you. No pressure.

Shared Therapy Session:

Let’s get real for a moment—while your Avatar is out there navigating the highs and lows of life, facing battles, and learning lessons, you, the Player, are on your own parallel journey through the Four Stages of Enlightenment. This isn’t just a one-way street; it’s a cosmic therapy session without the couch, guiding both you and your Avatar from basic self-awareness all the way to union with the Divine.

While your Avatar is trying to figure out how to navigate life, perform basic tasks, socialize, and survive in this game, The Player, is working through their own lessons, learning from the avatar, following the stages of enlightenment, and ultimately learning unconditional love.

Working with Your Avatar

The big question is: can you learn to work with your Avatar instead of wrestling it into submission? Once you do, the game transforms from a grind into a flow state. Until then, it’s an uphill battle. But, with understanding, you’ll stop fighting, start flowing, and things will click into place.

And here’s an even bigger question: when your Avatar misbehaves, complains, or outright ignores you, can you still love it? Mastering this is the core of the game. It’s about saying, “I see you, I know you’re struggling, and I choose to love you anyway.” When you can love even the challenging parts, that’s when you’ve truly tapped into the power of being human.

Pre-Game Setup

Just like selecting your campaign, map, and character traits in a game, you crafted the foundation for this life long before entering it. In this pre-game setup, you designed your Avatar’s core talents, strengths, quirks, and even the specific challenges they would face. This setup forms what we’ll call The Player’s Blueprint, laying the groundwork for your life’s journey. Various traditions echo this concept of pre-life design, suggesting that souls intentionally shape their experiences before birth:

•           Kabbalah speaks of the soul’s tikkun, or correction, suggesting that before birth, the soul chooses specific life situations to work on unresolved aspects. Rav Yehuda Ashlag writes, “The soul selects an environment… to fulfill its unique correction,” emphasizing that each experience is rooted in conscious pre-incarnation choices.

•           New Age spirituality introduces soul contracts—agreements made between souls before birth to ensure mutual growth through shared experiences. Dr. Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls describes a process where souls review and plan life experiences with guides, setting intentions for challenges and growth areas.

•           Latter-day Saint teachings (formerly known as Mormonism) speak of a “premortal existence,” where souls lived with God before coming to Earth and chose their life paths. Doctrine and Covenants 138:56 teaches that “Even before they were born, they… received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth,” suggesting a pre-designed blueprint with divine purpose.

•           In Norse mythology, the concept of wyrd represents fate or destiny, woven by the Norns—goddesses who determine each being’s path. While individual choices can impact this journey, one’s wyrd is considered set before birth. This idea suggests a balance between fate and free will, as each soul follows a purpose woven before it enters the world.

•           The Egyptians believed in a spiritual double called ka, which exists both before birth and after death, carrying with it a divine purpose. Guided by ma’at, or cosmic order, this pre-birth essence has a predetermined journey. Instructions from the Book of the Dead indicate that life and the afterlife are guided by this eternal blueprint, aligning each soul with its cosmic role.

•           In Slavic folklore, the Rodzanice, fate-deities similar to the Norns, assign life paths shortly after birth. While not as explicitly pre-birth, this belief in a “life path” suggests that souls exist in a spirit realm before earthly life, where they acquire knowledge and purpose to help them navigate the trials of the world.

Choosing Your Campaign: The War in Heaven

Alright, buckle up. Before you were even a twinkle in the cosmic eye, your soul was handed a pretty big decision. Some call it the “war in heaven.” I like to think of it as choosing whether you want to join the Jedi or the Dark Side. You know, no pressure or anything.

Picture it: you’re in the celestial pre-game lobby, and someone hands you two buttons. One says “Light Campaign,” which is all about love, growth, higher wisdom, and basically being the universe’s version of a therapist with a side of self-help guru. Then there’s the “Dark Campaign.” Now, if you’re feeling a little chaotic, the dark side is all about stirring the pot—sowing confusion, pretending to play nice while secretly scheming like you’re in an episode of The Good Place (but as one of the demons, obviously).

And this whole light-vs-dark thing? It’s not just the brainchild of a few overly-caffeinated video game designers. Zoroastrianism figured this out ages ago. In their version, you’ve got Ahura Mazda, the god of light, who’s basically a beacon of all things good, and Angra Mainyu, the original bad influence who makes sure things go south. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s Lucifer’s origin story too. Rebel against the big guy upstairs, go dark, and suddenly you’re out of the celestial penthouse.

But this cosmic tug-of-war? It’s everywhere in mythology.

•           Sumerian Mythology: Enter Enlil and Enki. Think of Enlil as the original stormtrooper—stern, stormy, and a stickler for order. Then there’s Enki, the laid-back god of wisdom and nurture. It’s like the universe’s odd couple. Both forces exist, and you’ve got to pick which side you’re vibing with.

•           Aztec Mythology: If you thought Sumeria had it figured out, wait until you meet Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. Tezcatlipoca is your chaos-loving, drama-stirring dark god, while Quetzalcoatl is all about light, knowledge, and keeping things… well, functional. It’s a cosmic struggle between creation and destruction—pick your fighter.

•           Maya Mythology: Ah, the Popol Vuh, where the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, go full mythic-mode in the underworld, battling the forces of darkness. Spoiler alert: they win, proving that sometimes light actually triumphs over darkness. Their journey is like the ultimate underdog story, but with a lot more divine smackdowns.

•           Christianity: The concept of the “war in heaven” is also found in Christian theology, where Lucifer, one of the most powerful angels, rebels against God and is cast out of heaven, becoming Satan. The war between good and evil is a central theme, and humans must choose between serving God (the light) or falling under the influence of Satan (the dark).

So yeah, when you were choosing your campaign, you weren’t just picking a cool skin for your avatar—you were deciding which side of the cosmic battlefield you’re playing for. And now that you’re here? You’re in it for the long haul. You’ve got your marching orders, so to speak, but how you play it from here? That’s all on you.

Welcome to Earth:

Alright, you picked your campaign, and now you’re here—on Earth, the ultimate game server. What’s next? Well, your soul team is waiting in the wings, you’ve got quests to unlock, bosses to fight, and possibly a few dark campaigners lurking around corners (you know, no pressure or anything).

Whether you’re here to heal, grow, or just try not to get swept up in someone else’s chaos, the journey is entirely yours. You’ll battle your inner demons (and sometimes outer ones), meet allies, rivals, and maybe even a nemesis or two. And hopefully—just maybe—you’ll figure out what the heck you’re doing here. But hey, if you’re stuck, just remember: there’s no walkthrough for this game, only the occasional rage quit and respawn.

At the end of the day, whether you chose light or dark, the game doesn’t stop. So level up, choose your next move wisely, and may the Force (or whatever you picked) be with you. Now go out there and make your cosmic avatar proud. Or, you know, just try not to face-plant into the nearest metaphorical wall. Either way, the game’s not over

Navigating the Game

You’re the Captain Now:

As The Player, you’re in control. You have the authority over where The Avatar goes, what they do, and how they interact with the world. But mastering your Avatar means syncing up mind and body. Some players excel at the physical moves but struggle mentally; others dive deep into thought but can’t get their Avatar to function in the physical world. Balancing both is the essence of The Player’s Mastery.

The Hero’s Journey:

The Hero’s Journey is the storyline, narrative, or campaign guiding you through the four stages of enlightenment. Like any classic hero’s tale, your path is filled with calls to adventure, refusals, mentors, trials, and triumphs. This story not only outlines the scenarios you’ll encounter but also presents obstacles to challenge your Avatar, elevating you, The Player, to embody wisdom and love.

The Final Objective

The Big Bad Ego:

The ultimate challenge is facing the ego—your Avatar’s “mini-boss.” Winning this battle unlocks The Player’s Triumph, bringing you and your Avatar to the highest level of unconditional love.

Mission: Unconditional Love

The endgame is mastering love. Guiding your Avatar through every challenge and trial you encounter, brings both of you closer to this ultimate destination,