Kevin J. Todeschi is editor-in-chief of Venture Inward magazine and a director and spokesperson for A.R.E.

  The phone rang and I heard an all-too-familiar greeting, "Hello, I was told to call you…I think I’m the reincarnation of Edgar Cayce." To be sure, this time the caller was female but her story, her "memories" and her conviction were the same as I had heard on more than a hundred occasions.

  Over the years so many individuals have contacted A.R.E. about being the reincarnation of Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) or about being in ongoing psychic communication with the soul of Edgar Cayce that the organization has had to create form letters to respond to those numerous letters, phone calls, and in-person visits. Because of the numerous queries, the FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) portion of our Web site also includes an abbreviated version of the very same material.

  Although this kind of communication with A.R.E. may have experienced a slight increase since 1998, the phenomenon is not new. In fact, Edgar Cayce’s elder son, Hugh Lynn Cayce (1907-1982), used to tell a variety of stories in his lectures about individuals claiming to be the reincarnation of his father, or about people who were somehow convinced that they were in constant psychic communication with his father.

One of the earliest examples that presented itself to Hugh Lynn occurred after a lecture in Chicago in 1947, just two years after his father’s death. What Hugh Lynn thought unique about that particular experience was two different people presented themselves after the lecture, each claiming to be in touch with his father and each communicating very different information. On one occasion, as Hugh Lynn recounted the experience, as follows:

  "After the lecture several people came up to speak to me. One of the first was a man who told me that he was the minister of a local spiritualist church. He said that he was very sorry to have to give me the message he had for me but that Edgar Cayce had been at the lecture, standing at my right side.

My father had communicated to him that he was very sorry that he ever gave many of his psychic readings. He wanted me to burn all of them, to stop the work which had been launched to study his records. I got the man’s name and address and thanked him. Moments later, I was confronted with another message bearer.

A lady who was also a minister of a spiritualist church – this one on the outskirts of Chicago – said that she was happy to give me a message from Edgar Cayce. He had been there for the evening lecture, standing just to my left, and he wanted me to ‘go forward with the work of the organization.’" (A.R.E. Journal, January 1974)

  As head of the organization and elder son of Cayce, for years Hugh Lynn received these types of communications – in person, on the phone, and through the mail. So insistent were many of these individuals about the validity of their contact with Edgar Cayce that finally Hugh Lynn began asking them a question that Edgar Cayce himself would know the answer to: "What can you tell me about Gail?"

The correct answer included the fact that Gail was a female member of the Cayce family tree. However, no one responded correctly to the inquiry. Just a few of the answers Hugh Lynn received included the following: "Gail’s death was an accident due to the fact the he liked to climb…," "Gail was a playmate of yours [Hugh Lynn’s], a ten-year-old girl that drowned…," "Gail is a woman who was a friend of mine at one time…," and, "Gail is a vacation area or resort, with a stationary boat included, for sleeping…"

  After Hugh Lynn’s death in 1982, individuals who believed they were in communication with Mr. Cayce continued to present themselves [and individuals who thought they were in communication with Hugh Lynn Cayce began to appear, although with much less frequency].

For those individuals insistent on the validity of their contact, several questions were posed that Edgar Cayce (as well as many longtime students of the Cayce information) would know the answer to. Those questions included such things as:

"What can you tell us about Houston?" "What is the connection between Hugh Lynn Cayce and cigarette smoke?" and, "Who is Milton?" Most often individuals who were presented with the questions did not even respond – those who did respond were always incorrect.

  In terms of the experience of psychic communication, many people are not aware of the fact that information can come from the "other side" without being from the individual who claims to be giving the information. Although it may sound unusual, it is possible that individuals are actually "hearing" or "receiving" information from a discarnate entity (deceased individual) who claims to be Edgar Cayce and is not.

In other words, discarnates can and do lie. This phenomenon was reported by Hugh Lynn Cayce in his classic book, Venture Inward (after which this magazine is named), and is simply an attempt by individuals who are dead and don’t want to be dead to regain a connection to the physical plane.

These discarnates know that well-meaning and psychically open people are much more likely to maintain an ongoing communication with a famous personality than they are with a complete stranger. For example, a person playing with a Ouija board or automatic writing – both of which Hugh Lynn frequently warned against – might be more open to a supposed communication from a deceased Edgar Cayce of Virginia Beach than he or she would be from a Mike Smith of Toledo.

  Hugh Lynn considered this type of psychic communication an "unwarranted psychic experience." In addition to hearing voices, other unwanted experiences included such things as feeling the presence of a ghost, sensing that someone is invading your thoughts psychically, picking up on unwanted psychic information, etc.

The suggestions for treating and overcoming the experiences often included a variety of approaches designed to bolster the body’s natural defenses – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Some of the most frequent recommendations were as follows:

•  Consider seeing an osteopath or chiropractor to make certain there has not been a spine subluxation that is causing pressure on the nervous system. Oftentimes, individuals unknowingly open themselves up to other realms of "reality" because of a spinal injury or problem.
  
  
•  Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Do not skip meals or eat poorly. One of the easiest ways to continue having problems at the mental-emotional level is to abuse the physical systems of the body.
  
  
•  Give the mind plenty of uplifting (oftentimes spiritually-focused) material to read. Literature might include self-help books, uplifting poetry, a variety of scriptures, etc.

•  Work with prayer, imagine surrounding yourself with a "white light of protection." You can also ask friends, family, a minister, or a Rabbi to pray with and for you.
  
  
•  Refuse to become fascinated by the experiences. Quite frequently individuals must get over their intrigue of the experience before healing can take place and the experience stops.

  Perhaps surprisingly, this last suggestion is one of the hardest for many people to accept. I have personally spoken to dozens of individuals who have no intention of "stopping" the phenomena; instead, many of them truly want the experiences to continue because they have somehow acquired a sense of "importance." Some have even stated that their life wasn’t really that interesting or rewarding until the experience started to happen.

  In terms of the bodily reincarnation of Edgar Cayce, there are several reasons why individuals may honestly think, feel, and "remember" being the reincarnation of Cayce without it actually being a valid reincarnation recall experience. Those reasons include the way in which the process of soul awakening works as well as the possibility of past-life connections with Edgar Cayce or even with one of his previous incarnations.

  During the process of "soul awakening" an individual may experience feelings and even memories from the past that resurface in the present. Part of the challenge in this process is sorting through all of the images, memories, and feelings, attempting to separate what is "real" from what is caused by something else. Sometimes individuals have such strong feelings and images about a particular person from history that he or she may actually begin to personally associate with those memories.

  For example, in 1936 a 47-year-old man asked Edgar Cayce during the course of a reading about his own connection to a famous personality. The man was convinced that he was the reincarnation of President James A. Garfield. Not only did he have memories and feelings of being the 20th president but another psychic had also confirmed the connection. Cayce, however, stated that the individual had simply been a very close friend and associate of Garfield’s and not the president himself (1151-4).

  With this in mind, it is very likely that individuals who think that they are the return of Edgar Cayce actually may have had a close association with him and his work, or they may have been connected with Cayce in one of his past incarnations.

According to Cayce’s own readings, his soul had accomplished a similar work in both ancient Egypt and ancient Persia. In addition, a variety of readings suggest that many individuals who have an interest in the Cayce work or that have a strong familiarity with Edgar Cayce are actually part of a "soul group" that has returned from time to time.

  Another way that memory can work is as a symbolic metaphor. For example, a soul memory of the Crusades can just as likely be about the fact that an individual is on a "crusade" or a mission of some kind in the present as it may be about the reality of her or his former incarnation. In fact, oftentimes past-life memories come to the surface in conscious awareness and dreams because they correspond to similar patterns and experiences that the individual is encountering in the present.

  In addition to the possibility of a past-life connection, another reason individuals may sometimes think they are the reincarnation of Edgar Cayce is because of a comment Cayce gave in one of his own readings in 1932 suggesting that he would return in 1998 (294-151).

[Students of the readings may also recall that he once had a dream that indicated his being reborn in the year 2108; however, a follow-up reading suggested that the dream was confirmation that his work would survive not necessarily a literal prediction of rebirth (294-185).]

Although not all students of the Cayce material believe that the comment was a definite pronouncement of a future incarnation, that comment has resulted in innumerable individuals contacting A.R.E. to announce that they are the fulfillment of that prediction.

Many people are convinced that rather than foretelling a literal return the reading was actually a prediction that the Cayce information would become more well known and prominent around 1998 – making more and more individuals aware of the wealth of helpful insights he left behind.

  Interestingly enough, in December 1997 the A&E’s Biography did a program on Edgar Cayce’s life. At around the same time, a 26-week series on Edgar Cayce’s life and work called The New Millennium started airing on the Wisdom Cable Channel.

In addition, since that time a new biography, Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet, has been released in both hardback and paperback. A.R.E. has also launched a major Web site (www.edgarcayce.org), attracting tens of thousands of "hits" per month. At the present time, there is also talk about expanding the Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy, which has trained students from around the world in the Cayce principles of health and holism.

Finally, there is the growing sense that a movie on the life of Edgar Cayce might become a reality within the next few years. All of these things have certainly helped to heighten an awareness of the Cayce work and information.

  On the other hand, if the comment regarding Cayce’s possible return in 1998 was literal, did it mean Edgar Cayce was destined to be born in 1998 or did it mean that he would make his presence known in 1998? Also, would a physical return of that soul even have an impact on the work he left behind as Cayce?

In other words, when a prominent soul comes back how does he or she deal with the former personality? Actually, a perfect example of this phenomenon is found in the Bible dealing with the reincarnation of the prophet Elijah (also known as Elias).

  The story of Elijah is contained in the first book of Kings; he is considered to be one of the most prominent Hebrew prophets. His name even means, "Yahweh is my God." Together with Samuel, he founded a school of the prophets at Mount Carmel.

One of Elijah’s greatest miracles occurred when Elijah challenged the 450 priests of the false god Baal to a contest, to see whose God was the most powerful. The contest was essentially as follows: two altars would be built, one to Baal and one to Elijah’s God.

Each altar would have an offering set upon it. Elijah stated that the God who was able to bring down fire from heaven and consume the offering would be recognized as the one true God. The priests of Baal agreed and each altar and offering was created.

  All day long the priests of Baal prayed to their god while the people of Israel watched, and nothing happened. Elijah joked with them that perhaps their god was asleep or perhaps he had gone off somewhere. Still the priests of Baal prayed and performed all manner of rites and ceremonies, and still nothing happened.

Finally, toward evening, it became Elijah’s turn. Before he began, Elijah requested that his offering table and altar be dowsed three times with water until it was very wet. He even had a trench dug around the altar and filled it with water, as well. Afterward, Elijah prayed in the name of the one God, and suddenly fire came down from heaven and the entire altar was consumed in flames.

Even the water in the trench was evaporated. Elijah had proven his point. Rather than being satisfied with his victory, however, Elijah then had all 450 priests of Baal beheaded – a serious error, according to Edgar Cayce, that would follow him into his next incarnation.

Generations after Elijah’s death, his reincarnation is foretold by the prophet Malachi who suggests that he would return as a forerunner of Jesus: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." (Malachi 4:6)

  In the New Testament we find that John the Baptist is the named forerunner of Jesus (Matt. 3). Later, Jesus actually states that John the Baptist was, in fact, the reincarnation of Elijah (Matt. 11:14). Edgar Cayce also confirmed this in his readings.

This makes for an interesting karmic connection since John’s death by beheading is the very same death he had inflicted upon the priests of Baal. However, before his death, when John was asked straightforwardly about this connection, "Are you Elijah?" He replied, "No." (John 1:21)

In other words, the personality does not reincarnate, only the soul entity or true individuality returns. With this in mind, when Edgar Cayce does decide to reincarnate it is unlikely that he will pick up his personality as Edgar Cayce. Undoubtedly, he will begin a new life with new opportunities and new lessons.

In fact, any individual with a valid past-life memory of Edgar Cayce would, in all likelihood, want to keep that memory to herself or himself because the notoriety of that information might jeopardize the purpose for which the soul entered into its present incarnation.

  Even when all of the above is sincerely explained to individuals, many persist in their claims that they are in communication with Edgar Cayce or that they are the physical return of Edgar Cayce. Oftentimes, they are not really concerned about the way soul memory works. They don’t want to hear about lying discarnates.

They are not really interested in the possibility of having been associated with Cayce in one of his prior incarnations. Some are often not even open to the possibility of stopping voices purported to be from Cayce himself. On occasion, a few want recognition and acknowledgement that their experience is important and – in some cases – they are important because of it.

Hugh Lynn Cayce used to say that it really wasn’t important who we were in the past. What was important, is who we are in the present, and what we are doing about who we are right now. Surely, the soul of Edgar Cayce himself would be familiar with that principle.

  The other day when the phone rang again, I realized it was another such caller after hearing: "Hello, I was told to call you…" However, to my surprise the caller said something this time that was totally new and original.

After he claimed to be Edgar Cayce, and after I provided some of the above information, he wanted me to divulge the names of the other people who had also claimed to be Edgar Cayce. "Pretenders," he called them. His rationale?

He offered to call them personally and explain how they were completely mistaken in their assertion. Short of that, he thought we might be able to find a good psychic to give a reading on the subject.

Will the real Edgar Cayce please stand up?