JUST WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE?
by Shari Harris
EDGAR CAYCE ON REINCARNATION
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Just Who Do We Think We Are?
Edgar Cayce said...
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"...each person living on the earth is here for a specific soul purpose;
a purpose that no one else can fulfill."
"You are more than meets the eye.
You are a spiritual being having a physical experience."
"Know that life is a river or a stream … and each appearance
is a pool that may refresh, in which others may be refreshed
....make the world a better place because ye have lived in it."
Edgar Cayce (5392-1)
"There are no shortcuts to knowledge or wisdom or understanding...these must be lived and experienced by each and every soul."
Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet, p. 11.
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My Inspiration for this issue is Edgar Cayce:
Twentieth Century Psychic and Medical Clairvoyant
Edgar Cayce (pronounced Kay-Cee, 1877-1945) has been called the "sleeping prophet," the "father of holistic medicine," and the most documented psychic of the 20th century. For more than 40 years of his adult life, Cayce gave psychic "readings" to thousands of seekers while in an unconscious state, diagnosing illnesses and revealing lives lived in the past and prophecies yet to come. But who, exactly, was Edgar Cayce?
Cayce was born on a farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in 1877, and his psychic abilities appeared in childhood when he was able to see and talk to his late grandfather's spirit, and played with "imaginary friends" whom he said were spirits on the other side. He had an uncanny ability to memorize the pages of his schoolbooks simply by sleeping on them.
Later in life, Cayce would find that he had the ability to put himself into a sleep-like state by lying down on a couch, closing his eyes, and folding his hands over his stomach. In this state of relaxation and meditation [a hypnotic trance] he was able to place his mind in contact with the universal consciousness, also known as the super-conscious mind. He called his source of information "The Source" and "The Akashic Record."
From there, he could respond to questions as broad as,
- "What are the secrets of the universe?" and
- "What is my purpose in life?" to as specific as,
- "What can I do to help my arthritis?" and
- "How were the pyramids of Egypt built?"
His responses to these questions came to be called "readings." There were two main types of readings that individuals requested. (Although other types of questions were answered in response to questions asked as he went into a trance by the person directing him, usually his wife, Gertrude.)
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For the first twenty years, they were "health readings" with suggestions for healing an individual's physical difficulties.
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After a surprising mention of a past life in a reading, the last twenty or so years included "Life Readings" which explained past lives of the individual for whom Cayce was giving a reading--if the knowledge of that life would be beneficial to the individual.
It's interesting to note that Edgar Cayce was very religious and was active in a Christian church, teaching Sunday School for many years and reading the entire Bible every year of his life. He was quite shaken when finding out that the readings had spoken of past lives! (He didn't remember any of what he said during readings.) He did not believe in reincarnation in the beginning and had to work through the idea that the readings might be giving false information.
Another interesting fact is that he did not charge for the readings he gave over forty plus years. For some of his life he ran a successful photography studio, but money was always a worry. He and his family were never secure financially.
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About the Association for Research and Development (A.R.E.)
One of Edgar Cayce's dreams was to open a hospital that could offer the many services and remedies that were recommended in the readings to the thousands of people who contacted him for help. He found that many were finding it difficult to find the remedy ingredients that were recommended or to keep up with the regimen that was offered in their readings.
In 1928, Cayce’s dream of a holistic hospital came true with the help of supporters and the opening of the Hospital of Enlightenment on a sandy dune in a small coastal fishing town known as Virginia Beach, Va. Unfortunately, after a few years, the hospital was not able to continue during the Great Depression. Feeling the need to form an association to continue his great work, in 1931, Cayce and his supporters founded the nonprofit Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), which is still in existence today.
What Does the A.R.E. Do?
With a headquarters located in the same spot as the original Cayce Hospital, Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. provides resources for individuals to explore meditation, intuition, dream interpretation, prayer, holistic health, ancient mysteries, and philosophical concepts, such as karma, reincarnation, and the meaning of life. The A.R.E. has centers throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Activities include workshops, conferences, tours, camps for children and adults, regional activities, publishing, and study groups.
Membership benefits include a quarterly magazine, Venture Inward, and a newsletter, plus exclusive access to the entire set of Edgar Cayce’s 14,306 documented readings in an online searchable database. The A.R.E. is affiliated with Atlantic University, which offers continuing education classes and Master of Arts programs in Transpersonal Psychology and is also affiliated with the Cayce/Reilly® School of Massage—a leader in holistic education, wellness, and healthcare. At the Virginia Beach Headquarters, an onsite A.R.E. Health Center & Spa is housed in the historic hospital building which has been renovated for that purpose.
About the Readings...
The majority of Edgar Cayce's readings deal with holistic health and the treatment of illness. Still today, individuals from all walks of life and belief receive relief from illnesses or ailments through information given in the readings — some readings were given as far back as 100 years ago! Although best known for this material, the sleeping Cayce was not limited to concerns about the physical body.
Altogether, the readings discuss an astonishing 10,000 different topics. This subject matter can be narrowed down into a smaller group of topics that deal with the following five categories:
(1) Health-Related Information;
(2) Philosophy and Reincarnation;
(3) Dreams and Dream Interpretation;
(4) ESP and Psychic Phenomena; and
(5) Spiritual Growth, Meditation, and Prayer.
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The Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Headquarters
Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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Greetings!
Many Mansions by Gina Cerminara is a biography of Edgar Cayce and was one of the first books I read about reincarnation. I think it was about 1979 or 1980 when I found it at the library. The title sounded kind of "Christian" because I remembered the mention of "many mansions" in the Bible. I was searching to see if reincarnation could be compatible with Christianity since I was raised in the Presbyterian Church where my father was the minister. I was fascinated with the book and was hooked! I've been collecting New Age information and past life stories ever since.
Besides her detailed explanation of reincarnation, Cerminara discusses case stories of karma from Cayce's readings for individuals. I joined A.R.E. soon after reading the book and have been a member since. For several years I met with a small Cayce study group in Indianapolis called "A Search for God," which is the title of a guide book which came from the readings. There are "A Search for God" study groups worldwide.
I've concluded that reincarnation IS compatible with Christianity, and many of the early Christian sects believed in it and taught it. I'm including a link below with information from Ann C. Barham's website where she explains how references to reincarnation were removed from the Christian literature in 325 A.D. Ann C. Barham wrote an excellent book called The Past Life Perspective: Discovering Your True Nature Across Multiple Lifetimes.
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Books About Edgar Cayce
Below are three of the premier biographies of Edgar Cayce. There were seven biographies written in all, and there are hundreds of books written by authors who researched the readings about various topics. His faithful secretary, Gladys Davis, was 18 when she began transcribing the readings, and she dedicated her life to preserving and organizing his work. She was an integral part of the A.R.E. until her death in 1986.
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Many Mansions by Gina Cerminara, 1950
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There is a River by Thomas Sugrue, 1942
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Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet by Sidney Kirkpatrick, 2000
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Some More Quotes from the Cayce Readings
"Mind is indeed the Builder...What is held in the act of mental vision becomes a
reality in the material experience. We are gradually builded to that image
created within our own mental being."
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"The spirit is Life. The Mind is the Builder. The physical is the result."
(Do you recognize an early "The Law of Attraction" essence in the first two?)
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"Know that all healing forces are within, not without! The applications from without are merely to create within a coordinating mental and spiritual force."
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"Don't feel sorry for yourself if you have chosen the wrong road. Turn around."
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"It is not all of life to live, nor yet all of death to die. For life and death are one, and only those who will consider the experience as one may come to understand or comprehend what peace indeed means."
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"For to hold grudges, to hold malice, to hold those things that create or bring contention, only builds the barrier to prevent thy own inner self enjoying
PEACE AND CONTENTMENT."
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"The entity should attempt--seriously, prayerfully, spiritually--to see even that as might be called the ridiculous side of every question, the humor in same. Remember that a good laugh, an arousing even to what might in some be called hilariousness, is good for the body, physically, mentally, and gives the opportunity for mental and spiritual awakening."
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Affirmations: Planting
Seeds for Growth
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"All is Well in My World."
Everything is working out for my highest good. Out
of this situation only good will come.
I am safe!
"It's only a thought, and a thought can be changed.
I am not limited by any past thinking.
I choose my thoughts with care. I constantly have new
insights and new ways of looking at my world.
I am willing to change and grow."
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Please feel free to forward this to others you think might be interested. |
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Who Do I Think We Are?
I believe that we are eternal spiritual beings who are currently
living one of our many lives on Earth and who are the co-creators of
our experiences through our thoughts and beliefs. Shari
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Previous Issues of Just Who Do We Think We Are?
2023 Issues
June 10, 2023: Vol. 4 #5/What Determines How and When We Die?
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