The Middle World as the Field of Human Choice
BY NICOLE LAU
The Middle World—ordinary reality, the physical earth, the realm where we live—is not just a neutral stage. It's the field of human choice, where free will operates, where the gifts from Upper and Lower Worlds are integrated and applied. Understanding the Middle World reveals why incarnation matters and what we're here to do.
Characteristics of the Middle World
The Middle World has distinct qualities that differentiate it from the Upper and Lower Worlds:
Energetic Quality
- Material and temporal: Physical, subject to time and space
- Dualistic: Good and evil, light and dark coexist
- Mixed: Contains both spiritual and material elements
- Dynamic: Constantly changing, in flux
Landscape
- Physical earth: The actual planet we inhabit
- Human civilization: Cities, towns, structures
- Nature (manifest): Forests, mountains, rivers as physical reality
- The everyday: Your home, workplace, familiar places
Atmosphere
- Challenging: Friction, resistance, obstacles
- Real: Consequences matter, actions have effects
- Opportunity: The place where change happens
- Testing: Where you prove what you've learned
The Middle World as Integration Point
The Middle World is where Upper and Lower meet:
- Upper World gifts: Vision, guidance, spiritual wisdom
- Lower World gifts: Power, healing, instinctual wisdom
- Middle World work: Integrating both into action
You journey to the Upper World for vision, to the Lower World for power, but you return to the Middle World to apply what you've received. This is where the work happens.
The Field of Choice
The Middle World is unique because it's where free will operates:
Why Choice Matters Here
- Consequences are real: Actions have tangible effects
- Time is linear: You can't undo what's done
- Matter resists: Change requires effort
- Others are affected: Your choices impact the web of life
What You Choose
- How to apply spiritual guidance in daily life
- Whether to embody the power you've retrieved
- How to relate to others and the world
- What to create, build, or manifest
- How to respond to challenges and opportunities
The Upper and Lower Worlds offer gifts, but the Middle World is where you choose what to do with them.
Inhabitants of the Middle World
Who you encounter in the Middle World:
Living Humans
- Other people in physical form
- Relationships, community, society
- Teachers, mentors, allies in physical form
- Adversaries and challenges
Nature Spirits (Manifest)
- Spirits of place: Genius loci, land spirits
- Elementals: Spirits of fire, water, air, earth in physical locations
- Plant and animal spirits: In their physical forms
- Weather spirits: Wind, rain, storm
Ghosts and Stuck Spirits
- Souls who haven't moved on
- Spirits attached to places or people
- Unfinished business keeping them in the Middle World
- These need help transitioning to the Lower or Upper World
Thought-Forms and Egregores
- Collective thought-forms created by groups
- Cultural patterns and beliefs made manifest
- Institutional spirits (of companies, nations, religions)
The Middle World in Different Traditions
Shamanic
- The ordinary world where humans live
- The place of action and manifestation
- Where shamanic healing is applied
Norse
- Midgard, the middle enclosure
- The realm of humans between gods and giants
- Connected to other realms by the World Tree
Kabbalistic
- Yetzirah (formation) and Assiah (action)
- Where divine will becomes manifest
- The realm of tikkun olam (repairing the world)
Buddhist
- The human realm, one of six realms of existence
- Uniquely positioned for enlightenment
- Not too much suffering (hell), not too much pleasure (heaven)
Why Incarnation in the Middle World Matters
The Middle World is not inferior to the Upper World—it's essential:
- Testing ground: Where you prove spiritual understanding
- Integration: Where spirit and matter unite
- Service: Where you help others and the world
- Evolution: Where consciousness develops through challenge
- Creation: Where new things are made manifest
The Upper World has vision but no manifestation. The Lower World has power but no choice. The Middle World has both—and that's why we're here.
Psychological Interpretation
From a depth psychology perspective, the Middle World represents:
- The ego: Conscious awareness and identity
- Waking consciousness: Ordinary awareness
- The persona: How you present to the world
- Reality testing: Distinguishing inner from outer
- Executive function: Making decisions and taking action
The Middle World is where the ego integrates material from the unconscious (Lower) and superconscious (Upper).
The Challenge of the Middle World
The Middle World presents unique difficulties:
- Resistance: Matter resists change; effort is required
- Duality: Good and evil, light and dark are mixed
- Suffering: Pain, loss, and death are real
- Illusion: Maya, the veil that obscures truth
- Distraction: Easy to forget spiritual reality
This is why spiritual practice is needed—to remember the Upper and Lower Worlds while living in the Middle.
Working With Nature Spirits
The Middle World is where you work with spirits in their manifest forms:
Spirits of Place
- Every location has a spirit or presence
- Introduce yourself when entering new places
- Ask permission before taking or changing
- Offer gratitude and reciprocity
Elementals
- Salamanders (fire): In flames, heat, passion
- Undines (water): In rivers, oceans, rain
- Sylphs (air): In wind, breath, thought
- Gnomes (earth): In soil, stone, plants
Practical Application: Living Consciously in the Middle World
To work with the Middle World consciously:
- Bring back gifts: Apply Upper World vision and Lower World power here
- Make conscious choices: This is the realm of free will—use it
- Engage with others: Relationships are the work of the Middle World
- Work with nature: Honor spirits of place and elements
- Create and manifest: Bring spiritual insight into physical form
- Serve: Use your gifts to help others and the world
- Stay grounded: Don't escape to Upper or Lower—do the work here
The Middle World is not a prison—it's a sacred opportunity. This is where spirit meets matter, where vision becomes action, where power is applied. You journey to the Upper World for guidance and the Lower World for strength, but you return here to choose, to create, to serve. This is the field of human choice. Choose wisely. Act consciously. This is why you incarnated.
