One of the more emotionally charged questions I receive revolves around illness. People want to know whether suffering is chosen, whether it is part of a soul contract, or whether it is simply the result of being human in a fragile body.
Recently a reader asked me what happens to the soul of someone suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s? Are they part of a planned life path? What about physical ailments? Do people pre-plan those? How do spirit guides help if someone is mentally or physically disabled?
These are great questions, and the answer may be surprising.
Physical and Mental Ailments Are Not Pre-Planned
From what I see and what has been consistently shown to me by spirit, physical and mental maladies are not pre-planned before incarnation.
Souls do not line up before birth and say, “I’d like dementia at 78,” or “Let’s add paralysis to this lifetime.” That is not how incarnation works.
Illness and injury arise after incarnation as a result of what happens within the physical world.
Once you are here, you are subject to:
- Environmental toxins and chemical exposures
- Accidents and injuries (such as traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord damage)
- Infections or autoimmune responses
- Chronic stress, inflammation, or nutritional deficiencies
- Random cellular errors that occur as the body ages
For example:
- A car accident may cause lifelong paralysis
- A fall or head injury can permanently alter cognition
- Long-term exposure to pesticides or heavy metals can damage the nervous system
- Severe emotional trauma can reshape brain chemistry
None of these are soul-level decisions. They are 4 that occur after a soul has entered the body.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Are Largely Post-Incarnation Conditions
Dementia and Alzheimer’s fall squarely into this category.
They are not planned before birth.
They are heavily influenced by what happens after incarnation, including:
- Vascular health
- Inflammation
- Metabolic factors
- Toxins
- Lifestyle and stress
- Aging of the physical brain
The soul does not deteriorate.
The brain does.
This distinction is critically important.
When memory fades or personality shifts, the soul remains fully intact. It is still present, aware, and whole. It’s simply unable to express itself clearly through a failing biological interface.
Think of it like trying to run perfect software on failing hardware.
What About Genetic Conditions?
There is one area that often causes confusion: genetics.
If souls choose their parents, wouldn’t spirit guides know that a child might inherit a genetic disorder such as:
- Down syndrome
- Huntington’s disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Muscular dystrophy
- Sickle cell disease
Here’s the key point:
The soul chooses the parents first. The body is formed afterward.
Genes are possibilities, not guarantees.
A soul may choose parents where a genetic condition exists in the family line, but that does not mean the soul is choosing the condition itself. Genetic expression is influenced by a complex mix of chance, biology, and development.
Sometimes the gene is expressed. Sometimes it’s not.
There is no soul-level agreement that says, “I will definitely be born with this condition.”
Again, the soul is not seeking suffering. It is seeking experience, connection, and growth, and those can take many forms, most of which have nothing to do with illness.
What Happens to the Soul When the Mind Is Lost?
This is often the most heartbreaking part of the question.
When someone loses their memories, language, or sense of self, their soul does not disappear.
Their spirit guides remain close—often closer than ever.
I see guides:
- Helping the soul remain calm when confusion sets in
- Softening fear and disorientation
- Maintaining a sense of identity that exists beyond memory
- Preparing the soul gently for eventual transition
In many cases, the soul begins to disengage from the physical world before death, spending more time in a non-physical awareness while the body continues on autopilot.
This is not abandonment. It is a form of spiritual buffering.
Is There Meaning for the Soul Group?
While illness itself is not pre-planned, meaning can still emerge from it.
Families, caregivers, and loved ones may experience:
- Lessons in compassion
- Redefinitions of love beyond personality
- Opportunities for forgiveness
- Deep soul-level bonding
But this does not mean anyone “signed up” to suffer.
Meaning is something we create after the fact, not something that requires pain to be scheduled in advance.
The Bigger Truth
The most important thing to understand is this:
The soul is never damaged. Only the body is.
Memory loss, confusion, and illness belong to the physical realm. When the soul eventually leaves the body, it is immediately restored to clarity, awareness, and wholeness—often with a sense of relief that is hard to describe in human language.
No soul is punished. No soul is broken.
No soul is lost.
And no one chose their suffering before they arrived.
