Power can be used for either good or for evil. It’s our choice.
This chapter takes on a big question—why does something like war exist?—and answers it by bringing things all the way back to the individual. Rather than framing war as something created “out there,” it suggests that large-scale conflict is really an extension of the unresolved conflicts within each of us.
The idea is that the same forces—division, fear, self-centeredness—play out both internally and collectively.
It zooms out into a broader spiritual perspective, describing creation as shaped by both light and dark influences, with human life sitting right in the middle. That middle ground is where choice comes in.
We’re constantly deciding, often unconsciously, which direction we lean toward. And those small, internal choices add up.
What keeps this from feeling abstract is the emphasis on responsibility without blame. The point isn’t to feel guilty about the state of the world—it’s to recognize where we still carry inner conflict and work there.
The chapter lands on a steady idea: as we resolve the tension within ourselves, we contribute—quietly but meaningfully—to less conflict around us.
Jill Loree is the founder of Phoenesse and a longtime student of the Pathwork teachings. She has studied the Pathwork Guide’s material since 1997 and completed four years of training to become a certified Pathwork Helper.
When she first encountered the Pathwork teachings, she described the experience as “walking through the doorway of an AA fourth step and finding the whole library.”
Through Phoenesse, Jill writes and teaches about personal transformation using the spiritual psychology found in the Pathwork lectures.
Her books present these teachings in clear, accessible language to help readers apply them in everyday life. Her work focuses on helping people move from the struggles of duality toward the peace of inner unity.
Raised in northern Wisconsin, Jill began her professional career in technical sales and marketing before discovering that her true calling lay in spiritual teaching and writing.
She lives in New York with her husband, Scott Wisler, who now works with her in sharing these teachings around the world.
