Understanding Choice and the Awareness of Why We Make It

On one hot afternoon, as I scrolled through Netflix during lunch, I came across one of my all-time favorite movies, The Matrix, coming to stream in Japan.

I have a deep, long-standing, coming-of-age relationship with this movie.

It was shot entirely in Sydney, and at the time, I was living there. It was no surprise that when it was released, it was a big hit.

While The Matrix may be wrapped in the aesthetics of a sci-fi action film— bullets flying, slow-motion kung fu, and high-rise free-falls— it is, at its core, a spiritual and philosophical allegory. Beneath the spectacle lies a classic Hero’s Journey— a classic soul journey to self-discovery. This rich, spiritual insight resonates in the lives of every one of us.

I clicked on it, and dedicated that afternoon to what seemed like my tenth viewing, followed by a profound reflection on one particular scene afterward.

The story unfolds as Neo begins in the Ordinary World, asleep within a simulated reality (the world as know it), unaware of his true nature. His “Call to Adventure” comes through cryptic messages and Morpheus’s invitation to “wake up.”

Then enters my favorite character in the movie— The Oracle. And this is that particular scene that I will unpack today.

The Oracle acts as the wise mentor who doesn’t give answers, but nudges him toward self-knowing. As Neo "Crossing the Threshold", he confronts inner doubts, trials, and symbolic deaths— ultimately leading to his transformation and rebirth as “The One.”

This journey mirrors not just the archetypal path of mythic heroes, but also the spiritual journey found in Buddhism and other wisdom traditions: the awakening from illusion, the confrontation of ego, and the realization of true Self.

Watching The Matrix, then, becomes more than entertainment— it becomes a reaffirmation, an invitation to question the nature of reality and to awaken from our own forms of sleep. Again and again.

The scene with the Oracle unfolds as follows.

Neo is uncertain about his path, and when the Oracle offers him candy and talks to him cryptically (as always), he asks why she tells him anything if she already knows what he's going to do. Her reply is:

“You didn’t come here to make the choice. You’ve already made it. You’re here to try to understand why you made it.”

And it's a chill running up my spine. Every time.

We often think we're at the moment of decision when, on a deeper level, the decision has already been made— by our true Self, unconscious mind, or "Soul". The conscious mind merely catches up later, trying to make sense of the intuitive or spiritual knowing that preceded rational thought.

Psychological parallel (Jungian idea):
Carl Jung talked about individuation— becoming who you truly are— and much of that process involves making unconscious patterns conscious. The Oracle represents a guide helping Neo become conscious of choices already initiated at a deeper level of his being.

In life:
You may have already chosen your path (in love, career, truth about what you believe), but your mind still seeks reassurance or understanding.

That’s not a weakness. That’s part of aligning the inner and outer self— understanding your why to fully commit to the path.

Are we aware of the illusion of these choices, and why we made them?

This scene subtly breaks the concept of linear time. Time, as we know it, is not linear.

Because The Oracle, in many ways, perceives time differently— more as a block than a line. She knows Neo’s future because all moments are accessible to her at once. From that vantage, choice isn't about "making" something happen, but becoming aligned with the part of you that already knows.

We come to remember it.

In spiritual traditions:
In many mystical teachings, time is an illusion. The soul exists outside of time. Your soul may have already made choices— karma, dharma, or soul contracts) from the lives we lived before, and your conscious journey is about remembering or understanding those choices.

So is it fate?

Yes and no. It's fate and free will in harmony.

Neo still has free will — but his choices are not random. They're deeply connected to who he already is at a soul level. The Oracle doesn’t tell him what to do; she holds space for him to discover himself.

This is echoed in her other famous line:

“You have to know it for yourself.”

The Oracle represents the kind of guide who doesn’t give answers, but helps you uncover them. She mirrors a deep spiritual truth:

"No one can tell you what to believe, what to choose, or who to be. You must live your way into those answers. The best mentors don't give advice — they help you listen to your own inner voice."

🪞 In Your Life (or Spiritual Practice)

When you're facing a big decision, ask yourself:

• Do I already feel the pull toward something?
• What fears or doubts are blocking my understanding?
• Am I seeking permission, or clarity?

Sometimes, the deep part of you has already decided. The journey is about bringing your whole self into alignment with that choice. And when there's a moment, a fork in the road, a parting way that you need to make that decision, remember that;

The deep part of you has already decided. The journey is about bringing your whole self into alignment with that choice.

Trust it.

P.S. To me, the Oracle is my Soul. My divine wisdom, my intuition, the one I converse with through the years of ups and downs in my journals and my dreams.

And she's hardly ever wrong.