My own belief is that we choose to come here from our home in the eternal spiritual world, to learn particular lessons which will help us to progress on our eternal pathway. So that our spirit may evolve. We are spirit first and foremost.
In the spirit world,our home, we choose our own parents for their particular knowledge and their particular set of circumstances, which we know will help in our evolution. Circumstances in which we are allowed to grow spiritually. We come here to the earth plane to live out our earthly lives until our purpose is accomplished. Only then will we return home.
Whilst we are here, in fact before we arrive here, we lose all knowledge of where we came from, what we were, and what we did. Prior knowledge, I believe, would get in the way of our progress and interfere with our evolution.
When we go back to the spirit world, upon our earthly death, we are rewarded for the good deeds done in this earthly life and have to recompense for all the wrong deeds. We atone for everything we did wrong.
Believing in an eternal life makes you think more about how you conduct yourself during this earthly existence. If you know there is retribution for all wrong deeds then you will think twice, hopefully. Personal responsibility is one of the Spiritualists 7 principles.
So many people in these days do not believe in God or have a faith. This means they think they have no one to answer to in the next life. Mainly because they do not believe in an after life. Spiritualism teaches about an eternal life not just an afterlife. I believe we can come to the earth plane again if we choose to do so and if it will help us to progress and evolve.