How does real-life karma work, and why does it affect some people but not others?

This is another major lighting theme that appeared on Quora.

Why is it important? Because some young souls may mistakenly think that everything is permitted and that there is no punishment for crimes.

So how does karma work in real life and why does it affect some people but not others? 

Short answer

Karma only works for souls with Free Will.  

FREE WILL

Karma does not work for souls without Free Will.

 NO FREE WILL

Longer answer

All young souls incarnating in a human body receive a precious gift from our Creator¹  — Free Will.

Free Will

Having this gift, they can choose the Spiritual Direction of their movement - towards Light² or towards Darkness³. There is also a sub-direction - Degradation, which is the worst case scenario and should be avoided.

The Universal Law of Karma (karma for short), like any Law, helps people correct their mistakes and move on.

Because most young souls are unwilling to study voluntarily, they are forced into what we would call punishment.

If the soul does not learn well and continues to make the same mistakes, the punishment will be tougher. At the same time, by the Universal Laws of Change and Evolution, it will be given the Choice of a further direction towards Light or Darkness.

In the case of the Choice of Light, which is more challenging than the Choice of Darkness, the soul will receive a renewal of its consciousness and "automatically" gain an understanding of what has been done wrong in the past. In other words, the person will receive a vision to voluntarily correct his/her mistakes.

Brad Anderson in his movie The Machinist (2004) skillfully described the mechanism of karma for a soul moving towards Light. Find my review of the movie.

 © Wikipedia

However, in the case, if the soul will choose a direction toward Darkness, its consciousness will be brutalized and it will continue to develop its bad doings further, i.e. will become more skillful in "bad" deeds.

The Head of Darkness, Satan, is especially attentive to all those who have a tendency to constantly choose Darkness. Satan is the direct beneficiary of the soul's choice in favor of Darkness, as it receives a potential member of its Hierarchy.

But how practically Satan will drag the soul into His pool?

To catch the prey tightly Satan drops some earthly treasures in front of his prey. At this stage, the goal of the Head of Darkness is to make the soul become addicted. Whether, it's drugs, money, power, sex, etc. Everything goes.

However, even with the number of addictions, but with Free Will in hand, the person still has a chance to turn to the Light. Therefore, Satan's goal is to take this Will away from the soul.

At some point, a strongly addicted soul becomes so weak that it is unable to resist the next temptation of Satan and gives up its Free Will for the sake of another treasure. Now, this soul is fully belongs to Satan and Satan's Will.

The soul still keeps its personality, but feels, that a "someone" or "something" beyond his own intentions pushes him/ her for doings.

As the soul doesn't have its own Will and follows orders of Satan it doesn't have any Karma anymore. 

Therefore, from the outside it seems that the person who does evil to another does not bear any punishment.

Another group of souls without affect by karma are mature souls - missionaries. They made their Final Choice towards Darkness long time ago. They incarnate in the materialistic worlds like our Earth on the order of Satan. They move in the physical reality fast, without hesitation and thinking.

Summary

1. Karma works for souls moving towards Light, i.e. having Free Will. If they make a mistake they have to fix it

2. Karma doesn't work for souls that made their final Spiritual Choice towards Darkness, i.e. who lost Free Will. As the soul doesn't make any decisions, there is no punishment for its doings.

Notes: 

1. Creator¹   - God, Head of Lights

2. Spiritual Direction towards Light²   - the Direction of following Values of Lights

VALUES OF LIGHTS

FREEDOM

LOVE

PEACE

COURAGE

TRUTH

JUSTICE

HOPE

HUMANITY

HARMONY

GENEROSITY 

3. Spiritual Direction towards Darkness³  - the Direction of following Values of Darkness

VALUES OF DARKS

SLAVERY

HATRED

WAR

COWARDICE

FALSE

INJUSTICE

DESPAIR

CRUELTY

CHAOS

GREED