How many spirits are there in this world?

Spirits are with you in the world, just as they were before, only you cannot see them. 

They take their interest in life on the earth plane, especially in those things, which interested them while they were in the physical body.

Spirits know something of the struggles and disappointments of earth souls, and much of the happiness, too―connected with this is their love and remembrance for the friends they have loved here.

It is all one world actually, and very much alike in some things, though widely different in others.

There are schools of all kinds in the spirit world―

There are places of worship―

There are glorious rivers and gardens and mountains and lakes―

There is music and light and laughter―

There is love unspeakable.

There is again the dark side of the picture.

There is sorrowing and suffering and woe, but behind all the sadness, again is love unspeakable, and the final conquering of all that makes the sorrow and anguish, and peace and joy remain for every single soul. 

But there is this to say, too. 

It cannot be earned for the soul, but by the soul. 

No soul, human or divine, can bear the burden for the other―each must carry his own pack and fight his way to the very, very end. 

No light task, well-nigh impossible sometimes, but there is much help if the soul will ask for it.

Always his own guide is with him to warn and advise―always will the Great Master Christ hear at once the very faintest cry for help. 

The help comes in all sorts of different ways, and very often through a human instrument.

Help from the Master does not always mean a chap feeling better and comfortable inside when he has been perhaps giving way to a certain temptation and been sorry for it afterwards, but sometimes he is brought into touch with another soul who can, and does give him the very help he wants. 

Sometimes, he does not know it―sometimes the other soul if he is advanced spiritually sees at once that this is a soul who wants help, and understands that he has been brought into touch with him of set purpose through influence from this side. 

There is no haphazard method of giving help―it is all done in order and with a very definite plan behind it.

So much of what people describe as such a curious coincidence is really an admission of help from us, but the majority do not know it at present, and would not own it if they did. 

The whole ruling of your world is done through different spiritual agents who have charge of different groups and forms of activity, and who have under their special care the units comprising them. 

These agents, as they might be called, are known as Masters here. They are very mighty spirits, most glorious to look at, who had attained a very high level of development, but of their own free will gave up their right to enter the highest heaven and came back to the earth to help the people on it. 

They were all men once, not spirits from other planets, and know the struggle of the upward path.

―The Witness