When the time comes for a soul to indwell a physical body, the two parts separate, and only one of them enters into a developing mortal still in the womb of its mother.²ARDT, Vol I, The Soul: What It Is and What It is Not. At the moment of incarnation, the soul takes the form which has been prepared for it by the forces that exist in the parents, and retains that for the duration of its natural life. At the same moment, there is created for it or attracted to it, the form of the spirit body, which is attached to the physical body by a “silver chord”. Both of these bodies are material –  one consists of the visible material of the universe, the other of the invisible.

This process of the soul receiving the material body and spirit body is referred to as individualization, and is the primary purpose of life on earth. Individualization of the soul is accomplished equally in the case of an infant who dies young and in the case of a person who lives to a ripe old age.

In death, the physical body dies but the spirit body remains with the soul after death. The soul and spirit body together continue into the spirit realms. The physical body decays and disintegrates into its elements, and never again do these elements form the same body. Hence it is impossible for that body to be resurrected.³ARDT, Vol II, What is the Real Body That Is Resurrected at the Time of the Physical Death?

It is often the case that just prior to death, a person will see their physical body from the outside of it. They may see doctors at work and hear what is being said. They may then see a white light at the end of a tunnel to which they are attracted. Some may see their life passing before them like a movie. Many feel an unconditional love and peace. All worries of the earth life leave them. Some of these experiences can be explained in terms of pathological events. But all mortals when passing over are surrounded by spirits who transform the transition into the spirit world from a potential traumatic experience into a relatively pleasant one. These spirits are the light that is often perceived.

Individuals who have not completely left their mortal body (their silver chord, which binds their spirit body to their physical body, has not been broken) may be told by their spirit guides that their time to die has not yet come, and that they must return to their body. The mortal feels obligated to follow the guidance even though they would have liked to stay in the atmosphere of peace and happiness.

At the moment of real death, humans leave their physical bodies and are received by spirits who appear like bright lights, as a result of their great soul development. These spirits transfer the newly arrived ones to one of the reception places in the spirit world, where they have to stay for a time, until they fully understand that they have died and are now living in a new stage of their lives.⁴Various Questions Concerning Passing Over.

The level of mental, moral or spiritual development determines where the newly arrived spirit shall live. In the large majority of cases, the first home of the spirit is the earth plane, where there are a number of planes ranging from lower to higher. In the earth plane, spirits will find that their condition is not much different from what it was on earth. The same ideas of right and wrong,  beliefs, affections, and desires exist.

Sometimes these conditions will last for many years, or change came come relatively soon. This change of condition frequently depends on the friends or relatives, who try to help and instruct the new arrival.

If such spirit helpers are themselves developed intellectually, they will tend to direct the newly arrived spirit along the same lines of thought and aspirations. Similarly with the morally developed helpers – they will make the questions of morality the important ones for the new spirit to consider. The same applies to spiritual helpers or those who have received the Love of the Father in their souls, and to whom such Love is the most important thing. They will endeavor to instruct the spirit in matters pertaining to this Love and its  development. Hence, much depends on the helpers which the new spirit finds awaiting its advent into the spirit world, and the instructions which they give it.

However, more will depend on the condition of the spirit itself. When it comes into the spirit world, it brings with it all its beliefs, desires and affections, and these will, to a larger or smaller extent, influence the direction of its progress. It is much easier to influence a spirit who has had, while on earth, awakened in him the Love of God even to a small degree, to pursue spiritual pathways, than to persuade one who has never had that awakening, but gave his studies and thoughts solely to mental pursuits. Such spirits will naturally be attracted to things which are a continuation of its earthly thoughts, or which will enable it to pursue the development of those thoughts. Consequently, they are its “treasures” which have most of its affections. From these affections will arise desires which will, unless something greater intervenes, cause it to follow the course of these desires. The same principles apply to every condition of spirits – mental, moral, or spiritual.

So newly arrived spirits, following their natural inclinations, will endeavor to get into the sphere with the greatest opportunities for the desired development. This is in accordance with a spiritual law.

The spirit desiring above all else the development of its mental qualities will seek that sphere where these qualities have the greatest opportunity for development. The same applies to the moralist and the spirit of religious thought.⁵ARDT, Vol I, Mr. Padgett’s Grandmother Describes Several Spheres and the Different Kinds of Spirits Inhabiting Them.

To sum up, God, in His great wisdom and goodness, has provided several spheres and made them suited for the purposes of their creation. All spirits have the choice where they will enter and seek to live. But, of course, not only one sphere of its kind is provided, but there are several, so that there may be progression on the part of spirits. See the page on the spirit world to learn more about life as a spirit.