Edgar Cayce (/ˈkeɪsiː/; March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) was an American clairvoyant who claimed to diagnose diseases and recommend treatments for ailments while asleep.

[1] During thousands of transcribed sessions, Cayce would answer questions on a variety of subjects such as healing, reincarnation, dreams, the afterlife, past lives, nutrition, Atlantis, and future events.

[2] As a clairvoyant, Cayce collaborated with a variety of individuals including osteopath Al Layne, homeopath Wesley Ketchum, printer Arthur Lammers, and Wall Street broker Morton Blumenthal.

During the Second Great Awakening, Thomas and Alexander Campbell founded the Disciples of Christ, a church which sought to restore the original Christian teachings and practices.

[8] Other abilities attributed to Cayce include astral projection, prophecy, mediumship, access to the Akashic records, Book of Life, and seeing auras, astrology and dreamwork.

[20] The following year, in April 1902, Cayce authored a public endorsement that attributed his cured voice to the treatment of "Osteopath and Electro-Magnetical Doctor" A.C.

[25] By June 24, papers published stories of Cayce going into a trance to help osteopath A.C. Lane diagnosis a patient who was not physically present.

[10][29] Layne revealed the activity to the professionals at the boarding house (one of whom was a magistrate and journalist), and the state medical authorities forced him to close his practice.

[4] “The medical fraternity of the country is taking a lively interest in the strange power said to be possessed by Edgar Cayce of Hopkinsville, Ky., to diagnose difficult diseases while in a semi-conscious state, though he has not the slightest knowledge of medicine when not in this condition.

Dr. Ketchum made a speech of considerable length, giving an explanation of the strange psychic powers manifested by Cayce during the last four years during which time he has been more or less under his observation.

This talk created such widespread interest among the 700 doctors present that one of the leading Boston medical men who heard his speech invited Dr. Ketchum to prepare a paper as a part of the programme of the September meeting of the American Society of Clinical Research.

Its presentation created a sensation, and almost before Dr. Ketchum knew that the paper had been given to the press he was deluged with letters and telegrams inquiring about the strange case.

… Dr. Ketchum wishes it distinctly understood that his presentation is purely ethical, and that he attempts no explanation of what must be classed as a mysterious mental phenomena.

‘By suggestion he becomes unconscious to pain of any sort, and, strange to say, his best work is done when he is seemingly ‘dead to the world.’ ‘My subject simply lies down and folds his arms, and by auto-suggestion goes to sleep.

He handles the most complex ‘jaw breakers’ with as much ease as any Boston physician, which to me is quite wonderful, in view of the fact that while in his normal state he is an illiterate man, especially along the line of medicine, surgery, or pharmacy, of which he knows nothing.

'”On October 20, 1910, Hopkinsville papers announced Cayce's return to town, with his father handling with the "business end of his hypnotic readings" as part of stock company that had been set up.

[62] In May 1921, Texas papers announced plans for the Cayce Petroleum Company to begin drilling about six miles north of San Saba.

[65] On October 18, papers reported Cayce had addressed a local writers group, covering topics like reincarnation and evolution of the soul.

Moseley Brown, head of the psychology department at Washington and Lee University, became convinced of the readings and joined the association in early 1928.

"[86] Salt packs, poultices, hot compresses, chromotherapy, magnetism, vibrator treatment, massage, osteopathic manipulation, dental therapy, colonics, enemas, antiseptics, inhalants, homeopathy, essential oils, and mud baths were prescribed.

Substances included oils, salts, herbs, iodine, witch hazel, magnesia, bismuth, alcohol, castoria, lactated pepsin, turpentine, charcoal, animated ash, soda, cream of tartar, aconite, laudanum, camphor, and gold solution.

The readings were now about dreams, coincidence (synchronicity), developing intuition, the Akashic records, astrology, past-life relationships, soul mates and other esoteric subjects.

Taking me with them the group of scientists visited these places in a long, cigar-shaped metal flying ship which moved at a high speed.

[107] According to the book, in May 1889, while reading the Bible in his hut in the woods, a young Cayce 'saw' a woman with wings who told him that his prayers were answered, and asked him what he wanted most of all.

Given a person's name and location, Cayce claimed that he could diagnose the physical and mental conditions of what he called "the entity" and provide a remedy.

Cayce advocated pseudohistorical ideas in his trance readings, such as the existence of lost continents Lemuria, Mu and Atlantis[127] and the discredited theory of polygenism.

[129][130] During the 1930s, Cayce incorrectly predicted that North America would experience existential chaos: "Los Angeles, San Francisco ... will be among those that will be destroyed before New York".

Martin Gardner wrote that the "verified" claims and descriptions from Cayce's trances can be traced to ideas in books he had been reading by authors such as Carl Jung, P. D. Ouspensky, and Helena Blavatsky.

[139] Michael Shermer wrote in Why People Believe Weird Things (1997), "Uneducated beyond the ninth grade, Cayce acquired his broad knowledge through voracious reading and from this he wove elaborate tales.

[135] Health experts are critical of Cayce's unorthodox treatments, such as his promotion of pseudoscientific dieting and homeopathic remedies, which they consider quackery.