Edgar Cayce

Personal

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Traits

American mystic known as "The Sleeping Prophet." While in a sleep state he could discuss history, geology, metaphysics, philosophy and medicine. He gave approximately 30,000 life-readings and medical diagnosis to people during his lifetime. He founded a hospital, a university and the A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) in Virginia Beach, Virginia that promotes research on his readings and continues his work. Edgar Cayce was born to uneducated farming parents. He attended country school only as far as the eighth grade. As a child he had a strong desire to become a preacher, which he never formally realized. He prayed to be able to help others, especially children, and had a spiritual vision in 1890, at age 13, that told him he would be able to accomplish this dream of service. A lady bathed in light told Cayce to sleep with his head on his books, and then he would be able to remember what was in them. This was at a time when he was having trouble in school, and his father was apparently beating him for not being able to spell the words in his lessons correctly. Soon after, he showed signs of special abilities when he found that he could sleep on his school books and have photographic recall of every page, and he seems to have continued using this ability throughout his early life-- such as when he got a job at an office supply and book store after having first been turned away, by demonstrating to the owners that he was more familiar with their catalog and inventory than they were. On 3/16/1886 Cayce had his first vision. Two years later he was pronounced dead from drowning, but recovered. In 1900 he developed a severe case of laryngitis that doctors couldn’t cure. In desperation he tried hypnosis from a traveling practitioner and was cured after several treatments. Under hypnosis, he gave his first psychic reading on 3/31/1901 and learned that he could give accurate medical diagnoses and healing recommendations for himself and for other people. Requests for his readings increased by word-of-mouth. Cayce married Gertrude Evans, his first serious girlfriend, after eight years of courtship on 6/17/1903. Their first child, son Hugh Lynn, was born on 3/16/1907 and his second son, Milton Porter, was born in 3/28/1911 and died 5/17/1911. Gertrude, weakened with grief, became ill with tuberculosis, and was cured by following the recommendations in her husband’s readings for her. Hugh Lynn’s eye was severely burned in an accident with photo flash powder in Cayce’s studio. Readings for him proved successful as well. On 2/08/1918 his third son, Edgar Evans, was born. Two tragic fires plagued his photographic work; one occurred on 12/23/1906 and destroyed his studio and many paintings and works of art he had at the studio for a show and the other destroyed his new studio in September 1907. By 1910, Cayce was receiving a great deal of publicity, particularly as a result of a New York Times article. He began giving readings in Hopkinsville as a "psychic diagnostician." At the same time, he operated his own photographic studio to support his family. The work with the readings progressed to the point where a full-time secretary was needed to record and transcribe the readings. Gladys Davis was hired in 1923 to perform that function. The family, with Gladys, moved to Dayton, Ohio later that year and Cayce began giving readings on a full-time basis. He established the Cayce Psychic Institute and began to give his first life readings, citing information on past lives of the inquirers, and other metaphysical topics in addition to the health readings. In 1924, Cayce met a wealthy New York stockbroker who agreed to fund his work. They planned a national organization that would be called the Association of National Investigators. The readings recommended that the organization be located in Virginia Beach where a hospital was to be built, so the family moved there. The dream of the hospital was realized with its opening in 1927. Atlantic University opened in 1930 to study the readings and provide a college education. Hard times hit when funding was withdrawn and the hospital closed in February 1931. The Association of National Investigators disbanded that same year. Cayce was distraught, but a group of loyal supporters urged him to for a new organization, called the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), in Virginia Beach. Cayce, his wife Gertrude and secretary Gladys Davis were arrested on charges of fortune-telling during a visit to New York in 1931, but the charges were dismissed. Four years later, Cayce, his son Hugh Lynn, and his stenographer were arrested in Detroit for practicing medicine without a license as a result of giving a reading for a sick child. Edgar was convicted and freed on probation. More publicity came in 1943 with the publication of the Cayce biography, "There is a River" by Thomas Sugrue, and a Coronet magazine article, "Miracle Man of Virginia Beach." Heavy mail requests for readings deluged the A.R.E. Cayce struggled to keep up with the workload, giving many more readings than usual each day, against the advice of his own readings. His last reading of over 30,000 was given on 9/17/1944. He suffered a stroke and final illness and died on 1/03/1945 at 7:15 PM EWT in Virginia Beach. A few hours before dying, he roused from his sleep and said, "How much the world needs God today." His wife, Gertrude, died three months later on Easter Sunday, 4/01/1945, at sunrise. His mother died 25/10/1926; father died 11/04/1937. Throughout his life, Cayce claimed no special abilities and did not capitalize financially or otherwise on his gifts. The readings never offered a set of beliefs or "religion" to be embraced, but instead focused on the idea that every person should test in his or her own life the principles presented. Though Cayce was a devout Christian who read the Bible through once for every year of his life, his work emphasized the importance of comparative study of belief systems from around the world. In fact, some of the metaphysical material that came through the sleeping Cayce was at first confusing and distressing to him in his waking state. However, he overcame his doubts, as have others, by observing the amazing accuracy and unfailing helpfulness of the readings in other areas, such as healing. For some, the Christian language of the readings is at first an obstacle. Yet, the underlying principle of the readings is the oneness of all life, acceptance of all people, and a compassion and understanding for every major religion in the world. Link to Wikipedia biography