Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945), (the surname is pronounced like "Casey") is generally remembered as an American psychic who gave trance discourses on subjects like astrology, reincarnation, and Atlantis. He may have been the source for the idea that California would fall into the ocean (though he never said exactly this). Although Cayce lived before the emergence of the New Age movement, he remains a major influence on its teachings.

Timeline

:1877 Born March 18 into a farming family in Beverly, seven miles south of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Related Topics:
1877 - Hopkinsville, Kentucky

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1887 Volunteers as church sexton, the first of many church roles.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1889 Resolves to read the Bible cover-to-cover once each year (and does so).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1890 Baptised at 13, experiences angelic vision. "Spelling book incident," in which he remembers contents of speller after sleeping with it under his pillow.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1892 Knocked unconscious while playing baseball; suggests application of poultice. The incident is later remembered as a possible first "reading."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1893 Family moves to Hopkinsville, followed later by Edgar. First love (Bess). Works for a dry goods store and bookstore (the Hopper store).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1895 Meets Dwight L. Moody.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1897 Engaged to Gertrude Evans.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1898 Moves to Louisville, Kentucky where he works for a book wholesaler (the Morton store). Begins affair with "Margaret."

Related Topics:
1898 - Louisville, Kentucky

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1900 Returns to Hopkinsville. Forms business partnership with his father to sell Woodmen of the World Life Insurance but was struck by severe aphonia or laryngitis that prevented him from performing sales work. Begins apprenticeship in Bowles photography studio.

Related Topics:
1900 - Woodmen of the World - Life Insurance - Laryngitis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1901 A travelling stage hypnotist and entertainer called "Hart-The Laugh Man" hears about Cayce's condition and offers to attempt a cure. Cayce accepts and the experiment takes place on stage in front of an audience. Cayce's voice returns while in a hypnotic trance, but disappears on awakening.

Related Topics:
1901 - Hypnotist

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:19?? Another hypnotist, Al Layne, works with Cayce to restore his voice. Layne gives hypnotic suggestion that Cayce describe the nature of his condition and cure. According to the reading, his voice loss was due to psychological paralysis and could be corrected by a suggestion to increase the blood flow to the voice box. This treatment was largely successful.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1902 Moves to Bowling Green and works at bookstore there (the Potter store).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1903 Marries Gertrude Evans.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1907 Son Hugh Lynn Cayce born.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1910 Dr. Wesley Ketchum mentions Cayce in an article to the American Society of Clinical Research. New York Times reports in article entitled "Illiterate Man Becomes A Doctor When Hypnotized," Cayce's career as a psychic and healer begins in earnest. People begin to visit him at his house in Kentucky.

Related Topics:
1910 - American Society of Clinical Research - New York Times - Doctor - Kentucky

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1911 Son Milton Porter Cayce born; dies in infancy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1915 "Graveyards of the world" vision; last recurrence of aphonia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1918 Son Edgar Evans Cayce born. Cayce rumored to have visited Washington to give readings for President Wilson's administration, possibly on the Fourteen Points.

Related Topics:
1918 - Fourteen Points

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1920 to 1923 Cayce and friend David Kahn go to Texas to look for oil (using Cayce's abilities). Results inconclusive, but at any rate do not get them rich. At this time Cayce has several affairs, and a falling-out with Gertrude.

Related Topics:
1920 - 1923

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1923 Reconciles with Gertrude. Hires Selma, Alabama native Gladys Davis as stenographer. Some suspect Cayce and Davis of having an affair. In Dayton, Ohio gives readings for Arthur Lammers, a wealthy printer, on metaphysical or esoteric topics. On awakening, is reportedly astonished to learn that the trance source accepts reincarnation and astrology as parts of Christianity. Cayce had had a number of previous contacts with astrologers, Theosophists, and the like.

Related Topics:
1923 - Selma, Alabama - Dayton - Ohio - Reincarnation - Astrology

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1925 Moves to Virginia Beach, based on instructions from his "voice". By this time Cayce is a full-time professional psychic.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1927 Founds "Association of National Investigators" (ANI), a membership organization devoted to Cayce's work. Main sponsors are Morton and Edwin Blumenthal; David Kahn remains a major influence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1928 Cayce Hospital for Research and Enlightenment established in Virginia Beach, with 60 beds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1930 Atlantic University founded.

Related Topics:
1930 - Atlantic University

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1931 ANI disbanded; hospital folds due to conflicts with donors and the Great Depression. A new organization, the "Association for Research and Enlightenment," forms with much the same purposes. "Study Group #1" begins meeting.

Related Topics:
1931 - Great Depression

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1932 Atlantic University folds. First ARE Congress held (attendance: 16).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1933 Gives reading 3976-13, which praises Adolf Hitler and Nazism.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1942 First "Search for God" book published.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1943 Cayce gains national prominence through high-profile articles by Margueritte Harmon Bro in Christian Century and Coronet; and then by Thomas Sugrue's book There Is a River. Increases the frequency of his readings to 8 per day to try to keep up with the level of interest.

Related Topics:
1943 - Christian Century - Coronet

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1944 Suffers stroke, enters coma in December.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1945 Dies January 3, Gertrude dies three months later. Hugh Lynn Cayce returns from the war to rally ARE members.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1947 Edgar Cayce Foundation established; to this day it claims the copyright to the Cayce readings. Its board of trustees once overlapped, and is now identical, with that of the ARE.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1950 Gina Cerminara's Many Mansions and Morey Bernstein's Search for Bridey Murphy published.

Related Topics:
1950 - Search for Bridey Murphy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1955 University of Chicago accepts the first doctoral dissertation on Cayce: Harmon H. Bro's Charisma of the Seer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1956 ARE buys the former Cayce Hospital building for use as headquarters; some members live on-site.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1959 to 1960 Cayce readings microfilmed by Remington Rand Corp..

Related Topics:
1959 - 1960

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1967 Jess Stearn's Sleeping Prophet published.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1971 Indexing of Cayce readings completed; "circulating files" compiled and circulated among ARE members.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1976 Hugh Lynn Cayce retires. Leadership of ARE passes to his son (and Cayce's grandson) Charles Thomas Cayce.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1982 Hugh Lynn Cayce dies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1984 First issue of Cayce magazine Venture Inward. While there have been many newsletters and magazines, this one is the longest-running.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:1986 Gladys Davis (later Gladys Davis Turner) dies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~