why do we need channeling?

[Plenum]

Remember that each individuals attract exactly the kind of information it "needs". "Each entity will receive the opportunity that each needs". Those philosophers might have been impressed by some 'higher dimentional being', or even be wanderers themselves of those very 'higher dimentional being group'. Anyone with higher energy centers active can tap into the collective or cosmic sea of consciousness to bring informations.

Everything has a place, and everything has a purpose.

this is extremely true. The law of attraction applies to information as well.

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also note that while there are public sources of channeling (a la the Law of One, Q'uo, Seth), the more important guidance and influence lies in one's dreams and higher self. This can be directly invoked for an accelerated path.