Ah, Kendall, kindred souls are a joy to see. I would add --"You not only asked for it -- hell, you designed it!". I think the great flaw in religious schools I have studied is the underestimation of potential and actual power in the individual human spirit. But, in many cases, they were founded to keep that power in check anyway so whaddya expect!

The classic model of the Wheel kind of paints this picture, as though we were all bubbles cycling up in a champagne bottle, and then back down, hopefully at a higher level each time. But I draw one distinction. Some schools hold that the great aspiration of all souls is to get off the wheel, or go gaseous at the top of the bottle, so to speak. They talk about becoming One with All as the nature of the enlightened state.

Personally I intend a fully operational two-way ticket. The complete avatar able to operate identities at any scale at will, release them at will, become one with all or not at will, is a much fuller definition of my notion of full enlightenment. I'm not interested in permanent assimilation. Hell, I use a Mac, too! :>)

A