i suspect that there's not nearly as much difference in the two paths as we would like to believe. it's all service, we merely have different convictions, and the most efficient path is always that place where you you can be the most helpful, or the most effective in your chosen form of service. i wouldn't worry to much about the sts path or effects, because i believe i remember ra saying the path is usually chosen late in 2d or very early in 3d, so i think we're all well past that point. there are a million paths back to the one infinite creator and as we journey along we might notice many of them merging together over time, until we are finally left with only two main paths, which i suspect become more similar over time, until one day, many eons in the future they will come together to form one.