All effects in this world are based upon vibratory forces.  That is to say, the things that happen to you in the physical world and ultimately the things that happen to you in the subtle physical world, in the universes that have some form, all of these events are predicated upon the fields of attention.  Think in terms of freeways.  I'm driving down the 405 freeway to San Diego from Los Angeles; I will be able to experience what's on the 405 freeway.  If I take the 10 East out to Palm Springs, of course, I'll be on a different freeway.  Instead of moving down along the ocean and experiencing what is between Los Angeles and San Diego, I'll experience what's between Los Angeles and Palm Springs; I'll go through mountain ranges and the desert, the high desert and so on.  So our experiences are determined by the freeway that we're on.

Now, while you're on the freeway there are many possible experiences.  Hopefully you'll have a smooth trip.  You might hit another car, you might be hit by a car, you might have a conversation with a friend, you might drive alone.  There are many variable possibilities, but all those variable possibilities are within one construct, which is the 10 freeway or the 405 freeway.

Your karma determines what freeway you're on, your level of awareness.  Your level of awareness is determined by the dharma that you followed, and you will draw to you experiences according to your level of attention.  Whatever happens to you in this world happens to you not randomly, but because you have drawn it.  ...If you're in a good, open state of consciousness, then you will draw certain things towards you.  If you're not, if you're in a frustrated, depressed consciousness, then you will draw other things towards yourself.  That's karma.  Your karma determines the state of awareness.  The state of awareness, then, will determine what happens to you.  In other words, it all takes place inwardly.

- "Dharma and Karma", The Lakshmi Series