by Kevin Todeschi

The universality of the Christ Self is explored in the work of Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), twentieth-century mystic and clairvoyant. Although Cayce himself was a Christian, his life’s work is deeply ecumenical. From Cayce’s perspective, regardless of an individual’s religious or personal beliefs, the Christ pattern exists in potential upon the very fiber of her or his being. It is that part of each of us that is in perfect accord with the Creator and is simply waiting to find expression in our lives through the use of the will. This Christ pattern was further described as “…the awareness within each soul, imprinted in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul’s oneness with God”; its manifestation is the eventual destiny of each and every soul. With this in mind, Cayce presented Jesus as humankind’s “elder brother,” a soul who came to show each one of us the way back to our spiritual Source by perfectly manifesting the laws of the Creator in the earth.

While exploring the philosophical meaning of life, many individuals have incorrectly assumed that the goal of being in the earth is simply to reach heaven, find enlightenment, or somehow “get out of the earth.” This is a perspective quite different from that contained in the Cayce material, however. In part, Cayce believed that, as children of God, our mission is to somehow bring spirit into the earth, experiencing soul growth and personal development in the process.

Throughout his adult life, Edgar Cayce gave intuitive consultations, called “readings,” to individuals from all segments of society and various religious backgrounds. In addition to his work with hundreds of topics, including health and personal counsel, in nearly 2,000 “life readings” Cayce explored for individuals their soul history and their corresponding development through a series of lifetimes. From a source of information he called the “akashic records,” Cayce could view an individual’s soul development and describe how past-life influences and choices played out over time. Rather than being simply a philosophical discussion of possible past lives and corresponding strengths and weaknesses, the readings detail practical advice regarding what an individual might accomplish in the present, based upon the experiences and influences affecting her or him from the past. (more…)