By ThothMosesIII
To Dream the Impossible Dream
An Interview with Kevin Todeschi of the Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Center
MAD- www.nwowatcher.com
“Be a light unto others, not boastful of self.”
~Edgar Cayce
"Open the door for those that cry aloud for a knowledge that God is within the reach of those that will put their hand to doing!"
~Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce was a true American Prophet; a famous healer and psychic who used his unique abilities for the betterment of his fellow man and to help set them on a path of not only physical health, but mental and spiritual well being. Channeling and divining answers from his higher self, usually occurring while in a trance like state of sleep, Cayce gave thousands of personal readings regarding such subjects as astrology, reincarnation, universal laws, Atlantis, healing remedies, and the very nature and origins of the universe and human creation. A highly influential man and perhaps one of the most mysterious figures of the past century, it’s an honor and privilege to sit down and speak with the current CEO & Executive Director of the Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Center, Mr. Kevin Todeschi, for an in depth discussion on the life, works, and legacy of one of the most enigmatic figures of this, or any generation.
----------
-MAD: Mr. Todeschi, thank you very much for spending some time with us today to discuss the unique works of Edgar Cayce, easily the greatest prophet of the 20th Century. I’ve been a huge fan of Cayce’s work for more than a decade, having read a dozen books on Edgar’s life and teachings, so this is a real treat for me. There are so many questions I’d like to ask; before we get started, for those readers who are not familiar with the A.R.E. Center, could you please give us a little history regarding its foundations, and how you first became involved with the Cayce research center?
-KJT: Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) was founded in 1931 by Edgar Cayce himself. Cayce lived between 1877-1945, and for 43 years of his adult life gave psychic readings. Much of the information dealt with health and healing, and Cayce’s dream was to establish a hospital building where he could give readings, and physicians and therapists could provide the treatments. The readings recommended Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the location of he hospital, and the Cayce family moved here in 1925, when Virginia Beach was a small community of approximately 300 people. Cayce’s Association has been here ever since.
Today, Virginia Beach has grown to become the largest city in the state, with approximately 500,000 people. The purpose of Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. is to explore, research, and disseminate that psychic material and to correlate that information with other sources and contemporary information and make it available to people worldwide. We now have Edgar Cayce centers in 35 countries and activities in 60 countries, and a very active website: www.edgarcayce.org. In fact, three times as many people come to our website in a single day looking for answers from the Edgar Cayce material than came to Mr. Cayce in his entire lifetime!
I first became involved in A.R.E. in 1974 after reading the book, A Prophet in His Own Country: The Story of the Young Edgar Cayce, by Jess Stearn. I knew right then and there that I wanted to work at the organization. I became a part of A.R.E.’s volunteer structure – we have volunteers around the world – and eventually moved to Virginia Beach in 1982 and became a part of the staff.
Since that time, I have spoken and traveled around the world for A.R.E.
----------
-MAD: Arguably, due to the passage of time and cultivation of lore, more people have heard of a figure such as Michel de Nostredame, before they might discover the astonishing accounts of Mr. Cayce. Do you see the obvious comparisons between that of Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce as being fair, and do you believe they have been equally accurate in regards to their forecasts and predictions?
-KJT: Well, I do know lots of people who have heard of Edgar Cayce and are not familiar with Nostradamus, and the reverse is certainly true. I think there are at least two major differences in their work: 1) Nostradamus focused on the future; and, 2) Nostradamus wrote down his information in poetic quatrains that are difficult to decipher.
Rather than focusing on the future, Cayce focused on individuals and their problems: their health, their dreams, their anxieties, their hopes, their life’s purpose, their careers, their relationship with the divine, their experiences in childrearing, their personal soul growth, and so on. Much of the reason that the Cayce information is so popular today is because of its personal relevance. Individuals just like you and I, asked Cayce all kinds of questions – the same kinds of questions we ask today: “How can I overcome my allergies?”, “What is my purpose in life?”, “How can I heal this relationship?”, “How can I learn to understand my dreams?” The list goes on and on. Cayce discussed an amazing 10,000 different subjects – information on the future is just a small percentage of that.
----------
-MAD: Above all, Edgar might have wanted to be remembered as a true holistic healer, above being known as a psychic or an empath. His record for the proper diagnosis of physical ailments and medical conditions is truly remarkable, as well as his recommended treatments which usually consisted of natural remedies such as specific herbs and plants. There are so many amazing accounts, but what do you find to be some of the most incredible readings from Cayce’s work as a healer?
-KJT: The thing that is most remarkable for me is the contemporary relevance of the information. Cayce was ahead of his time in discussing the human body, energy medicine, and vibration. Whether it’s exercise, diet, the interconnectivity of the body’s systems, etc., you can find the Cayce information providing insights that science wouldn’t discover for decades. In addition to that, people still come to us with all kinds of health challenges and find relief from the Cayce material. The American Holistic Medical Association was founded by physicians who first became interested in holism because of the Cayce information. Our website has literally hundreds of treatment regimens for a wide variety of ailments that people utilize today – that is what is most incredible about these readings.
----------
-MAD: Throughout his days, Mr. Cayce quietly expounded his Christian values, and incorporated many aspects of his religion within the context of his psychic readings. He read the entire Bible once for every year of his life, and by most accounts would have been considered an upstanding member of the Christian community. Were there any conflicts that Cayce experienced from other Christian groups throughout his life who might have considered his abilities “heretical”, and secondly, do you think it’s necessary that one have a Christian background in order to appreciate the value of Cayce’s work?
-KJT: When Cayce’s biography There is a River came out in 1945 and discussed the topic of reincarnation, he was actually expelled from his conservative Christian Church. In spite of the fact that he was a Deacon and one of the most popular Sunday school teachers. I think that was hard on him. But we need to keep in mind that religion often tries to put limited parameters around spirit that may not necessarily be accurate or helpful. All one need do is look around the world and you will find fundamentalist trends in every religion that do not necessarily agree with other proponents of that religion. For example, for nearly 100 years Unity – a Christian movement – has espoused reincarnation. In fact, every metaphysical branch of a religion has an understanding of reincarnation.
In terms of the religion question, I think regardless of your religion you can find helpful insights and even a closer walk with God in the Cayce material. The readings are deeply ecumenical. Perhaps a challenge is that sometimes the readings use terminology that does not necessarily equate to our contemporary understanding. For example, the readings suggest that Jesus is the Elder Brother of all of humankind regardless of religion. Jesus did not come to start a religion – he came to demonstrate the full awareness of the living spirit in the earth. This is something each and every one of us needs to do, regardless of our religion.
----------
-MAD: Edgar had many wonderful and imaginative readings regarding the long mythicized lost continent of “Atlantis”. Could you specify some of his beliefs on the topic of Atlantis, and how this relates to our modern day choices and decisions? Did Cayce use Atlantis as a warning to future generations?
-KJT: It’s a rather large topic to cover briefly. Let me just say that approximately 1,000 readings mention Atlantis. Cayce suggested that it was an advanced civilization that forgot its spiritual roots, and eventual experienced a series of destructions. What is important from the Cayce readings’ perspective is that this civilization left records of its existence in three places: Bimini, Egypt, and the Yucatan, and Cayce predicted that eventually these records would be found and provide amazing information on the prehistory of the world, as well as an understanding of our relationship with God and with one another. Each year, we sponsor research looking for remnants of this lost civilization, plus each year we have an “Ancient Mysteries” conference. Fascinating information about both of these can be found in the Ancient Mysteries section of our website. We also publish a bi-monthly newsletter on “Ancient Mysteries” that our members can receive – our other two newsletters are: “True Health” and “Personal Spirituality” plus we have a full-color magazine, Venture Inward.
----------
-MAD: Speaking of Atlantis, a rather strange character that shows up in a few of the Cayce readings is a persona called “Amilius”, an ancient Atlantean King, and a representation of a Christ figure. This identity of “Amilius” was even reported to have frightened Edgar’s family at times, and they kindly asked him to stop channeling this strange and wild energy. Who was Amilius, and could you share some of the wisdom which was revealed during the sessions when this persona came into the forefront of Cayce’s psyche?
-KJT: Some of what you’ve just stated is not correct. From the readings’ perspective Amilius was the soul that first came into the earth with an understanding that our real purpose was to bring “spirit into the earth.” This soul took the name Adam and went through a series of 30-some incarnations, perfecting spirit along the way. Eventually this soul entered into his final physical life as Jesus. To get a clearer understanding of this story and the overall purpose of the Christ soul, our Elder Brother, I recommend reading the “Philosophy” chapter of There is a River, by Thomas Sugrue. Edgar Cayce never channeled a “strange and wild energy” that called itself Amilius.
----------
-MAD: You’ll have to excuse me Kevin, as it's been many years since I've read them, but I distinctly remember a passage in either The Sleeping Prophet by Jess Stern, or There is a River by Thomas Sugrue (both excellent books), in which a “strange energy” was channeled by Cayce, stated to have been of the lineage of Jesus Christ, and causing some anxiety in the Cayce household. I’ve had some trouble re-finding that passage, and have associated this “entity” to that of the mysterious Amilius. For readers who might want more information on Amilius, they can visit THIS LINK for some of the Cayce readings regarding this figure. On the topic of reincarnation, of which Edgar had much to say, he made various statements which would seem to imply he believed he would be reincarnated in the midst of the New Millennium, and know fully who he had been in a previous life. Do you believe that Edgar’s consciousness has in fact been transferred and reincarnated to a new teacher, and are there any specific individuals out there who would appear to fit the bill? Was this “reincarnation” more of a symbolic message regarding the full body and context of his works?
-KJT: We have had so many people present themselves as the reincarnation of Edgar Cayce that we had to create a form letter and I eventually wrote an article for our magazine, “Will the Real Edgar Cayce Stand Up?”
Let me relate an example from the Bible of what transpires when a prominent soul comes back – how does he or she deal with the former personality? A perfect example of this can be found in the story of Elijah, contained in the first book of Kings.
Elijah 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 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.
----------
-MAD: I’m sorry, but I have to bring this next question up, though it might be a bit controversial. In March of 1999, the FOX Television station (in association with the National Geographic Channel) ran a special entitled 'Opening The Lost Tombs: Live From Egypt'. In this presentation, they used some of Cayce’s information to promote the idea that there was a “Hall of Records” that would be found just before the turn of the century, and which would reveal the secret history of Egypt’s foundations, as well as the mysterious secrets of life and death. FOX claimed to have found this underground temple, between the paws of the Sphinx, and heralded it as Cayce’s lost Hall of Records. Inside the temple was the empty tomb of the premier Egyptian God, Osiris, suspended above a small chamber of water, and marking the midway point of two vast halls, one representing life, and the other death. Neither of these passageways had been properly analyzed during the time of this unbelievable broadcast, and in the past 8 years, there hasn’t been any more information regarding this FOX television special, nor is it available for purchase; leaving many researchers skeptical as to this supposed “discovery”. Is there any way you could possibly shed further light on this situation? Was a Hall of Records actually found beneath the paws of the enigmatic Sphinx, according to Cayce’s predictions?
-KJT: The Hall of Records discussed by Cayce and the television program aired by FOX has absolutely nothing to do with one another. People often “quote” the Cayce material out of context or completely inaccurately.
In terms of the Hall of Records Cayce discussed, satellite imagery of the Giza Plateau has confirmed the existence of an “anomaly” beneath the right paw of the Sphinx. Information of this and our search for the Hall of Records is available on our website. I would recommend starting at this link: http://www.edgarcayce.org/am/atlantisnews.html.
----------
-MAD: Among the thousands of detailed readings which Cayce gave over the course of his life, some of the most spectacular and sensational involve the coming of massive Earth changes that will potentially change the very shape and nature of our planet. According to Cayce, what are some of the events we can expect in the next few years, and how does 2012 play into this scenario?
-KJT: Again this is a bit of a misconception. There are more than 14,000 readings. Essentially, only 17 readings discuss Earth changes. Of that 17, only 3 discuss the possibility of cataclysmic change. In my opinion, it is not earth changes we have to worry about but changes in society, changes among world religions, changes in our weather. It’s going to be a lot harder to get guns out of schools than it is to clean up after an earthquake. It’s going to be very difficult to bring the world religions together with an understanding that with God as our Creator, we are all children of the same family. These are the real earth changes – NOT earthquakes. In terms of 2012, I think it is a transitional period into a new level of understanding of our ultimate connection to spirit. Cayce told one individual: “…ONLY those who accept same will even become aware of what’s going on about them!” (1602-3). I think the date will come and go and many will think, “Nothing happened…” But in reality, we will have moved ever closer to one world, one people and one God.
----------
-MAD: Here are some of the predictions for Earth changes which have been attributed to Cayce: http://www.crystalinks.com/caycearthchanges.html . Mr. Todeschi, what you say about social change is very interesting and pertinent, and readers can find much more information on these subjects in the book Edgar Cayce’s Story of the Origin and Destiny of Man by Lytle Robinson, especially chapter 10- Crisis in Modern America, and Chapter 11- The Coming New Order. On to another subject, there have been rumors for a few years, which seem to be finally coming into fruition, that actor John Cusack will be producing and starring in a movie about the great life and works of Edgar Cayce. What do you think of the prospect of a big budget movie on the life of the “American Prophet”, and do you feel Mr. Cusack will present an accurate portrayal of Edgar’s legacy?
-KJT: I would love to have a conversation with John Cusack at some point in time. Yes, he has been rumored, off and on, as being one of those people involved in the possibility of a movie – along with countless others. I think that one or more movies will be made in the next 4 or 5 years. There are certainly plenty of accurate books about Cayce. I know that John Cusack’s father was a friend of an individual who knew Mr. Cayce personally and wrote his own biography: A Seer Out of Season, by Harmon Bro.
----------
-MAD: Of all of the dozens of books and documentaries that have been made on the miraculous life of Edgar Cayce, which would you most highly recommend?
-KJT: Probably the most comprehensive biography is: Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet, by Sidney Kirkpatrick, who is also rumored to be involved in a movie. The biography written while Cayce was alive was There is a River, by Thomas Sugrue. My book, Edgar Cayce on the Akashic Records, remains one of A.R.E.’s bestsellers, and has been translated into 7 languages. You can find a listing of all of our books by going to our general website, or go directly to the online bookstore at: www.arebookstore.com.
----------
-MAD: What does the future hold for the Cayce Center? What do you think Edgar would want to have happen in the next 5 or 10 years, in regards to the further study of his works?
-KJT: In one sentence – global availability of the Cayce information. That said, let me give you a brief rundown of some of the things we have accomplished this year:
Foreign Language Outreach:
We started a Spanish publishing company – Libros Illuminados – and have plans to disseminate books about the Cayce information in Spanish throughout the southern United States, and elsewhere.
We have worked with the Peoples Republic of China and they have published The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy into mainland Chinese.
We have plans in the works to launch an online Spanish-speaking membership sometime in 2008.
Internet Outreach:
We now host eGroups annually, providing individuals around the world with access to Cayce content and A.R.E. personalities throughout the year. Many of our participants will never have access to a conference.
We are launching an online membership – with access to online versions of Venture Inward and the membership newsletters this month.
We are launching a new MFA program through Atlantic University in Visionary Art and Consciousness. Accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and licensed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), it is the first online MFA in visual arts in the country.
We have created a web-presence in a variety of youth-oriented chat rooms, including MySpace.
Community and Member Outreach:
We started the annual Edgar Cayce Scholarship program this year – open to high school students in Virginia Beach who are interested in exploring any topic in the Edgar Cayce material for comparative study.
We began working with the city’s Tourist Development division as a featured site with their new convention center and will be hosting hundreds of travel planners at A.R.E. in February.
We launched the A.R.E. Volunteer Call Center last April – giving local members a meaningful volunteer position, helping members and inquiries around the world, and providing a designated place for individuals to contact us with any imaginable question.
Expanded Site Plans:
We are working on plans for the expansion and upgrade of our 67th Street site, including the construction of a Cayce Café, the creation of new offices for Atlantic University, expanded parking, and state of the art lighting throughout our parking and garden areas.
We are also working on plans for our Landstown site (18 acres in southern Virginia Beach), which will eventually host such things as a wellness center and an expanded A.R.E. / Helena Patti Day Camp for young people.
We are working with A.R.E. members in Houston to acquire the Houston Center – a 17,000 square foot facility in which we will be able to create a “Texas Headquarters,” offering conferences, a DaySpa, and possible outreach for Atlantic University and the Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy.
In addition to all of these exciting plans, I continue to be inspired by longtime members who make it fun to come to work each day! It only costs $48 a year to be a member of A.R.E., and we have members worldwide.
----------
-MAD: Kevin, thank you so much for this interview today, all your good work, and for helping to keep the spirit of Mr. Cayce alive into the 21st Century. Whether you agree or disagree, have differences of opinion, there is no denying the fact that Edgar Cayce is an inspiration for those purveyors of all things mystic, and is probably one of the most distinctive and influential figures of the past century. As we finish, are there any final words you’d like to leave readers with regarding the wisdom of Cayce, and our gallant, yet volatile march into the unknown tomorrow?
-KJT: Simply to let people know that regardless of their background or area of need, there are helpful and life-transforming insights in the Cayce material. In fact, our motto is “Helping people change their lives for the better – physically, mentally, and spiritually.” I would encourage people to go to our website and see the range of services we offer. In addition to study groups and local regional activities, A.R.E. offers membership benefits and services, a bimonthly magazine, a newsletter, publications, conferences, international tours, an impressive volunteer network, a massage school curriculum, a retreat-type camp for children and adults, impressive online resources, outreach to prisons, prayer services, and A.R.E. contacts around the world. A.R.E. also maintains an affiliation with Atlantic University, which offers a master's degree program in Transpersonal Studies.
Thanks for giving us this opportunity.
----------
For additional information about programs and activities anywhere in the world, please contact the international headquarters in the United States: A.R.E., 215 67th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451-2061; call: (800) 333-4499; or check out the Web site at: www.edgarcayce.org.
----------
MAD is the Administrator of www.nwowatcher.com and a contributor to the Buffalo Beast Magazine. Please take a moment to visit the Interview Archive.
Kevin Todeschi is the President of the Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Center. For more on the A.R.E. Center, please visit http://www.edgarcayce.org/ or the Official Myspace Page.