Edgar Cayce - The World's Most Mysterious Man

Edgar Cayce

The World's Most Mysterious Man BRON --> http://www.near-death.com/cayce.html INHOUD

Edgar Cayce's NDEs and revelations ......................................................................................... 3 Induced using trance self-hypnosis ........................................................................................ 3 Edgar Cayce on Consciousness.................................................................................................. 8 The Beginning of Consciousness ............................................................................... 9 The Division of Consciousness.................................................................................. 11 The Consequences of the Division .......................................................................... 13 Edgar Cayce on Spirit Realms ................................................................................................. 15 The First Region ............................................................................................................. 15 The Second Region ....................................................................................................... 15 The Third Region............................................................................................................ 16 The Fourth Region ......................................................................................................... 16 The Fifth Region ............................................................................................................. 17 The Sixth and Seventh Regions............................................................................... 17 Returning to Materiality .............................................................................................. 17 Edgar Cayce on the Book of Revelation .................................................................................. 18 A Dream Interpretation of the Revelation............................................................................ 18 Chapters 1-3: Letters to the Churches .............................................................. 19 Chapter 4-11: Christ opens the seals of the book in heaven..................... 20 Chapter 12-14: A woman, a dragon, two beasts, and a lamb ................. 21 Chapter 15-18: Seven angels, seven vials of seven plagues, and a prostitute riding a seven-headed beast................................................................ 22 Chapter 19-22: Rejoicing in heaven, the Devil thrown into a bottomless pit, a new heaven and new Earth ........................................................................... 23 Edgar Cayce on Prayer ............................................................................................................. 24 Praying Tips from Edgar Cayce ........................................................................................... 26 A Biography of Edgar Cayce ................................................................................................... 27 Afterlife Realms ....................................................................................................................... 30 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 31 The Material Land .......................................................................................................... 32 Immediately After Death ............................................................................................ 32 The Earthbound Realm ................................................................................................ 33 Outer Darkness............................................................................................................... 33 The Borderland ............................................................................................................... 35 Edgar Cayce on Astrology ....................................................................................................... 35 The Connection Between the Body and Afterlife Realms ................................................... 38 Edgar Cayce on the Future ....................................................................................................... 43 Cayce's Visions of the Future That Already Have Come True ............................................ 43 __________________________________________________________________________ Edgar Cayce 1 van 89 19-1-2010 http://www.near-death.com/cayce.html

Cayce's Visions of the Future That are Yet to Happen ........................................................ 50 More Cayce Prophecies for the Future................................................................................. 52 Edgar Cayce on Meditation...................................................................................................... 56 Meditation Tips from Edgar Cayce ...................................................................................... 58 Edgar Cayce on Dreams ........................................................................................................... 61 Dream Analysis Tips from Edgar Cayce.............................................................................. 64 Other Dream Information..................................................................................................... 66 Dream Symbol Index ........................................................................................................... 67 Quotes from Edgar Cayce .................................................................................................... 74 About the Cosmos and Souls ........................................................................................... 74 Edgar Cayce on the Soul Realms ............................................................................................. 76 The First Region ............................................................................................................. 76 The Second Region ....................................................................................................... 77 The Third Region............................................................................................................ 78 The Fourth Region ......................................................................................................... 79 The Fifth Region ............................................................................................................. 79 The Sixth Region............................................................................................................ 80 The Seventh Region...................................................................................................... 80 From the Soul Land to the Spirit Land .................................................................. 80 Edgar Cayce on Religion.......................................................................................................... 82 Reincarnation Past Lives .......................................................................................................... 88

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Edgar Cayce's NDEs and revelations Edgar Cayce (pronounced "Kay-see") was a man who, over the span of his lifetime (1877-1945), had more near-death experiences than anyone ever documented. Cayce learned that when he was hypnotized, he could leave his body and journey into the afterlife realms. Cayce made over 14,000 otherworldly journeys in his life and the information he gained from these journeys has astounded people all over the world. In 1910, the New York Times carried two pages of headlines and pictures in which he was declared the "World's Most Mysterious Man" A national magazine ran an article titled, "Miracle Man of Virginia Beach", and Cayce was swamped with an avalanche of 25,000 requests for medical help. President Woodrow Wilson sought the services of Edgar Cayce for healing and guidance while he was President and conceiving the idea of the League of Nations. In 1954, the University of Chicago accepted a Ph.D. thesis based on a study of his life and work. Cayce is also considered to be the father of holistic medicine by JAMA, the prestigious medical journal. Cayce was a wonder to the medical community because of his ability to diagnose and specify a treatment for gravely ill people often hundreds of miles away through his out-of-body journeys. Cayce was able to gain a tremendous amount of information through his frequent NDEs. Much of this information solved some of the greatest mysteries of humanity. The following web pages contain Cayce's answers to some of these mysteries.

Edgar Cayce NDE Index Cayce's NDEs Consciousness Spirit realms Book of Revelation Prayer

Biography Lower realms Astrology Future Dreams

Human origins Soul realms Religion Meditation

Induced using trance self-hypnosis

Edgar Cayce had more near-death experiences than anyone ever documented. Using hypnosis to induce a near-death experience, Cayce made over 14,000 journeys into the spirit realm and was able to access virtually unlimited information by visiting the so-called Hall of Records described by a large number of near-death experiences. Cayce revealed that his subconscious mind (which he identified as the "soul") would leave his body and explore the dimension where all subconscious minds are connected - a dimension similar in description to Carl Jung's Collective Unconsciousness. It is the realm of thought, imagination, dreams, after-death, and near-death states where all things are possible. Edgar Cayce went on record three separate times to describe his out-of-body journeys to people. Here they are:

A Verbatim Account __________________________________________________________________________ Edgar Cayce 3 van 89 19-1-2010 http://www.near-death.com/cayce.html

of Cayce's Afterlife Journeys The following is the only waking description of his journey in the trance state, taken verbatim from comments he made at a public lecture: "I see myself as a tiny dot out of my physical body, which lies inert before me." [out-of-body] [orbs] "I find myself oppressed by darkness and there is a feeling of terrific loneliness." [the void] "Suddenly, I am conscious of a white beam of light, knowing that I must follow it or be lost." [the light] "As I move along this path of light I gradually become conscious of various levels upon which there is movement." [the tunnel] [various afterlife realms] "Upon the first levels there are vague, horrible shapes, grotesque forms such as one sees in nightmares." [hell realm] "Passing on, there begins to appear on either side misshapen forms of human beings with some part of the body magnified." [another hell realm] "Again there is change and I become conscious of gray-hooded forms moving downward. Gradually, these become lighter in color." [heavenly realm] [guides] "Then the direction changes and these forms move upward and the color of the robes grows rapidly lighter." [higher heavenly realms] "Next, there begins to appear on either side vague outlines of houses, walls, trees, etc., but everything is motionless." [I believe this realm is the physical realm which would appear outside of time.] "As I pass on, there is more light and movement in what appear to be normal cities and towns. With the growth of movement I become conscious of sounds, at first indistinct rumblings, then music, laughter, and singing of birds. There is more and more light, the colors become very beautiful, and there is the sound of wonderful music. The houses are left behind; ahead there is only a blending of sound and color." [cities of light] [heavenly music] "Quite suddenly I come upon a Hall of Records. It is a hall without walls, without ceiling, but I am conscious of seeing an old man who hands me a large book, a record of the individual for whom I seek information." [a good description of the Temple of Knowledge that people refer to in other NDEs]

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Edgar Cayce's Journeys to the Hall of Records According to Cayce scholar Henry Reed's outstanding book entitled Edgar Cayce on Channeling Your Higher Self which describes Cayce's afterlife journeys, Cayce said he would feel himself to be like a bubble traveling through water to arrive at the place where he always got the information - the Hall of Records in heaven.

Edgar Cayce's Journeys through the NDE Tunnel

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Cayce scholar Henry Reed states that Cayce "went up and up through a very large column, passing by all the horrible things without coming in contact personally with them, and came out where there was the house of records. Cayce stated that as he ascended the column, there would be beings on either side of him calling out to him for help or trying to get his attention. Cayce knew that any deviation from the column and the beam of light would mean he would not be able to return to his body. It, the column, wound around on a wheel like the Rotarians have." [see the graphic above] Cayce mentioned that he felt very secure traveling this way.

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Edgar Cayce Meets the Angel of Death While preparing to undergo one of his otherworldly journeys, Edgar Cayce had lost consciousness and had a dream. Usually, he would travel through a tunnel toward the light. But in this instance, he met the socalled "Angel of Death" and learned about the silver cord. The following is his experience described in his own words:

As I went out, I realized that I had contacted Death, as a personality, as an individual or as a being. Realizing this, I remarked to Death: "You are not as ordinarily pictured - with a black mask or hood, or as a skeleton, or like Father Time with the sickle. Instead, you are fair, rose-cheeked, robust - and you have a pair of shears or scissors." In fact, I had to look twice at the feet or limbs, or even at the body to see it take shape. He replied: "Yes, Death is not what many seem to think. It's not the horrible thing which is often pictured. Just a change - just a visit. The shears or scissors are indeed the implements most representative of life and death to man. These indeed unite by dividing - and divide by uniting. "The cord does not, as usually thought, extend from the center - but is broken from the head, the forehead - that soft portion we see pulsate in the infant. Hence we see old people, unbeknowing to themselves, gain strength from youth by kissing there; and youth gains wisdom by such kisses. "Indeed the vibrations may be raised to such an extent as to rekindle or reconnect the cord, even as the Master did with the son of the widow of Nain. For he did not take him by the hand (which was bound to the body as was the custom of the day), but rather stroked him on the head - and the body took life of Life itself! "So, you see, the silver cord may be broken - but the vibration ..."

Kevin Williams Analyzes __________________________________________________________________________ Edgar Cayce 7 van 89 19-1-2010 http://www.near-death.com/cayce.html

the NDEs of Edgar Cayce Edgar Cayce did not experience clinical or brain death, but he was able to control his mind to travel consciously through the identical process of the near-death state. This can be done by anyone, according to Cayce, if the proper attunement is made. Cayce also mentions that this is done by everyone when they fall asleep and enter the realm of dreams, only it is done subconsciously not consciously. The same is true for death. Cayce's experience reveals more aspects about the nature of the tunnel so often described in neardeath experiences and more about the structure of the afterlife. One of the afterlife levels that Cayce observed while in the tunnel appears to be like our own except it is motionless. In my opinion, this motionless afterlife level is our physical universe. While Cayce journeys through the tunnel and the eternal now, time on Earth stands still. This principle can even be found in Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. The afterlife level that Cayce saw where human beings appear with some body part magnified has been described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead and other religious traditions as being hell. It is a place where a particular desire has been overemphasized while in physical life. The level where hooded monk-like beings appear has also been described by many other near-death experiencers such as Dr. George Ritchie and Betty Eadie. Cayce was able to describe very accurately some of the various levels of the afterlife that appear in near-death accounts. "Life is continuous, and is Infinite." - Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce on Consciousness The Research of John Van Auken John Van Auken is a former director of the Association of Research and Enlightenment, the Edgar Cayce Research Foundation. He is editor of the newsletter Living in the Light and author of many books, audio tapes, and videos. He's an expert in Egyptian, Hebrew, and Christian mysticism, and is a skillful teacher of meditation – from kundalini to his unique “passage in consciousness.” He practices the techniques he teaches and has become a popular speaker, leading retreats, workshops, and tours, and writes regularly as a columnist. He is also the author of many books on the Cayce readings including: The Lost Hall of Records, Past Lives and Present Relationships, The End Times: Prophecies of Coming Changes, Ancient Egyptian Mysticism, Edgar Cayce on the Revelation, Spiritual Breakthrough, and Reincarnation: Born Again and Again.

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[Webmaster Note: The following is a discussion concerning consciousness and how it relates to reincarnation. It is an excellent explanation of reincarnation that dispels many myths that people have about it. One particular myth is that people are forced to reincarnate immediately after death in the manner that some eastern religions teach. This myth is dispelled by many NDE testimonials which suggest that reincarnation is not bound by time nor is it necessarily a linear cycle. Time as we know it does not exist in the realm of the NDE. A soul can spend an "eternity of eternities" in the realms after death before deciding to incarnate again.] Below is an excerpt from John Van Auken's outstanding book, Reincarnation: Born Again and Again.

This source of answers to the mysteries of life has no unifying name for its body of knowledge. Various parts of its principal concepts are actually scattered throughout different cultures and countries with no central collection point for the ideas. Because of this, and because many of its ideas are not widely known (often the adherents of these ideas have purposefully withheld them from the public), this school of thought can be referred to as the "secret teachings." But it is not a single school of thought; rather, it's a hodgepodge of concepts from many diverse and often unrelated sources that reveal a very similar view of life and its meaning.

The Beginning of Consciousness Science might categorize the secret teachings as metaphysical, meaning "beyond the known laws and observations of physics." Religion might refer to them as mystical, meaning that they belong to a collection of thought considered too mysterious to consider or of dubious origin. It's interesting to note that the great religions had sects that knew of and ascribed to some or all of the secret teachings. In Islam it was the Sufis; in Judaism, the Kabbalists; in early Christianity, the Gnostics and later, from the Middle Ages through the Reformation to even modern times, the many Christian mystics. Science, too, has had its adherents to concepts held by the secret teachings. Many quantum physicists have written about theories of life beyond the physically observable. In the field of medicine, doctors have found that some patients, who have been declared dead and later revived have had near-death experiences that confirm many of the concepts found in the secret teachings. According to the secret teachings, the universe was not first created out of matter, but existed prior to material creation in spirit form. Imagine a consciousness similar to our own, except that this first consciousness was boundless, a Universal Consciousness. This is God. At some point, the Universal Consciousness desired to express itself. It began to conceive, to imagine, and to express Its inner promptings. And so the creation began – light, sound ... eventually stars, galaxies, trees, and rivers. This point in creation was still prior to the physical creation of the universe that science records. This was a realm of thought; no physical forms existed, only thoughts in the consciousness of the Universe. The physical universe had not yet been created. According to the secret teachings, there came a point in this creation where the Creator's Consciousness desired to bring forth companions, creatures like unto Itself that would share in this expression of life. In order for the creatures to be more than creations, they had to possess individual consciousness and freedom so that they could choose to be companions. Otherwise, they would only have been servants of the Original Consciousness. So within the One Universal Consciousness many individual points of consciousness were awakened and given freedom.

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It's important for us to realize that at this point in our existence we did not have physical bodies. All of what has just been described occurred within the Mind of God. Consequently, its "form" resembled that of thought rather than physical objects. In the very beginning we were individual points of consciousness within the one great Universal Consciousness. At first we were quiet, our wills content to observe the wonders of the spiritual creation as they flowed from the Mind of God. In these early periods we were so much a part of the Creator's Consciousness that we were one with It, virtually indistinguishable from It. However, it wasn't long before some of us began to use our wills and express ourselves. At first, we simply imitated the Creator, but eventually we gained experience, and with experience came knowledge and confidence. Then, we truly began to create on our own, adding new realms to the spiritual creation, much like a second voice adds to a song by singing harmony with the main melody. This was exactly why we had been created – to share in and contribute to the great expression of life and to be Its companions. To fulfill this purpose we were created in the image of the Creator: consciousness with freedom, capable of conceiving, perceiving, and remembering; capable of communicating directly with the Creator and the other companions. Consciousness and free will were the greatest qualities given any creation, but they came with equally great responsibility for their use or misuse. Of course, the all-knowing Universal One knew the potential dangers in giving beings complete freedom to do as they desired. However, the potential joy of sharing life with true companions, not servants, was deemed worth the risk. Therefore, each of these new free-willed beings would simply have to learn to take charge of themselves and to subdue harmful desires in order to live in harmony with the other companions and the Creator. To do otherwise would only bring chaos, suffering, and separation. Unfortunately, chaos came. As we continued to use our godly powers, we became more fascinated with them. We began to focus more and more on our own creations and became less concerned with and attentive to their harmony with the Creator, with the Whole. The more we thought of just ourselves and our own desires with less regard for the Whole, the more self-centered we became, eventually perceiving ourselves as separate from the Whole. Of course, this sense of separation was all in our minds, so to speak, because there really was no way we could exist outside of the Whole because everything was of spirit. It was more a result of our sustained focus of attention on ourselves and our self-interests that resulted in a heightened sense of a distinct and separate self. This was the beginning of trouble. It led to a very long fall for us. A fall that eventually left us feeling alone and separated from the rest of life, even to the point that we, who were actually companions and co-creators with the Universal Creator, today come to think of ourselves as little more than dust-like creatures, descendants of apes and inhabitants of a planet on the outskirts of a typical galaxy in the endless and diverse universe. This chaos occurred in spirit when no physical universe existed. To know ourselves and yet be one with the Whole was the ideal condition, but the centering of awareness on self alone resulted in a sense of separation from the Whole. The more we exercised our individual consciousness and free will for self-interest, self-gratification, self-glorification, and self-consciousness, the more we heightened our sense of self apart from the Whole. The resulting loss of contact with the Source of our life and the purpose of our existence was the beginning of darkness and evil, which is ignorance. Without a clear sense of our relationship to the rest of life, many of us began to use free will in ways that were never meant to be. Others simply let themselves be carried along with the current of life, abdicating their free will to the will of others. In both cases, these were things that would make it very difficult for us to be companions to the Creator.

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However, the Creator foresaw this potential and, prior to creating companions, It created a Universal Law: Whatever one did with its free will, it must experience the consequences. The law was not intended as punishment or retribution for offenses, but as a tool for education and enlightenment. Thus, as we used our freedom, we experienced the effects. In this we came to understand and learn. Interestingly, both science and religion recognize this law. In science it is often stated, "For every action there is an equal and opposing reaction." Its religious counterparts are, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"; "As you sow, so shall you reap"; and "As you do unto others, it will be done unto you." Even today's common knowledge expresses this principle in the saying, "What goes around, comes around." This is the law of karma, of cause and effect. It was, and is, the great teacher of the companions-to-be and it is an integral part of the secret teachings. Once this law was established, the Creator conceived and freed countless independent points of consciousness within Its own infinite consciousness and the companions came into being, each conscious and free. What a trembling wonder it must have been in those first moments! Again, it's important to realize that the companions were not physical bodies. They were like "ideas" in the mind of the Creator that were given freedom to be independently conscious. As they used their freedom, they developed into unique points of thought, feeling, desire, expression, and memory. Each was slightly different from the other by virtue of its different vantage point within the Universal Consciousness. Each companion had a spirit, mind, and a soul. Spirit is the essence of life. Remember the condition of the Creator before the creation; alive yet still. This is Spirit. It is the living stillness in the midst of activity. So often we identify life with motion, but the essence of life was there before the motion. Spirit is the essence of life. Life in motion, or the power to move and shape ideas and even physical forms out of spirit, is mind. Mind is the sculptor, the builder who conceives, imagines, and shapes ideas out of the essence of life. Spirit is life; Mind is the power to use it. Each of the companions had spirit and mind. As they used their life forces, they developed experiences, memories, desires, fears, etc. This caused them to become unique from one another – each having its own collection of experiences and aspirations; each its own story. This individual aspect of the companion is its soul. Soul is the sum total of all that the companion had done with its free-will consciousness. It's the companion's story, its complex of memories. All of the companions have spirit and mind, but each developed a unique soul, because each built a different collection of memories and experiences, resulting in different desires, hopes, and attitudes about life. Thus, spirit is the life force, mind is the power to use it, and soul is the being that develops. All are one in consciousness.

The Division of Consciousness The creation then progressed from essence to thought, thought into thought-form, and from thoughtform into particle-form or atomic-form; in other words, matter. There are many realms to life. One of these realms is the third dimension – physical form, as we know it today. The companions, filled with their newfound consciousness and freedom, went out into the vast universe to experience life and to learn about themselves, the Creator, and their relationship to it. In their travels through the cosmos, some of the companions entered the three-dimensional influences of the planet Earth where they entered into physical form for the first time. Here they became so encapsulated in the physical that they began to identify themselves more with their form than with their consciousness. They began to think of themselves as physical entities rather than free, living consciousness. Incredibly, they began to think they were only terrestrial beings and their celestial origins began to be forgotten. Form was so substantial, so captivating that it was difficult to hold on to the more delicate reality of spirit-thoughts, pure point of consciousness in a Universal Consciousness.

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To have an individual body was also the ultimate in self-identity and selfexpression. It then had the power to separate the individual from the Whole and the formless spirit-thoughts of higher realms. Strong identification with the physical made the companions subject to the laws of nature, and, of course, a part of nature's cycle is death. The body would come to life according to the laws of nature, live for a time, and then die. In their original state, the companions were continually alive, but those that began to strongly identify with their physical bodies were now affected by death. Since they thought they were their bodies, they considered themselves dead when their bodies died. This led to great confusion, and when the companions who had not become involved in the material universe saw what had happened to the others, they decided to help those in the flesh regain their former state. However, it was not going to be easy. In addition to the influences of the physical dimension, the souls were building reaction patterns (karmic patterns) with their willful activities in the physical universe. According to Universal Law, these actions had to be met – properly met in the physical universe where they had been initiated. The more one acted in the physical dimension, the more one built debts that had to be met in the physical. Death changed nothing except those with karmic debts to be paid had to pay them by incarnating into another physical body. The result of this was reincarnation. Another effect of entering the physical dimension was the division of consciousness. According to the secret teachings, as an individual entered deeper into the physical, its consciousness separated into three divisions of awareness. Two of these divisions we acknowledge today: the conscious and subconscious. The first entails the physical realm where the human body required a three-dimensional consciousness to function. It has become the part of our consciousness we are most familiar with, what we have come to call the conscious mind. Many of us would consider it to actually be the "I" or "me" of ourselves. It is within this part of consciousness that we experience physical life, and our personalities are developed. The second part of consciousness is shadow-like while one is incarnate in the physical dimension. It lives life as a shadow, always there, listening, watching, remembering, and only occasionally making its profound and sometimes frightening presence known. We have come to call this part of our consciousness the subconscious mind. From out of this area come dreams, intuitions, unseen motivations, and deepest memories. According to many teachings, the subconscious is the realm of the soul that uses the conscious mind as a mechanism for manifesting in the physical realm through the five senses. Often the thoughts and interests of the conscious mind, combined with the desires of the body, become so strong and dominant that only its activities seem important and real; the subconscious seems illusionary and unrelated to outer life. But in truth, the real life is occurring in the subconscious. The third area of the now divided consciousness is the most universal. It is the part we can perceive and commune with the Universal Consciousness. We have different names for it: the Collective Mind, the Universal Mind, the Collective Unconsciousness, and the superconsciousness. The more one's attention moves into the conscious mind, the more narrow and limited the focus and awareness becomes. The more one moves toward the superconsciousness, the more one becomes aware of the Whole, the Universal Forces, the Creator. It may be more difficult to perceive the infinite when one is grossly involved in the finite, but the Universal Consciousness and the potential for attuning oneself to It remains. Curiously, access to it is through the inner consciousness of the incarnate individual and not outside of it, making it a very mysterious passage for a physical being.

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In time, however, the companions trapped in the physical dimension could again become aware of the difference between terrestrial and celestial life. They could again come to know their original state and purpose, and regain their celestial birthright of companionship with the Creator. In time they could again come to realize that the conditions in their present physical life were the result of their free-will actions and choices before the present life. If the companions trapped in the physical dimension could genuinely begin to believe that the physical cannot possibly be all there is to life, they could begin the long journey back from form to spirit, a very difficult journey. In many ways we, as human beings, are no longer spirit. Flesh has become very much a part of us, not just physically but mentally as well. Even when we are out of the body (through death, deep sleep, or some altered state such as meditation), bodily manifestation is still very much a part of us. Otherwise, there would certainly be no reincarnation. We would simply leave the physical dimension and never return. The great paradox of humankind is that we are now both spirit and flesh. That's like saying we are a combination of oil and water, two substances which do not combine. The mystical analogy would more properly be fire and water; these, too, don't combine. How can anything be made up of two substances that are impossible to combine? Yet, such is the nature of humanity. We are constantly forced to reconcile the seemingly irreconcilable: mercy with justice, cooperation with independence, unity with diversity, tradition with change, feeling with thought, love with truth, and on and on.

The Consequences of the Division In order to fully appreciate the secret teachings, we need to understand how the Universal Law of cause and effect works. It's easy to say that the experiences in one's life are the result of past activities, but the forces of this law are greater than we may first imagine. Every action, every thought, every idle word sets up reactions, according to the Universal Law. When one thinks a thought, that thought makes an impression on the Universal Consciousness. Nothing is lost or done in secret. Everything is done within the Universal Consciousness, and the Whole is affected by it (as well as all others within the Whole). This isn't easy for us to believe, living in our own little worlds. The words "secret", "private", "alone", and "separate" are active words in our vocabulary. This is due to our current separation in consciousness from the Whole. In the higher realms of consciousness, there is no space. Things and people are not separate, but part of a Whole. All is actually One. All is within the Whole. By increasing the focus on self, we have created the illusion of a self separated from the rest of life, but it just isn't so. Our individual actions and thoughts make an impact on the Mind of the Universal One (the Whole). Thoughts are things. Thoughts are real. Reactions to past thoughts and actions become our fate, destiny, and karma. An individual's fate is simply the rebounding effects of previous choices remembered by its soul. The reason the effects of these previous choices often seem unfair to the conscious mind is because the personality doesn't see beyond its own life for sources of current conditions. As companions of God, we are free to live and choose and grow almost as we desire, but not without being subject to the Universal, Spiritual law. Through meeting our thoughts, actions, and words we learn to discern wisdom from folly, lasting strength from weakness, and true life from illusion. In turn we become more able to fulfill our ultimate purpose for existing: to be a companion to the Universal Creator. The law is actually a magnificent tool for perfect learning. It is completely impersonal – everyone experiences it equally and for the purpose of enlightenment. The law of karma is not some fierce god in the sky keeping track of everything so that it can zap people when they least expect it. Most karmic reactions, in fact, come from the individual's own deep memory of what it has done.

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Karma has been described as memory. Karma is memory coming to consciousness again. What has occurred in the past is recalled and has an effect on the present. Now, the recollection may not surface to the conscious level; the personality may have no awareness of the memory, in fact. Yet, it exists at the deeper, soul level. Nevertheless, the soul sees through the same eyes as the personality and is reminded of its past use of free will and consciousness. Naturally, some of these memories will be compatible with the Universal Mind and some will not. Memory is an important concept in understanding how the law of karma works. As a soul draws closer to the Universal Mind, it becomes aware that some of its memories are not compatible with the Creator, and since its ultimate purpose for being is companionship with the Creator, it seeks out opportunities to resolve these incompatible memories. Suppose a soul criticizes another soul among its peers and behind its back. As it becomes more aware of its true nature, it will recall this wrong and, because of its incompatibility with the Creator, will seek to correct it. Now, the resolution could take many forms. The soul might seek out an opportunity to work closely with the injured soul as a supporter, assistant, publicist, agent, or the like. Or perhaps it would seek to re-create the original scene – putting itself in a position to criticize the other soul again in front of the same peers. The test would be to see if the soul would choose not to criticize this time, even if it meant a certain loss of position for itself. Throughout all this the soul grows wiser and more compatible with the Creator. If, however, a soul has gotten so far away from its true nature that it has no conscience, then the law of karma can become a formidable obstacle to any further free-will action. Such a soul becomes surrounded by its karma; everywhere it turns, it meets the terrible effects of its previous action and thoughts. Yet, even a soul who has gotten in this pathetic situation can return to perfection because there is no total condemnation from the Creator or the law. If the soul turns away from its selfcenteredness and begins acting, reacting, thinking, and speaking like a companion to the Universe, then the law is just as perfect as it is with error; and the reactions begin to build and establish a new destiny for that soul. Karma is memory. As one recalls or relives situations, one meets self again, and a new decision point, or crossroads, is presented to the soul. In life, "good" would be equated with compatible, harmonious actions and thoughts which consider the needs and desires of others, along with self's needs and desires. "Evil" would be equated with actions and thoughts that are motivated by a self-orientation that pays little or no attention to the needs and desires of others and the Whole. Metaphysically speaking, good results in oneness, and evil results in a sense of separation. Decisions in one's life could be approached by evaluating which choices promote greater oneness and which promote separation. One must meet every bit of one's karma. However, there is a way that it can be modified, softened, even ameliorated. If a soul, knowing another soul has wronged it, forgives that soul and holds no lingering resentment – perhaps has even forgotten the wrong in the depths of its forgiveness and understanding – then it begins to take hold of the power of forgiveness. The more it forgives, the more it perceives and understands forgiveness. Then, when it approaches the Universal Consciousness and realizes it possesses memories that are incompatible with It, forgiveness is much more viable, removing the barrier of separation. The law is so precise (what one gives one receives; no exceptions) that if one begins having mercy on and forgiveness of others, one begins to receive mercy and forgiveness upon oneself. Unless, of course, one refuses to forgive oneself. All of one's karma has to be met. And yet, no soul is given more than it can bear to carry – this is the paradoxical blessing hidden in the limitations of time and space. A soul is given the time it needs to turn away from its selfish ways and, like the prodigal son, return home to a feast of joy and welcome from our Creator. Reincarnation is not a way to avoid judgment and responsibility; it is a way to allow the soul enough time to correct its mistakes and develop itself. "All you may know of heaven or hell is within your own self." - Edgar Cayce

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Edgar Cayce on Spirit Realms The First Region In the First Region of the Spirit Land we are surrounded by archetypes of material things. From this realm matter is transformed from the mental to the material. There is life and activity everywhere in this, the lowest region of the Spirit Land. Here in the First Region all activity is heard as music and all of the music blends together in magnificent harmonies. The physical forms created here appear more as a presence than as fixed. Gradually the presence is seen as a distortion and finally as dark outlines against the colors which emanate from the harmonies. Steiner commented that what is considered to be just thoughts in lower realms become reality in this First Region. Here we move among the thoughts and we experience their essence. The thoughts have form, and as we pass through them we experience the full potential of each one. We now have the opportunity to see how reality arises in the Earth and how our thoughts work upon the fabric of reality. Although we live in community, we no longer have a sense of personality. We have a much greater sense of membership than we do of self. We feel a growing unity with our community, our society, and the entire region. We feel an inseparable union with the archetypes, all that they transform into reality, and one with the primordial spirit. Those in the Earth who eventually feel one with nature and one with the material region draw this awareness from the First Region of the Spirit Land. It is in this First Region we have the opportunity to see and experience our thoughts as ultimate reality. In the Earth we experience thought on a continuum of time and space. This means that our experience takes place gradually and in measured amounts. In this First Region of the Spirit Land we experience primal creative thought in its fullest sense from origin through manifestation. In the Earth what sets clairvoyants apart from others is the ability to perceive and understand potentials which arise from thought. From this First Region and onward we experience and are fully aware of just such potential. As in the regions of the Soul Land, there are those in the Spirit Land who are permanent residents in each realm we pass through. As we work in each region we are as unaware of their presence as they are of ours. Those souls that we commune with in each region are part of our eternal family with whom we have always been connected. Many souls that we encounter are those we have lived with in most of our earthly incarnations, while others have moved with us through successive realms, and many are members of our soul family with whom we have never lost touch throughout creation.

The Second Region In the Second Region of the Spirit Land we find the archetypes of life. Steiner noted that these archetypes transform thought matter into living things in the Earth. Here in this region we see the relationship of life in the human family and all other living creatures. We develop an appreciation and respect for the oneness of all life and how any one life affects all other life. Unity takes on a whole new meaning for us in the Second Region where we experience not only the commonness of all life but the interdependence of all forms of it. We mix with the life forms as they flow, and we gain our understanding in part from personal experience. Our communities are now becoming wider, and we

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are more likely to live with members of our larger soul family than only those with whom we shared earthly experiences. The capacity to know ourselves as one with all living things arises from this Second Region. It should be born in mind that as we move from region to region we do not go anywhere in a time and space sense of the words. All of life interpenetrates, as all realms do. Our movement takes place in consciousness rather than in a time and space perspective. We have noted that as we grow in awareness we embody more and more of a single region and eventually all of the region. This does not crowd out anyone or anything else and ultimately all of creation occupies the same space but not the same consciousness of proximity. If this is difficult to understand let us look at two individuals in the same automobile. One is driving and the other is not. The longer one drives the car, the more opportunity one has to use all of one's driving skills, the more familiar one becomes with how the automobile reacts to one's skills, the more intimate a part of the machine one will feel. Likewise, the longer one remains a passenger in the automobile, the more comfortable one gets, the more one enjoys the experience, the more a part of the purpose of the auto one feels he or she has become. Further, each occupant is approximately in the same area but because of the focus each views differently all that is within and all that each passes through. By virtue of each individual focus each rider of the automobile can be said to occupy the same point but differ in proximity to the reality of the journey. In reality our awareness can occupy the same time and space as some one else but each individual awareness would exist in its unfettered purity.

The Third Region As we enter the Third Region we experience the archetypes who are transforming mental substance into soul qualities as used in the Earth. Passions, instincts, desires, wishes, sensations, and feelings within the incarnate soul all arise in the Third Region of the Spirit Land. These soul qualities not only arise from this region but their expression in the Earth can be seen here in their true essence. One may be startled by light storms here which give off discordant sounds and disrupt the harmony of the archetype's creation. This is the counterpart of sorrow, vengeance, and jealousy, when soul qualities are lifted up in the expressions to the Third Region. Here in the Third Region we learn how to use the pulls on our souls. We learn to direct our instincts and desires of every kind in a totally unselfish manner. Those who have used their aspirations as benefactors in the Earth have drawn this knowledge from the Third Region of the Spirit Land. Ultimately anything of a selfish nature will be lost in the Third Region, transformed by the archetypes and sent into the Earth to be used for good.

The Fourth Region When we leave the Third Region and have rid ourselves of our last traces of any self-centeredness, we are now prepared for what Steiner described as the Fourth Region of the Spirit Land. Here we no longer participate directly in the affairs of materiality but in the care and maintenance of the archetypes in other realms. At the same time spirit from higher realms is drawn into the Fourth Region and transformed into usable substance for archetypes to work on in other lower regions. In the transformed spirit sent from the Fourth Region the very creative forces of the archetypes may be found, and even within those forces exists the pattern for creativity. In the material world each creation is imbued with the pattern for its perfect manifestation. The pattern may be found as a fiber in the life which emanates from higher realms. It is not fed once into each living thing or even renewed periodically. As spirit, life is permanently flowing new into all living things; so too is the pattern for its perfect manifestation. As creatures in the Earth we draw upon this spirit and use it to meet the daily

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challenges of material manifestation, as well as to build creatively in the many realms intimately connected with materiality. It must be borne in mind here that the Earth is not an inferior realm. It is in fact where all realms representatively come together. There is nothing in any of the realms we experience that cannot be compared to its representation in materiality, and that includes life in the Fourth Region of the Spirit Land and beyond. Here in the Fourth Region we find an opportunity, previously unequaled, to selflessly devote our lives to the care and maintenance of all living things that do not owe their existence to us. Those gifts for genius in arts, science, and government are drawn from the Fourth Region; one who manifests any of these talents well in the Earth has previously worked in this region. If we did not pass through the Fourth Region between incarnations, we would have no interest in things common to all of humanity.

The Fifth Region The Fifth Region of the Spirit Land is bound up mostly in intentions and purposes. Having discarded all earthly imperfections, we exercise judgment differently than we formerly had imagined possible. Now we truly fill the spirit region with our lives, loves, and hopes. In the Fifth Region prophecy is an integral, inseparable part of life; we are free to view as many of our future incarnations as we wish. If one does not experience this region between material incarnations, the person will be found to be lacking direction in the next Earth life.

The Sixth and Seventh Regions The Sixth and Seventh Regions of the Spirit Land are also intimately involved in creation by drawing spirit from higher realms and transforming it so it can be used by the archetypes for an infinite variety of manifestations in the lower realms. In the Seventh Region of the Spirit Land we reach the very center of the three realities of Spirit Land, Soul Land, and Materiality. Here we live in the presence of the seeds of life which Steiner and Swedenborg called "life kernels" (or "soul-seeds"). We now recognize ourselves as our own life kernel. From the Seventh Region we have a complete view of life unfolding in each successive realm; the Spirit Land, Soul Land, and Materiality.

Returning to Materiality As we discussed, there is a certain order in which we move through realms and that order is dictated by sympathetic resonance as well as proximity. Sympathetic resonance is the overriding factor in our journey through reality, and proximity is the shading influence. The timing for our return is first and foremost a personal choice, while the influence which makes this a longer or shorter, a more difficult or easier journey is proximity. All throughout our spiritual journey between earthly incarnations we live and grow in communities with those we consider to be our soul family, with whom we have shared experiences. There is no level of reality where we do not have members of this soul family of ours, and we commune with them wherever in creation we go. We even plan together for our next incarnation and this, of course, greatly influences our return. We do not plan our return with certain members of our soul family simply because we like them or they like us. Such plans are conceived because of karmic considerations and because such a relationship is vital to what we hope will be accomplished in our next earthly life. We do not sit down at a certain point in creation, take a view of what is in Earth, assisted or otherwise, with the options, and make an instant decision regarding our next incarnation. We do not make informed decisions in the Earth that way nor do we do so outside of the Earth. We take into consideration relationships with those who have preceded us into materiality as well as those who will follow us. It would be foolish to think that decisions of such magnitude for each of us would be so poorly planned. Such a choice is made little by little as one grows in reality, and the final step is a small one indeed. Gradual planning to be part of a family unit, a community, and a nation takes place over what we would conceive of as time from an earthly perspective. The Edgar Cayce discourses make a very strong case by insisting that we choose our families, our parents, and even make agreements, where possible, to choose our spouses and children. This is not to infer that changes in

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plans will not occur, but we should be aware of the vast amount of planning that is done before our earthly incarnation. When we are making most of our plans and agreements for our next incarnation, we do not have physical details before us. Instead we have before us relationships to others, to situations, and to those forces which have prepared us. In our decision-making process about our next material incarnation we deal largely with two factors. First we work with motivation, then with potential, and all the rest is the great adventure we call life. Let us not think that we incarnate for the adventure alone. For life and its living can be just as exciting for all who incarnate, whatever their goals may be. For life to be truly constructive we must deal with the motivation and potentials which are best for us at the time; thus we not only experience the adventure our God has prepared for us, but we do so for our greatest good. As we move through the realms around the Earth, motivation is laid bare before us. Soon it is the most obvious condition and the framer of all experience. We learn to identify motivation very easily and accept it as the creative essence of the soul. Respect for this primal motivational cause becomes inescapable early on in our journey between Earth lives, and we learn that motivation is the first condition in reality. In the realm ruled by cause and effect, motivation is the fulcrum through whose action all things come into being. So here we have it; we made plans bit by bit, as we traveled through reality, regarding our next material incarnation, and we were drawn to the proper timing just as we were drawn by correspondence to the realms in which we resonate. When the proximity is correct, when conditions are best, we then make a final decision and in so doing we gain immeasurably. Half the gain in life is "showing up"; consequently, according to Edgar Cayce, half the gain in an earthly incarnation is in deciding to do it. Throughout the whole of the experience the angels of grace are there to give us all that we have need for at any time. They are likewise ever present to help us in our decisions regarding our next material incarnation. There are those of us who have so squandered our opportunities that we do not have the fullness of freedom as do others. In such situations our route through spiritual realms is not full enough for us to enjoy the lessons which would be learned by a slower, more wholesome period of recovery. As a result, some of us cannot clearly see motivation and potential while others may not even care. There are those of the angelic ministry who guide such myopic souls toward their next incarnation, but it is always the decision of the individual to incarnate or not. "You grow to heaven. You don't go to heaven." - Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce on the Book of Revelation A Dream Interpretation of the Revelation

Through Cayce's otherworldly journeys, he learned the true interpretation of the Bible. According to Cayce, the Bible is the symbolic account of the fall and restoration of the human soul to its divine origins. Genesis is the symbolic testimony of humanity's fall from heaven and paradise lost. Revelation is the symbolic testimony of humanity's restoration to heaven and paradise found. The Book of Revelation was written by a man named John (possibly John the Apostle) toward the end of his life. John records a vision he experiences, probably while dreaming or meditating. This vision contains a tremendous amount of symbolism; the same kind of symbolism one would see in a dream,

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a vision of the spirit world. In fact, the Book of Revelation contains the same symbolism found in the symbols in the Prophet Daniel's dream. All Biblical dreams, such as those of Joseph, Gideon, Daniel, Paul, and Peter, are very symbolic and therefore had a hidden spiritual meaning rather than a literal interpretation of the symbols. Such is the case with the Book of Revelation. During several of Cayce's journeys into the spirit realms, he was able to unlock the secrets to the symbolism in the Book of Revelation. He gave a large amount of information specifically for the purpose of discovering the book's hidden meaning. Cayce described the true nature between humanity and God. Cayce revealed that humans actually have three different dimensions of human awareness: the conscious mind (personality, the subconscious mind (soul) and the superconscious mind (spirit). An important goal in everyone's life is to awaken our superconscious mind to attain what Cayce called at-one-ment with God. The superconscious mind is called by many names by many religions in many different cultures. Some of these names are: Buddha consciousness, Christ consciousness, the Collective Mind, the Universal Mind, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Holy Spirit, Brahman, God, the Clear White Light, Allah, Higher Self, the Mind of Christ, etc. Cayce's references to the Christ, the Christ consciousness and the Mind of Christ has little to do with the personality known as Jesus. Cayce revealed that Jesus became the Christ - a full manifestation of the Christ consciousness - the perfect union of the human with the divine. It is God's desire for all of humanity to become Christs (or Buddhas if you live in the East). Such a condition will truly bring the Kingdom of God to the Earth. Cayce revealed that the Book of Revelation is the symbolic story of how humanity in general (and a human in particular) attains this manifestation of the divine. Cayce's symbolic interpretation about the Book of Revelation can be contained in a book all by itself. In fact, a whole book has been written about Cayce's interpretation of Revelation. It is entitled Edgar Cayce's Commentary on the Revelation. There is also a video on this subject from the ARE Foundation (the Cayce organization) What follows is a very brief summary of the information he received.

Chapters 1-3:

Letters to the Churches

Literal: John, on the island of Patmos, explains that he was in the Spirit when Christ appears to him standing in the midst of seven candlesticks. Christ then tells John to write down what he sees and hears concerning seven churches.

Interpretation While in meditation, John's conscious mind becomes open to his subconscious mind and his superconscious mind. The seven churches and the seven seals represent the seven spiritual centers (i.e., chakras) of the body where the physical, mental and spiritual forces all come together. The superconscious mind within John, tells him that anyone who can regain control of these spiritual centers within their bodies can access the superconscious mind and never need to reincarnate again (Rev. 3:12). Here is a table of the symbols:

CHURCH

GLAND

SEAL

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Ephesus

Gonads

1

Smyrna

Ayden

2

Pergamos

Adrenals

3

Thyatira

Thymus

4

Sardis

Thyroid

5

Pineal

6

Pituitary

7

Philadelphia Laodicea

Chapter 4-11: Christ opens the seals of the book in heaven Literal: John now appears at the throne of God and sees four beasts and twenty-four elders around it. On the throne sits God who has a book with seven seals. John weeps when he learns that no one can open the seals to the book. One of the elders tells John that Christ is able to open the seals. Christ then opens the seals, resulting in many Earth changes. The seventh seal unleashes seven angels who sound seven trumpets which are sounded one by one.

Interpretation John has a mental awakening when he attains the spiritual level of the superconscious mind, within the throne of his own body. The four beasts are his four lower spiritual center's animalistic desires and the twenty-four elders are the twenty-four nerves from his brain leading to his five senses. The superconscious mind, is now in full control of John's body. The body is symbolized as a book with seven seals which "no one has the ability to open on his own" (Rev. 5:3). Only through the development of the superconscious mind within a person, can these spiritual centers within the body be opened (i.e., spiritually activated). As each spiritual center within the body is activated, different parts of the body are purified and upheavals of the body occur mentally, physically, and spiritually. The superconscious mind spiritually activates the seventh spiritual center (the Pituitary, the master gland of the body). As a result of this, it

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becomes "quiet in heaven for one half hour" (Rev. 8:1). This is symbolic of the perfect control of the mind for one half hour through meditation. The following are some of the symbols of Revelation interpreted by Cayce:

SYMBOL

MEANING

Paradise of God

The original consciousness of humanity before its fall into flesh

Tree of Life

The spiritual centers of the body, such as the heart and the pituitary, that becomes perfectly synchronized

Angel of the Church

The intelligent force governing a spiritual center within the body

Satan

The force of self-centeredness, self-gratification, selfindulgence, self-importance, self-righteousness, selfconsciousness, self-glorification, self-delusion, selfcondemnation, self, ego, the "false god," the "beast"

Book of Life

The collective unconscious record (memory) of all souls

Earth

The physical body

Mountain of fire striking the Earth

The forces within the physical body which are constantly warring within

New Jerusalem

The superconscious mind awakened

Nakedness

The exposure of faults

Seven lamps

The wisdom of the seven spiritual centers within the body

Chapter 12-14:

A woman, a dragon, two beasts, and a lamb

Literal: John sees a woman with twelve stars about to bear a child. Next to the woman is a dragon that is ready to devour the child she is giving birth to. After the child is born, the child is taken to the throne of God. Afterward, a war in heaven occurs and the devil and his angels are cast out of heaven to Earth. John also sees a beast rise out of the sea which the world worships. John then sees a lamb on the Earth and angels proclaiming the fall of Babylon.

Interpretation John is shown a picture of the soul of humanity in its development since the days of eternity. The woman symbolizes the soul of humanity crowned with twelve stars, the twelve basic patterns of human personality as described in the zodiac. The child she bears is the conscious mind. As the conscious mind is born, a rival force of the self occurs, which brings about recurring periods of rebellion in humanity. Through divine intervention, the conscious mind is protected while the unconscious mind, from which it sprung, is withdrawn below the conscious level. This is the same story as symbolized as the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Rebellion from the physical brings conflict into the soul but the soul can remain above it by remaining concealed from the forces of self will.

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The "beast rising out of the sea" is the selfish animalistic desires that arise which are capable of ruling humanity. These desires spring from the self-will of the unspiritual intellect of humanity whom the world worships as a symbol of material success. The human intellect, lacking spiritual orientation, cuts itself off from all that is divine. The lamb that John sees are the forces of the superconscious mind in the world going into action. "Babylon," the human desire for earthly riches and success in the gratification of the flesh, begins to be destroyed as humans are shown the consequences of their prostitution of their higher faculties.

SYMBOL

MEANING

Seven candlesticks, seven spirits

Perfection, the divine number

Six

Imperfection, the number for humanity

Mark of the beast

The unevolved animalistic force within humans

Mark of the lamb

The evolved divine force within humans

666

The unevolved animalistic force affecting the triune nature of humans (body, mind, spirit)

Chapter 15-18:

Seven angels, seven vials of seven plagues, and a prostitute riding a seven-headed beast

Literal: John is shown seven angels each of whom holds a vial containing a plague which they pour upon the Earth one at a time. John then sees a woman sitting on a seven-headed beast with ten horns. The woman wears on her forehead the name Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. John is told the seven heads symbolize the seven mountains on which the woman sits and the ten horns symbolize ten kings. These make war against the lamb and the lamb conquers.

Interpretation John is seeing within the soul of humanity, the collective unconscious, that the souls of individuals are purified and tested on seven levels of consciousness symbolized by the seven plagues being poured out by the seven angels. When all seven levels of consciousness have been purified, then and only then can a person control the physical, mental, and spiritual forces within his body. Physical diseases arise from the misuse of the forces and self-gratification of the flesh, wars against universal truth. This brings about conflict in the world against groups and governments. The end of the seven ordeals comes when humanity's social institutions and concepts collapse, leaving universal truth to be realized. The Prostitute of Babylon symbolizes humanity's desire lust for riches and gratification of the flesh. The beast it rides on are man-made ideas stemming from self-gratification. It is explained to John that these forces have taken control of the seven spiritual centers of the human body, thereby becoming possessed and ruled. However, as the highest forces of evolving humanity overcome the forces of self, even the ten basic urges of the body, symbolized by the ten horns, will in time fulfill the divine

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pattern. As the divine nature in humanity becomes less realized, society is destroyed by its own hand through self-gratification.

SYMBOL

MEANING

Seven plagues

The purification and tribulation experienced by souls in order to overcome negative karma

Vials of God's wrath

Karma, eye for an eye, sowing and reaping, the consequences of our negative acts

Armageddon

The spiritual conflict within humans

False prophet

Self-delusion

Chapter 19-22: Rejoicing in heaven, the Devil thrown into a bottomless pit, a new heaven and new Earth Literal: John now sees much rejoicing in heaven and the appearance of Christ. An angel casts the devil into a bottomless pit for one thousand years. John then sees a new heaven and a new Earth come into being.

Interpretation What was the final salvation of the bodily, mental, and spiritual forces described within John, now are shown to take place in collective humanity. When humanity recognizes the divinity within them as the controlling force in the world, and turns away from their own selfish pattern of living for self alone, the old pattern disappears and the Christ pattern emerges. John is told that the merging of the evolved self with the divine superconscious, which has taken place in John, must also take place in all humanity (Rev. 19:7). The fulfilled pattern of evolved humanity, the Christ (i.e., superconscious mind), is now shown in a position of power (the so-called "second coming of Christ"). Now the archetype of humanity's continual rebellions, the self-willed intellect symbolized as the "devil", is confined for a time in the collective unconscious mind. During this period of one thousand years (the 1000 year reign of Christ), only the evolved souls will be permitted to incarnate the Earth (Rev. 20:4). At the end of this period, the remaining souls begin to incarnate, bringing with them their unsatisfied ambitions and desires. This, of course, brings about the former conditions of imbalance (wars and plagues). These conditions, all man-made, are now themselves eliminated and all mental forms and patterns not formed by divine will are purged (Rev. 20:14). The "new heaven and new Earth" John sees is humanity's perfected state of consciousness and regenerated body. The human mind at this point is now one with the divine in the perfection of control and is free from outside limitations. The human conscious mind merges with the superconscious mind. John states that if anyone adds or takes away from this book, that person will experience the plagues in this book. The book is the body, which is the vehicle for human experience in the world. Through it, the lessons of the soul are learned. There can be no shortcuts or meanderings without dire consequences to the body.

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SYMBOL

MEANING

Marriage of the Lamb

The union of the body and mind with the Christ consciousness

Word of God

The Gnostic "logos," the Christ consciousness, the fully evolved pattern for humanity

Lake of Fire

The subconscious mind's area of repression, the "id"

The first resurrection

The reincarnation of advanced souls to Earth

Gog and Magog

Worldly influences

The dead in judgment

Reincarnating souls

Hell

Remorse, self-condemnation, guilt and frustration

The second death

The destruction of all man-made unevolved conditions

12 tribes of Israel, 12 gates, 12 angels, 12 foundations, 12 disciples

The 12 basic patterns of the human personality as revealed in the Zodiac

Temple of God

The superconscious mind, the Christ consciousness

New Jerusalem

The evolved soul in one-ness with divinity

"The conquering of self is truly greater than were one to conquer many worlds." - Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce on Prayer

The following is an excerpt from the late great Cayce scholar Elsie Sechrist's book Meditation: Gateway to Light. More information concerning Cayce's insights into prayer can be found at the Cayce research foundation (A.R.E.).

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One the interesting topics of information Cayce received was concerning prayer. Cayce believed that the energy of prayer was sent by thought - almost like a beam of white light being sent out to the individual(s) for whom we are praying. Meditation does not lessen the need for prayer, because it does not take the place of prayer. Prayer is a mental activity on our part addressed to God. Meditation is a listening state so that we may hear God speak to us. Prayer comes before meditation, before the affirmation; and we may pray, if need be, all day long as we go about our daily work. Jesus found it necessary at times to pray for long periods. Certainly prayer should be a constant activity of the religious heart. The Cayce readings remind us that, "He that would know the way must be oft in prayer." There are many types of prayer. Unfortunately the most common one is the "gimme" prayer, wherein we beg God for favors. Is this wrong? Not for some people. For prayer, the art of prayer, is an ever-growing experience. When there is an acceptance of God's presence, one knows that God will supply all that is truly needed to fulfill one's purpose in life. The art of visualization, so common today as a form of prayer, is another type of the gimme prayer. We want to make sure that God knows exactly what we want, so we send him pictures of it. If we are going to tell God that we know what is best for ourselves what is the point in praying in the first place? Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but thine be done." The enlightened soul relegates the gimme prayer to the nursery toy box, and turns to the prayer of thanksgiving, of adoration, of petition for the woes of others, always adding, "Thy will be done." The Cayce readings tell us that the daily prayer of Jesus was, "Others, Lord, others." From this it is self-evident that the prayers of supplication of the awakened soul deal primarily with the needs of others. The more we pray for others, the more we gain in the power to pray, and the more are we ourselves blessed. For how can we sincerely pray for another, and not be praying for ourselves, too? Asking God for forgiveness shows proper repentance for wrongs committed, but unless those wrongs are righted by our own conscious effort, we shall never feel forgiven. We may pray for guidance, but if we are not trying to do what we think is right, will God hear us? Yes, but we may not hear him. As the Bible tells us, an unrepented sin seals our ears to the voice of God. May we pray to escape further trails and tribulations? Certainly. Jesus did; but when he knew that he had to die on the cross to fulfill his purpose, he accepted it unfalteringly. God does not wish to see us suffer; our adversities are of our own creation. We have transgressed by either commission or omission, something we should not have done, or something we should have done. Just as a parent punishes a child in order to correct it, so the laws of God prove immovable when we try to resist them. The more we struggle to resist, the more hopelessly do we entangle ourselves at the mental or physical or material or emotional level, and sometimes on all four levels simultaneously. Our attitude when we are sick or suffering should be, again, "Thy will be done." This calls for an inner submission while awaiting recovery, but doesn't stop us from doing all within our power to get well. A rededication of heart and mind and an acceptance of suffering as a needed lesson have on more than one occasion brought instantaneous healing. "Thy Will. Thy Spirit. Thy Ways" is the cry of the awakened soul. How does one pray? Just as the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, so many people today ask the same question; it would be presumptuous of us, however, to tell another exactly how he

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should formulate the words of anything so personal and private as a prayer. The words themselves are not important. It is the spirit in which they are said which is all-important. God already knows more about the contents of our hearts than we do; our real need is to be perpetually aware of him as the source of our protection, and so we pray to keep unbroken contact with him. The words in themselves are not as important as some people would have us think. As Kahlil Gibran says, "God listens not to your words save when He utters them through your lips." What is the best position in which to pray? A group of ministers once met to decide that very problem. They talked at length without reaching any conclusion. Some insisted that it was essential to kneel. Those with bony knees said that it was just as effective to keep seated. Others felt that they had to pace to and fro to generate the necessary fire. When the debate threatened to become heated, they decided to leave the decision to the only parson who had been silent throughout. He came from a rural parish, and he answered them thus: "One day when I was late for service, I ran across a neighbor's yard and fell headlong into his well. Half way down, my foot caught in a broken board, and I hung there upside down. Brethren, I have never prayed so well before or since!" I hope that proves that it is not our position but our sincerity which makes our prayers effective. Prayer directs the consciousness to God. Through prayer, we solicit aid from divine power. Prayer encourages humility, takes one outside of self to him, brings guidance, releases tensions and brings healing. Many people go into a state of meditation without realizing it when, worn out from prayer, they wait for answering help. Here the results of prayer are one with the rewards of meditation. While we need always to call on the Lord, we need even more to listen to Him, and it is in the quiet of meditation that there is a stepping-up of spiritual receptivity in every phase of our being. We learn so much more by listening. This is what the Bible means when it says: "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) Every religion speaks of the quest of the soul for the holy grail, the place of the Most High. The Chinese speak of it as the "old road." The Hindus call it the "path of return." Christians refer to it as "the way." Meditation is the gateway that leads us to God.

Praying Tips from Edgar Cayce Prayer is supplication for direction, for understanding. Meditation is listening to the divine within. Prayer is like a plea to your superior. Meditation is meeting your superior on common ground. Those who want to know the way must pray often and joyously, knowing that God gives life to those who sincerely seek to be a channel of blessing to someone. Prayer is attuning your consciousness to the divine consciousness, either with others or individually. All prayer is answered. So don't tell God how to answer it. Why worry when you can pray? Your power is very limited. The power of God is unlimited. The prayers of ten people can save a city. The prayers of twenty-five can save a

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nation as the prayers of one person can. But there is strength in numbers. Your body, mind and spirit needs the spiritual food of prayer, meditation, and reflection upon spiritual things.

"You'll not be in heaven if you're not leaning on the arm of someone you have helped." - Edgar Cayce

A Biography of Edgar Cayce The story of Edgar Cayce properly belongs in the history of hypnosis. Cayce had the unusual ability of inducing out-of-body experiences using a form of self-hypnosis. His out-of-body journeys were identical to near-death experiences with the exception that he was not clinically dead. Indeed, one does not need to be dead to have a near-death experience. There are many ways to induce your brain to free your consciousness and I have a whole list of them on my NDE Triggers web page. During a hypnotic trance, Cayce was able to speak in an authoritative voice on subjects far beyond the range of his normal knowledge. Except for the Bible, he was not an avid reader of books. While in a deep trance, all he needed was to be given the subject to be discussed, or the inquiring person's name, address, and whereabouts, by a conductor to make suggestions and ask the questions, and a stenographer to take it all down. Almost every day for forty-two years he had out-of-body journeys in order to answer questions covering an immense range of subject matter. He could do this at any time, any place. Persons from all walks of life came to him for help or advise. Among them were a movie producer, an actress, a top steel magnate, a U.S. Senator, a Vice-President of the United States; parents, the sick, the lame, the disturbed. His strange gift of clairvoyance has never been duplicated in modern times, although a few other psychics have proved a measure of ability beyond any doubt. The Cayce records are unique. Twenty million words from an unconscious mind is not a commonplace. If they can be believed, new frontiers wait to be explored. Clairvoyance, clairaudience, dreams, hypnotism, point the way to a better understanding of the history and depth of the human mind and soul. A challenging field lies before humans in their search for truth and the meaning of human existence in Earth. Cayce was born on a farm near Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in 1877. A poor student, he received no more than a grammar school education, and eventually took up photography as a trade. His psychic powers were accidentally discovered in 1901, when he was twenty-four. He caught a cold and suddenly lost his voice. After a year of numerous and unsuccessful medical treatments, he became resigned to a life of rasping whispers. About this time hypnotism was enjoying a fad throughout the country, and a friend suggested that he try it as a means of helping his condition. Cayce was willing to try anything that might cure his throat. A local hypnotist offered his services, and Edgar readily accepted. He insisted, however, that he put himself to sleep, with the friend making the suggestions after he was "under".

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The experiment proved to be more than successful. Cayce went into a deep trance and described the condition in his vocal cords, advising, strangely enough, what to do for it. The advice was followed by the hypnotist - that of suggesting the blood circulation increase to the affected area - and when Cayce awakened he had regained his normal speaking voice. After a number of follow-up sessions, the cure turned out to be a permanent one. Cayce, his family and his friend were astounded. When word got around of this unusual occurrence, he was besieged with requests by the sick to try his diagnoses and curative methods on them. He was reluctant to attempt anything of the kind. In the first place, he was uneducated and knew nothing of medicine or anatomy in his waking state. After all, he had no idea what went on while he was asleep. In the end, however, he gave his consent, and his misgivings proved unfounded. In most of the cases that were presented to him, the celebrated psychic never met the persons making the requests. They were received through the mail; the recipients of the readings were usually hundreds of miles away. All Cayce needed was the full name of the person, his address, and where he would be at the appointed time of the reading. Lying on the couch with his necktie and shoelaces loosened - for better circulation, the readings said - he could answer any question put to him. His wife, Gertrude, usually made the suggestions and asked the questions, while his lifelong secretary, Gladys Davis, took everything down in shorthand. After a while, the sleeping Cayce would start to mumble, as though searching for something. Then he would clear his throat and speak in a firm, authoritative voice. "Yes, we have the body," he would begin, and then go into a half-hour discussion of the physical condition of the person who was ill. But in 1923 a startling new kind of reading was discovered. Cayce was operating a photographic studio in Selma, Alabama, when one day he met Arthur Lammers, a well-to-do printer. His hobby was metaphysical philosophy, and what he wanted to know was far beyond the range of Edgar's normal thinking. "What is the meaning of life?" he asked. "What is the real nature of man? What is the meaning of birth and death? Why are we here? Cayce accepted Mr. Lammers offer to explain these mysteries through his powers of hypnosis. What followed was the beginning of the metaphysical thought that emerged from 2,500 "Life" readings (information about a person's past lives), as distinguished from the "Physical" readings (medical diagnosis and cures) he had previously been giving. For Cayce, this was the beginning of another period of tortuous self-doubt. Brought up in an atmosphere of strict, orthodox, Protestant Christianity, he was uninformed on the other great religions of the world and their similarities with his own. What the readings now said seemed foreign to everything he had been taught and had been teaching in his Sunday school classes for many years. The essential principles of the great religions, said the readings, were nevertheless all the same - they were only clothed in different garments. Cayce withheld judgment on the point for a long time. In the end he and those close to the work came to accept reincarnation. It was improvable of course, but in provable instances the readings had shown themselves to be honest if not infallible. The answers were consistent. Eventually, somebody thought to ask the sleeping Cayce where he was getting his information. He gave two sources his mind apparently succeeded in tapping. One was the unconscious or subconscious mind of the subject himself; the other was what was called the universal memory of nature, Jung's Collective Unconscious, or the Akashic Records. This is the "Recording Angel", or the "Book of Life". Say the Cayce records: "Edgar Cayce's mind is amendable to suggestion, the same as all other subconscious minds; but in addition thereto, it has the power to interpret to the objective mind of others what it acquires from the subconscious minds of other individuals of the same kind. The subconscious forgets nothing. The conscious mind receives the impressions from without and transfers all thought to the subconscious, where it remains even though the conscious be destroyed" as in death.

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The readings also say, "The information as obtained and given by this body [Edgar Cayce] is gathered from the sources from which the suggestion may derive its information. In this state the conscious mind becomes subjugated to the subconscious, the superconscious, or soul mind (the spirit), and may and does communicate with like minds, and the subconscious or soul force becomes universal. From any subconscious mind information may be obtained either from this realm or from the impression as left by the individuals that have gone before. As we see a mirror directly reflecting that which is before it - it is not the object itself, but that reflected." This is a new idea. If it is true, then Cayce's mind was able to tap the mass of knowledge possessed by millions of other subconscious minds, including those who have passed over to the spiritual, cosmic realms in death. This would be an almost unlimited source of wisdom, since it was universal and Cayce was unhindered by time and space. Upon this "Akashic record" is supposedly registered every sound, every thought, every vibration since the beginning of time. Cayce, then was no "medium." When this idea first appeared in a reading, few, including Cayce, could believe it. Science knew nothing of any such etheric substance. Newspaper headlines did not affect him as offers of fame and large sums of money came. Although he never earned more than a modest living at best, he turned down all efforts by others to commercialize on the readings. Desperately poor at times, he once flatly refused an offer of $1,000 a day to go on the stage. Simple in his tastes, he was an expert fisherman and a horrible golfer. He loved to talk about the Bible and would preach a sermon at the drop of a word. By 1944 he was a year behind in appointments and suffering from over-exertion and edema of the lungs. A stroke confined him to bed. At the age of 67, he never recovered. His last reading, given for himself, was not followed by the doctors in charge. On January 3rd, 1945, Cayce passed over to the other side. No person ever left the world a stranger legacy. The following are some of excerpts from the Cayce material: The spirits of all that have passed from the physical realm remain about the realm until their developments carry them onward, or they are in the realm of communication, or remain with this sphere, any may be communicated with. There are thousands about us here at present. (3744-2) The soul is the God-part in you, the living God. (262-77) Question: What is the highest possible psychic realization? Answer: That God, the Father, speaks directly to the sons of men. (440-4) Question: Is the destiny of every spiritual entity to eventually become one with God? Answer: Unless the entity wills its banishment ... Yet God has not willed that any soul should perish. (900-20) Question: If the soul fails to improve itself, what becomes of it? Answer: Can the will of man continue to defy its Maker? (826-8) The judge shall be your own conscience; for conscience is that which awakens the mind of the soul; the soul that of your self that is the nearest portion of the dwelling place of the Holy of Holies Himself - the Spirit of the Master. (54-54) Concerning Jesus: An entity, then, is the pattern of divinity in materiality, or in the

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Earth. As man found himself out of touch with that complete consciousness of the oneness of God, it became necessary that the will of God, the Father, be made manifested, that a pattern be introduced into man's consciousness. Thus the Son of Man came into the Earth, made in the form, the likeness of man; with body, mind, soul. Yet the soul was the Son, the soul was the Light. (3357-2) Christ [the spirit] is the Universal Consciousness of love that we see manifested in those who have forgotten self, as Jesus [the man], give themselves that others may know the truth. (1376-1) He came into the Earth that we, as soul-entities, might know ourselves to be ourselves, and yet one with him; as he, the Master, the Christ, knew himself and yet one with the Father. (3003-1) Know the Lord your God is One. And all that you may know of good must first be within self. All you may know of God must be manifested through yourself. To hear of him is not to know. To apply and live and be is to know! (2936-2) The Lord abhors the quitter. (518-2) Happiness is a state of mind attained by giving same to others. (2772-2) The spirit of hate, the anti-Christ, is contention, strife, fault-finding, lovers of self, lovers of praise. (281-16) Let that rather be the your watchword, "I am my brother's keeper." Who is your brother? Whoever, wherever he is that bears the imprint of the Maker in the Earth, be he black, white, gray or grizzled, be he young, be he Hottentot, or on the throne or in the president's chair. (2780-3)

"Death is only passing through God's other door." Edgar Cayce

Afterlife Realms Longtime Edgar Cayce researcher and an A.R.E. Board member, Harvey A. Green looks at the broad spectrum of the soul's existence. He uses the Cayce readings as well as references from Rudolf Steiner, Emanuel Swedenborg, and others to describe the realms after death and the transcendency of the soul. As the author presents this awesome sweep of the soul's experience after death, he covers the movement of the soul through death and into the higher levels of the afterlife. Harvey Green has been involved with the Cayce material since the early 1970s. The following is an excerpt of his book, Life and Death: The Pilgrimage of the Soul. It is his analysis of what happens after death using the important metaphysical knowledge of others.

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Introduction It cannot be stated too often that the spiritual perspective is inward and not outward. Once we leave the physical realm we will view reality inwardly and not outwardly. All that we have placed inside ourselves will act as a lens, a filter. All that we see will be seen through and be distorted by these things we have stored within ourselves. This is why it is important to remove as much clutter as possible so as not to obscure our reality. The dimensions which immediately surround the Earth have been called the mental realms by both Edgar Cayce and Rudolf Steiner. It is here we face, we inhabit, we experience what we have built into our minds as a result of our activities. It is in the mental realms where our minds embody our souls. In this reality we do not leave behind the attitudes we held in the Earth but we inhabit them. This was illustrated many times in the Cayce discourses when he said that we not only take our attitudes with us into death, but we inhabit them. They will, however, become much, much larger in death, much harder to bear, with no way to set them aside easily. In essence, after death, Steiner said we expand into the planetary spheres. The moral disposition we carry over with us allows or prevents us from moving on in a conscious manner. After this experience, we fall asleep and the cosmic forces act directly upon us preparing us for the next earthly experience. Our cosmic sleep regenerates us. There comes a time when the desire to reincarnate starts to work on us. When that happens, we begin the process of going back through the planetary spheres picking up what we will need from each in order to fulfill our purpose in the next Earth life. The "soul kernel" is carried in to the embryo, forgets the whole trip and is born again on Earth. In the end, our transition after death is like stepping into our own thoughts where we have existed all along. This is an inward step, so small, so natural; yet from a material perspective it is so abrupt, and so extreme. At the moment of change some of us are completely aware of what is happening, some of us only partly aware, and yet others totally unaware. Ultimately we meet and greet our own death with the same awareness and attention to detail we gave to our experiences in life. Since taking leave of the Earth realm, we have been traveling throughout many realms of reality. In each dimension we experienced that which was helpful, in some we reviewed and evaluated our experiences, but in all we were resuscitated. The realms in which we made our temporary homes and the order in which we experienced them were exactly what we needed to complete our earthly experience, to be refreshed, renewed, and prepared for our next material adventure. Each of the realms we visited were focal points from which certain basic qualities of our being emanate. We not only worked in the unique surroundings, but we mixed with the essence of each quality of which each realm was comprised. These qualities are not external things to which we responded, but they are what we are. [The following discussion is] not meant to promote an attachment to the wonder or splendor of any particular dimension of reality. All that [will be given is] for the better understanding of who we really are. We are the sum total of all of our experiences from the very foundations of our beginning up until this moment. Each experience is but another thread woven into that fabric of which we are composed. No realm is any more important than another, nor is our habitation or incarnation into any realm more important than any other. Our experiences in reality are continuous and although certain happenings may seem more momentous than others, it is the accumulation of what we do with creation which is our quest. For it is only in that accumulation of experiencing the various expressions of our God that we truly fulfill our destiny. It is important to note that we carry all of our experiences into each dimension because we are the focal point of their accumulation. Further, although each dimension operates under different sets of basic laws, they are but variations of laws we already know. There is one Creator, one set of principles of life we call laws, and one direction in which to grow. The infinite variety in creation is largely due to the limitless ways in which the same things may be manifest. If we would just watch the patterns of what we know unfold before us, we would see ever so clearly the most important aspects of what seems both behind and ahead of us.

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The Material Land When in the Earth, we live simultaneously in all regions of the soul and spirit lands. We are not aware of our presence in other realms at the same time as we are embodied in the Earth, but our lack of cognizance does not in any way inhibit our multi-presence. It is from the Earth that our desires, our ambitions, and what we do about them sends waves of life resonating through all regions of the soul and spirit lands. As there is no time and space outside of the material universe, we have ample opportunity to experience these waves of our own soulness when we arrive in the regions where they are manifest. From the soul and spirit regions we draw life as well as send it; here we experience ourselves as well as all of life. Life in the Earth is not only experiencing ourselves, within the confines of universal laws, but it is done in a much more focused fashion. As we live in the Earth realm we are at the same time building conditions in succeeding realms. The building process in materiality is therefore multidimensional. The Edgar Cayce source expressed it best in discourse 5749-3 when the entranced psychic stated, ".. with error entered that as called death, which is only a transition – or through God's other door – into that realm where the entity has built, in its manifestations as related to the knowledge and activity respecting the law of the universal influence." As all of life is a gradual metamorphosis, so is that period of transition we call dying. From a physical perspective we might say one was alive one moment and gone the next. We may comment that death came without warning. Because we see only those external happenings which are perceptible to the physical senses, we often assume there was no activity outside of this perspective. As we grow in stages from infancy to maturity, we likewise grow from life in material realms to life in spiritual dimensions. The pattern here is ever the same: We do not instantly arrive at, occupy, or depart from any condition in reality. Dying is a process which begins before the soul takes leave of the body and in fact begins before any illness, accident, or happening which may cause physical death. In that rest we call sleep, the soul departs and prepares for the transition it is moving toward. How far in advance of our departure do we begin our preparations? In a sense, one is preparing for death through all of life. Again, let us refer to the Cayce work and psychic discourse 5488-1 which states, ".. in the midst of life one is in the midst of death, for death is but the beginning of life, as life is but the beginning of an opportunity to manifest that as is innately built within the soul of an individual itself.

Immediately After Death There is a definite happening at that point we call death, the least of which is the falling away of the physical body. Our awareness, emotions, memories, likes, dislikes, desires, and fears all live on within us. We have tried to make a case thus far to illustrate that our consciousness more than our physical senses is what we are. We have used materiality but we are not material. Our material experiences are to our soul what food is to our bodies. The memories, the relationships, the tastes of life are all carried over unadulterated in the first stage of death but as the digestive process continues they lose their prominence and our attention turns to other things. In the first stage following physical death we find ourselves in the realm which is made of and held together by the mental activity of life in materiality. Here, in what we will call the nearest reaches of what Cayce termed the borderland, life is bigger than life. It is a narrow reality bordered on one side by a gradual density and on the other by a likewise gradual quickening or elevation. It is the state occupied by Dr. George Ritchie, which he describes in his book, My Life After Dying. Further, it is the divide between life in the Earth and life in the mental realms. This divide is in fact that part of the mental realm completely overlapped by the material realm. One can move into closer proximity to the Earth and become so fixed by desire, as Ritchie observed, that one is unable to extricate oneself. One

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may move toward a quickening into finer realms or one may slide into one of the densest realms we call "outer darkness."

The Earthbound Realm Many people who die surely do not do so willingly. For some, their deaths, like their lives, are rebellious and their minds are fixed on materiality. Before gaining a cognizance of what and where they are, they try to fly on the wings of their misguided values back into the density of materiality. One thing, however, is amiss; they are not material. As they go about trying to function, the newly discarnate entities do not understand why they cannot communicate with others; as a result, they are gripped by fear. The Cayce discourses contain much material on this state of confusion. Some think they have lost their minds, others think those around them have gone mad, and others adapt in the world of semi-reality. They do encounter objects that are manifestations of thought but they have no way of separating those objects from denser ones with which they cannot interact. This extreme edge of the mental realm is so close to materiality that it intertwines with it at every turn. The fact is that interaction with mental counterparts of material activity that exist in this stage of consciousness is so like materiality, so closely conjoined to the physical, that the lost soul cannot tell where one stops and the other begins. This confusion, or blurring of divisions, lends credence to the perception that the troubled soul is in the same physical state it held while embodied in the Earth. It is natural to ask why these souls who make their home at the edge of the borderland do not realize they have died and passed on to another reality. How often do dreamers realize they are dreaming even though their activities are not what one would consider consistent with waking reality? Some souls adjust to this confusion and as a consequence, are tied to the Earth for years. They derive their satisfaction by mingling with those forces, those energies which are given off from life in material realms. They live vicariously, as Dr. Ritchie noted, in the emotions and mental activities of those who are in the Earth realm. Those souls who have trapped themselves in this region endlessly try to influence matters in the Earth realm. Some are from time to time successful as they mix with thought patterns emanating from the Earth realm and some are not. Some souls have even become self-destructive enough as to occupy or possess the body of a material human being who has, by its own uncoordinated activities, separated its mental from its physical forces. God and all of creation personify patience and await those souls turning back to the road they began to travel after awakening in the borderland. To assist their return, there are countless ministers of mercy all about them in their existence in the borderland. These who would help them need only for them to will that help, for us to let go of their fixation on materiality; then they will set their shaky feet on the path they must follow.

Outer Darkness Let us now take a detour into a yet denser reality so we can better understand another of our options upon awakening in the borderland. There are some of us who have lived our lives in such a way that we have turned completely within ourselves. We have blocked out all love, all warmth, and all spirit from our daily doings; we have created a void within and around ourselves. We chose to deny our responsibilities to others and to ourselves; we choose ourselves at all cost. Upon passing on, before we become conscious that we have entered the borderland, we swiftly move on to that realm to which our life choices in the Earth resonate. This region is void of love, life, and light, void of all of those things we cast out from our lives in the Earth. The region in which we find ourselves is approximately our wish come true. We are truly alone, with ourselves, within ourselves; it is pain beyond pain for us. Edgar Cayce described this region of void as "outer darkness." The name of this dimension describes it very accurately, as we find no love, hope, friendship, kindness, benevolence, or any of what we have come to know as human qualities. Instead there is nothing but ourselves, and it is

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unbearable. In the absence of that which we term "fruits of the spirit" – truth, love, patience, gentleness, kindness, long-suffering, and brotherly love – we fill the void with an irrational and unbelievable amount of pain and fear. It is so dark in the realm of outer darkness that the dark hurts and panic grips us without our knowing why. Like our material universe, outer darkness seems endless and without any meaningful boundaries. There is nowhere we can go to escape the agony and horror which fills almost every part of our being, and the desire to flee consumes us. The farther and faster we travel through this realm the greater the feeling that it is endless. Even outer darkness has degrees, and it is darker and denser at the center than at its outer fringes. Helen Greaves describes these degrees as hells. Likewise, this is the hell described by Emanuel Swedenborg in Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen. The closer we are to the outer edges, the more interaction there is with others in the realm, while the closer to the center we find ourselves, the darker and more painful we find the solitude. One who finds himself in outer darkness cannot move toward the center by force of his own motion. The center represents levels of reality and are not linear. One cannot travel across this dimension; one must grow through the levels of this realm. Outer darkness is not one of those realms which must be overcome in stages, although we can choose that method of growth. One may find himself on a particular level after death that most closely corresponds to his activity and the degree of absence of those fruits of the spirit in his life, and there is no need to experience other levels here. No level of outer darkness is without pain and fear, but, as we have noted, the very center is the most agonizing. In the reality we call outer darkness, we have very little memory of our earthly lives. We remember little, if anything, of our earthly relationships, and we are so absorbed in pain and fear that our suffering exacts every last ounce of our attention. This lower region of outer darkness is not a punishment. It is a region which operates lawfully for the benefit of those agonized souls. This region is not a realm which was created for any soul to experience, but one which came about as a consequence of the negative activity of souls in creation. So great has been the desire for self, so monumental across time and space has been the selfishness of some of God's creatures, that this realm is the creation or manifestation of their own collective activities. Outer darkness and the reality with which it is associated were created and are held in place by collective self-interest. As noted previously, universal law is perfect and works for the benefit of all, all of the time. An excellent example of the law of grace is that no evil, no negativity, whether single or collective in nature, exists without a way of redemption being simultaneously imprinted by the Creative Forces throughout its fiber. Nowhere is it more obvious than in the realm of outer darkness that no one needs to remain here beyond one's own will to do so. We might conjecture that no one wishes to suffer such misery but that simply is not so. We constantly do things on the Earth realm that cause us difficulty, unhappiness, pain, and illness. We do not wish to suffer the discomfort of our actions, but this does not keep us from those activities. In the Earth realm, as in spiritual realms, until we turn our attention from ourselves, we cannot in any way change our estate. The occupants of outer darkness are there for various lengths of Earth time. It is peculiar to discuss length of residence by a measure which does not exist in that dimension. For most of us it is very difficult to relate to a timeless condition, so the use of finite terms helps us to better understand. Some residents feel they have been in outer darkness for weeks or months, others for eons. No doubt, all are correct in their assessment of length of time spent in this realm. In a reality of pain and torment, even a moment can seem like an eternity and there is no way to judge length of stay until after one has long departed. Doubtless, some souls have occupied outer darkness for what we would measure as hundreds, even thousands of years. But it is more likely that most stay for a considerably shorter period. It is not possible for souls to be forever confined to outer darkness since, in such a case, there would be no hope of redemption. Further, Swedenborg noted in his book, Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell from Things Heard and Seen, that it is God who keeps the balance in the realm of outer darkness so that all things would not be destroyed. Again, outer darkness is not a punishment, rather it

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is the ultimate manifestation of our own undoing, and he who is Mercy would never abandon us to such spiritual agony.

The Borderland Let us return our attention to the realm that we call the "borderland". The borderland is the outer edge of the mental realms overlapping materiality. All that we experience in materiality is manifest in its purity in the mental realms. When one is in any of the mental realms, reality seems so much purer, so much more real. One arriving here would become aware that there has definitely been a change, an awakening. What we would perceive as our senses in this realm would seem infinitely sharper, and we would be much more sensitive. All that is material is but an expression of what is manifest in the mental realms. So here we find ourselves with the authentic original and not the copy. As we look around and absorb our surroundings, we feel as though we have just emerged from a haze. We do not see anything we did not see on Earth and everything is quite familiar. There are those around us that we know. Some may have been friends or relatives who passed on before us, and others may be souls that do not incarnate with us but with whom we shared a genuine connection. We do not notice all of the souls around us, only those for whom we have sympathy or have shared experiences. We notice that sleeping and waking seem to be faculties still with us, as Ruth Mattson Taylor noted. We feel that we have just wakened, and we go through periods of what appear to us to be states of awake and asleep. Certainly, we do not need sleep outside of the Earth realm. But we are accustomed to periods of rest and seize the opportunity when first entering the mental realms. Gradually this cycle of sleep and work leaves us. But we do find periods of refreshment akin to rest. We have a major adjustment to make and all of those we meet in the borderland are there to help us. In every realm in which we find ourselves between lives on Earth, there are those who are resident in those dimensions, except for those in the borderland. This state of reality is unique in that it is a transient state for all who inhabit it. There are those souls and beings who choose to work for the betterment of souls in the borderland, but they are visitors there, not residents. In the borderland is where we review in detail the life just lived in the Earth realm. We see our lives with a clarity obscured from us when we were in the Earth realm. We see the potential, the ultimate possibilities of all the choices we didn't make. Although this is an emotional experience, Steiner notes that we are protected by those beings around us from immersion in our own emotions and from becoming lost. There is not one review, but several; each exacts yet another focus. Although we are free from the fetters of time and space, we still take this review process gradually so that we are not overcome and immobilized. Part and parcel to this review, a healing takes place. As the scars left on the mind become evident, a healing takes place so that the soul will be able to move on. Now we take note of great Beings of Light for the first time, and we are struck by how we recognize them. There is total familiarity and the realization of their always having been with us, whether before, during, or after our Earth life. "You see, death is not the grave as many people think. It is another phenomenized form of life." Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce on Astrology Reality is multi-dimensional. We are multi-dimensional beings who exist simultaneously in a multidimensional reality. Long ago, our bodies evolved from primates. Even longer ago, our minds evolved from the stars. But before the universe was even created, our spirits have always existed as part of the divine in even higher dimensions. At the conscious (physical) level, our bodies are like a miniature replica of the solar system. Our hearts perform the function of the sun - the center of the system. Other organs within our body are also used by our souls to find a means of expression. The planets exert

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astrological vibrations upon our bodies that influence our personalities and soul patterns. At the subconscious (soul) level, the solar system is our larger body. We are connected to the planets, the stars, spiritual realms and entities. On the superconscious (spirit) level, we are one with the Whole. At this level, we are on a conscious level with all there is - the divine. We think of the universe in three-dimensional terms of time, space, and motion. We think of space in terms of height, length, and width. We think of time as past, present, and future. We speak of ourselves as having physical, mental, and spiritual life. The world about us can be seen as having mineral, plant, and animal life. The Bible refers to a three-dimensional God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. According to Cayce, the dimensions of human awareness is: consciousness, subconsciousness, and superconsciousness. Cayce revealed that our life experience involves more than just the Earth. It involves our entire solar system. Through the principles of astrology, each solar system in the universe is like a "university" - a place for higher learning. Our solar system has nine planets and each planet is a physical representation of a particular afterlife realm (or dimension). Our universe is only one realm out of many afterlife realms. Our universe (including the Earth) is the third realm in the afterlife hierarchy and represents threedimensional life. Because Cayce associated each planet as a physical (three-dimensional) representation of a particular afterlife realm, Cayce referred to these afterlife realms using the name of the planet associated with it. For example, when Cayce uses the name Venus, he is referring to the afterlife realm that are associated astrologically with the planet named Venus. When Cayce mentions that souls inhabit Venus, he does not mean that souls live on the surface of the planet Venus, he means that souls inhabit the afterlife realm named Venus which is associated astrologically with the planet Venus. For example, the planet Earth is a physical representation (three-dimensional) of the third afterlife realm (i.e., our universe). The planet Mercury is a physical representation (three-dimensional) associated with the second afterlife realm, also named Mercury, in the afterlife hierarchy. The afterlife realms are dimensions which souls can experience when not active in the physical body on Earth. These non-active states include death, deep sleep, or other altered states that free the subconscious from its normal physical constraints. The planets exert an astrological influence on us. These astrological planetary influences originate from the afterlife realms that our souls have sojourned before our current Earth experience and in between Earth lives. The purpose of these astrological influences is to provide certain life lessons we must learn and for which we are tested on Earth. Cayce described how we are connected in mind, body and spirit, to various afterlife realms and astrological bodies such as the moon, sun, planets, and stars. In fact, Cayce affirmed that everything is connected together as one. Our solar system is our larger body and our bodies act as a miniature solar system. While on Earth, we are influenced in strong ways by desires that originate from our bodies. These desires not only affect our bodies but our soul as well and how we deal with these influences can determine our level of spiritual development. Through meditation and prayer, one can unlock the doors to the many dimensions, the many mansions, of God's kingdom. But the door must first be unlocked here on this Earth realm. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven is within us. We seek God and his kingdom by looking within ourselves. Our bodies are temples for the very Spirit of God both as the place where we may meet him and as an instrument of awareness through which we may attune to him.

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According to Cayce and the eastern religions, there are seven locations within the body that act as spiritual energy centers (called chakras in the East). It is through these spiritual centers that our soul finds a means of expression. These are the parts within our body that function like a miniature astrological solar system with our hearts performing the function of the sun - the center of the system.

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The Connection Between the Body and Afterlife Realms Cayce mentioned that these seven spiritual energy centers within our body are the seven endocrine glands. These glands are known by science to be the emotional and motivational centers of our body. They act especially in responses to the imaginative forces of the mind. They are the organs of perception through which we may become aware of other afterlife realms in the same way that our commonly known five senses are organs of perception of our Earth experience. The endocrine glands are the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, the thyroid gland, the thymus, the adrenal glands, the lyden gland, and finally the sexual glands (the testes or ovaries). As an instrument for attunement, the endocrine glands serve as points of contact between the spirit and the body. These centers are the transformers of the spirit into physical consciousness and manifestation. The functioning of these centers is, in turn, dependent primarily upon the quality of motivation or ideal chosen and dwelt upon by the imaginative forces of the mind. An example of how our endocrine glands works can be found when we get angry. Whenever we experience the emotion of anger, our adrenals glands secrete. The activity of our sexual glands is directly related to sexual motivation from our minds. Science knows that the pituitary gland is the master gland of the body. It's secretions have a direct and coordinating effect on all the other glands. Cayce stated that each endocrine gland center is influenced by the influence of a particular afterlife realm through its associated astrological planetary influence. The lowest endocrine gland in our body, the sexual glands, is associated with the lowest afterlife realm in the hierarchy of spirit realms. The pituitary gland is associated with the highest afterlife realm in the hierarchy. The afterlife realm we travel to upon death is determined by the highest endocrine gland within our body that we have spiritually activated. Activation of the highest spiritual center, the pituitary gland, creates a spiritual awakening and enlightenment that brings an awareness of our one-ness with God. This is the spiritual condition that Christians refer to as atonement, or as Cayce would say: at-one-ment. We can achieve spiritual enlightenment through meditation and any other experience that unites our awareness with that of God. Such experiences include the near-death experience. Cayce revealed that each afterlife realm has a particular astrological function that influences us physically by the corresponding planets in order to attain soul growth. Cayce identified the planet Earth as the realm of testing. Cayce stated that the Earth is the cause and effect dimension. This means that if a soul has a mental ideal and would like to physically manifest this ideal for the purpose of education, the soul can come to the Earth to be tested and apply themselves. By actually going through the experience themselves on Earth they can realize if what they believe is true (or not true) for themselves. The Earth realm is good for overcoming certain weaknesses and applying yourself to see that those weaknesses are truly overcome. Here we can learn for certain whether we have really changed. It is one thing to have an idea; but its another thing to make this idea into a physical reality. This is why we come to planet Earth. Cayce also revealed that the Earth realm is a sort of laboratory for the other realms of the afterlife associated with our solar system. This is because only on Earth is free will completely dominant and only on Earth does three-dimensional life exist in our solar system. In the other afterlife realms, some measure of control is kept over the soul to see that it learns the proper lessons. The control is usually by the soul itself, if it has evolved sufficiently. This is because, at death, the soul leaves the body and the soul's consciousness is absorbed into the subconsciousness and the separation between the two is lifted.

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The color-coded chart below represents the spiritual relationships between the glands, the planets, and the afterlife realms. As an example, the pituitary gland (the third eye in Eastern religions) is an astrological and spiritual point of contact with the planet Jupiter in our solar system. The planet Jupiter is the 5th planet from the sun. And the planet Jupiter is an astrological and spiritual point of contact with the 7th realm in the afterlife hierarchy.

Endocrine gland

Eastern chakra

------pituitary pineal thyroid thymus andrenals lyden gonads -------

------third eye crown throat heart navel lower abdomen root -------

Planet in our solar Position of planet in system solar system Pluto Jupiter Mercury Uranus Venus Mars Neptune Saturn Earth

9th 5th 1st 7th 2nd 4th 8th 6th 3rd

Position of the realm in the afterlife hierarchy ------7th 2nd 8th 4th 5th 6th 1st 3rd

Looking at the next color-coded chart below, we can see the spiritual relationships between the glands and the spiritual influence exerted upon the gland (i.e., the vibration and light). It should be noted here that not only is this spiritual influence of light vibrations exerted upon the gland from afterlife realms, but these same light vibrations are exerted from our glands upon the afterlife realms. This is how we are spiritually connected to the planets and the afterlife realms. This connection also makes it possible for us to connect with others through the same planetary/realm connection. This is because everything is spiritually connected together. As an example, looking at the chart below will show that the pituitary gland is associated with spiritual strength through the spiritual vibration on the scale of la and the violet light spectrum. This spiritual vibration astrologically connects the pituitary gland to the planet Jupiter. It also connects Jupiter to its corresponding afterlife realm - the 7th realm (see the chart above). Taking all the information together shows how we are spiritually connected with the physical dimension and the spiritual dimension. Endocrine gland Spiritual influence ------pituitary pineal thyroid thymus andrenals lyden gonads -------

subconscious strength mind psyche love anger mysticism woes testing

Vibration

Light Spectrum

Planet

------la tea so fa me ray doe -------

------violet indigo blue green yellow orange red -------

Pluto Jupiter Mercury Uranus Venus Mars Neptune Saturn Earth

The energy of the sexual glands, used wholly on the sexual level and without control, may bring sexual perversions and unbridled sensuality. If this spiritual center is the highest center activated during a person's life, at death they may dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Saturn. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm can be referred to as the realm of earthly woes. It is

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similar to the afterlife realm which is known by Catholics as purgatory, a place of cleansing, purification and starting over. The Saturn afterlife realm is not a pleasant place according to Cayce. Cayce said this is the realm where all inadequate flesh goes to be redone. A soul may banishes itself to the Saturn realm to begin anew. This place is also known as the Great Changer, the great force for starting over. Sometimes when Cayce would begin a reading for someone, he would identify what the last afterlife realm that soul experienced before entering the Earth realm. He would not limit himself to a person's past lives on Earth, but would include their lives in the cosmos as well. During a reading, Cayce told a person he identified as having previously experienced an incarnation in the Saturn realm that "God loves those who are willing to start over." The lyden (or Leydig) gland, located above the sexual glands, is the starting point of the soul's activity toward higher levels of spiritual consciousness. This endocrine gland can act on the body to function as a door through which the soul may go on to higher afterlife realms. If this gland is the highest gland activated during a person's life, at death they will be able to dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Neptune. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm is referred to as the realm of mysticism, where souls have the ability to have direct experience with the Creator and perceive the Creator. Neptune gives the urges to seek the unusual, the mystical, the unseen forces around us. People who come to Earth from this realm seem peculiar to others and are many times misunderstood. A love of mysteries can indeed be spiritual, but it can also be "of the sleuth or detective nature." The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys. We are actively aware of this center in times of stress, when it pours adrenaline into the blood stream to aid us in fighting or fleeing. The adrenals are also the storehouse of our emotional karma according to Cayce. From these glands come the negative energy of anger and hatred. If this gland is the highest gland activated during a person's life, at death they will be able to dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Mars. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm is referred to as the realm of anger. Cayce said this realm was the place to learn how to control the warrior-like power, aggressions and urges that each soul has the ability to project. People who come to Earth from this realm may bring with them anger, impulsiveness, and a temper. Stubbornness needs to be handled with patience and self-control. Such people may have an exalted opinion of themselves, but it makes them courageous. The thymus gland is found behind the heart in the solar plexus area of the chest. Since the thymus gland is related to the heart, it is associated with love. Love opens all doors. At this gland, love is awakened, bringing with it consideration, unselfishness, sincerity and honesty. If this gland is the highest gland activated during a person's life, at death they will be able to dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Venus. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm can be referred to as the realm of love. Sympathy, the alleviating of hardships, the seeking of love, beauty and song are some influences that people from that realm possess. Beauty, either natural or manmade, will move these individuals; furthermore, there is a desire to beautify the home. There is a strong attraction to the opposite sex. The thyroid gland, located in the throat, is related to will-power. From the misuse of the will for selfish and domineering ends, may come the condition known as hyper-thyroidism. When little effort is made to the will at all, the opposite may occur, an imbalance known as hypo-thyroidism. It is worthy of note that in some cases where there has been a growth on the thyroid, a degree of clairvoyance or telepathy has developed. The energy released upon the thyroid gland opens the door into the psychic realms of consciousness. If this gland is the highest gland activated during a person's life, at death they will be able to dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Uranus. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm is referred to as the realm of the psyche. Cayce used the term psyche in the same way as the ancient Greeks used the term meaning the sense of the soul. Cayce said it was natural for every soul to have a sixth sense. The Uranus afterlife realm is where the soul develops psychic ability. Uranus is also the realm of extremes. It gives people who came from there an interest in the occult and psychic phenomena. Such people have times of smoothness and other times, periods of ecstasy and depression.

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The pineal gland is situated a little above the pituitary gland and is the socalled Mind of Christ gland. When this gland has been truly awakened, one may experience spiritual holy communion. It is by this gland that the mind of the soul meets the Holy Spirit. This gland, when stimulated daily through meditation, can bring seer-ship or prophecy. If this gland is the highest gland activated during a person's life, at death they will be able to dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Mercury. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm is referred to as the realm of the mind. Mercury is associated with high mental abilities. People who come to Earth from this realm are gifted souls who need to watch out for self-aggrandizement or their abilities will be merely stumbling stones upon his path. Mercury brings understanding, specifically the understanding of the other spheres. The pituitary gland is the master gland of the body. It is situated between and behind the eyes in the brain, acting as the third eye of ancient mysticism. It is through the pituitary gland, the highest endocrine gland, that ultimate awakening comes. It is through the energy of the pituitary gland that one may enter the very presence of God through meditation and prayer. If this gland is the highest gland activated during a person's life, at death they will be able to dwell in the corresponding afterlife realm associated with the planet Jupiter. According to Cayce, this afterlife realm is referred to as the realm of high mindedness and large groups. People who come to Earth from this realm may bring with them universality and ennoblement. They may turn their attention to large groups of people or nations. They can be expansive and may become blessed with wealth, which includes a wealth of friends, a broad-mindedness, and the ability to consider others. They often have grand ideas and notions. The planet Pluto the seventh planet from the Earth and is associated with the afterlife realm referred to as the realm of consciousness. This afterlife realm is the realm for the final development of full consciousness. The planet Pluto was discussed by Cayce years before it was actually discovered! He referred to it as Vulcan and also as Septimus. When Pluto was discovered, Cayce affirmed that Vulcan or Septimus was the same planet as Pluto. The Pluto realm of the afterlife brings regeneration and a growth in consciousness, but also can bring self-centeredness. Pluto represents spiritual growth and development of the soul and its influence is just now developing in the destiny of humanity. After all the afterlife realms associated with our solar system have been fully experienced and all the lessons have been fully learned and the proper level of soul growth has been attained, the soul can move on to other afterlife realms and even other solar systems where other souls are going through the same thing. The stars represent soul patterns, not experiences. The twelve signs of the zodiac are twelve patterns from which the soul chooses when coming into the Earth realm. They are like races - patterns of temperament, personality, etc. The star signs of the zodiac, for instance, influence people in subtler ways: by making them bullish, or lionish, or airy, or introspective. The afterlife realms, manifested physically by the planets, are old dwelling places of the soul. The planets influence people when they come to a point of prominence in the sky just as a person who had once lived in a certain city would be influenced by reading of it, or meeting someone from the town, or by seeing photographs of it. Take the moon, for instance. It's influence is obvious on such things as the tides and the female cycle. These influences are observable when the moon is close. The word lunatic stems from luna meaning moon. In law enforcement and emergency circles, accounts of the affect a full moon has on the crime rate have been reported. The planets are farther away than the moon, and the stars are far beyond them. But their light comes to the Earth, and they influence in some way the heart, or the brain, or the emotions. Cayce stated that souls reincarnate, not only to the Earth realm, but souls also reincarnate to other realms between Earth incarnations as well. If a soul incarnates into an Earth life from one of these afterlife realms, the soul will manifest the influence of the realm from which it recently came. These influences, which are defined by astrology, are related to the spirit realm associated with the astrological influence of the associated planet.

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As an example of how a soul sojourns to various afterlife realms, Cayce described his most recent sojourns throughout the cosmos. Cayce's soul sojourned in the Uranus afterlife realm, the realm of the psychic, and just before incarnating into the physical realm, had a brief experience in the Venus afterlife realm. He incarnated to Earth with these most recent experiences ingrained in his soul. Such a combination would make a person psychic having a heart for helping others. As another example, Cayce described his sister Lila's sojourns. Her soul sojourned in the afterlife realm associated with Jupiter prior to incarnating into the Earth. But before incarnating she had an experience in the afterlife realm associated with Mercury which added to her mental ability. Jupiter's influence of high mindedness and large groups is one of the reasons she later became an executive for the International Red Cross. Large groups and high ideals often come with incarnations in the Jupiter realm according to Cayce. These influences, Cayce says, are latent within the soul by soul experience, not just because the stars are in a certain position at the time of birth. The soul actually had experiences in these realms. This is an energy the soul can draw on during their experience on Earth. During sleep, we also enter into these afterlife realms again according to Cayce. We are truly citizens of the cosmos even as we walk the Earth. Cayce's use of astrology and the Bible in his revelations supports the fact that the Bible is filled with astrology. To read about astrology in the Bible, visit the Astrology and the Bible web page. "Love is a sign from the heavens that you are here for a reason." - J. Ghetto

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Edgar Cayce on the Future Almost every day, several times a day, for more than forty years, Cayce would induce himself into an altered out-of-body state of consciousness and reveal profound information on various subjects such as health, dreams, meditation, religions, and reincarnation, to name a few. But it was the information that Cayce revealed about the future which he is probably most known for. He provided information about the history of humanity from the very beginning to a time in the future when humans will evolve into beings with supernatural powers. He described a new era of enlightenment and peace when divinity within humans would be manifested on the Earth. But before this "kingdom of God" would rule the world, Cayce foresaw world events that can only be described as apocalyptic, a period of purification involving natural disasters that will dramatically alter the surface of the Earth, wars, economic collapse, and socio-political unrest. These visions of the future agree with what is known about prophecies from NDEs. Cayce believed that these horrible future events could be averted if humanity changed its behavior. And this is the purpose for giving prophecies - to warn people to change so that the prophecies won't happen. Since Cayce certainly was not 100% accurate in his predictions, I believe this only shows how some of Cayce's apocalyptic predictions have been averted. So, a successful gloom and doom prophecy is one that does doesn't occur. Cayce's prophecies became well-known all over the world and a case may be made that he may have had some influence in creating the change within people to alter the course of history enough so that the prophecy would not happen. Cayce would repeatedly say that even the Lord of Lords could not accurately predict future events because human free will can alter and change the future. Cayce is referring to the Biblical account when Jesus is asked when he would return. His reply was: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matt. 24:36) So, prophecy is never given for any other purpose than as a warning. For this reason, a successful prophecy is one that has been averted and therefore does not happen. Skeptics of Cayce's prophetic ability like to point out that because some of his predictions did not happen, this means he was a fake. But from another perspective, one can say that his prophecies helped to change enough people to prevent them from occurring. Cayce envisioned that a time would come when all individuals would realize their responsibility toward one another � a realization that would change the thought of humanity. During the height of World War II, he saw the possibility of a united world and a renewed sense of spirituality all over the world. When asked in 1944 which religious thought would lead the world toward the greatest amount of spiritual light and understanding, the reply was simply, �You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself!�

Cayce's Visions of the Future That Already Have Come True Cayce received many visions of the future and many of them have already come to pass. From these visions he made a number of remarkably accurate predictions. The following is a list of them: Foresaw the Stock Market Crash and Great Depression In 1924, Cayce predicted the crash of the market after a long bull run during the late 1920's. During the mid-1920's he chronicled the rise and fall of the stock market, teaching his clients how to play the

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bull market and how to prepare for the crash of 1929. He even outlined what growth industries would give them the best long term portfolio after the market reached bottom. Cayce should have been quite well-to-do with endowment from a share of their speculations, but his clients did not pay attention to the readings and failed to pay heed to his warning. Six months later, they lost all they had when the great October 1929 Stock Market Crash occurred. This was also the trigger for the Great Depression which Cayce also foresaw. In 1931, Cayce foresaw that the Great Depression would lift in the spring of 1933 which it did. Foresaw revolutions in foreign lands In March 1935, Cayce added that eventually, unless there is more of the spiritual attitude raised in groups here and there, world conditions would terminate in a revolution throughout many of the foreign nations. There was nothing in 1935 which caused much unrest. But in 1936, the Spanish Civil War broke out, Italy invaded Ethiopia, Japan invaded China, and Stalin elevated the Great Purges to star billing throughout Russia. Foresaw the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler In January 1934, Cayce predicted that Hitler would rise in power to reign over Germany. In August 1935, Cayce predicted that Hitler would remain in power until it will "come as an overthrow or an outside war." Foresaw a world war that would begin in 1936 Cayce gave one of his greatest world prophecies in February 1932. He sweepingly outlined the course of most of the decade of the 1930's, which centered around: "A great catastrophe that's coming to the world in ' 36, in the form of the breaking up of many powers that now exist as factors in the world affairs." Cayce predicted the acceptance or rejection of the League of Nations in 1936, after which changes would come which would create different maps of the world. He detailed that before 1936 arrived the powers in Russia, United States, Japan and England, or United Kingdom would be "broken up", as indeed they were with major changes in the governments and policies of each nation. Cayce began 1935 with predictions about a revolution throughout many of the foreign nations and finished up 1935 with his first grim predictions about a universal war which he described as the whole world on fire. He predicted that international patterns would spiral out of control after 1936, resulting in new national boundaries. By 1937 he foresaw both the beginning and the end of World War II. Cayce's readings continued to provide highly accurate predictions about the escalation of the whole world on fire, the U.S. entry into the effort to fight it, the establishment of peace, and the return to normalcy within the new world order. Early on he twice gave a highly accurate time frame for the ending of the war. Before the war even began, Cayce was describing the nature of the post-war era. Foresaw America's 1941 entry into the war America's entry into the war was revealed through a reading in July 1939 for a retired naval commander, which also contained a message of hope: Question: "Am I likely to be recalled to active service within two or three years?" Answer: "The only likelihood will be in �41. This, too, if the people pray, and live as they pray, will pass."

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America must remain: "As it were - the balance of power in not only the money forces of the world but those influences that will later be for the manning of those powers where greater destructive forces will arise in those portions of the world..." He laid out the worldwide scope of the conflict: "Disturbance in Asia, that will be effective or active through the changes in Germany, Italy and especially through the Balkan forces or Balkan States, will produce a disturbance that may reach proportions that will become rather terrifying to all of Europe and Asia." Foresaw a decisive World War II battle On June 20, 1943, Cayce described a battle that would happen and determine the outcome and length of the world war. Five days after making this prediction, the German and Russian armies clashed in the greatest tank battle of all time. Foresaw the deaths of Presidents FDR and JFK In 1939, Cayce predicted the deaths of two presidents in office: "You are to have turmoil -- you are to have strife between capital and labor. You are to have a division in your own land, before you have the second of the Presidents that next will not live through his office ... a mob rule!" President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office in April 1945. In November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, when racial tensions in the United States were boiling. "Unless there is more give and take," Cayce said, "consideration for those who produce, with better division of the excess profits from labor, there must be greater turmoil in the land." Kennedy was killed during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Great civil and racial unrest followed just as Cayce foresaw. Foresaw India's independent from Britain Cayce predicted that India would become independent from Britain. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1947 when India began a transition to a democratic republic after independence from Britain. Foretold archeological facts which later proved true Cayce was equally as far ahead of the archeologists and paleontologists. It took nearly another 60 years for the predominance of evidence from around the world to prove Cayce probably correct in his claim that the human species is 10.5 million years old, that the Giza monuments in Egypt were aligned with the stars as of 10,500 BC, that the structure of the Egyptian religion was defined from astronomical relationships, and that an ancient civilization influenced the development of Egypt, Maya, and Bharati.

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Foretold the discovery of the Essenes and Dead Sea Scrolls Cayce correctly described the location of an Essene community which was discovered when the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. He revealed a series of information concerning Palestine which was given for people who were told they had been together during the life and times of Jesus. This data includes a description of the Essenes and their part in the advent of the Messiah, and is prophetic of the light thrown upon these mysterious people by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948, fully ten years later after Cayce described them. Foresaw the rebirth of the nation of Israel In 1932, Cayce advised the Jews to regard the advent of Fascist anti-Semitism in Europe as the time to fulfill the biblical prophecy which foretold that the Jews would return to Israel. In May of 1948, the nation of Israel was re-established just as Cayce predicted. This was followed by war between Israel and the Arab countries around it. Foretold the discovery of the land from Atlantis Cayce revealed that new land will appear in 1968 or 1969 off the east coast of North America, the socalled "rising of Atlantis". It was in that timeframe that the Bimini Road was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean. Whether this is actually a road or natural, geologic erosion is being hotly debated. Many people believe this to be the actual portion of Atlantis that Cayce was referring to. Cayce maintained that Atlantis was an ancient civilization that was technologically superior to even our own and that its last surviving islands have disappeared somewhere in the Atlantic ocean some ten thousand years ago. Cayce revealed that the size of Atlantis was equal to that of Europe, including Asia in Europe. He saw visions of this continent of the past which had gone through three major periods of division; the first two occurred around 15,600 B.C., when the mainland was divided into islands. The three main islands of Atlantis Cayce named were Poseida, Og and Aryan. He said the people of Atlantis had constructed giant laser-like crystals for power plants, and that these were responsible for the second destruction of the land. Cayce blamed the final destruction of Atlantis and the disintegration of their culture on greed and lust. But before the legendary land disappeared under the waves, Cayce revealed that there was an exodus of many Atlanteans to ancient Egypt. Cayce attributed the Biblical Great Flood of Noah to be a result of the sinking of the last huge remnants of Atlantis. During Cayce's otherworldly journeys, Cayce would often reveal the past lives of those who would come to him for information concerning their health. A number of people who came to Cayce were told by him that they had past lives in the legendary lost land of Atlantis. In fact, Cayce revealed that a vast number of souls who lived past lives in Atlantis have been incarnating to America for a long time now to usher in a new era of enlightened human consciousness. In all, Cayce referred to Atlantis no fewer than seven hundred times over a span of twenty years. Foresaw the collapse of Soviet Union and communism Cayce predicted the failure of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union: "[Through Russia], comes the hope of the world. Not in respect to what is sometimes

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termed Communism or Bolshevism -- no! But freedom -- freedom! That each man will live for his fellow man. The principle has been born there. It will take years for it to be crystallized; yet out of Russia comes again the hope of the world." Cayce's words, despite all disbelief, were fulfilled in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved as a nation, abandoned communism, and instituted economic and political freedom. Foresaw the alliance of Russia and US Cayce foresaw that Russia would one day become America's ally. Russia, he said, would be guided by friendship with the United States. The Soviet Union's attempt to rule "not only the economic, but the mental and spiritual life" of its people was doomed to failure. "..for changes are coming, this may be sure -- an evolution or revolution in the ideas of religious thought. The basis of it for the world will eventually come out of Russia. Not communism, no! But rather that which is the basis of the same as the Christ taught -- his kind of communism." Cayce's vision came true after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Foresaw Russian religious freedom and religious movement Cayce predicted a strong religious movement would come out of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1991, the fall of the Soviet Union and atheistic communism occurred as Cayce predicted. The resulting freedom to practice religion released a flood of Russian spirituality.

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Discovered scientific facts which were later verified to be true Cayce provided many descriptions of the workings of the world and the cosmos. Many of them seemed implausible in his day but during the past 50 years none of Cayce's comments about science or the natural principles of how the cosmos works has been unproven. Many have been proven and more and more of his ideas have come to form the basis of modern science. Cayce described part of the fundamentals of what would become the sciences of weather and earthquake prediction in the later part of the 20th century, easily 30 years ahead of scientists. He predicted the existence of a ninth Planet (Pluto) many years in advance, and the discovery of major quantities of gold on the bottom of the ocean, which was discovered in the 1970's. He also attributed the main cause of motion in the Earth's tectonic plates and crust to the motions and relationships of the planets, which the Trilogy thoroughly documents as an important scientific discovery. Foresaw the rise of major technological industries Closely related to his ability to read science well in advance of its practitioners, Cayce astutely predicted the broad stream of the technological future. He was able to fully describe the major technology industries which would drive the development of the American economy after World War II. Consistently, 10 to 30 years in advance of the economy, while ideas were still in their novelty stage, Cayce advised his clients to focus on all aspects of radio, telegraphy, telephones, communications and electronics industries which were associated with war products, deluxe fine furniture cabinetry for electronic products, composite woods and molded materials, and plastic resins. A man named David Kahn made millions of dollars with this information. The following are some more of Cayce's most astute predictions about science and technology: Discovered the existence of the long economic cycle Cayce described a long term economic cycle of 24 to 25 years which predicts depressions and major recessions. Starting with a base year of 1907, every 24th or 25th year precisely describes an economic downturn. Based on Cayce's definition, the next major depression is forecast for the year 2006 or 2007. The cycle does not describe all of the downturns but it definitely describes the worst downturns. Foresaw a shift of the Earth's poles around the millennium In the late 1920's and early 1930's, Cayce was the first to describe the concept of the shifting of the pole as a result of the crust of the Earth moving independently from the core of the Earth to bring different a surface area over the spin axis. During the past 30 years, this concept has received more and more attention by geophysicists, some of whom now seriously argue that the crust does move independently. Some geophysicists now also argue that the best way to explain a variety of paleo sea-level and other data is that it moves and shifts fairly frequently and more rapidly than previously imagined. Cayce predicted changes to the Earth surface to begin some time between 1958 and 1998. The cause of these dramatic Earth changes will be the shift in the world's magnetic poles around the year 2000. Cayce predicted that when this pole shift occurs it would begin reversals in the world's climate so that: "..where there has been a frigid or semi-tropical climate, there will be a more tropical one, and moss and fern will grow."

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closer together. The NASA article explained that as the ice on the poles melted, ocean currents moved water toward the equator, which factors researchers believe to be partly responsible, in conjunction with shifts in atmospheric patterns, for this ongoing shift in the Earth's magnetic field. This NASA finding affirms Cayce's prediction of a pole shift. Foresaw the rise of the aviation and radio industries In May 1930, despite the deepening depression, Cayce predicted the industries which would become the next U.S. focus of industrial activity: those of the aerial nature; that is, radio and its associations; aerial and its associations. At the time, both the radio and aviation industries were still widely regarded as commercially unproven toys. Foresaw the rise of new communications technologies Cayce foresaw that exceptional changes and improvements would come in the communications and broadcasting industries: he pointed years in advance to the coming of TV, fax, telex, expanded stock ticker-tape services, and microwave transmission on land to replace copper wire. Foresaw the great influence of aviation on the world During the 1930's Cayce told his clients to get out of rails and to get into the air. In February 1933, he named the most outstanding change that would come - airplane manufacturing and transportation industry. In November 1942, Cayce predicted that air transportation will become more and more the basis of ALL relationships with other nations, countries, as well as the internal or national activity. By 1944 he predicted that any town that has any name will eventually be on an airline and when they're off it's as bad as being off the railroad (in another ten to twenty years). Foresaw the development of infra-red vision for night vision Cayce was probably the first human being to describe the concept of infra-red vision. Infrared night vision is now one of the mainstays of U.S. military superiority. Foresaw the union of the radio and telegraph industry Cayce foresaw the rapid integration and expansion of the communication industry which would be driven by the new technology. In October 1935 he predicted that by '39 should be a fact - that is, the united activity of Radio and the Telegraph lines. By the end of the 1930's the ITU had created the technical standards which allowed all forms of communication to inter-operate. In November 1942 he added: "Thus, all communications are a part of this activity. This means not only radio and telegraph (for these must be eventually one) ... but more and more the air as the greater means of communications. With more and more satellite communication facilities coming on line, even in the 1990's, it is more and more the air." Discovered an investment strategy that proved to be successful In March, 1936, Cayce advised investing in allied industrials, that deal with preparations of war materials, for the next few months. But the industrials having to do with communications of all natures, for long terms. Discovered a consumer products strategy that proved to be successful In September, 1942, Cayce advised investing in any electrical appliances, all forms of home appliances, those of greater conveniences, - all of these will offer the greater investment now and for

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the future - for the next few years, at least. These consumer products drove the economy for a long time and companies which manufactured them become huge. It is still true today, in the form of computers and digital electronics. In March, 1944, Cayce again predicted post-war economic leadership for technology in all of the industrial products, including radio, ice box, automobile, lights. He predicted at the same time that TV would become an important consumer product before the TV broadcasting industry had even been conceived. Foresaw the day of his own death The last vision of the future Cayce received concerned himself. His visions would often warn him that he should not use his powers more than twice a day or serious health problems would occur. But because Cayce would receive thousands of requests for help, he would ignore these warnings and help them anyway. Many letters were from mothers who were worried about their sons fighting World War II. Cayce's final vision warned him that the time had come for him to stop working and rest. But on January 1, 1945, Cayce announced that he would be buried in four more days. This was yet another prediction that proved to be true.

Cayce's Visions of the Future That are Yet to Happen The year the battle of Armageddon will occur in the spirit realm (may be happening already) Cayce predicted that the so-called "Battle of Armageddon" described symbolically in the Bible would begin in 1999. Cayce foresaw that this "battle" will not be a war fought on Earth. Rather, it will be a spiritual struggle between the "higher forces of light" and "lower forces of darkness" for 1000 years of Earth time. The reason for this struggle is to prevent souls from lower afterlife realms from reincarnating to Earth. By preventing souls from the lower afterlife realms from reincarnating to Earth, only enlightened souls will be permitted to reincarnate. The result will be 1000 years of building a world of peace and enlightenment. After 1000 years, souls from lower afterlife realms will be permitted once again to reincarnate to Earth. By this time, the so-called "kingdom of heaven" will have been established on Earth. The year of the second coming of Christ (may have already happened) Cayce often maintained that humanity would soon experience a "day of reckoning." He predicted the year of the second coming of Jesus to be 1998. Critics who are not very familiar with the Cayce material have pointed out that 1998 has come and gone and the second coming has not occurred. Such critics wrongly expect the second coming to happen when Jesus appears in the sky with a chorus of angels while Gabriel blows a horn and dead bodies crawl out of their graves. This idea of the resurrection was the result of a misunderstanding of the concept of reincarnation - the ancient concept of birth and rebirth. It is more logical and more realistic for Jesus to make his entrance the same way he did in his previous life - rebirth. For this reason, I believe that Jesus has indeed returned just as Cayce foresaw. If my theory is true then it means that Jesus is currently living on Earth as a young child. Here is why I believe my theory is highly probable: (1) Cayce has a good track record about his predictions - especially the major Earth-changing ones. (2) Cayce was a very spiritual and religious person in love with Jesus. He actually met Jesus on occasion during his afterlife sojourns and had a strong personal relationship with him.

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(3) As a Christian "prophet", the second coming of Christ would be perhaps Cayce's most important prophecy to make. It would seem highly unlikely that he would be so accurate on other prophecies and not accurate on the event his heart was set on most. (4) One particular NDE supports the idea that Jesus has already returned. Dr. Richard Eby had a NDE in which he was told by Jesus that he would not die until Jesus returns. But on December 2, 2002, Eby died. Thus, either Jesus is already here, or Dr. Eby and/or Jesus is lying. The lying theory seems improbable. (5) One particular NDE supports the idea that Jesus is going to return very soon. Angie Fenimore was also given information suggesting that Jesus is to return very soon, if he hasn't done so already. Notice also that Fenimore agrees with Cayce about spiritual warfare going on now. "Humanity is in the final moments before Jesus Christ returns to this Earth. The Earth is being prepared for this event. The war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness are growing so intense on Earth, humanity is in danger of being consumed by the forces of darkness." (Angie Fenimore) (6) There is an ancient prophecy that quite possibly supports Cayce's timeframe for the second coming of Jesus. Nostradamus gave a prophecy that I believe refers to the reincarnation of Jesus. Here it is:

"In the year 1999 and seven months, from the sky will come the Great King of Terror. He will bring back the great king of the Mongols. Both before and after this, war reigns unrestrained." (Nostradamus) (a) Here is my interpretation of this quatrain: In the year 1999, the Great King of Terror (perhaps Jesus) will come from another dimension to be reborn. Jesus will have the king of the Mongols (possibly Genghis Khan) be reincarnated. Before 1999 and after 1999, great wars will break out. (b) Concerning the identity of the King of Terror: Whenever the Bible refers to the "day of the Lord" or "the end of days" or the "end of the age," it always refers to a period of fear, terror, judgment, fire, and brimstone. This is why I interpret the King of Terror to be Jesus. The year 1998 that Cayce gave could be a reference to the conception of Jesus. The year 1999 that Nostradamus gave could be a reference to the birth of Jesus. (c) Nostradamus gives anagrams for the names the three antichrists: The Nostradamus quatrain above describes a king of the Mongols which may be a reference to the final antichrist of which Nostradamus named three of them. They are: "Napaulon Roy" (i.e., Napoleon), "Hister" (i.e., Hitler), and the final one Nostradamus named is "Mabus." (d) Why did Nostradamus use heavy symbolism?: Nostradamus was clever enough to give us the names in a way that we could recognize them without him actually naming them. In his day, the penalty for being a prophet was death. This is why Nostradamus cloaked and scrambled his prophecies in symbols and anagrams so that they can be hidden but still deciphered. (e) Nostradamus names the third antichrist: The identity of "Mabus", the third antichrist, has baffled many Nostradamus buffs. Many current world

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leaders have been suggested to be this Mabus. The identity of this antichrist may become known someday soon - who knows? Here are some ideas from the leading Nostradamus scholar John Hogue.

More Cayce Prophecies for the Future A new field of science will be developed based on a psychic/spiritual phenomenon Cayce predicted in September, 1939, that when there is the same interest or study given to things or phases of mental and spiritual phenomena as has been and is given to the materialized or material phenomena, then it will become just as practical, as measurable, as meter-able, as any other phase of human experience. Cayce did not specify a time frame, he specified a condition, placing as much research emphasis on the spiritual/occult phenomena as material causation. It would be nice to think that Cayce was referring to near-death research which would fit the description of the science he is referring to. Until we know more in the future, we will have to assume that this prediction is still pending. A new discovery in astronomy will occur Cayce provided a major clue that astronomers have not yet taken up: the discovery of the revolution of the solar system around a star system composed of Arcturus and the Pleiades. There is a possibility of a World War III Cayce foresaw the possibility of a third world war. He spoke of strife arising near the Davis Straits, and in Libya, and in Egypt, in Ankara, and in Syria; through the straits around those areas above Australia, in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. Given the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the tensions in the Middle East right now, such a war could certainly be a possibility. Major archeological discoveries concerning human origins will be found Cayce predicted that there will be three profound archeological discoveries of a very ancient and important nature that will revolutionalize the way we understand human origins, cosmology and religion. Cayce stated that this will occur when humanity reaches a higher level of spirituality. The three repositories mentioned are in Egypt (near the Great Pyramid), the Bimini area (where the possible portion of Atlantis has already been discovered), and the Yucatan (the location where the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs). China will become a Christian nation Cayce envisioned a future where China would be the: "the cradle of Christianity as applied in the lives of men." On the surface of it, this prediction appears to completely improbable. This prediction of Cayce's has stumped a lot of people who are not familiar with the Cayce material. Some critics use this prediction to show that Cayce is fallible. The answer to these critics is that, first of all, Cayce has already been

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Cayce's ability have to be perfect in their predictions. This aside, those who are more knowledgeable about the Cayce material knows that the brand of Christianity that Cayce affirmed to be the highest form of Christianity is not modern or traditional Christianity, but rather Gnostic Christianity. This sect of Christians possessed the secret teachings of Jesus that he did not reveal to the general public. Gnostic Christianity resembles Buddhism more than it does traditional Christianity because it involves reincarnation, the divine light within, and concepts that can found in near-death experiences. One of the most respected scholars on the subject of Gnosticism is Elaine Pagels. She noted that the similarities between Gnosticism and Buddhism have prompted some scholars to question their interdependence and to wonder whether "...if the names were changed, the living Buddha appropriately could say what the Gospel of Thomas attributes to the living Jesus." Although intriguing, she rightly maintains that the evidence is inconclusive, since parallel traditions may emerge in different cultures without direct influence. Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, (New York: Random House, 1979, repr. 1989), xx-xxi Since the Chinese communist government has stopped its cultural war against religion and democracy and lifted the restriction on the practice of Buddhism, I see no reason to doubt that Chinese Buddhism will one day become the "Cradle of Christianity." Volcanic activity will proceed major earthquakes "If there are greater activities in [the volcanoes] Vesuvius or Pelee, then the southern coast of California and the areas between Salt Lake and the southern portions of Nevada, we may expect, within the three months following same, inundation by the earthquakes. But these are to be more in the Southern than the Northern Hemisphere." America's west coast will be destroyed The widespread destruction in Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as in many portions of the west coast will occur. Earth changes will occur in the central portion of the United States as well. NDE researcher Dr. Ken Ring discovered that many near-death accounts he was studying foretell future Earth changes such as earthquakes, volcanoes, a pole shift, strange weather patterns, droughts, famines, tidal waves and a new social order followed by a golden age. These NDE visions of the future agree completely with the Cayce predictions described below. The ocean level will rise significantly With the shifting of the Earth's magnetic poles that began in 1998 will come a gradual melting of the polar ice caps and eventually cause inundations of many coastal regions resulting in a drop in the landmass of about 30 feet. In 1941, Cayce elaborated on this effect: "As to conditions in the geography of the world, of the country -- changes here are gradually coming about ... For, many portions of the east coast will be disturbed, as well as many portions of the west coast, as well as the central portion of the U.S. In the next few years land will appear in the Atlantic as well as in the Pacific. And what is the coast line now of many a land will be the bed of the ocean. Even many battle fields of the present will be ocean, will be the seas, the bays, the lands over which The New World Order will carry on their trade as one with another."

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Dramatic changes in coastlines around the world Due to the shifting of the Earth's magnetic poles and natural disasters, dramatic changes such as this will occur: "The Earth will be broken up in the western portion of America. The greater portion of Japan must go into the sea. The upper portion of Europe will be changed as in the twinkling of an eye. Land will appear off the east coast of America. When there is the first breaking up of some conditions in the South Sea and those as apparent in the sinking or rising of that that's almost opposite same, or in the Mediterranean, and the Etna area, then we many know it has begun." Interesting note: In 1991, a series of natural disturbances occurred following the eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily. Soon after the eruption of Mount Etna, volcanic eruptions occurred in the Philippines. These events may not be a fulfillment of Cayce's prediction, but they may be a harbinger of greater Earth changes. Major Earth changes will occur in America Here is a description of these major Earth changes in Cayce's own words: "Portions of the now east coast of New York, or New York City itself, will in the main disappear. This will be another generation, though, here; while the southern portions of Carolina, Georgia -- these will disappear. This will be much sooner. The waters of the lakes will empty into the Gulf, rather than the waterway over which such discussions have been recently made. It would be well if the waterway were prepared, but not for that purpose for which it is at present being considered. Then the area where the entity is now located (Virginia Beach) will be among the safety lands, as will be portions of what is now Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and much of the southern portion of Canada and the eastern portion of Canada; while the western land -- much of that is to be disturbed as, of course much in other lands." A new era of peace and enlightenment will follow the tremendous Earth changes Finally, Cayce foresaw a new era of enlightenment and peace for humanity in the future. Cayce states: "A new order of conditions is to arise; there must be a purging in high places as well as low; and that there must be the greater consideration of the individual, so that each soul being his brother's keeper. Then certain circumstances will arise in the political, the economic, and whole relationships to which a leveling will occur or a greater comprehension of the need for it." "This America of ours, hardly a new Atlantis, will have another thousand years of peace, another Millennium. All this done in the same manner that the prayers of ten just men once saved a city. And then the deeds, the prayers of the faithful will glorify the Father as peace and love will reign for those who love the Lord." Cayce's glimpse of his next incarnation and a view into the future Cayce once had a prophetic dream involving an event in his next incarnation on Earth. It gives us an interesting look into the future: �I had been born again in 2100 A.D. in Nebraska. The sea apparently covered all

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of the western part of the country, as the city where I lived was on the coast. The family name was a strange one. At an early age as a child I declared myself to be Edgar Cayce who had lived 200 years before. Scientists, men with long beads, little hair, and thick glasses, were called in to observe me. They decided to visit the places where I said I had been born, lived, and worked in Kentucky, Alabama, New York, Michigan, and Virginia. "Taking me with them the group of scientists visited these places in a long, cigarshaped metal flying ship which moved at a high speed. "Water covered part of Alabama. Norfolk, Virginia, had become an immense seaport. New York had been destroyed either by war or an immense earthquake and was being rebuilt. Industries were scattered over the countryside. Most of the houses were built of glass. Many records of my work as Edgar Cayce were discovered and collected. "The group returned to Nebraska, taking the records with them to study... These changes in the Earth will come to pass, for the time and times and half times are at an end, and there begins those periods for the readjustments...� From the list of prophecies that Cayce gave which proved successful, his prophecies of the future should be seriously considered. However, Cayce himself stated that the future is not fixed and that human free will makes virtually everything possible. "As each second passed there was more to learn, answers to questions, meanings and definitions, philosophies and reasons, histories, mysteries and so much more, all pouring into my mind. I remember thinking, 'I knew that, I know I did, where has it all been?'" - Virginia Rivers describing her NDE

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Edgar Cayce on Meditation The following is an excerpt from the late great Cayce scholar Elsie Sechrist's book Meditation: Gateway to Light. More information concerning Cayce's insights into meditation can be found at the Cayce research foundation (A.R.E.). Prayer is speaking to God and mediation is listening to God. Mastering the technique of meditation is not easy. There are three keys necessary to succeed in meditation. The three keys to this door of communication with God are sincerity, enthusiasm and perseverance. As for sincerity, ask yourself these questions: Do I really know who and what God is? Do I know him personally as a loving Father, or do I just know about him? More important, does he know me? Are we on speaking terms, or do we just nod occasionally? If we find ourselves answering in the negative to these questions, we may begin to realize how greatly we need him. His promise has ever been that if we believe, live by his laws, he will aid us swiftly when we call, no matter where we happen to be. Enthusiasm is important because it is an inner fire, an inner light seeking its own source. In Webster's dictionary, the origins of the Greek word "enthusiasm" meant to be "inspired, or possessed by a god." In meditation, this inner fire stimulates every cell of the body and every reflex of the brain to listen. How do we evoke enthusiasm for our search for God? By first examining those people who, from the beginning of time, have found him. The Bible tells of man's experiences with God. Studying it in conjunction with efforts at meditation and prayer awakens the necessary enthusiasm to begin. Perseverance is perhaps the most difficult key. We need to keep on, day after day, in the effort to re-establish our communion. When we first attempt to harness the thoughts, to control the body, to sit still, we realize just how much the body controls us, mind and spirit. The purification and control of the spiritual body takes place within the endocrine glands, under the direction of the mind. The Cayce readings and modern science concur that constructive thoughts and emotions release healing hormones into the body and mind. But the Cayce readings go further. They suggest that the endocrine glands are the spiritual centers of the body and that through them our spiritual forces find means of expression. Meditation is a key to opening these spiritual centers. These spiritual centers are: the sex glands, the Lyden gland, the Adrenal glands, the Thymus, the Thyroid, the Pineal and the Pituitary glands. The proper application of the energies illuminates them, transforming the individual into a light in the world.

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Ideals enter the mind when led by the spirit. The Cayce readings remind us over and over again that mind is the builder, led by the spirit we are entertaining, the spirit of God or the spirit of the devil - self. What one thinks and eats, one becomes. Spiritual cleansing begins when the mind is in accord with his spirit. It is across the bridge of the mind that we pass, as we come to know God. Once a soul sets for itself an ideal which is spiritual in essence, every cell in the body is made aware of this and changes begin to take place. Our seven spiritual centers become the points of contact with the divine within; thus we experience a stepping-up of activity in all these centers. We have redirected the use of this energy to its highest function. A refining process has taken place in the body, a lifting of the rate of vibration; these centers now disseminate their energies and hormones to the entire body. As the individual sits in meditation, his mind focused on an affirmation (an ideal), spiritual energy begins to move upward from the sexual glands. Usually, at this point, a pulsation may be felt at the end of the spine. If the spiritual force has been able to rise unhindered and undefiled to the pineal and pituitary, one may experience an incandescence as if the whole body had been filled with light and become transparent. It is at the pineal center that we gradually become oriented to the Christ-presence, where we may even receive the Mind of Christ, depending on the degree of the attunement. This force then flows into the pituitary, from whence, being now in purified form, it flows downward, cleansing and strengthening body and mind. And Jesus also said, "He that believes on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38) The movement of these spiritual forces in meditation are the rivers of living water. The more we become able to still the conscious mind, the more trouble we can expect from the subconscious mind, for it is the conscious mind of the soul. It, too, must be purified. We have stimulated this area of the mind as a result of the ideal we have upheld; attitudes and thoughts previously concealed in the subconscious rise to the surface for examination. Symbols and old familiar scenes begin to flash before us like pictures on a screen. However, this is still only the beginning of meditation. We should not dwell too long on these pictures but press on to the silence. In other words, we must return attention to the affirmation. We may at this point be fascinated by the many faces appearing, or numerous pairs of eyes staring. We may even hear our names called; we may feel as if we were in the midst of a crowd, listening to chatter and laughter. We must not stop there, for we are not yet in real meditation. Of course, it is fascinating at first, for it is an entirely new experience. The sounds, the voices, the pictures, the eyes and faces may all belong to souls already in the beyond who, having seen the light pouring through the open door (the spiritual center), have been attracted. It is much akin to the sensation of looking through a strange keyhole, only to see another eye looking back. Intriguing, perhaps, but neither stands to gain much from such a restricted encounter. We must leave this entertainment behind and "press on to the mark of the high calling," his mark, the superconscious mind, the Christ Consciousness, the Holy Spirit, the "hill of the Lord." Spiritual height is reached by attunement to the Creative Forces in meditation. The release of energy should never be forced by such methods as exercise, or holding the breath, or by focusing one's mind on a special center, or by willing the center to open. When meditation is properly approached, these centers will open voluntarily. The knowledge, power and illumination of the soul which accompany this opening will then be concentrated on the good of others and not to one's own misdoing. The opening of the centers should come only as a result of spiritual growth, not through any abnormal means. Unless the power released is used to express his spirit with and for others, it will but inflame

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our lower natures. The glands of reproduction are the reservoirs of the life force. They house the creative energy of the body. As the individual sits in silence, having lifted his mind by use of the Lord's Prayer (an excellent affirmation), creative energy is released at this level. This energy now carries the stamp of the divine, because both the purpose and the thought which released it were holy. The Lyden gland, control-center of the soul's activity, opens its doors to this energy, enabling the mind of the soul - the subconscious mind - to rise to the level of the pineal, seat of the Christ consciousness. This energy is then transmitted to the other centers of the body by means of the pituitary. As it passes through the centers, it illuminates them. Meditation brings an increase in vigor and improved health. An expansion of consciousness is achieved, and with this expansion comes the realization that we are in eternity now. The realization dawns that indeed there is no death. The only real death is the separation in consciousness of the soul from God. When this has been overcome there is no death, for consciousness is continuous in whatever realm one manifests. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions." (John 14:2) These mansions of God are afterlife levels of consciousness. Where is consciousness? Within the bodies we now occupy, wherever we are. "For you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (2 Cor. 6:16) Through meditation, we may become aware of these afterlife realms of consciousness as in dreams. Therefore, whether we are on this Earth, or in another afterlife realm, the "house of the Lord" is the shell which we occupy. For while God wills that no soul shall perish, he will not force humankind to seek him.

Meditation Tips from Edgar Cayce Meditation is the attuning of the mental and physical body to your spiritual source. Meditation builds a protective barrier around yourself against harmful forces. Meditation will help you manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the white light of the Christ. Meditation allows you to obtain information on any subject and the answer will come from within. Meditation is the way to at-one-ment with God. Constant communication with God through meditation will result in spiritual guidance. During meditation, you can increase the spiritual forces taking place within your inner self. This is necessary to help you attune and become one with the Creative Force just as in the pitch of a song of praise. Raise these spiritual forces in yourself and you will enter the presence of your

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Maker. Attunement through meditation comes not above yourself - but within yourself. No sacrifice is necessary except your desire to be one with God. You will know within yourself when you are in an at-one-ment with God. Read about the promises of Jesus in the book of John, chapters 14-17, to learn about the spirit of light within you to help unlock your inner self. Set definite time periods to listen to the voice of your Maker. Meditate either at 11:00 am to noon in the day or 11:00 pm to midnight in the evening. The best time is 2:00 am to 3:00 am in the morning. (For at least 30 minutes) Meditate facing east (for polarity with the Earth) and in the same place each day. For some people, the song of the spheres is necessary for their comfort in meditation and to rest the senses. Sit or lie in an easy position, without any binding garments around your body. Sit as in readiness. Crucify desires within yourself. Turn yourself inward. Quiet yourself mentally. Cleanse the inner room of your mind. No unkind thoughts are allowed. Shut out all thoughts pertaining to activities or attributes of carnal forces. The hands should always cross the solar plexus, the balancing between the forces of the body, when meditating or seeking to open yourself to the unseen sources. Never open yourself without surrounding yourself with the Christ Consciousness by thought, by word of mouth, by impressing it upon yourself - also for protection. Certain types of breathing are suggested, that there may be an even balance in the respiratory system, that the circulation becomes normal in its flow through the body. With low music or incantations, let yourself go deeper, to the seeing, feeling, experiencing the creative forces of love and enter into the Holy of Holies. Then listen to the music of your inner spiritual centers responding. Enter in the closet of your inner self and pour out your self so that you may be filled with the Spirit of God. Find what is the impelling desire (i.e., your ideal) in your inner self - council with your soul. Make your will to be one with the whole. In your temple, let the voice, the feeling, the spirit of your purpose be free in its direction to yourself.

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Meditate on the fruits of the Spirit in the inner secrets of the consciousness and the cells in the body will become aware of the awakening of the life in their activity. Only in patience can you become aware of your soul's activity. Attune yourself almost in the same manner as you would tune a violin for harmony. Seek God's face and God's ways. When you are fully attuned, let your intonations, breathing, and posture be rather an outgrowth of your attunement. As the body attunes itself, it may be a channel where there may be instant healing with the laying on of hands. Voices can be heard when attuning yourself during meditation. Visualizing while attuned in meditation can influence others. Many people meet their spirit guide during their first experience of meditation. Do not be satisfied with a guide other than one from the Throne of Grace itself. After raising your consciousness, God meets you in your own temple (the Holy of Holies, the third eye). No one can know attunement who has not developed their inner self. If we fail to apply what is given us in meditation, the body will act!

"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." - Edgar Cayce

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Edgar Cayce on Dreams Cayce was able to obtain virtually an unlimited amount of knowledge on an unlimited number of subjects. One of these subjects was dreams and dream interpretation. Cayce was able to astound people by interpreting their dreams and giving them insight into their psyche, lives and even past lives. Cayce revealed that dreams are actually journeys into the spirit world. Edgar Cayce once said, "Dreams, visions, impressions, to the entity in the normal sleeping state are the presentations of the experiences necessary for the development, if the entity would apply them in the physical life. These may be taken as warnings, as advice, as conditions to be met, conditions to be viewed in a way and manner as lessons, as truths, as they are presented in the various ways and manners." Each night the average person spends approximately ninety minutes in a dream state. Some of us can remember all or most of our dreams, and others have trouble remembering even a snippet from one of our nightly sojourns. The dream state is an experimental playground which gives you a chance to explore and express emotions without the usual inhibitions you may display in your waking life. Dreams provide an avenue of expression for that part of yourself that knows both your history and your potential as a spiritual being. They are another way the universe provides guidance about relationships, careers, and health problems. Through dreams you may find answers to your spiritual questions and even receive encouragement to some challenge in your life. While some dreams may allow you to release bottled emotions from your day's activities, others can lead to profound insights in a psychological or spiritual way. However, Carl Jung said dreams are "the main source of all of our knowledge about symbolism." This means that the messages you receive from your dreams are expressed symbolically and must be interpreted to find their true meanings. Mark Thurston, executive director for Edgar Cayce's research foundation and author of the book, Dreams: Tonight's Answers for Tomorrow's Questions, says, "A dream symbol is the very best way for your unconscious self to communicate to your conscious self. The particular image chosen - be it an object, a person, an animal, or whatever - has shades of meaning and personal associations that make it the best communicator of some truth about yourself." Ancient Chinese tradition held that it is your spiritual soul which creates your dreams and leaves the body to travel to other realms and meet other souls. They and other ancient cultures, including the Greeks, erected dream temples for seekers to find guidance about their lives. Many times purification rituals as well as other rites of preparation were performed by the seeker prior to entering the temple and the dream state. Upon awakening, the seeker consulted with the temple dream interpreters. Cayce believed that our dreams serve several functions. Somatic dreams - dreams referring to the body - are extremely important to be mindful of. Very often dreams will offer solutions to health problems. For example, one man was plagued with food allergies for many years, but was unable to find the source of his discomfort. Then one night he went to bed and he dreamed of a can of coffee. He quit drinking coffee and his symptoms disappeared. Jung says that rarely do the symbols in dreams have just one meaning. And when interpreting the messages in your dreams, he suggests going with your first hunch, relying on your intuitive abilities, before applying more rational methods of dream interpretation.

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Cayce also believed that deceased friends and family members do occasionally visit us in our dream state. These occurrences may offer direct communication with those people or allow us to resolve our feelings about their death. The person may also represent some aspect of ourselves. One man reports that occasionally he hears a voice in his dreams. This voice usually is loud and strong and is not associated with any characters in his dreams. "Typically, I'm told something very specific to do or not to do," he relates. "I know this is God speaking to me - loud and clear. And I know I'd better listen." Morton Blumenthal, who received more dream interpretations from Cayce than anyone else - often reported dreams of a disembodied voice, which offered counsel. Cayce usually indicated this was input from the Creative Forces, God. For example, in one dream, Blumenthal dreamt of a figure leading him by the hand, and a voice which said, "The Lord will lead you - but you must ..." He had forgotten the rest of what was said to him, but Cayce interpreted it as follows: "As in this, as is seen, again and again, the entity receives that reassurance of the higher forces guiding, guarding, and directing the entity in its actions, as it were, with the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night." Blumenthal also had a fascinating dream in which God came to visit him. To the dreamer's surprise, God was a modern businessman. Cayce's interpretation pointed out that God was someone with whom we can "do business." God is not only transcendent but also actively involved in human affairs. It was a powerful message and, in a sense, a wonderful revelation from the divine.

More Cayce on Dreams The following is an excerpt from the excellent book by Harmon Bro entitled Cayce on Dreams. During the dreaming state of sleep, we experience the different levels of consciousness and receive input from the different realms of the spirit world. Through dreaming, we have special access to our spirit within. According to the Cayce readings, there is not a question we can ask which cannot be answered from the depths of our inner consciousness when the proper attunement is made. A dream may be of a physical, mental, or spiritual nature and may deal with all manner of psychic manifestations. These include telepathy, clairvoyance, prophetic visions, out of body traveling, remembrance of past lives, communication with beings in other realms including deceased friends and relatives, spirit guides, angels, Christ, and even the voice of God. Dreams can also give invaluable information on the status of the body. All subconscious minds are in contact with one another. Through the subconscious, dreams may place us in attunement with those in the physical realm or those in the spiritual realm. We may be visited in the night by discarnate entities for many reasons: they may seek to give us assurance about their well-being in other realms of existence; they may come seeking our aid through prayer; they may come to bring us information which may be very helpful or limited; or they may come to influence us with their own desires or perspectives, which may be helpful or harmful. For example, there are dream reports of deceased relatives appearing and giving instructions about where to find a will or a lost object. The events we experience in the third-dimension are, as it were, a "past condition" because this dimension is simply a projection or a reflection of what is being built at another higher level.

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Therefore, when we tune into these higher levels, as we may in dreams, we become aware of what is being built, and what may be projected into the physical in the future. Nothing of importance happens to us that is not foreshadowed in our dreams. Which is not to say that all dreams are precognitive or that the exact detail of everything we experience is given earlier in dreams. However, the word "foreshadowed" suggests that we may glimpse and be warned of what we are building now which may come into manifestation later. We call these dreams "precognitive" or "prophetic." Just as the angels spoke to people in dreams in the times of the Bible, the spirit world still speaks to people to this day. Some people came to Cayce with dreams of Christ. None was told that it was simply his imagination, but all were assured they were indeed in touch with him. There is no dimension of human life, whether social, financial, emotional or physical, mental or spiritual with which the dream may not on occasion deal. Dreams may encourage or reprimand, instruct or deceive, inspire or seduce, guide or confuse. The potential for an immense array of experiences in consciousness is always there. What we actually receive depends upon our attitudes, motivations, the measure of our attunement, and the extent to which we have made applicable what was received in earlier dreams and in waking experiences. Many people came to Cayce to have their dreams interpreted. An example was the dream of a young man about his father-in-law, who had recently taken his own life. In the dream a voice commented: "He is the most uncomfortable fellow in the world." Then the dreamer was shown his own baby crying for food. The image was to convey the dead man's hunger for guidance and spiritual sustenance, said Cayce. The next night the dreamer heard the man's own voice, together with "a wandering impression of restlessness." The voice said: "I seek rest. I want to leave and be with my family down there." Again Cayce said the dream contact had been authentic, showing the dreamer how much his prayers were needed for the father-in-law, who was still an "earthbound" discarnate. He added that the reason the discarnate was turning towards people in earthly life was that "the lessons are learned from that realm, see?" It was a point Cayce often made, that souls who had once entered the Earth had to learn their final lessons in the Earth, where will is called into play in a fashion different from existence on other realms. Yet contact between the dead and the living can be joyous. Sometimes it occurs because the dead want to show the living what death is like, to take away their fear and grief. Exploring the possible reality of such contact, one dreamer had her side pinched by a discarnate friend, so vividly that she screamed in fright, while another had his toe pulled when he asked for it - and did not ask again. One dream took a man inside the brain of a woman dying of cancer, a relative, and showed him precisely what a relief death was, when it finally came. A later dream also showed him how a soul feels when awakening to consciousness after death. Discarnates are not only rewarded by recognition from the living, they can experience the joy of teaching the living. They can also, in relatively unusual cases, work directly with the living for the fulfillment of worthy causes. The dead differ from the living only in this respect: they are in a permanently subconscious state because the conscious mind of the physical body no longer exists. But the body is an expendable shell, and all else is intact. On the astral level of existence, the subconscious mind replaces the conscious mind of the soul, and the superconscious replaces the subconscious. Hence, in dreams, we find that communication with those who have passed on is more logical than the average person is able to comprehend. The following are more excerpts from spirit communications in dreams as told to Edgar Cayce and interpreted: One man related to Cayce:

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"Both my mother and father [deceased] came to me and were so glad to see me, but then they told me my sister had committed suicide." Cayce replied in trance: "This dream presents to the entity, through the mother and father both dead, the thoughts being entertained by the sister because of dissatisfaction to meet properly the conditions in her life. And as seen, the father and mother depend upon you to so instruct, to so direct, and to so counsel your sister. Give the sister spiritual counsel so that she may better understand, thereby enabling her to grow; otherwise, detrimental experiences will destroy her. Suicide is in her mind. Remember, too, that thoughts are deeds in the mental realm, and they increase or mar the activities of the higher self." [136-70] A woman related to Cayce this dream: "I dreamed my mother told me I should warn Aunt Helen against an accident between an automobile and a streetcar. My mother then became ill." Cayce replied in trance: "This is a warning. Tell Aunt Helen about it. If she observes the warning, and stays out of automobiles and streetcars until the waning of the moon, it will not happen. Warn her, then, for this is a direct communication from one in the spiritual realm to one in the physical realm. This attunement is made when the conscious mind is subjugated, as in meditation or in sleep, and an attunement with the universal forces is established. This is also an illustration of the ability of those in the spiritual realm to see the future." [136-48] Perhaps the most common dream experience in spirit communication according to Cayce is related by the message which in essence says: "I am fine and happy. Your grief, however, is holding me back and making me sad. You can help me greatly by trying to overcome your sorrow. You must stop grieving!"

Dream Analysis Tips from Edgar Cayce Keep a notebook beside the bed. Record your dreams as soon as possible after waking. Suggest to yourself every night as you fall asleep, "I will remember my dreams." If you wake during the night, write down the main symbols, and the entire dream will usually come back in the morning. Practice keen observation in your dreams through self-suggestion prior to sleep. Look for these components in your dreams: the setting, the people, the action, the color, the feeling, and the words. Work on analyzing your dreams every day, otherwise their progression will be difficult to assess. If dreams are illogical, three reasons are possible:

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(1)

Only the fragments of the dream have been recalled.

(2)

The dream is reflecting something illogical in the dreamer's life.

(3)

Mental blocks have erased your recall.

If you are unable to decipher an important dream, suggest to yourself, before your next sleep, that the dream repeat itself more clearly. Nightmares, which bring with them an inability to move or cry out, usually indicate the wrong diet. To end the nightmarish dreams change your diet. Dreams that are unchanged through the years indicate the dreamer's resistance to change. Dreams of ill health can be either literal or symbolic warnings. When a problem confronts you, ask by prayer for guidance to be sent to you through your dreams. Be practical in your interpretations. Always look first for a lesson. What have you refused to face or been ignoring? Observe carefully recurrent dreams, as well as the serially progressive ones. These often illustrate progress or failure. Dreams are the reaction of the inner self to daytime activity and often show the way out of the dilemma. So relate them to current activity, because dreams may be retrospective as well as prospective. Dreams come to guide and help, not to amuse. They direct your attention to errors of omission and commission and offer encouragement for right endeavors. They also give us the opportunity to pray for others and to help them bear their burdens. If you receive an unusual message, reduce it to common terms. See if the symbolism of the Bible can be of help in interpreting the dream. Look for past-life experiences in your dreams. These manifest themselves not only in color, but in the proper costume and setting of their period. They come to warn you against repeating the same old mistakes; to explain your relationship and reactions to certain people and places; to reduce your confusions; to enable you to better understand life. Do not fear conversation with the so-called "dead" in dreams. If the communication is one-sided, it denotes telepathy. If both participate, it may be an actual encounter of bodiless consciousness. Dreams are primarily about self. Only a few dreams relate to family, friends, and world events. Watch for mental telepathy in dreams. Remember, persistence is necessary to learn any new language, and dream symbols are the forgotten language of the subconscious.

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Give daily thanks to God for all things and use daily prayer to improve the quality and reception of your dreams.

Other Dream Information Cayce's dream interpretation of the Book of Revelation

The dream and afterlife connection A dream induced near-death experience Kevin Williams' after-death communication dream

How to Interpret Your Dreams It would seem that sensory experiences are permanently recorded by our subconscious mind, even though we remain consciously unaware of them. Under hypnosis, eyewitnesses to a crime are able to recall detailed facts that they had previously been unable to remember. Asleep or awake, the subconscious, like the tape recorder, registers continuously. This is because the senses are awarenesses of the inner self which never sleeps. This may also explain why associations with some symbols appearing in dreams are difficult to interpret – they are not consciously observed. Dreams symbols, such as a house, a bird, or a friend, always represent much more than that which first meets the eye. This is why the beginner can benefit from help received from those who have made a serious study of dreams. Carl Jung voiced much the same thought when he said that, if one understands symbols, one can understand the dream as much by empathy as by formal analysis. The ideal, however, is for the individual himself to learn to understand his dreams by writing them down. Dreams are more easily understood in series. Dream researchers have discovered that three or even four of the dreams each night often relate to the same basic problem or subject, but in different symbols. It is also helpful not only to pray for guidance, but also to learn to meditate. Meditation, which is the art of listening with the ego subdued, improves the clarity of dreams, expands the consciousness, and encourages extrasensory perceptions by breaking down the barriers between the conscious mind and the subconscious and superconscious. Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of symbology is that it is a universal language, teaching and preserving permanent basic truths. What shorthand is to words, symbology is to ideas. This is especially true of religious concepts.

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According to Edgar Cayce, the Book of Revelation is a compilation of the Apostle John's dreams and visions while he was in exile. It illustrates his growth in consciousness as he sought, through meditation and prayer, to fully comprehend the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in his life. The following are many of the dreams symbols Cayce encountered from all those who came to him to have their dreams interpreted. Each dream symbol and its meaning are given. If you cannot find the dream symbol in the list below, visit the Edgar Cayce Dream Dictionary website.

Dream Symbol Index Situations

Body

Clothing

Vehicles

Buildings

In the House

Nature

Animals

Birds

Trees

Flowers

Numbers

Colors

Miscellaneous

"Each soul enters with a mission. We all have a mission to perform." - Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce on Human Origins Edgar Cayce revealed volumes of psychic material, much of which was verified to be true to the amazement of doctors and scientists. Cayce discovered at a young age that he could go into hypnosis and travel to other realms to obtain psychic information on any subject. He claimed that anyone could do what he did with the proper training and attunement. He would go into a hypnotic trance that would induce a near-death experience. During his near-death experiences he was able to tap into a virtually unlimited amount of information which he referred to as the "Universal Mind". He was able to reveal previously unknown information on a wide range of subjects such as: astrology, the afterlife, religion, the future, consciousness, and human origins, just to name a few. The following information on human origins was revealed to Cayce during his excursions while out of the body and as told in Thomas Sugrue's book, There is a River. Because of the archaic language used in Cayce's description, I have paraphrased it slightly, without losing any of original meaning, to make it easier to read.

People usually demand a beginning, so in the beginning there was a sea of spirit and it filled all of space. The spirit was static, content, and aware of itself. It was a giant resting on the bosom of its thought and contemplating what it is. Then the spirit moved into action. It withdrew into itself until all of space was empty. In the center, the restless mind of the spirit shone. This was the beginning of the individuality of the spirit. This was what the spirit discovered itself to be when it awakened. This spirit was God. God desired self-expression and desired companionship; therefore, God projected the cosmos and souls. The cosmos was built with music, arithmetic, geometry, harmony, system, and balance. The building blocks were all of the same material - the life essence. It was the power of God that changed the length of its wave and the rate of its vibration which created the patterns for multitudes of forms. This action resulted in the law of diversity which supplied endless patterns. God played on this law of diversity as a pianist plays on a piano - producing melodies and arranging them in a symphony.

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Each design carried within it the plan for its evolution. This plan corresponds to the sound of a note struck on a piano. The sounds of several notes unite to make a chord; chords in turn become phrases; phrases become melodies; melodies intermingle and move back and forth, across and between and around each other, to make a symphony. Then in the end, the music will stop and the physical universe will be no more; but between the beginning and the finish of the music there was glorious beauty and a glorious experience. The spiritual universe will continue. Everything assumed its design in various forms and their activity resulted in the law of attraction and repulsion. All forms would attract and repel each other in their evolutionary dance. All things are a part of God and an expression of God's thought. The Mind of God was the force which propelled and perpetuated these thoughts. All minds, as thoughts of God, do everything God imagined. Everything that came into being is an aspect of the One Mind. The souls of individuals were created for companionship with God (the Whole). The pattern that God used to create souls was the pattern of God's own Spirit. The spirit is life. From the spirit, the mind builds patterns. From the mind, the physical creation is the result. This is how the spirit, the mind, and individuality, became the pattern for souls. This is how cause, action, and effect became the pattern for everything. First there was the spirit (the first cause); then there was the action which withdrew spirit into itself; then there was the resulting individuality of God. The spirit of the individual existed before their soul was created. The spirit keeps the knowledge of its identity with God. The soul has the ability to experience the activities of the mind in a manner separate from God. Thus, new individuals issued from God and remained dependent upon God; but individuals were also aware of an existence apart from God. Individuals were given the power to choose and direct their own activity. Without free will, it would only remain a part of the individuality of God. The mind, issuing as a force from God, would naturally fulfill God's thoughts, unless directed otherwise. The power to do this - to direct the force of mind individually from God - is free will. And the record or memory of this freedom is the soul. The soul began with its first expression of free will through the force of mind. The first thought that the spirit generated of free will (i.e., the first diversion of the force of mind from its normal path of unity with God) was the beginning of the soul. The nucleus of the soul was the balance of positive and negative forces that are equal in power. These forces produce harmonious activities: the positive initiating, impregnating, and thrusting forward; the negative receiving, nourishing, and ejecting. The steps of this evolutionary process are also the stages of the thought process: perception, reflection, and opinion. Thus, the soul consists of two states of consciousness: (1) the spirit which bears a knowledge of its identity with God, and (2) the soul which bears a knowledge of everything it experienced. The plan for the soul is a cycle of experience that is unlimited in scope and duration. Through this evolutionary cycle, the soul will come to know the creation in all its aspects at the discretion of the will. The cycle would be completed when the desire of the will was no longer different from the thought of God. The consciousness of the soul would then merge with its spiritual consciousness of its identity with God. Then the soul will return to its source as the companion it was intended to be. As a companion, the soul would remain conscious of its separate individuality and would be aware of its own free will as it now acted as a part of God, but not diverting its mind because it was in agreement with God's influence on the mind of the soul. Until this state of at-one-ment was reached, the soul would not be a companion in the true sense of the word.

Returning to God

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The idea that returning to God means a loss of individuality is paradoxical, since God is aware of everything that happens and must therefore be aware of the consciousness of each individual. The return of the soul is the return of the image to that which imagined it. The consciousness of the individual - its soul record - could not be destroyed without destroying a part of God. When a soul returns to God it becomes aware of itself not only as a part of God, but as a part of every other soul, and everything. What is lost is the ego - the desire to do other than the desire of God. When the soul returns to God, the ego is voluntarily relinquished. This is the symbology behind the crucifixion of Christ. The plan for the soul included experiencing of all creation, but it did not necessarily mean participating in all forms and substance. Nor did it mean that souls can interfere with the creation. Nor did it mean that souls are to spin their own little worlds, twisting and bending laws to make images of their dreams. But these things could happen. The soul was the greatest thing that God made because it has free will. Once free will was given, God did nothing to curb it. However it acted, it had to act within God's reality. By whatever route, the soul will return to God. The fact that the human body is a speck of dust on a small planet in a universe of galaxies can lead to the illusion that humans are a small creation. But the soul is the unlimited activity of the mind and the grandeur of imagination. At first there was little difference between the consciousness of the new individual (i.e., soul) and its consciousness of identity with God (i.e., spirit). Souls merely watched the flow of the Mind, somewhat as people daydreaming, marveling at its power and versatility. Then souls began to act itself, imitating and paralleling what Mind was doing. Gradually souls acquired experience, becoming a complementary rather than an imitative force. It helped to extend, modify, and regulate creation. Certain souls became aggressive with their own power and began to experiment with it. They mingled with the dust of the stars and the winds of the spheres - feeling them - and becoming part of them. One result of this was an unbalance between the positive and negative forces. To feel things demanded the negative force. To express through things (and directing and managing them) required the positive force. Another result of souls becoming aggressive with their own power was the gradual weakening of the link between the two states of consciousness (i.e., spirit and the soul). Some souls became more concerned with and aware of their own creations rather than God's. This resulted in the fall of certain souls to an even lower consciousness. The Bible allegorically refers to this event as the Fall in the Garden of Eden and the revolt of the angels in the Book of Revelation. This event is also the basis for the cosmology of Christian Gnosticism and Jewish mysticism. To enter into another level of creation and become part of it, the soul had to assume a new, or third consciousness - a physical form. Assuming a physical form is a way of experiencing that level of creation by means of a conscious mind (i.e., the third consciousness). Through the conscious mind, an individual can experience physical consciousness: the physical body, the five senses, the glandular and nervous systems. This transformation of consciousness does not apply everywhere at this level of creation. In other worlds and solar systems, the transformation may differ. One can only imagine the number of these other worlds and the aspects of divine mind which they represent. When a soul enters into another level of creation and its consciousness, it separated itself temporarily from the consciousness of its own soul, and became even further removed from the consciousness of its spirit. Thus, instead of helping to direct the flow of creation and contributing to it, the soul found itself in the stream and drifting along with it. The farther the soul traveled from the shore, the more it succumbed to the pull of the current and the more difficult was the task of getting back to land. Planets and solar systems became a temptation to souls. Each solar system had its own course and its own plan. Souls moved toward them through the activity of a constant stream of mind. When a soul leaped into the stream (by immersing itself in the system through which the stream was flowing)

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it had the force of the current to contend with, and its free will was hampered. It was very easy, under these circumstances, to drift with the current. Each solar system also represents an opportunity for development, advancement, and growth toward the ideal of complete companionship with God - the position of co-creator in the vast system of universal mind. Our solar system also attracted souls. Since each solar system is a single expression of the divine, with its planets as integral parts, the Earth came into the path of souls. Each solar system in the universe is like an atom in a universe of worlds. Atoms have quantum levels for electrons to travel around. The sun has "quantum levels" for planets to travel around. The planets of our solar system are physical representations of heavenly dimensions. These levels as a whole are the consciousness of our solar system. There are nine planetary/heavenly dimensions to the consciousness of our solar system. The planet Earth represents the third dimension. Earth represents three-dimensional life in our solar system. The Earth is an expression of Divine Mind with its own laws, its own plan, and its own evolution. Souls, longing to feel the beauty of the seas, the winds, the forest, and the flowers, mixed with them and expressed themselves through them. They also mingled with the animals, and made thought forms in imitation of them. Souls played at creating and imitated God. But this interfered with the evolutionary plan of the Earth. Thus, the stream of mind that was carrying out this plan for the Earth gradually drew souls into its current. Souls had to evolve into the bodies they had themselves created. This entanglement of souls into physical form was a probability from the beginning. But God did not know when it would happen until the souls, of their own free will, had caused it to happen. All souls that exist were created by God in the very beginning. None has been made since. This means all souls on this planet, pre-existed before birth. Of the souls which God created, only a comparative few have entered into the experience of our solar system. Many other souls have gone through or are going through a similar entanglement in other solar systems in the universe. A way to liberate the souls that were entangled in matter was created. A physical form became available as a vehicle for the soul on Earth. A way became available for souls to enter the Earth and experience it as part of their evolutionary/reincarnation cycle. Of the physical forms already existing on Earth, a species of anthropoid ape most nearly approached the necessary pattern. Souls descended on these apes - hovering above and about them rather than inhabiting them - and influenced them to move toward a different goal from the simple one they had been pursuing. They came down out of the trees, built fires, made tools, lived in communities, and began to communicate with each other. Eventually they lost their animal look, shed bodily hair, and took on refinements of manner and habit. The evolution of the human body occurred partly through the soul's influence on the endocrine glands until the ape-man was a three-dimensional objectification of the soul that hovered above it. Then the soul fully descended into the body and Earth had a new inhabitant: the homo sapien. Homo sapiens appeared in five different places on Earth at the same time, as the five races. This evolved human is what the Bible refers to as "Adam". When souls incarnated into physical form, it would bring the divine consciousness (i.e., the spirit) in with it. Cayce referred to this divine consciousness as the "Christ Consciousness" or "Buddhahood" or the "superconsciousness". Christ consciousness has little to do with the personality known as Jesus. It means that a person has attained a complete human-divine unity. This human-divine unity has been attained by many people thus far - one such person was Jesus. The problem for the soul entangled in flesh was to overcome the attractions of the Earth to the extent that the soul would be as free in the body as out of it. Only when the body was no longer a hindrance to the free express of the soul would the cycle of Earth be finished. This is the condition of having a perfect unity of the human with the divine.

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In a smaller field, this was the evolutionary drama of free will and creation. In a still smaller field, each atom of the physical body is a world in itself where a drama of free will and creation is occurring. The soul brings life into each atom, and each atom is a physical reflection of the soul's pattern. With the advent of consciousness, humans became aware that sex meant something more to them than to the animals. Sex is the "door" which new souls enter the Earth, a door unnecessary in other heavenly planetary/realms. Sex is the only means which trapped souls have of being liberated from their predicament - through the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The plan for the Earth cycle of souls was a limited series of incarnations with periods in between of dwelling in other heavenly dimensions of consciousness. Reincarnation would continue until a soul's every thought and action of the physical body was in accord with the plan originally laid out for the soul (i.e., a human-divine unity, Christ consciousness). When the body was no longer a hindrance to the free expression of the soul - when the conscious mind had merged with the subconscious, the Earth cycle was finished and the soul liberated to move on to new adventures. This conquest of the physical body could not be attained until there was perfection in the other dimensions of consciousness that is a physical representation of our solar system. Astrologically, the goal for the soul is to attain a level of consciousness that represents the total expression of the sun and its planets. Whichever level of consciousness that the soul assumes, it becomes the focal point of activity. The other states of consciousness receded to the position of urges and influences. The human race was fostered by a soul who had completed his experience of creation, attained Christhood, returned to God, and became a companion to God and a co-creator. This is the soul known as Jesus. The first evolutionary transformation of ape-men to homo sapiens is who the Bible refers to as "Adam". This was the beginning of the divine consciousness into flesh on the Earth. The soul known as Jesus, was one of the first souls to enter into one of the Adamic races. The soul of Jesus was interested in the plight of its fellow souls trapped in Earth. After supervising the influx of souls into flesh, the Christ soul took form itself, from time to time, to act as a leader for the people. At first, these souls just slightly inhabited the bodies of ape-men while remembering their true identities as spirit beings. But gradually, after many incarnations, these souls descended even further into physical consciousness and the result was a decrease in their spiritual mentality. They remembered their true selves only in dreams and in fables that were handed down from one generation to another. Religion came into being as a ritual of longing for lost spirit memories. The arts were born which included music and geometry. This knowledge was brought into the world from incoming souls who gradually forgot their heavenly source. This knowledge had to be written down, learned, and taught to each new generation. Finally, humans were left with a conscious mind that was separated from their own individuality as souls. This individual identity as a soul became the subconscious mind. The individual identity or awareness of the physical world became the conscious mind. The subconscious mind (i.e., the soul) influenced the conscious mind and gave it its stature and quality. The subconscious mind dwelt in the "suit of clothes" that is the physical body and only in sleep is it disrobed. Conscious minds, left to its own influence, will work out the plans and desires of God. Humans eventually developed theories for what they felt was true, but no longer knew to be true. The result was the creation of philosophy and theology. Humans searched and discovered higher knowledge which they carried within themselves but could no longer reach with the conscious mind. This resulted in the creation of science. Humans evolved from having an awareness of higher spirit knowledge to having only mystical dreams, revealed religions, philosophy and theology. This evolution of consciousness ultimately

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reached a plateau and humans generally only believed what they could see and feel and prove in terms of their conscious minds. Then humanity began the struggle of regaining this higher knowledge. Meanwhile, the Christ soul continued to teach and lead humanity by incarnating as the Biblical characters named Adam, Enoch, and Melchizedek. Enoch and Melchizedek experienced neither birth nor death. Then Christ soul realized after these incarnations that it was necessary to give humanity a pattern by which they could follow in order to return to God. The Christ soul achieved this goal by incarnating as the personality known as Jesus, who became victorious over the death of the physical body by laying aside the ego, accepting the crucifixion of the body in order to return to God. Jesus created a pattern for humans to follow. Through the acts of leading a perfect life and becoming unjustly killed, this reversed the negative karma (i.e., the law of God, an eye for an eye) which came from Jesus' first incarnation as Adam. At present, humanity is in a state of great spiritual darkness - the darkness which precedes dawn. Humanity developed a level of skepticism that reached a point where it forced humans to make conclusions that they knew was intuitively wrong. At the same time, humanity continued their investigation of natural phenomena to the point where conscious awareness disproved all the higher knowledge that souls had in the beginning. The free will of humanity is discovering that all roads to higher knowledge is leading toward the same destination and conclusions. Scientific, theological, and philosophical knowledge, which has no desire to join forces, are approaching a point of merger. Skepticism faces destruction by its own hand. Humanity is at all times the total of what they have been and done, what they have fought and defended, and what they have hated and loved. In the three-dimensional consciousness of every human, in every atom of the human body, is a reflection of the soul and a crystallization of their individuality. Their emotional and nervous structures, their mental abilities, aptitudes, aversions, preferences, fears, follies, ambitions, and character, are the sum of what humans have done with their free will. This makes every personality, as the earthly "cloak" of an individuality, is different from every other personality. The law of karma, which is Earth's law of cause and effect ("of reaping what one sows") also makes humans different from one another in their joys and sorrows, in their handicaps, their strengths, their weaknesses, their virtues and vices, their appreciation of beauty, and their comprehension of truth. Transgressions that humans make in life must be corrected in life, if not in the same life, then in a future incarnation. The Earth's natural law, not the law humanity or God, demands an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This same law applies to groups of people, as they act together. There is karma for families, for tribes, for races, and for nations. For example, when a nation of individuals started a war in a previous life and are reincarnated, a war will be committed upon that nation. Only when such a nation is defeated in humility by a nation with justice and mercy, will the karma of war be lifted from the defeated nation. Every person's life is shaped to some extent by karma: their own, their associates, their loved ones, their nation, their race, and the entire world itself. But karma is not greater than free will. It is what a person does with these influences and urges, how they react to them, which makes the difference in their soul development. Because of karma, some things are more probable than others, but as long as there exists free will, anything is possible. Thus free will and predestination coexist within human beings. Their past experiences limit them in probability and incline them in certain directions, but free will can always "draw the sword from the stone." The combination of free will and predestination means that humans freely choose their own predetermined destiny to return to God. No soul incarnates without having a general plan for the life to be experienced. The personality that a person expresses in life is only one of the many personalities (i.e., facets of the soul) that a person

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could express. The mission of every soul is to work on one or several facets of the soul's karma (which can be thought of as the soul's memory of its prior actions). A soul does not choose a mission that is more than it can handle or that is too much for the personality assigned to or chosen by the soul. Some souls can freely choose their own conditions in which to be born and complete their missions. Other souls who have made too many mistakes in past lives and who have become dangerously influenced by worldly desires, are incarnated into conditions chosen by law of karma at a time and under circumstances that are best suited to help them with their karmic debt. Their mission is seldom perfectly fulfilled because of the such a soul's large amount of negative karma. Their mission is sometimes badly neglected. The circumstances and conditions that a soul chooses to incarnate into is usually made at conception, when a channel for a soul's expression is opened by the parents. When this occurs, a pattern is made by the mingling of the soul patterns of the parents. This sets up certain karmic conditions. A soul whose own karma approximates these karmic conditions will be attracted to the opportunity presented. Since the karmic pattern created by the parents will not be exactly the same the incarnating soul's own karma, the soul must take on some of the karma of the parents. Conditions other than the created pattern are conditions that the soul must consider when choosing a body to be born with. Such conditions include: the future of the incarnated person's life, former associations with the parents, the incarnation of souls that it wishes to incarnate with, live with, and with whom the soul will have problems to work out with. In some cases the parents are the only reason for a some souls to incarnate. Such a child will be devoted to them and remain close to them. The child then completes its mission by dying so that the child's death can teach the parents very valuable lessons in life and of spirit. In other cases, the parents are only used as a means for which the child can leave home and go about its business in completing its mission. The soul may actually occupy a fetus as early as three months after conception or even as late as a month after birth. In the latter case, the soul hovers over the infants body since birth to decide whether or not to occupy it. Once the decision is made and the occupation completed, the separation between the conscious mind (i.e., personality) and subconscious mind (i.e., the soul) takes place and the soul record (i.e., memory) of the child begins. The fact that some babies are miscarried does not mean that it was refused as a vehicle for a soul. Just the opposite is true. The opportunity to incarnate was taken away from the soul due to natural forces and this made the occupation of that body impossible. The personality is a facet of the soul's individuality experienced in three-dimensional consciousness (i.e., body, soul, spirit). The other facets of the soul remains in shadow - in the background. It gives tone to the personality through its urges, appreciations, tastes, avocations, and intuition. A particular personality of an individual is shaped by three or four incarnations. The emotions and talents of a person reflects these past incarnations. A person's dreams, visions, and meditations are reflections of the soul's experience in other dimensions (i.e., heavenly realms) of consciousness associated physically by our solar system. The human intellect was created from the stars and planets. The intellect is the mind force of the soul which is conditioned by its previous incarnations on Earth and its experiences in other dimensions and even in other solar systems. The intellect becomes dimmed or brightened by its recent experiences within the three-dimensional consciousness of the solar system and the experiences within other dimensional realms of consciousness. Thus, a personality is only a facet of the soul. The soul may incarnate as any facet to express that portion of itself. As a soul approaches its completion of the solar cycle of consciousness, the

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personality becomes more multi-sided and expresses greater facets of the soul. This is because each incarnation "burns off" negative karma which requires less and less attention. Finally, the personality will become a complete expression of the soul and the cycle of reincarnation is finished for the soul. As the soul succumbs to worldly desires by abandoning its intellect for sensuality, it becomes more and more one-sided. When the individual has attained complete human-divine unity, its cycle of reincarnations is finished, the soul is liberated, and the soul then merges with its spirit and, therefore, with God. The soul record (memory) is forever retained. This record is, at all times, is the sum total of what the soul personality has been: all it has thought, all it has experienced; all it has eaten, drunk, and felt through the ages. Thus, as the soul is subjected to reincarnation, both the atheist and the religionist are correct. The atheist believes the personality does not survive after death. The religionist believes the soul is judged after death by its Creator. Substituting "personality" for "soul", both are expressing the truth. The personality is evaluated after death and then returns to the soul which created it, thereby giving up its own independent existence and becoming once again a facet of the soul. This process is different from the process where the soul merges with the spirit after it completes its cycles of reincarnation. With each incarnation into the physical realm (the solar system) and the other realms of consciousness, the general plan for perfecting the soul proceeds. Another facet of the soul is assumed and incarnated to experience tribulation in order to reinforce the character of the soul's entire personality. The trials and tribulations of individuals, groups, nations, and races, are dealt with time and time again through free will until they are solved. Then souls are free to journey to other worlds, or other solar systems, or other universes, or other dimensions of the hierarchy of consciousness.

Quotes from Edgar Cayce About the Cosmos and Souls In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. How? The Mind of God moved, and matter, form, came into being. Spirit is life. Mind is the builder, and the physical is the result. In each atom, in each corpuscle, is life. Life is that you worship as God. For the Earth is only an atom in the universe of worlds. All souls in the beginning were one with the Father. The separation or turning away brought evil. For man may separate himself from God - the Spirit - but the spirit does not separate from man.

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All souls were created in the beginning and are finding their way back to whence they came. Each soul is destined to become a portion again of the First Cause, or back to its Maker. The Father has not willed that any soul should perish, and is thus mindful that each soul has again, and yet again, the opportunity for making its paths straight. Life is, in all its manifestations in every animate force, Creative Force in action; and is the love of expression - or expressing that life; truth becoming a result of life's love expressed. For, these are but names - unless experienced in the consciousness of each soul. All power, all force, is a manifestation of that which is termed the Godconsciousness. The coming into the Earth has been and is, for the evolution or evolving of the soul unto its awareness. Birth in the physical is death in the spiritual. Death in the physical is the birth in the spiritual. Each soul enters with a mission. We all have a mission to perform. The conquering of self is truly greater than were one to conquer many worlds. He who understands nature walks close with God. What is truth? Law. What is Law? Love. What is love? God. What is God? Law and love. These are as the cycle of truth itself. You grow to heaven. You don't go to heaven. "All souls were created in the beginning and are finding their way back to whence they came." Edgar Cayce

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Edgar Cayce on the Soul Realms The First Region As we move further from the review process, we become more fixed in the mental realms. We leave the mental-material overlap and move more into that part of the mental which we will call the First Region of reality after death. Rudolf Steiner, in his book Theosophy, discussed at great lengths successive realms he called the First Region, Second Region, and so forth. Now, we are fully invested in reality beyond physical materiality, and those periods of rest in which we approximate sleep are behind us. We will, from here and throughout the spiritual realms, now experience ceaseless activity, since life, like the spirit which it animates, is continuous. This region is ruled by those things which comprise such emotions as our urges, passions, sensual love, and all that is connected with them. Here in the First Region we begin to deal with our unfinished emotional business left over from our past incarnation. Those who lived by and were ruled mostly by their emotions will have more difficulty in this realm than those who were not. Those who are still fixated on Earthly desires will feel an expansion of those yearnings and will suffer by virtue of the inability to satisfy them directly. In any event, the souls will not move on until all of their material fixations are laid aside. Some of the desires, Steiner notes, will be purged permanently and others will be left aside in "safe keeping" to be dealt with at a more appropriate time. This laying aside is a concept which may be alien to some because we think of spiritual progression as an overcoming rather than a continuous experience. In the First Region, as in others, we deal with those parts of ourselves which are ruled by forces which emanate throughout that realm. We are not required to deal successfully with all of those things; we will pass this way more than once, so we can set aside those things that can better be dealt with some other time and return later to deal with it. We may not pass from the First Region carrying our emotional ties to materiality; so we will deal with what we can and move on. We cannot choose to set aside that which we are able to successfully deal with simply because the challenges are difficult; our soul forces united with this region will not permit us to delude ourselves in such a way. Here in the First Region we live in communities with those with whom we share a like sympathy. Helen Greaves, Ruth Montgomery, Edgar Cayce, Rudolf Steiner, Emanuel Swedenborg, and Ruth Matteson Taylor all discuss these groups, communities, or societies at length. We share relationships with souls with whom we have done so throughout our travels through reality. There are those in every realm who are part of our soul group, those with whom we have shared experiences, and those who will remain our soul family throughout our experiences. Our communities in the First Region appear to us much the same as they did in the Earth realm. But they appear slightly different to each inhabitant. As we grow in a region, its appearance changes, but this is so gradual it goes largely unnoticed. All experiences are for learning; here we deal largely with our choices in our most recent Earth incarnation. We do not merely deal with observation but we actually inhabit the experience in all of its potential. This may be difficult to understand, so let us again explain by illustration. In the Earth realm we may have had an experience of helping another to grow. This choice may have caused us difficulty to a varying degree and may have opened the door to countless choices along our journey. The experience could have been complicated and spread over a long period of time. In the First Region we may experience the glory of growing fields of magnificently beautiful flowers. Such flowers would not only be attractive in appearance but beautiful beyond explanation to our soul. We may experience the radiance, the peace, the glorious symphony of creation at play in the fields and then we may find ourselves the keeper of those fields. The flowers, whose beauty we now experience on every level, find their growth and nourishment at our hand. We are the gardeners of the fields, the symphonic conductors of beauty; we share an exclusive relationship with what they represent. Likewise, we deal with our not so glorious choices by having the opportunity to be changed by their true essence. For those who chose to experience materiality more passively, the First Region is more difficult than

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for those who made inappropriate choices. As much can be learned from unsuitable choices as from correct ones; but nothing can be learned from making no choice. If we lived a life of indifference in the Earth realm, Steiner notes that in the First Region we experience a helpless and useless state of being where we cannot participate in life around us. We have a burning desire to associate, to experience, but we are not guided by impelling forces that draw us into such experiences. We experience our own indifference and then see the possibilities all around us from which we may make choices. The desire to participate in any of our possible choices wells up inside of us because we see the full potential of those options never taken. We may not see the earthly potential of the choices not made, instead we see the emotional, mental, and spiritual possibilities. For a while, or what may seem like a thousand years, we find our experience very difficult. Then finally, when we have fully experienced our indifference, we begin to set it aside to be combated after we have gained more protective light for the task. As we deal with our earthly experiences, good and bad, unfolding in their full potential, we glean the best and overcome or set aside the worst. All with whom we associate help us in our relationships to reality. We meet those with whom we feel close and others with whom we feel distant. Our clarity of vision and our relationships are in proportion to our affection; we have only the most limited use of the laws of cause and effect at this time. Life here is accented by the fact that we cannot change one aspect of our relationships with others. The lack of the full force of cause and effect seems so natural that we do not question it or even lament its absence. As in the Earth realm, we are surrounded by angels and other spirits. But their presence is somewhat more discernible to the senses in this dimension. Swedenborg and Steiner agree that as we rise into finer dimensions, those permeating from yet higher dimensions are more apparent to us. We all work together to experience the spiritual potential of our activities and are protected, guided, and healed by the angels of mercy. From the First Region we take trips, as described by Helen Greaves, into higher dimensions and return again to use those experiences in our communities. This is not so unusual when one realizes that the same things are experienced in our sleep state in the Earth realm. Frequently we move out of our earthly bodies in sleep and travel to spiritual realms. This is accomplished under the guidance and protection of souls and spirits who have taken this as their ministry. The only difference is that after death, we do not sleep and we vividly recall the experience of having traveled to another dimension. Greaves notes that, when appropriate, those who minister to us always come to us; they change their own vibrations to be sympathetic with the realm to which we are to travel. Like two tuning forks, we are drawn to their resonance and eventually vibrate at the same rate. This process transports us to that realm with which we have been helped to develop a sympathy, where we are ultimately instructed and refreshed. When our experience is complete, we return to the First Region where we once again resonate to this dimension. Such a form of travel is not limited to the First Region and, in fact, exists in almost all dimensions of reality. It may seem hard to conceive of, but before we leave we expand to fill out all of the First Region. Each individual in the region occupies the same time and space but interacts only in accord to those with whom each has had a relationship.

The Second Region Passing on from one region to another is not as traumatic as the exit from the physical Earth. It is not as outwardly abrupt nor are we as likely to become as fixed in these regions as we did in materiality. When our experiences in the First Region are complete we leave behind those karmic memories we will again reclaim and move to the Second. Here we now find ourselves in a balanced state of sympathy and antipathy. In such a balanced state we no longer are gripped by regrets of unfulfilled potential and are much more objective in our experiences. Here in the Second Region we are also divided into communities but are as unaware of those outside of our community as we were in the First Region. Swedenborg mentioned that those who led indifferent lives in the Earth are still relatively isolated from others; but their need for being part of the soul family is no longer as burning as it may have been in the First Region, nor does it last as long. Here, in this region, sympathy and antipathy are general laws and do not attach themselves to things as they do in the Earth, the lower realms, or the First

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Region. Because of this, emotions triggered by situations and things pass very quickly. We have now begun to move away from the relationship of experiences and the emotions they arouse, and likewise we have begun to deal with creation in a more balanced fashion. Here in the Second Region we begin to appear much younger if we lived past middle age in the Earth. This is not a physical youth but an internal youth. If we were to appear to others in materiality at this time we would project that image we had at the height of our physical vitality. The further we move through the regions outward from materiality, the younger and more vital we appear internally. We are illumined by those great ministers of mercy, and we receive life, light, and wisdom through this irradiation. In this region we are much more aware than ever before of those influences which work upon us; life becomes much more instructive for us. We still deal largely with our Earth choices and potentials, but because sympathy and antipathy are in balance, we do so much more objectively. Rudolf Steiner noted that in the Second Region we interact more with spirits, souls, and angels from higher realms, and our travels to other dimensions continue at the same rate as they did in the First Region. Like before, our travels are to give us that which we need to better grow in the Second Region as we continue to work with the elevation and true nature of our lives just lived in the Earth. We feel just as close to those in our communities as we did in the First Region and we find that we possess a striking familiarity with all of those we contact. All activity in the Second Region is mental and we are present by force of our mental energy. We can easily find ourselves anywhere we wish just by thought and can even be in more than one place at a time. Omnipresence is a concept we find difficult to relate to in materiality, but it is far more natural a state in other regions. We have shadows of omnipresence in the Earth, where we can be several places by force of our influence. We are aware of how mechanical communication devices can lend an aura of omnipresence to our being in the Earth, but these are only the poorest reflections of the true omnipresence which is a normal attribute in other regions ruled by mental or spiritual energy. Helen Greaves wrote that in the Second Region we have just to think of something and it is reality. However, we cannot change things as they exist; we can only experience them. Essentially reality works on us rather than us on it, and although we can move into any or all aspects of reality, we cannot in any way modify what we experience. The pattern is the same; as we grow in experience, we expand to fill more and more of the region we occupy, until we embody it all. Nonetheless, we do not crowd out the countless others who occupy the same time and space as we do, for we have left time and space far behind us in the Earth. When leaving the Second Region we leave behind those illusions created by our mental activities in the Earth. But by contrast with the First Region, we do not return to pick up anything left behind in this realm. Anything of a karmic nature is left in the First Region, and all that we shed thereafter is totally discarded.

The Third Region The Third Region is that from which our desires emanated and one in which Rudolf Steiner notes we experience all of our earthly wishes. This includes our ambitions, our yearnings, our hopes, and all else connected with them. Here in this realm we work with the unfoldment of all we had aspired to in the Earth and see these aspirations blossom in their full purity. We are relatively unaffected emotionally, because we have left such a capacity behind in the First Region. We experience not what we had aspired to, but rather the combination of our earthly motivation and our expectation, raised to their ultimate expression. Those who were particularly religious in the Earth spend the longest time or experience more in the Third Region than others, as also do those with very strong faith. Those whose lives were more mental in their attitudes spend far less time in this region than those who were not. As in other realms, we live in community in the Third Region and work together as well as with the angelic

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kingdom as described by Emanuel Swedenborg. Also, we cannot change what we experience in the Third Region. We travel out of this region from time to time as in the others which preceded it. There are striking similarities between the First, Second, and Third Regions. One deals with the mental, another the emotional, and another with the aspirations.

The Fourth Region The Fourth Region is the region of attraction and repulsion. When passing through this region we have the opportunity to deal with our earthly likes, dislikes, and our attachment to them. Steiner notes that here, in the Fourth Region, growing souls complete purging themselves of remaining earthly attachments before moving on. Community is especially important because of the help and support it can give in the overcoming of those last great material weights we still carry. Because we are digging deep into our consciousness, this process can make for a difficult journey. Both the angels of grace and mercy are present in abundance to protect us from being overcome by more than we can deal with. As in other realms we are not resident but transient in the Fourth Region, and we also take leave of this region occasionally to visit others. We never travel alone but are guided and helped by spirit guides in our journeys. When visiting another realm we take on the form of that realm, or we could not exist fully within it. As an example, if we were to visit the physical Earth we would probably go as far as what we earlier called the outer fringes of the borderland. Here we would take on the form we had just after leaving material life, only it would be modified by our interior changes which have since taken place. We would probably look younger, healthier, more vibrant, and remarkably like we would have looked under such conditions in a physical body. Our exteriors would be comprised of finer matter which we have conformed to our interior reflection. One of the functions of our guardian would be to adjust our vibratory patterns so that we could attract and take on the matter of the borderland. The adjustment would come about your guardian's establishing and drawing us into a sympathetic resonance to this region as described by Helen Greaves in her work. The same process holds true when we visit any realm in which we are not currently anchored. As in the Second and Third Realms, we discard what we leave behind in the Fourth Region without returning to reclaim any of it. It cannot be repeated frequently enough that our transition from one level of reality to another is gradual and without the trauma we may have suffered in leaving the Earth. The reason separation from the Earth is so traumatic is because of our fixation resulting from such an extremely narrow focus.

The Fifth Region In the Fifth Region we find that our sympathy with our community and all of those who inhabit it reaches its highest point. Here, Steiner notes, one grows from a stage similar to attachment to earthly things for their sensory values to attachment to them because they are representative here of God and life in higher realms. We work largely on our sympathy here, so that before we leave it will resonate to all here that is representative of what is holy. From the Fifth Region we begin to perceive life being resonated and held together by the harmonies which the Pythagoreans called the Music of the Spheres. This becomes the first region since leaving the material Earth where we begin to appreciate the creative force of harmonies. At first we are overwhelmed by the magnificence of the harmonies, the awesomeness of the "music"; then when we gradually overcome our initial wonder, we begin to work with the harmonies. As part of our learning process we witness symphonies of life unlike anything we could ever have imagined. With the help of our more experienced fellow souls as well as the ministers of grace, we mix with the harmonies; we vibrate to their resonance and become almost as one with them. We are not allowed to go too deeply into mixing with the "music" because we are not yet ready to do

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so. If we were not kept toward the outer edges of the harmonies, we would risk becoming spiritually paralyzed and being permanently lost at this stage of our growth. All reality is the result of the combined activity of seemingly countless sources, acting together, transforming spirit to give it form. In this way manifest spirit can be said to have compound form, which we do not even begin to understand until we blend with the musical harmonies where we find the combined creative process, or compounding, in a much more primal state of existence. Subsequently, the benefit gained from our experience with the harmonies is that we learn through experience more of how compound reality is manifest. The experience in this region is to move ever closer to our awareness of oneness with our surroundings and to renew this attribute within ourselves. As in the other regions discussed, we cannot cause anything to happen to ourselves or our surroundings. We are changed as is our relationship with our surroundings by being acted upon by the realm and all whom we encounter there.

The Sixth Region In the Sixth Region we find those impulses which move us into material action. Void of those things which were acquired in and tied us to the Earth, we are able to use this impulse in truly creative fashion. Steiner observed that former artists, musicians, poets, and scientists are especially at home in the Sixth Region where they learn how to move their creative focus from materiality to spirituality. In the Sixth Region we are active, but active only with experience. Our experience is transforming but has no external effect. Consequently, we still cannot change anything we find about us, because we left cause and effect a long, long way behind. From here on we are less likely to visit lower regions or the physical Earth. In the Sixth Region we have now moved so far from physical manifestation that we have little interest in the affairs of the Earth. We have learned by experience in all of the realms since leaving the Earth, but here is where we learn of the blessings of continuous activity for God's sake.

The Seventh Region In the Seventh Region where we complete the first stage of growth after a material life lived in the Earth, we finally become free of all earthly impulses. Here we find ourselves in a community with all of those who are on the same level as ourselves. We find ourselves in surroundings which are entirely of our own true nature. There are no emblems of materiality here nor are there any resemblances between the forces we encounter and materiality. Here in this final level of growth in this first series of regions, we no longer have any desire to visit the Earth nor any preceding realm through which we have traveled. When we first arrived in the Seventh Region we were certain that we had reached our eternal home. So in tune were we with it that there was not even a hint of internal conflict. We could not conceive of any higher order of life than here, from where we were certain the Music of the Spheres originated. Gradually we learn that there are higher realms of life, and we are in yet another stage of growth. After the Seventh Region we will reverse the flow to which we have grown accustomed. Instead of releasing, we will begin acquiring. In the first six regions we had to release our fixations to become refreshed and allow for the influx of spiritual gifts. Now, as Swedenborg observed, we will experience influx continually. Here in the Seventh Region we are prepared for such a condition by the harmonies and every energy which embraces us. We are modified so that we may again receive internal energies more continually. We no longer live in the result of our earthly activities. We live in a region made up of that which is sympathetic to our soul essence.

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earthly ties. Rudolf Steiner called the first group of seven regions the Soul Land and the next seven regions the Spirit Land. The next seven regions are made up of the same substance of which thought consists. This is not thought as we had in the material body but a truer, unadulterated, and primal thought. In the Spirit Land there is ceaseless creating which takes place. Rest, immobility, and stillness do not exist in these regions, nor are they necessary. In these regions are found the archetypes which are creative beings and the builders of all that comes into being in the material and soul realms. They draw upon spirit from yet higher realms and transform it into a seemingly endless variety of forms which take shape in other realms. Shapes of infinite variety flow from the archetypes and no sooner does one end than a completely different one begins. The archetypes work together in unison and share a very close relationship. They cannot operate alone and even though each appears to be creating separately, the archetypes are totally dependent one on the other. Steiner wrote that each archetype is visible to the senses of the realm in which it resides and it emits a sound as it creates. The sound of each archetype mixes with the sounds of the others, as they interact, expressing themselves in a variety of harmonies and spiritual music. The melodies and rhythms which result are not only the byproduct of creation but they are creative in themselves. All that is seen here can be heard as well. The lights and colors correspond to the harmonies and melodies which likewise correspond to the creative process. All is creative, all is in motion, visible, audible, and all can be perceived by the senses of that realm. The Spirit Land is one of brilliant lights, colors, harmonies, and melodies, all in concert with one another. As we enter the regions of the Spirit Land we lose ourselves in the life of these realms. We lose our sense of personal identity, but not our individuality, and take on the characteristics of each of the Spirit Regions we pass through. Our being is permeated with the life in each sphere, and we will use as faculties in our next earthly incarnation what we experience here. Unlike the regions of the Soul Land, here we do not work on or even experience ourselves. We are however worked on by the forces of each region, and we experience the essence of each dimension in which we find ourselves. "The spirit is life. The mind is the builder. The physical is the result." - Edgar Cayce

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Edgar Cayce on Religion

The system of metaphysical thought which emerges from the Cayce discources is a Christiannized version of the mystery religions of ancient Egypt, Chaldea, Persia, India, and Greece. It fits the figure of Christ into the tradition of one God for all people, and places him in his proper place, at the apex of the philosophical structure; He is the capstone of the pyramid. The mysteries were concerned with man's problem of freeing his soul from the world. In the mystery symbologies the Earth was always represented as the underworld, and the soul was lost in this underworld until freed from it by wisdom, faith, and understanding. In the Greek mysteries, Persephone, was abducted by Pluto, Lord of Hades. Persephone is the soul of man, whose true home is in the heavens. Jesus said he came to fulfill the law, and part of that law was the Kabbalah, the secret doctrine of the Jews - their version of the mysteries. It is interesting to speculate on the fact that Cayce was raised in strict nineteenth century Bible tradition, and suffered the greatest mental and emotional shock of his life when he discovered that in his spiritual readings he declared the truth of the mysteries and acclaimed Jesus as their crowning glory. Cayce had only a seventh grade education and consciously knew nothing of what he said under hypnosis. He was only versed in the Bible and had no high school or college background of any kind. Up until his revelations, Cayce had never heard of the mystery religions. Yet his readings check with everything about them that is known to be authentic. He spoke at length on Christian Gnosticism well before the Gnostic writings were discovered. Cayce affirmed that Christian Gnosticism is the type of Christianity that was taught by Jesus. The mystery religions were a preparation for the coming of Jesus. He was the fruit of their efforts, and his message was a fuller revelation to the people at large of the mysteries themselves. In the scramble which Christianity made to establish itself as the dominant religion of the decaying Roman Empire, the mysteries were denied their proper place, since to grant that they had truth in them would justify their further existence. The complex symbology employed by the mystery religions has survived fragmentarily in Christianity, notable in church architecture and in the sacrifice of the mass. The early Christians used every means possible to conceal the pagan origin of their symbols, doctrines, and rituals. They either destroyed the sacred books of other peoples among whom they settled, or made them inaccessible to students of comparative philosophy, apparently believing that in this way they could stamp out all record of the pre-Christian origin of their doctrines. The Christian doctrine of reincarnation and the Gnostic mysteries of Christ were declared heresies by the Church in 553 A.D. Jesus the Christ, according to the Cayce readings, is the central instrument of God to make it possible for all souls to fulfill the original purpose of their creation. Cayce affirmed that the trinity of the Godhood (the so-called Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is actually three-dimensional consciousness when viewed from the level of Earth consciousness, which itself is a three-dimensional realm in one. The Godhood in its multiplicity can be perceived as more complex

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than three-dimensional when viewed from the perspective of higher levels of consciousness. Nevertheless, the Christ, whether one speaks of the Godhead as three-dimensional or multidimensional, is seen as an essential part of the Godhead. Indeed, Cayce stated that the Body of Christ is the Father, the Mind of Christ is the Son, and the Spirit of Christ is the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jesus represented the body, mind and spirit of God. Jesus' message was that "ye are gods" (John 10:34). In other words, all humans can be as God in body, mind and spirit, just as Jesus was. Jesus, who became the Christ (i.e., a full manifestation of the divine consciousness in flesh), is a soul created with other souls in the beginning and, like them, a part of God's Universal Consciousness. This is not to say that the Christ Consciousness is a created being. Jesus was the created being. In the Cayce readings, the Christ Consciousness is the spiritual condition of integrally being one with God, or as Cayce would called at-one-ment. The union of the Christ Consciousness and the human Jesus constituted, according to the readings, a unique divinehuman unity, although this relationship is properly the ultimate goal of everyone and is spiritually possible for all. Cayce affirms that there seemed to be two wills - divine and human - in Jesus Christ. Cayce flat out states that the Christ soul's first incarnation was Adam of the book of Genesis. It is well known that the apostle Paul wrote of Adam as: "..a type of the one who was to come." (Rom. 5:14) and drew between Adam and Christ a parallel that was also a contrast: "The first human Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit." (1 Cor. 15:45) Christ is thus seen as the last Adam, the one man who by his obedience undoes the results of the disobedience of the first (Rom. 5:12-21). Jesus recapitulated the stages of Adam's fall, but in reverse order and quality. It is understandable how shocking this statement of Cayce's is to most fundamental Christians, that Jesus whom they have always believed to be sinless had been not only guilty of sin, but the very person who has been traditionally regarded as the author of sin on the human level. However, Cayce in no way states that Jesus as the Christ was guilty of any sin of any kind. At that stage of his personal and cosmic development his obedience was flawless, his relationship with God perfect. In Cayce's words: "... the perfect relationship to the Creative Forces or God, the Father which the human Jesus attained when he gave of himself to the world, that through him, by and in him, each entity might come to know the true relationship with the Father." The Cayce material, however, go on to speak of the singular appropriateness of Adam finally emerging as Jesus, the man, to become the savior of the world, the Christ. It must also be noted that sin did not begin with Adam according to Cayce, but it had its origins in spiritual realms before even the creation of the Earth. We can therefore assume that this was Adam's redemptive intent all along to be savior of the world. The perception that Jesus had previous human incarnations did not originate with Edgar Cayce. For example, the early Jewish Christian group known as the Ebionites taught that the Spirit had come as Adam and later reincarnated as Jesus. The Samaritans believed that Adam had reincarnated as Seth, then Noah, Abraham, and even Moses. Other Jewish Christian groups such as the Elkasaites and Nazarites also believed this. The Clementine Homilies, an early Christian document, also taught many incarnations of Jesus. According to Cayce, the incarnations of the Christ soul were as follows: Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph, Joshua, Jeshua (the scribe chiefly responsible for forming the Hebrew Bible according to Cayce) and finally Jesus.

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hand". When asked how soon the second coming will be Cayce responded: "When those that are his have made the way clear, passable, for him to come."

Destiny, Karma and Fate John Van Auken is a former director of the Association of Research and Enlightenment, the Edgar Cayce research foundation. He is editor of Living in the Light and author of many books, audio tapes, and videos. He's an expert in Egyptian, Hebrew, and Christian mysticism, and is a skillful teacher of meditation – from kundalini to his unique passage in consciousness. He practices the techniques he teaches and has become a popular speaker, leading retreats, workshops, and tours, and writes regularly as a columnist. He is also the author of several books: The Lost Hall of Records, Past Lives and Present Relationships, The End Times: Prophecies of Coming Changes, Ancient Egyptian Mysticism, Edgar Cayce on the Revelation, Spiritual Breakthrough, and Reincarnation: Born Again and Again. In order to fully appreciate the secret teachings, we need to understand how the Universal Law of Cause and Effect works. It's easy to say that the experiences in one's life are the result of past activities, but the forces of this law are greater than we may first imagine. Every action, every thought, every idle word sets up reactions, according to the Universal Law. When one thinks a thought, that thought makes an impression on the Universal Consciousness. Nothing is lost or done in secret. Everything is done within the Universal Consciousness, and the Whole is affected by it (as well as all others within the Whole). This isn't easy for us to believe, living in our own little worlds. Secret, private, alone and separate are active words in our vocabulary. This is due to our current separation in consciousness from the Whole. In the higher realms of consciousness there is no space. Things and people are not separate, but part of a Whole. All is actually One. All is within the Whole. By increasing the focus on self, we have created the illusion of a self separated from the rest of life, but it just isn't so. Our individual actions and thoughts make an impact on the Mind of the Universal One. When the legendary seer, Edgar Cayce, was in the deeper levels of consciousness and was asked to give a reading of the soul-record for an individual, he found it very difficult to determine whether the soul had thought of doing something or had actually done it. In the deeper levels of consciousness, thoughts and actions are equal in their impact. Perhaps this explains Jesus' admonition that adultery in one's heart is the same as committing it in deed. Thoughts are things. Thoughts are real. Reactions to past thoughts and actions become our fate, destiny and karma. An individual's fate is simply the rebounding effects of previous choices remembered by its soul. The reason the effects of these previous choices often seem unfair to the conscious mind is because the personality doesn't see beyond its own life for sources of current conditions. "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:1-2)

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Now if these disciples didn't believe in and understand preexistence of the soul and karma, why would they ask if this man's own sins had caused him to be born blind? The only way this could happen is for him to have sinned before his birth! And, in fact, that is just what they thought he might have done. Notice also how the disciples thought that his parents might have brought this upon themselves through past mistakes. Here is a clear indication that within the inner circle of Jesus' followers there was the concept that misfortune had a source, and that that source could extend beyond the present lifetime. As companions of God, we are free to live and choose and grow almost as we desire, but not without being subject to Universal, Spiritual Law. Through meeting our thoughts, actions and words we learn to discern wisdom from folly, lasting strength from weakness and true life from illusion. In turn we become more able to fulfill our ultimate purpose for existing: to be a companion to the Universal Creator. The law is actually a magnificent tool for perfect learning. It is completely impersonal -- everyone experiences it equally and for the purpose of enlightenment, even Jesus: "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8)

The Memory Complex The law of karma is not some fierce god in the sky keeping track of everything so that it can zap people when they least expect it. Most karmic reactions in fact come from the individual's own deep memory of what it has done. You see, actions and thoughts build a consciousness much in the same way that exercise and food build a body. In a way, we are a memory complex. Our body and mind is the subtotal of all we have done. The memories, whether conscious or unconscious, make up our present condition. Thus, when we look at one another we are actually seeing a memory complex. Decisions are based on our past; reactions are based on our past; so are our goals. To understand a person, we must know something about their memory complex. Not surprisingly, karma has been described as memory. Karma is memory coming to consciousness again. What has occurred in the past is recalled and has an effect on the present. Now, the recollection may not surface to the conscious level; the personality may have no awareness of the memory, in fact. Yet, it exists at the deeper, soul level. Nevertheless, the soul sees through the same eyes as the personality, and is reminded of its past use of free-will and consciousness. Naturally, some of these memories will be compatible with the Universal, and some will not. Memory is an important concept in understanding how the law of karma works. As a soul draws closer to the Universal Mind it becomes aware that some of its memories are not compatible with the Creator, and since its ultimate purpose for being is companionship with the Creator, it seeks out opportunities to resolve these incompatible memories. Suppose a soul criticizes another soul among its peers and behind its back. As it becomes more aware of its true nature it will recall this wrong, and because of its incompatibility with the Creator, will seek to correct it. Now, the resolution could take many forms. The soul might seek out an opportunity to work closely with the injured soul as a supporter, assistant, publicist, agent or the like. Or perhaps it would seek to re-create the original scene -- putting itself in a position to criticize the other soul again in front of the same peers. The test would be to see if the soul would choose not to criticize this time, even if it meant a certain loss of position for itself. Throughout all of this the soul grows wiser and more compatible with the Creator.

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If, however, a soul has gotten so far away from its true nature that it has no conscience, then the Law can become a formidable obstacle to any further free-will action. Such a soul becomes surrounded by its karma; everywhere it turns it meets the terrible effects of its previous actions and thoughts. Yet, even a soul who has gotten in this pathetic situation can return to perfection because there is no total condemnation from the Creator or the Law. If the soul turns away from its self-centeredness and begins acting, reacting, thinking and speaking like a companion to the Universe, then the Law is just as perfect as it is with error; and the reactions begin to build and establish a new destiny for that soul. Karma is memory. As one recalls or relives situations, one meets self again, and a new decision point or crossroads is presented to the soul. "Before thee are set good and evil. Choose thou." (Deut. 30:15) In our portrait of life, good would be equated with compatible, harmonious actions and thoughts which consider the needs and desires of others along with self's needs and desires. Evil would be equated with actions and thoughts that are motivated by a self-orientation that pays little or no attention to the needs and desires of others and the Whole. Metaphysically speaking, good results in oneness, and evil results in a sense of separation. Decisions in one's life could be approached by evaluating which choices promote greater oneness and which promote separation. However, it gets a little difficult to support this idea much further than that because in most of the secret teachings there is the belief that one must separate oneself from the world if one is to awaken to the greater reality beyond this life. Yet if we look closely at this belief, we find that the separation is more accurately a detachment than a separation. One is to strive to release oneself from the possessive power of the things of this world while still actively participating in it. In other words, one is to enjoy food and drink without being possessed by food and drink; one is to enjoy material life without being possessed by it. Look at the Seven Deadly Sins of Western religion. Each of them (lust, envy, greed, gluttony, etc.) expresses a type of possessive power that overtakes the partaker. The Seven Virtues on the other hand, express selflessness on the part of the recipient: kindness, gentleness, patience, etc. Notice also that the Sins are mostly self-experienced, but the Virtues require another person in order for them to be realized. This follows Jesus' teaching: "I seek mercy, and not sacrifice. He who has ears..." Sacrifice can be done alone, but mercy requires that one reach out beyond oneself and consider others and their needs. Again, we come to the inevitable conclusion that sin is self to the exclusion of others and the Whole, while virtue is oneness with the Whole and consideration of others. It's important to note here that the ultimate goal is not the complete loss of self-identity, rather, as Cayce so aptly phrased it: to know yourself to be yourself, yet one with the Whole.

Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness In one sense it is true that "not one jot or tittle shall be removed from the Law." One must meet every bit of its karma. However, there is a way that it can be modified, softened, even ameliorated. If a soul, knowing another soul has wronged it, forgives that soul and holds no lingering resentment -- perhaps has even forgotten the wrong in the depths of its forgiveness and understanding -- then it begins to take hold of the power of forgiveness. The more it forgives, the more it perceives and understands forgiveness. Then, when it approaches the Universal Consciousness and realizes it possesses memories that are incompatible with the It, forgiveness is

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much more viable, removing the barrier between Father/Mother and son/daughter. The law is so precise (what one gives one receives; no exceptions) that if one begins showing mercy and forgiveness for others, one begins to receive mercy and forgiveness upon oneself. Now, the law is very sensitive to the deep, true purpose for which one does something, and if the purpose for forgiving another is simply to obtain forgiveness for oneself, then little is gained. But if one truly forgives, and forgives by understanding, through empathy and compassion, then there is no way one can avoid receiving forgiveness upon oneself. The law also works in some very curious ways. Somehow one's greatest weakness possesses the potential to become one's greatest strength. With each difficult situation, whether physical, mental or spiritual, there comes an opportunity. These "opportunities" sometimes appear to be hopeless problems, like a crippling disease, an uncontrollable habit or a situation in which one feels totally victimized without cause. More often they appear as annoyances or frustrations, like an unattractive nose, a difficult sibling, spouse, colleague, boss, lover or friend; or an ever present lack of money. In each case, the soul has an opportunity to resolve and overcome some weakness in itself, and by doing so with the right attitude, the soul can rise to new heights of consciousness, love, and companionship. Attempting to sidestep one's crosses is simply a temporary diversion, delaying the eventual glorification that is the soul's inheritance when it is sought. All has to be met. And yet, no soul is given more than it can bear to carry -- this is the paradoxical blessing hidden in the limitations of time and space. A soul is given the time it needs to turn away from its selfish ways and, like the prodigal son, return home to a feast of joy and welcome from its Father in heaven. Reincarnation is not a way to avoid judgment and responsibility; it is a way to allow the soul enough time to correct its mistakes and develop itself. "Happiness is love of something outside of self. It may never be obtained, may never be known by loving only things within self or self's own domain." - Edgar Cayce

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Reincarnation Past Lives During forty-three years of his adult life, Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) gave more than 14,000 psychic dissertations, called readings, on a variety of subjects. In 1901, at the age of 24, Edgar Cayce gave the first reading for himself, diagnosing a health condition, but it really wasn’t until 1923 that the subject of reincarnation was explored in a reading given to a printer from Ohio. (Interestingly enough, the concept had been mentioned in a prior reading given as early as 1911, but no one among Cayce’s associates was familiar with the idea, so the reference wasn’t recognized as such for decades.) The printer had already obtained successful readings for two members of his family when he asked for a horoscope reading. Toward the end of that reading [5717-1] the sleeping Cayce spoke the curious sentence: “he was once a monk.” That statement opened the door to a whole new area of research and investigation – the topic of reincarnation. Cayce had already proven himself repeatedly with the health readings – somehow he was able to tune into an individual at a distance, describe what was wrong with that person, detail how she or he had gotten sick, recommend treatments and specific medical procedures, and sometimes even refer his client to specific physicians that the sleeping Cayce had no knowledge of while awake. The accuracy of his information would eventually give him such nicknames as “the miracle man of Virginia Beach” and “the sleeping prophet.” There was no doubt that his psychic information was helpful and accurate when dealing with health, but the readings matter-of-fact reference to reincarnation seemed foreign to his fundamental Christianity. Cayce prayed about it, did much soul-searching, and obtained readings on the topic. He was advised to read the Bible once through from cover to cover while keeping the idea of reincarnation in mind. The underlying philosophy that emerged was one that focused upon the oneness and the purposefulness of life. In time, Edgar Cayce found that the concept of reincarnation was not incompatible with any religion, and actually merged perfectly with his own beliefs of what it meant to be a Christian. Eventually the subject of reincarnation was examined in extensive detail in over 1,900 Life Readings. Just what is reincarnation? It is the belief that each of us goes through a series of lifetimes for the purpose of spiritual growth and soul development. Cayce’s approach does not include the concept of transmigration, which states that it is possible for human beings to be born again as animals. From the standpoint of the Cayce material, souls only occupy human bodies through their spiritual growth and developmental process. In essence, the Cayce approach to reincarnation provides a philosophical setting to the past focusing on practical ways of dealing with this life: living, growing, and being of service to one another in the present. For him it wasn’t nearly as important to who individuals had once been, or even what they had been doing, as it was paramount that they focus on the present and the opportunities and challenges that faced them in this time, in this place, right now. In terms of remembering your own past lives, the Edgar Cayce information provides a variety of approaches. In fact, oftentimes individuals who received readings would ask about such things as memorable dreams that were on their mind, personal traits and talents that they had always been drawn to, and even intense positive or negative relationships with other __________________________________________________________________________ Edgar Cayce 88 van 89 19-1-2010 http://www.near-death.com/cayce.html

people in their lives – Cayce described how each of these things could be tied to past-life memories. With these things in mind, in order to remember your own past lives the Cayce readings recommend such things as personal inventories of your talents, abilities, likes, and dislikes; working with meditation and dreams; taking part in imaginative past-life reveries or self-hypnosis, and so forth. From Cayce’s perspective, the reason for believing in reincarnation is not so that we can dwell upon the past or brag about the possibility of once having been someone famous, instead it is to enable a soul to understand the consequences of previous choices and to know that each individual is ultimately responsible for shaping and creating his or her life in the present. From the Cayce readings’ perspective, the past merely provided a framework of potentials and probabilities. An individual’s choices, actions, and free will in the present would determine the actual experience lived this time around. Rather than being a fatalistic approach to life, it is much more one of nearly limitless opportunities.

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