Edgar Cayce on the Christ Consciousness

Introduction

What is the Christ Consciousness? I had heard the phrase used many times over the last several years, but I was never satisfied with the answers I received – if I received any explanations at all. I then stumbled upon a book titled, Edgar Cayce on Channeling Your Higher Self, written by Henry Reed and edited by Charles Thomas Cayce (grandson of the late Edgar Cayce.) Therein I found my answers.

About Edgar Cayce (1877 – 1945)

Edgar Cayce will not need much of an introduction to most of those that pursue interests in things psychic and spiritual. It will be sufficient to say that he was, perhaps, the greatest psychic and spiritual medium in recorded history. He had great powers of clairvoyance and was noted for his accurate medical diagnoses and recommended treatments. He also gave many “life readings” and detailed discussions on many things of importance to his clients. All these things occurred while Cayce was in a near comatose trance state. Cayce usually entered these trance states twice a day for nearly 45 years; transcriptions were made and preserved of these sessions. Edgar Cayce was a devout Christian steeped in 19th century Christian ideals. As with all channeling and channels, his explanations are “colored” by his beliefs and background. Yet his channeled information was so “radical” in view of his religious background that he had difficulty accepting it until later in life. Eventually, he accepted that what he did must be a “gift of God” and therefore true.

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Choosing an Ideal

Leading up to the answers concerning the Christ Consciousness, Cayce discusses an Ideal. Specifically, what Ideal (or model) a person should choose to facilitate channeling of spirit. He uses the term “channeling” in a broad sense – not specifically meaning the channeling of an entity (such as a deceased ancestor.) What is meant is receiving intuition, ideas, inspiration, and guidance from spirit. This can be communication with higher self, your guides, guardians, or God (The Divine Energy.)

The Christ Consciousness

Cayce indicated that the “ideal choice of the Ideal” is the Christ Consciousness. “The Christ Consciousness is that awareness held in the mind of Jesus and expressed in that life.” Jesus said, “My Father and I are one.” It is an awareness of the One God and an awareness of the Oneness of all life. It is a life that expresses the fundamental “commandment” to love God and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Your neighbor and you are one. We are all one in God. Jesus was aware that God was living as a man, incarnated in his body. He was also aware that it’s the same for all of us. God incarnates in all of us!

So why was Jesus Christ special?

Most Christians, who are fundamental in their beliefs, will have strong feelings and opinions about this subject. Here is Cayce’s view:

Jesus was special in his total awareness of divinity within, his willingness to accept it, and to live it. That awareness was in every cell of his body. He lived it in every act of his life. He demonstrated that it is possible for a human being to live the “Christ Conciousness.”

What about the concept of “Sin?”

“Sin” means literally to “miss the mark” (from the Greek.) When we turn our backs on our awareness of “oneness” and take our physical being and world as our primary focus and reality – we “miss the mark”. If we place more emphasis on what is created rather than on the creator – we “miss the mark”. When we let our egos rule our life – we “miss the mark.”

Cayce frequently defined “sin” as “self.” This means to focus on our separateness rather than on our oneness. No one punishes us for our sins. No entity sits in judgement of our sins. Sin creates it’s own punishment. Focusing on separateness creates fear. Fear creates defensiveness. Defensiveness creates further separation.

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The antidote to fear is love and the antidote to the experience of separateness is to focus on oneness. If you are lonely, forget yourself and reach out to someone in love. This is the spirit of the Christ Consciousness.

What about the Crucifixion and being reborn?

The ideal of the Christ is a universal symbolic motif, which has come to be symbolized by the cross. Interestingly, the Norse god Odin was also crucified upon a cross and was also reborn. The word resurrection would likely be more comfortable to Christians. Dying on the cross to be reborn means to let the ego personality resign its claim to the throne so that our true individuality may live with the ego as the servant of that life. Our individuality is who we really are under our personalities that are merely social creations that have been formed to please and to look good in the eyes of others. Each of us is a soul of eternal life, capable of infinite creativity, each expressing the one God in a totally unique manner.

How might I begin to live this ideal?

The Christ Consciousness is an ideal that can provide continuous inspiration for a lifetime. Cayce used Christian terminology and symbology from the Bible. As hinted previously, those with fundamental Christian beliefs find the Cayce interpretations quite radical. On the other hand, many have been hurt or made to feel guilty or ashamed because they could not live up to the traditional interpretation of Christianity (or couldn’t believe.) Many of these people find the mention of anything “Christian” to be obnoxious. Cayce was much less concerned with beliefs or “isms” as he called them than he was with consciousness. He was more committed to the power of love than to any words or terms. If you find the term “Christ Consciousness” to be objectionable, look within yourself for your own sense of the ideal. You must look within and let your own consciousness and intuition guide you to the ideal that you would choose to govern the spirit by which you live.

Prepared by: J.B. Van Voorhis 08-14-07

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