IN A PERSONAL SESSION WITH A MEDIUM in 2003, author Robert Schwartz was astonished to speak with non- physical beings who knew everything about him-not just what he had done in life, but also what he had thought and felt. They told him that he had planned many of his most difficult experiences before he was born. Realizing that a knowledge of pre-birth planning would bring great healing to people and allow them to understand the deeper purpose of their life challenges, he devoted the next three years to studying the pre-birth plans of dozens of individuals. The extraordinary insights that emerged speak to our heartfelt, universal yearning to know why.

Robert Schwartz lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

IN MAY OF 2003, I was leading an unfulfilling life as a self-employed marketing and communications consultant. Although I enjoyed some of my work, I did not derive deep satisfaction from any of it. I often felt that if I were to fall off the face of the Earth, my clients would hardly notice; they would simply plug someone else into my role. More important, my life was not a unique expression of my soul. A spiritual but not a religious person, I longed to make a contribution to the world that would be "uniquely me," but I had no idea what that might be.

I had exhausted the usual routes one explores to find meaning and purpose. I was lost and floundering. Then, an inspiration came to me: why not consult a medium? Although I had a strong belief in God, I had never (as far as I knew) directly experienced the metaphysical. I felt I had nothing to lose. I researched mediums and selected someone with whom I felt comfortable.

My session with the medium took place on May 7, 2003. I remember the exact date because on that day my life changed. I told the medium very little about myself, describing my circumstances only in the most general terms. She explained that each of us has spirit guides, nonphysical beings with whom we plan our lives prior to incarnation.

TO RESEARCH THE PRE-BIRTH PLANNING of life challenges, I collaborated with four extraordinarily gifted mediums and channels. Together we obtained information about the pre-incarnation plans of dozens of individuals, ten of whom share their stories in this book. In this introduction I will explain how I found these individuals, how the mediums and I researched their pre-birth planning, and mediumship and channeling in general. The conceptual underpinnings of pre-birth planning that is, the reasons why we as souls choose to incarnate and experience challenges are then presented in chapter 1.

Finding Interviewees