What Does the Soul See Before Coming to This World?

Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, in the beginning of his work "The Path of the Just," discusses the purpose of a soul's descent into this world:

"The foundation of piety and the root of perfect service is for a person to clarify and establish what his duty in his world is, and to what he must direct his gaze and ambition in all of his efforts for all the days of his life. Our sages of blessed memory have taught us that man was created solely to delight in Hashem and enjoy the radiance of His presence, for this is true pleasure and the greatest delight to be found. The place for this delight truly is the World to Come, prepared for this purpose. However, the means to reach this destination is this world. As our sages have said, 'This world is like a corridor before the World to Come.' The means leading a person to this goal are the commandments, which Hashem, blessed be His name, has commanded us. The place for the performance of these commandments is only this world. Therefore, man is placed in this world first, so that through these means available to him, he may arrive at the place prepared for him, the World to Come, to enjoy the goodness acquired by these means. As our sages have said, 'Today to perform them, and tomorrow to receive their reward.'

If you contemplate this matter, you will recognize that true perfection is only closeness to the Divine, as King David said, 'But as for me, the nearness to God is my good'… A person should labor first and exert himself to acquire it, meaning he should strive to attach himself to the Divine through actions that result in this connection, and these are the commandments."

(The Path of the Just, chapter 1 by Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto)

Souls Eager to Descend Before Their Time

All those righteous people, before coming to the world, stood before Hashem in their actual form… Moreover, every soul of men, before it descends into the world, is carved before the Divine in the heavens in the exact form it will take on in this world. Whatever knowledge people have in the Torah in this world, they already knew before they came into this world, for souls, after their formation, do not immediately descend into the lower world. They stand before Hashem engaging with the Torah at their measure in that realm and are not allowed to descend to this world until permission is granted from the Creator.

[There are souls that] rebel against their Creator and want to come into this world before their time. They enter the pit of the great abyss where the shells are and join them, forcing the moment, descending before their appropriate time of maturity and correction, to enjoy the lusts of this world. These souls, being stubborn in this world, were such even before coming into the world. They were flawed souls…

If it heals later and repents before its Creator, it retrieves its holy portion, meaning the part of the Torah and heavenly garments it left in Gan Eden due to following the impure forces. What is intended for a person was prepared for him even before descending into this world.

All true righteous ones, before coming to the world, are prepared to descend and are named… Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, from the day the world was created, was prepared to descend to this world by Hashem, and He called him by his name, happy is his portion above and below.

(Zohar, Acharei Mot 61, "Sweet as Honey" p. 68-71)

Before Coming to This World, the Soul is Shown Reward and Punishment

When the soul descends from the Treasury of Souls to enter this world, first it descends into the earthly Gan Eden and sees the glory of righteous spirits standing in rows, and witnesses the great reward of the righteous in Gan Eden. Then it moves to Gehinnom and sees the wicked crying 'woe, woe,' without anyone pitying them, observing the tremendous punishment of the wicked in Gehinnom. In each place, it is testified regarding the reward or punishment received for each mitzvah or transgression…

…

The Soul Sees the Chambers of Gan Eden and Gehinnom

… Before a person is born, they are shown all of Gan Eden, to understand the reward for fulfilling the Torah and mitzvot. They see the chambers, houses, and levels of the higher Gan Eden…

…

They see what potentially awaits based on their actions and spiritual dedication. Transcendent rewards are described paralleled by matched punishments shown in Gehinnom.

(Zohar, Behar, Raaiah Meheimna, "Sweet as Honey" p. 317)