Edgar Cayce on Reincarnation

During forty-three years of his adult life, Edgar Caycepurposefulness of life. In time, Edgar Cayce found that
(1877-1945) gave more than 14,000 psychicthe concept of reincarnation was not incompatible with
dissertations, called readings, on a variety of subjects.any religion, and actually merged perfectly with his own
In 1901, at the age of 24, Edgar Cayce gave the firstbeliefs of what it meant to be a Christian. Eventually
reading for himself, diagnosing a health condition, but itthe subject of reincarnation was examined in
really wasn't until 1923 that the subject of reincarnationextensive detail in over 1,900 Life Readings.
was explored in a reading given to a printer from Ohio.Just what is reincarnation? It is the belief that each of
(Interestingly enough, the concept had been mentionedus goes through a series of lifetimes for the purpose
in a prior reading given as early as 1911, but no oneof spiritual growth and soul development. Cayce's
among Cayce's associates was familiar with the idea,approach does not include the concept of
so the reference wasn't recognized as such fortransmigration, which states that it is possible for
decades.) The printer had already obtained successfulhuman beings to be born again as animals. From the
readings for two members of his family when hestandpoint of the Cayce material, souls only occupy
asked for a horoscope reading. Toward the end ofhuman bodies through their spiritual growth and
that reading the sleeping Cayce spoke the curiousdevelopmental process.
sentence: "he was once a monk."In essence, the Cayce approach to reincarnation
That statement opened the door to a whole new areaprovides a philosophical setting to the past focusing on
of research and investigation - the topic ofpractical ways of dealing with this life: living, growing,
reincarnation.and being of service to one another in the present. For
Cayce had already proven himself repeatedly with thehim it wasn't nearly as important to who individuals had
health readings - somehow he was able to tune intoonce been, or even what they had been doing, as it
an individual at a distance, describe what was wrongwas paramount that they focus on the present and
with that person, detail how she or he had gotten sick,the opportunities and challenges that faced them in this
recommend treatments and specific medicaltime, in this place, right now.
procedures, and sometimes even refer his client toIn terms of remembering your own past lives, the
specific physicians that the sleeping Cayce had noEdgar Cayce information provides a variety of
knowledge of while awake. The accuracy of hisapproaches. In fact, oftentimes individuals who
information would eventually give him such nicknamesreceived readings would ask about such things as
as "the miracle man of Virginia Beach" and "thememorable dreams that were on their mind, personal
sleeping prophet." There was no doubt that his psychictraits and talents that they had always been drawn to,
information was helpful and accurate when dealingand even intense positive or negative relationships with
with health, but the readings matter-of-fact referenceother people in their lives - Cayce described how each
to reincarnation seemed foreign to his fundamentalof these things could be tied to past-life memories.
Christianity. Cayce prayed about it, did muchWith these things in mind, in order to remember your
soul-searching, and obtained readings on the topic. Heown past lives the Cayce readings recommend such
was advised to read the Bible once through fromthings as personal inventories of your talents, abilities,
cover to cover while keeping the idea of reincarnationlikes, and dislikes; working with meditation and dreams;
in mind. The underlying philosophy that emerged wastaking part in imaginative past-life reveries or
one that focused upon the oneness and theself-hypnosis, and so forth.