The Essential Edgar Cayce (20 page)

For the very nature of the entity, and of the impelling influences that we have indicated for the body, is to be
busy!

Then let it be in
constructive
forces, but keep busy—no matter in what direction, keep busy!

As we find, these adhered to will bring about the better reactions.

At first it may appear that these are not very definite, but let the body make out a schedule for itself in this manner:

“So much time each day
(and do it!)
I will give to the improvement of my mental concept of my relationships to Creative Forces of God.

“So much time each day I will give to
physical
relaxation and exertion for expression, for the activities to produce the proper coordinant relationships between mind and the body.

“So much time I will give
(and give it!),
each day, to putting into
practice
that which is
perceived
and
conceived,
” as to thy relationships to the Creative Forces, thy relationships to thy fellow man.

And not necessarily those in high places, nor altogether those who have lost hope. For the body, mind and soul needs the encouragements as well as the concrete forces of example where hope has been and is lost, that must be revived by thy activity.

Keep in the open oft, and in thy activity.

And we will find—before the season has gone—a new outlook upon the experiences in this life!

Ready for questions.

Q
How should the low electrical forces be used?

A
Those of the direct current; as in the low galvanic or the low violet, or the like.

Q
How often would you suggest the hydrotherapy treatments?

A
Once or twice a week in the beginning, and then gradually farther apart.

Do these things as we have indicated, and as we find we will bring that as described.

Q
Who would you recommend to follow these suggested treatments?

A
Choose this for yourself.

Q
How may I best overcome the spells of emotional hysteria which interfere so seriously with my work?

A
As indicated.
Doing
something! but considering body, mind
and
purpose of soul!

Q
How may I overcome constant fatigue physically which results in disinterestedness in people and in my work?

A
As indicated; in the manners that have been outlined.

Q
How may I regain my former drive and ambitions?

A
Just as has been given. There must be reestablished, as it were, the
ideal;
and things that have made the body and mind, and the very physical forces afraid, must be wiped away as a tear.

We are through for the present.

SAMPLES OF EDGAR CAYCE’S ADVICE FOR HEALING

Several hundred ailments are addressed in the some nine thousand health readings Edgar Cayce delivered over the years. Dozens of people sought treatment for some of them, and from their multiple case histories emerged a general pattern of treatment for each. Nevertheless, we need always remember that Cayce’s readings were for individual people, and that what he said was a little different from one individual to the next. Presented here is a sampler of how he approached several common conditions. Readers wishing more detail about a given condition can contact the Association for Research and Enlightenment (
www.edgarcayce.org
), founded by Cayce in 1931, which continues to work with those wishing to research and apply his suggestions.

THE COMMON COLD

On rare occasions, Edgar Cayce was asked to give a general reading on a specific ailment. Here’s an excerpt from a reading on the common cold.

Each body, as so oft considered, is a law unto itself. Thus what would be beneficial in one for prevention might be harmful to another; just as what might have beneficial effects upon one might prove as naught to another.

The cold is both contagious and infectious. It is a germ that attacks the mucous membranes of nasal passages or throat. Often it is preceded by the feeling of flushiness or cold sensations, and by spasmodic reactions in the mucous membranes of the nasal passages.

Then, precautionary or preventative measures respecting the common cold would depend upon how this may be fully judged in the human body, or as to what precautionary measures have been taken and as to what conditions exist already in the individual body.

First: A body is more susceptible to cold with an excess of acidity OR alkalinity, but MORE susceptible in case of excess acidity. For, an alkalizing effect is destructive to the cold germ.

When there has been at any time an extra depletion of the vital energies of the body, it produces the tendency for an excess acidity—and it may be throughout any portion of the body.

At such periods, if a body comes in contact with one sneezing or suffering with cold, it is more easily contracted.

Thus precautions are to be taken at such periods especially.

To be sure, this leaves many questions that might be asked:

Does draft cause a cold? Does unusual change in dress? Does change in temperature? Does getting the clothes or the feet damp? Etc.

All of these, to be sure, AFFECT the CIRCULATION; by the depletion of the body-balance, the body-temperature or body-equilibrium. Then at such times if the body is tired, worn, overacid or overalkaline, it is more susceptible to cold—even by the very changes produced through the sudden unbalancing of circulation, as from a warm room overheated. Naturally when overheated there is less oxygen, which weakens the circulation in the life-giving forces that are destructive to ANY germ or contagion or such.

Then if there is that activity in which the body becomes more conscious of such conditions, this of itself USES energies oft that produces PSYCHOLOGICALLY a susceptibility!

Consequently, as we find, this is one of the most erratic conditions that may be considered as an ill to the human body.

Much at times may also depend upon the body becoming immune to sudden changes by the use of clothing to equalize the pressures over the body. One that is oft in the open and dresses according to the general conditions, or the temperatures, will be LESS susceptible than one who often wraps up or bundles up too much—UNLESS—UNLESS there are other physical defects, or such conditions in the system as to have reduced the vitality locally or as a general condition through the system.

So much, then, as to the susceptibility of an individual or body to colds.

Then, precautions should be taken when it is known that such tendencies exist; that is, weakness, tiredness, exhaustion, or conditions arising from accidents as of draft, dampness of clothes, wet feet or the like, or contact with those suffering with a cold.

As is known, all vital forces are activities of the glandular system; and these are stimulated by specific glandular activity attributed to the functioning of certain portions of the system.

Then, when exposed to such—under the conditions as indicated, or the many other phases of such that make up the experience of an individual, these would be the preventative measures:

The use of an ABUNDANT supply of vitamins is beneficial, of ALL characters; A, B, B-1, D, E, G and K...

Hence it may be said that the adding of vitamins to the system is a precautionary measure,—at all seasons when the body is the most adaptable or susceptible to the contraction of cold, either by contact or by exposure or from unsettled conditions.

The diet also should be considered,—in that there is not an excess of acids or sweets, or even an excess of alkalinity, that may produce such a drawing upon some portion of the system (in attempting to prepare the assimilating system for such activity in the body) as to weaken any organ or any activity or any functioning as to produce greater susceptibility.

Hence there should be kept a normal, well balanced diet that has proven to be right for the individual body,—if precautionary measures are to be taken through such periods.

Also there should be precautions as to the proper clothing, as to drafts, as to dampness of feet, as to being in too hot or too cold a room, as to getting too tired or exhausted in any way or manner.

Precautions in all these directions to keep a near normal balance are measures best to be taken towards preventing the contracting of cold.

When once the cold has attacked the body, there are certain measures that should always be taken.

First, as has so often been indicated, REST! Do not attempt to go on, but REST! For, there is the indication of an exhaustion somewhere, else the body would not have been susceptible. Then, too, the inflammation of the mucous membranes tends to weaken the body, so that there is the greater susceptibility to the weakened portions of the body throughout the special influence of the lymph and emunctory activity,—such as the head, throat, lungs, intestinal system. Then, if there has been an injury in any structural portions of the body, causing a weakness in those directions, there becomes the susceptibility there for the harmful effects from such.

Then, find or determine next where the weakness lies. Is it from lack of eliminations (which causes many ailments)?

Hence quantities of water, as well as an alkalizer, as well as a booster to assimilating forces, are beneficial things towards producing a balance so that the cold and its consequences may be the more readily or easily eliminated or eradicated.
902-1

HEADACHES

Edgar Cayce often thought that headaches originated in the gut. Repeatedly, he refers to the
caecum
, which is the pouch at the beginning of the large intestine. In this reading, we see recommendations for cleansing the large intestine, as well as for adjusting the spine osteopathically. Diet, anxiety, and emotional imbalance also are identified as contributing factors.

For, when there are any types of headaches (and they may arise from many sources) there is distress somewhere in the physical being of the body that is the source of the cause of same. One may have a type of headache from a stomach ailment, another may be from poor digestion or poor eliminations; and these apparently cause pressures in varied portions of the head—or the reflex nerves of the brain center itself.

Here we have a type that is sometimes called migraine, or that really means “we don’t know the source of same.”

In this particular body we find the combination of disturbances. These are more severe when there is an overanxiety about any emotional influence in the experience (in this body), whether conscious or unconscious, or in those periods when something aggravates the body in its mental activity. These arise, then, from a condition existing in this body bordering on the pancreas, on the activity of the spleen upon the body.

When such conditions occur, the body will find, by the application of the hand on the body that there is a cold area just across the diaphragm, as compared to the rest of the body.

The expression in the nerve reflexes we find associated with certain ganglia in the cerebrospinal system, where the sympathetic nerves and the nerves of the central nervous system coordinate. In this particular body, these occur from the 6th to the 8th dorsal. These, then, are the areas where stimulation is needed for the association or coordination, for the relieving of those reflexes, or those pressures that cause reflexes in the brain centers themselves; so as to relieve these tensions in this body.

But the sources of these pressures arise from the conditions in the colon and in the caecum area.

Then, in going about to remove these pressures,—we would have osteopathic treatments and colonic irrigations. Because these conditions have been existent with the body for a long period, there will be required a series of these treatments periodically—if we would keep these coordinations in the areas to prevent the reacting upon reflexes of the nerve forces that cause these disturbances for the body.

Remove these pressures in the colon by high colonic irrigations. Keep these up, though it may bring on a mild attack during the first or second period. Keep these up until all of the mucus is entirely removed, for this is the source of the pressure—in a part of the caecum area. These colonics in the beginning should be given not more than fifteen days apart, until five or six have been given. And these must be scientifically given, not a “slap dab” job. For, these are conditions where the special areas in the caecum center are to be purified.

Continue also occasionally to relax and stimulate the centers in the cerebrospinal system that supply nerve energies to the areas through pancreas and the spleen area as it connects with same along the whole alimentary canal, to the areas outlined. These treatments should be given osteopathically or neuropathically, and be given about twice a week until ten or twelve have been given. Then they may be made farther apart. Or go for two or three weeks without any, and then have another series.

Do these and we should stimulate the activity to refrain from these headaches. For, we will not only remove the causes but we will supply energies from the body to replace these with normal reactions.

Of course, foods have their effect. Keep away from too much sweets, or mixed fruits or candies—for this body.

In the activities mentally, keep optimistic—even when everything goes wrong.

Do that.
3329-1

INDIGESTION

Here again, the reading presents a snapshot of how Edgar Cayce made specific recommendations for a particular ailment. Notice how the description of this forty-one-year-old man’s problem emphasizes that more is going on than just eating the wrong foods. An overly acidic condition prevails in the body overall; and, what’s more, there is a lack of coordination between the kidneys and liver. Too much of the circulating blood is tied up in the abdominal organs, and not enough is available for the body’s extremities.