• What is the effect on the embryo when it is aborted, and on the soul or the spirit substance?
In this teaching from the Pathwork Guide, we explore a nuanced and often challenging perspective on abortion and the nature of the soul’s entry into life. The Guide explains that the spirit does not enter the body until birth—at the first breath—so an embryo is not yet inhabited by a soul.
As a result, abortion does not harm the spirit itself, which will simply find another path for incarnation.
However, the deeper focus is on intention, responsibility, and spiritual alignment. The teaching emphasizes that both abortion and childbirth can either support or hinder spiritual growth, depending on the consciousness and readiness of the parents.
It also reframes historical views on procreation, suggesting that past prohibitions served a developmental purpose, while modern conditions call for greater awareness and discernment.
Ultimately, this perspective invites a more thoughtful, less polarized understanding rooted in spiritual evolution rather than rigid judgment.
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.
