Edgar Cayce - Claimed psychic abilities, The Readings, Major themes, Biography, Other Cayce-like figures, Criticism
Psychic medium, born near Hopkinsville, Kentucky, USA. He had little education and took up photography. At age 19 he had a nervous collapse and began to experience visions and receive messages describing ways to heal people. Over a period of 40 years, he performed life readings for people and diagnosed over 30 000. Essential to his therapy was his belief that everyone has had previous existences, some going back thousands of years to Atlantis. Many of his reports were transcribed and preserved by the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, VA. These and Cayce himself were largely forgotten until publicized by best-selling books in the 1960s.
| Edgar Cayce | |
|---|---|
| In October 1910, this photograph appeared on the front page of The New York Times after a reporter stole it from the home of Cayce’s parents, to use for a story. | |
| Born |
March 18, 1877 Hopkinsville, Kentucky, USA |
| Died |
January 3, 1945 Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA |
Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) (pronounced /'keɪsiː/ or "Casey") was an American psychic who claimed to channel answers to questions on subjects such as health, astrology, reincarnation, and Atlantis while in trance. Although Cayce lived before the emergence of the New Age movement, he remains a major influence on its teachings.
Cayce became an American celebrity towards the end of his life and the publicity given to his prophecy has overshadowed what to him were the more important parts of his work such as healing (the vast majority of his "readings" were given for people who were sick) and theology (Cayce being a lifelong, devout member of the Disciples of Christ). Skeptics challenge Cayce's claim to psychic prowess, while conservative Christians also question his unorthodox answers on religious matters (such as reincarnation and akashic records).
Today there are several tens of thousands of Cayce students. Most are located in the United States and Canada, but Edgar Cayce Centers are now found in 25 other countries. The Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE), headquartered in Virginia Beach, is the major organization promoting interest in Cayce.
Claimed psychic abilities
Edgar Cayce has variously been referred to as a "prophet" (cf. Cayce's business card described him as a "psychic diagnostician".
Cayce's methods involved lying down and entering into what appeared to be a trance or sleep state, usually at the request of a subject who was seeking help with health or other personal problems (subjects were not usually present). The subject's questions would then be given to Cayce, and Cayce would proceed with a "reading". later readings on past lives, business advice, dream interpretation, and mental or spiritual health were also given.
Cayce said that his trance statements should be taken into account only to the extent that they led to a better life for the recipient: "Does it make one a better husband, a better businessman, a better neighbor, a better artist, a better churchman?
Other abilities that have been attributed to Cayce include astral projection, prophesying, mediumship (communication with the dead), viewing the Akashic Records or "Book of Life", and seeing auras. Cayce became interested in learning more about these subjects after he was informed about the content of his "readings", which he reported that he never actually heard himself.
The Readings
Edgar Cayce gave an estimated 22,000 "readings" during a period of 43 years (1901 to 1944); Accordingly, only about 14,000 Cayce readings are currently available. When out of the trance he entered to perform a reading, Cayce claimed generally not to remember what he had said during the reading. The unconscious mind, according to Cayce, has access to information which the conscious mind does not — a common theory about hypnosis in Cayce's time. After Gladys Davis became Cayce's secretary on September 10, 1923, all readings were preserved and his wife Gertrude Evans Cayce generally conducted (guided) the readings.
The available readings are customarily divided into the following categories:
Physical Readings: 9,603 extant readings.
Otherwise known as "health readings" in which (typically) a patient would be diagnosed and a cure prescribed. For some reason Cayce needed to be told the patient's physical location, though
this might easily be in another city or state (in the case of patients inquiring by letter). Cayce lore describes various incidental examples of clairvoyance in the course of Cayce's
psychically "searching" for the patient.
Life Readings: 1,920 extant readings
In a life reading, Cayce describes the client's present physical, emotional and mental condition in terms of past life experience. Cayce's son Hugh Lynn, for example, was told that he was the
apostle Andrew.
Business Readings: 747 extant readings.
Cayce occasionally gave business readings including advice on business partners, the stock market, business models, etc.
Dream Readings: 630 extant readings.
Edgar Cayce encouraged everyone to interpret and use his or her own dreams in day-to-day life. A dream reading involved Cayce interpreting the dreams of clients. As he did with readings on many
subjects, Cayce would often interrupt the person reading the dream and give an interpretation before the dream had been completely read. Unlike Jungian or Freudian dream interpretation, Cayce
did not emphasize highly the importance of symbols. Cayce claimed that in dreams people could receive valuable insight into their own lives and that the insight was always of use to the
dreamer.
Mental and Spiritual Readings: 450 extant readings
These readings were often short and were Cayce's favorite type of reading when not in his supposed trance state.
Other Readings: 954 extant readings
Other Readings are miscellaneous subject matter that does not fit into an above category. The subject matter included missing persons, buried treasure, readings given to a spiritual development
group, psychic abilities, auras, prophecy, structure of reality, geology, and many other topics.
Cayce readings are usually referenced using a numeric tag in which the first number is a code representing the recipient (most of their identities remain secret), while the second counts which reading it is, in the case of a person who receives more than one.
Major themes
The choice of which elements of the Cayce corpus to emphasize is fraught with hermeneutic hazards. Cayce described his work in terms of Christian service. [Reading 3744-5] The Cayce readings suggest that human souls were created with a consciousness of their oneness with God. Reincarnation. Cayce's work teaches the reality of reincarnation and karma, but as instruments of a loving God rather than blind natural laws. Cayce's view arguably incorporates Theosophical teachings on spiritual evolution. Astrology. Cayce accepts astrology on the basis that our souls spend time on other planets (or perhaps their spiritual counterparts) in between incarnations. Jesus and Christ. Following New Thought precedent, Cayce distinguishes between Jesus and Christhood. Cayce accordingly calls Jesus our "elder brother." Unknown Life of Jesus. Cayce presented narratives of Jesus' previous incarnations, including a mysterious Atlantean figure called "Amilius" as well as the more familiar biblical figures of Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, Joshua, Asaph, and Jeshua. Cayce describes Jesus as an Essene who traveled to India in his youth in order to study Eastern religions. Ideals. Cayce repeatedly stresses the choice of an ideal as the foundation of the spiritual path. The highest ideal, says Cayce, is Christ; Body, Mind, Spirit. Cayce often invokes these three terms, or their equivalents, to describe the human condition. Meditation. While Cayce sometimes describes particular meditation techniques of sitting or chanting ("Arrr--eee-oommm" which is strikingly similar to popular Hindu mantra "Hari Om") the crucial element is that of opening up to divine influences. Cayce's concept of meditation has some aspects in common with Hinduism or Buddhism (the chakras, kundalini) but is most similar to Christian versions of New Thought. ESP. Cayce accepted psychic experiences and ESP as a natural by-product of soul growth. God may speak to us through dreams (many readings consist of dream interpretation), or through intuitions similar to the pangs of conscience. However, Cayce does not endorse Spiritualism or mediumship on the grounds that entities thus contacted are not necessarily particularly lofty. Atlantis. The Cayce readings affirm the existence of Atlantis, a vast continent with an advanced technology whose refugees peopled ancient Egypt as well as pre-Columbian America. Cayce's description of Atlantis has much in common with that of Ignatius Donnelly. According to Cayce, Atlantean society was divided into two long-lived political factions--a "good" faction called the "Sons of the Law of One," and an "evil" faction called the "Sons of Belial." In this regard Cayce also predicted the coming of a certain 'blue stone' of Atlantean origin, that was to be found on "an island in the Caribbean" and was to have the power to heal. Cayce purported to have been an Egyptian priest named "Ra Ta" who built a spiritually-based healing center (the "Temple of Sacrifice") and educational institution (the "Temple Beautiful"). Earth changes. Some Cayce readings allude to massive earth changes—perhaps in conjunction with a pole shift—in the 1930s, 1960s, or 1990s. Cayce people have developed several creative ways of interpreting such passages, although some were disappointed with the failure of 1998 to bring either the rising of Atlantis, the sinking of California, or the Second Coming of Christ. Cayce however, stressed repeatedly that free will influenced all facets of what will become reality and even something predestined to happen can be postponed or altered. "Cayce cures." Cayce's medical readings typically prescribe poultices (often of castor oil), osteopathic adjustments, colonic irrigation, massage (often with peanut oil), prayer, folk remedies (e.g. Cayce is often seen as a practitioner of holistic medicine, and has particularly strong philosophical ties with naturopathy. The "Cayce diet". Major dietary recommendations include the avoidance of red meat (esp. Under strict circumstances, Cayce advocated both coffee and pure tobacco cigarettes to be non-harmful to health. “Food Combining” was also a central idea in the Cayce diet. Cayce followed very few of the dietary recommendations that were suggested by the readings.
Biography
Edgar Cayce was born into a farming family on March 18, 1877 near Beverly, seven miles south of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. One convenient way to divide Cayce's life is according to geography:
1877 to 1920—the Kentucky period. During this time Cayce received an eighth-grade education;
Cayce's education stopped with the eighth grade, not because of his incapability but because his family could not afford the costs involved. Much of the remainder of Cayce's life would be characterized by a forlorn search for employment and/or money.
Throughout his life Cayce was drawn to church as a member of the Disciples of Christ.
In 1900 he formed a business partnership with his father to sell Woodmen of the World Insurance but was struck by severe laryngitis in March that resulted in a complete loss of speech on April 18.
A travelling stage hypnotist and entertainer called "Hart - The Laugh Man" was performing at the Hopkinsville Opera House in 1901. He heard about Cayce's condition and offered to attempt a cure. Cayce accepted and the experiment took place on stage in front of an audience. Remarkably, Cayce's voice returned while in a hypnotic trance but disappeared on awakening.
Since Hart had appointments at other cities, he could not continue his hypnotic treatment of Cayce. However a local hypnotist, Al Layne, offered to help Cayce in restoring his voice. Layne suggested that Cayce describe the nature of his condition and cure while in a hypnotic trance. Cayce described his own ailment from a first person plural point of view — 'we' — instead of the singular "I." Layne suggested that the blood flow be increased and Cayce's face became flushed with blood and his chest area turned bright red. After 20 minutes Cayce, still in trance, declared the treatment over.
Layne had read of similar hypnotic cures effected by the Marquis de Puységur, a follower of Franz Mesmer, and was keen to explore the limits of the healing knowledge of the trance voice. He asked Cayce to describe Layne's own ailments and suggest cures, and reportedly found the results both accurate and effective. Layne suggested that Cayce offer his trance healing to the public but Cayce was reluctant. Reports of Cayce's work appeared in the newspapers, inspiring many postal inquiries. Supposedly, Cayce was able to work just as effectively using a letter from the individual as with having the person present. Cayce's accuracy in diagnosing the problems and providing effective cures made him more popular and soon people from around the world sought his advice through correspondence.
Cayce's work grew in volume as his fame grew.
The trance reading produced a visible strain on Cayce's health.
1920 to 1923—the Texas period
The growing fame of Cayce coupled with the popularity he received from newspapers attracted several eager commercially minded men who wanted to seek a fortune by using Cayce's clairvoyant abilities. Even though Cayce was reluctant to help them, he was persuaded to give the readings, which left him dissatisfied with himself and unsuccessful. A cotton merchant offered Cayce a hundred dollars a day for his readings about the daily outcomes in the cotton market. However, despite his poor finances, Cayce refused the merchant's offer.
He was persuaded to give readings on philosophical subjects in 1923 by Arthur Lammers, a wealthy printer. While in his supposed trance state, Cayce spoke unequivocally of past lives. Cayce reported that his conscience bothered him severely over this conflict. Lammers reassured and argued with Cayce. His "trance voice", the "we" of the readings, also supposedly dialogued with Cayce and finally persuaded him to continue with these kinds of readings. In 1925 Cayce reported his "voice" had instructed him to move to Virginia Beach, Virginia.
1925 to 1945—the Virginia Beach period
Cayce's mature period, in which he created the several institutions which would survive him in some form.
In 1929 the Cayce hospital was established in Virginia Beach sponsored by a wealthy beneficiary of the trance readings, Morton Blumenthal.
Cayce gained national prominence in 1943 through a high profile article in Coronet. The readings themselves scolded him for attempting too much and warned Cayce that more than 2 readings a day would start breaking down his physical health and would result in his death.
Edgar Cayce suffered a stroke on January 2nd, 1945. 1901 A travelling stage hypnotist and entertainer called "Hart-The Laugh Man" hears about Cayce's condition and offers to attempt a cure. Cayce accepts and the experiment takes place on stage in front of an audience. Cayce's voice returns while in a hypnotic trance, but disappears on awakening. Another hypnotist, Al Layne, works with Cayce to restore his voice. Layne gives hypnotic suggestion that Cayce describe the nature of his condition and cure. 1907 Son Hugh Lynn Cayce born. 1910 Dr. Wesley Ketchum mentions Cayce in an article to the American Society of Clinical Research. New York Times reports in article entitled Illiterate Man Becomes A Doctor When Hypnotized, Cayce's career as a psychic and healer begins in earnest. 1911 Son Milton Porter Cayce born; 1918 Son Edgar Evans Cayce born. Cayce rumored to have visited Washington to give readings for President Wilson's administration, possibly on the Fourteen Points. 1920 to 1923 Cayce and friend David Kahn go to Texas to look for oil (using Cayce's abilities). At this time some allege that Cayce had several affairs and a falling-out with Gertrude. Some suspect Cayce and Davis of having an affair, but a medical examination conducted after Cayce's death to treat Davis's uterine cancer allegedly showed that she was still a virgin at that time. Cayce had a number of previous contacts with astrologers, Theosophists, and the like. By this time Cayce is a full-time professional psychic. 1927 Founds "Association of National Investigators" (ANI), a membership organization devoted to Cayce's work. 1928 Cayce Hospital for Research and Enlightenment established in Virginia Beach, with 60 beds. 1943 Cayce gains national prominence through high-profile articles by Margueritte Harmon Bro in Christian Century and Coronet; Hugh Lynn Cayce returns from the war to rally ARE members. 1947 Edgar Cayce Foundation established; to this day it claims the copyright to the Cayce readings. 1955 University of Chicago accepts the first doctoral dissertation on Cayce: Harmon H. Bro's Charisma of the Seer. 1956 ARE buys the former Cayce Hospital building for use as headquarters; 1959 to 1960 Cayce readings microfilmed by Remington Rand Corp.. 1971 Indexing of Cayce readings completed; 1976 Hugh Lynn Cayce retires. Leadership of ARE passes to his son (and Cayce's grandson) Charles Thomas Cayce. 1982 Hugh Lynn Cayce dies. 1984 First issue of Cayce magazine Venture Inward. 1986 Gladys Davis Edgar Cayce's long time stenographer (later Gladys Davis Turner) dies.
Other Cayce-like figures
Trance states have also long been used by shamans, mystics, and fakirs in healing rituals, being particularly cultivated in some religions, such as Tibetan Buddhism.
Mesmer's patron the Marquis de Puységur was able to "magnetize" an illiterate shepherd named Victor, who then spoke with a vastly greater intelligence.
The career of nineteenth-century American seer Andrew Jackson Davis also has many points in common with Cayce's. The origin of Cayce's trance activity is very similar to that of Davis sixty years earlier.
A number of people have sought to identify possible contemporary metaphysical or occult sources for Cayce's teachings. Suggested influences include Spiritualism, Theosophy, New Thought, AMORC Rosicrucianism, the Aquarian Gospel, Baird Spalding, William Dudley Pelley, Manly Palmer Hall, Ignatius Donnelly, Marie Corelli, and Frederick Oliver's book A Dweller On Two Planets
In recent years Elder Porphyrios of Mount Athos was reported to possess a kind of clairvoyance which he called "spiritual television," which he used in ways similar to Cayce.
The American author Jane Roberts channelled a large amount of documented material during the 1970s and 1980s which was published as the Seth books. She has been likened to Cayce both in the type of material channelled and the audience she has garnered.
The Canadian Douglas James Cottrell has given Deep Trance Meditation readings in the same way as Edgar Cayce for the last 30 years and has been referred to as 'Canada's Edgar Cayce'.
Students of Cayce point out that his particular form of trance work differed significantly as to quality, tone, and voice from almost everyone else in the field, living or dead. Only a handful of individuals since Cayce have ever been successful in duplicating this particular phenomenon.
Criticism
Skeptics of Cayce's purported powers point out that all of the evidence for Cayce comes in the form of anecdotes and testimonials from true believers, none of which is considered scientifically rigorous. They are also critical of Cayce's support for various forms of alternative medicine, which are now regarded as quackery.
Cayce's followers accept that he was sometimes inaccurate, and occasionally totally wrong. Cayce's sons, Hugh Lynn Cayce and Edgar Evans Cayce, even co-authored a book called The Outer Limits of Edgar Cayce's Power detailing some of their father's mistakes. They theorize that Cayce's accuracy depended on many variables, such as the spiritual motivation of those seeking the reading.
Cayce's prophecies occupy somewhat shaky ground; Examples of erroneous Cayce prophecies include him stating that 1933 would be a "good year", when in fact it was one of the worst in the Great Depression;
Cayce's supporters, however, point to successful predictions of the Great Depression, a non-Communist Russia, and the establishment of peace in 1945.
Another common source of criticism has been from conservative Protestantism and most of Catholicism, which rejects reincarnation and other of Cayce's teachings. Most Christian critics agree with the skeptics, and doubt that Cayce possessed paranormal abilities as claimed. The fact that by all accounts, almost all of Cayce's prophecies have failed has led some Christians to cite Isaiah [t.k.] which demands complete accuracy of any prophetic claimant, on pain of death should any prophecy fail. Cayce's supporters however point out that he did not personally claim to be a "prophet" on a par with those of the Bible.
Sources of Cayce's beliefs
Hopper's Bookstore in Hopkinsville where Cayce worked for many years as a young man specialized in occult and osteopathic works and he may have consciously or otherwise absorbed much of this material. However, knowledge of this material cannot account for most of Cayce's specific diagnoses, such as directing that osteopathic adjustments be given to a developmentally-delayed and seizure-ridden child named Aime Dietrich.
Books such as Frederick Oliver's Atlantean fantasy A Dweller On Two Planets and Marie Corelli's novels were probably accessible to Cayce at his bookstore. Corelli's writings in particular seek to reconcile mystical beliefs such as reincarnation with Christianity, and Cayce may have been subconsciously trying to accept this idea. However, Cayce's life readings show remarkable consistency over many years. In fact, it has not been demonstrated that Cayce ever was inconsistent in his chronology. then telling a man whose reading was done in the 1940s that he was that warrior and had two sisters.)
Regardless of the accuracy of the information Cayce provided, those who accept that Cayce was unconscious during his "trance" state generally agree that Cayce was not likely to have been an intentional fraud.
Evidence for Cayce's abilities
Gina Cerminara published books such as Many Mansions, The World Within and Many Lives, Many Loves which provide compendious information about Cayce's works and buttress his claimed abilities with even more anecdotes.
One such example from Gina Cerminara's works :
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