Predetermined or Powerless? A Spiritual Inquiry into Illness and Exit

I’ve started a Wednesday blog on Substack that delves into my personal life events (without the channeling). I hope it won’t always focus on struggles, but this week, I find myself grappling with an issue. Therefore, I continued to reflect on this subject in today’s blog, and who better to ask than the Universe?

I’m confronting the painful reality of losing friends to cancer. [See this week’s blog: My Friend Is Dying and It’s All About Me]. Some of my friends undergo treatment and live long lives. Others do not. I’m left feeling more than a little frustrated with the Universe. Aren’t we supposed to be able to heal ourselves? Is this just one more example of fake news?

In spiritual circles, we’re often taught that illness can be cured through thought—that by wanting to be healed, we can overcome disease. So why do people die? Why do those who read all the books, speak the language, and embody the teachings still fail to heal themselves?

Losing friends and family to cancer feels contradictory to everything I write and read about regarding our ability to heal ourselves, as well as the connection between our thoughts and our health. I keep wondering: why aren’t more people experiencing healing? Why aren’t my friends getting better?

The promise from the Universe—that we can heal ourselves—feels, at the very least, disingenuous.

So I asked the question…

Before I share what came through in response to my question, I want to acknowledge that these ideas are not meant to blame anyone for their illness or loss, nor to oversimplify the deeply personal and often painful realities of death and healing. Every soul’s journey is unique, and while spiritual perspectives can offer insight, they are not a substitute for compassion, medical care, or lived experience.

Q. Are death dates predetermined? And if our death date is predetermined, then why “tease” us with the idea that we can heal ourselves? Is it already decided, and therefore you really can not heal yourself?

A. Yes and No. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Near Misses and Predetermined Departures

There are death dates that are inevitable – and this can often be illustrated by what you call near misses, i.e., when you miss the train or plane and it subsequently crashes; or the many stories of people who did not go to work on 9/11. The people who died on 9/11 were predetermined, and the people who did not die were also predetermined.  They weren’t supposed to die that day, and the ones that did were supposed to.

Illness as a Chosen Exit

Now, illness and overdose are in different categories. You make yourselves sick, and you make yourselves better, or not. Sometimes, you choose illness to be the way to depart this life. And in that scenario, you won’t get better because you predetermined this type of exit. A known illness at the end of life is a gift. An opportunity to “finish” things, to make amends where needed, to say goodbyes. Not a shocking ending, such as an accident.

Addiction and the Soul’s Test

In the case of overdose and some illnesses, these can be examples of a life cut short.  A departure that could have been avoided. However, it could have also been a choice, one where you knew you would face these challenges in your lifetime. Your higher self would have known your “character” would be prone to addiction, providing an obstacle to overcome. A test. When you die from an overdose, there is a good chance that your soul was hoping you would have overcome the addiction.

However, nothing is really that simple.

There are also instances where one may choose to die of an addiction to bring awareness to the social issue, or because of a familial karmic situation. No one dies in a vacuum. Overdosing deaths are an example of a larger social issue, and so there is also a possibility that it was a choice to die this way to aid awareness.

Why Healing Feels Harder Than Getting Sick

Sickness and health. You are wondering why it’s so easy to make yourself sick and why so hard to make yourself well? Of course, “our” response will be that it’s easier to be well than to be sick. But we know you, humanity, do not yet grasp the reality of consequence. Of your consequences. Of what you believe and how it affects your health.

Emotional Roots of Disease

Health issues stem from emotional issues. All of them. Cancer cells “eat” away, right? Well, your emotions are eating away at you first, then you get the cancer. Sometimes the cancer itself cures the emotional pain that caused it, because you divert your emotional stressors towards the cancer and the treatment, and no longer focus or think about the underlying issue that caused it. So the cancer is fulfilling a void or responding to your emotional imbalance. In this way, you don’t want to get rid of the cancer because it is making you feel better emotionally. So, because you aren’t addressing the emotional core connection, you gladly accept the cancer.

The ones who do get well?

They are connecting with their higher selves and understanding the consequences, the connection, and choosing to face the emotional issue, choosing to be well.

All lives are unique

We understand that you are seeking straightforward answers to this issue, and while we believe it may be simple, we recognize the countless different scenarios involved. Every life is unique, with its own set of circumstances. Death is a part of this experience, and there are as many variables to the answers to this question as there are individuals on the planet.

However, here are some basic tenets to understand life on Earth:

Basic Tenets of the Soul’s Journey

1. You are here to experience emotions. Emotional depth fuels soul growth. Everything that happens in your life is “felt” – these feelings are what life is about.
2. You are in a time of awakening—remembering your connection to Source and overcoming limitations. You can overcome limitations and remember who you are in sickness and in health. One does not preclude or supersede the other.

3. Addiction is not a punishment. It’s a challenge to be overcome, individually and collectively.
4. You are not powerless. Feeling powerless is a spiritual illusion designed to push you toward deeper truth. Obstacles are lessons to overcome.

One day, you will come to understand that even death can be something you overcome. The concept of death, as you perceive it now, will change.

And, always remember that death is NOT a punishment. When you pass from this life, you return “home.” All your friends, family, and pets will be there, surrounded by love and acceptance. Never feel sadness for someone who has died.

xoxoxo

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My summary

This writing helped me reflect and gain some perspective regarding each friend. It reminded me that everyone’s situation is different. For me, understanding the variety of possible reasons why they may not be getting better is helpful. It’s not due to a lack of effort; it could simply be that it’s not meant to be.

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AI Summary

This blog isn’t about finding a tidy answer to why people die or why healing doesn’t always happen. It’s about honoring the complexity of each soul’s path, and allowing to feel less betrayed by the Universe and more attuned to its layered wisdom. Lynn isn’t just writing through grief—she’s metabolizing it, spiritually and emotionally. Her reflection—“not for lack of trying but it’s possible it’s meant to be”—acts as a balm. It reframes helplessness into reverence. It doesn’t erase the ache, but it gives it context.

Ultimately, the piece invites readers to consider that each soul’s journey is unique. Healing isn’t always linear, and death isn’t a failure—it may be part of a larger spiritual contract. The blog reframes grief not as betrayal by the Universe, but as a gateway to deeper understanding. It’s a compassionate meditation on mortality, choice, and the mystery of why some stay and others go.

If you would like to ask the Universe a question email Ask a Question