By Sister Arlene Einwalter, SSSF

Many years ago, I read the book There Is a River by Thomas Sugrue and was very impressed with the unusual and exciting life of Edgar Cayce. Over the years, I have discovered many insights and have been inspired by much of what Cayce taught and wrote.

I was able to attend an A.R.E. workshop on reincarnation in Detroit. After doing a group regression, the facilitator asked for a willing subject to do an individual session on stage. To be fair, he said that those who wished to participate should write down a number between 1 and 100, and he wrote a number on a board hidden from sight. Immediately, the number 53 entered my head. Then he asked if anyone had a number close to 53. I was shocked—I was the only one who had written down that number.

After assuring him that I was open and would like to do the regression, he invited me on stage and asked how the group regression went for me. I was embarrassed to admit that I had moved into a trance, saw moccasins, and duly fallen asleep.  

He said, "Tell us a little about yourself." I panicked! How could I tell the truth? But how could I not? I took a deep breath and said, "I am a Catholic Sister, who works in the Catholic Diocese of Toledo." The audience gasped. Kindly the facilitator said, "That's OK, I am going to attend my sister's reception into a Religious Community next Saturday in Montreal." I was relieved.

The facilitator continued and noted that I might or might not see moccasins, and then he took me into a deep trance. I did see moccasins again and found myself on the banks of a river washing clothes. I seemed to be an older teenager wearing a heavy brown dress cut with triangles along the bottom. I was then invited to move further into another part of my life. There, I found myself in an abode—something like a tepee—sitting on a straight chair and trying to rock a baby. My husband, whom I recognized as a priest that I know in my present lifetime, came in, placed his hands on my shoulders, and rocked the baby with me. Again, the facilitator moved me ahead in time. I then found myself quite elderly in a simple house, lying on a bed. There was a large pot of boiling water in the corner, and I saw smoke. I was alone, as far as I could tell, and I believe that I was dying.

After I was brought out of the regression, and we spoke about the experience, I realized some of the audience was in tears. Afterwards, several people came up and said how much they appreciated the fact that I, as a Catholic Sister, would be open to this kind of experience. One, who said she was part Native American, told me that as I mentioned rocking the baby, a lullaby sang in her head in another language. What a powerful experience!

Cayce also helped me to recognize that psychic experiences can happen to any of us, including myself, and that when we pray to be protected by the Spirit, they are not a cause for fear.

Edgar Cayce's teachings set me on a path of open-mindedness, and my experiences moved me further into being comfortable in my own belief system. My book, Called to Be Mystics, was inspired by a friend and mentor. One day, I asked him rather flippantly, "Robert, what's a mystic?" Without missing a beat, he responded, "Merging with the mind and heart of Christ." He then added, "And we are all called to be mystics."

I am now retired, but continue to do support groups and other volunteer work in Clement Manor, the retirement facility where I live. Here, we have a large volunteer program called Life-Long Learning for older adults in the city of Milwaukee, conducted by volunteer teachers and professors. I try to help students realize that personal beliefs do not always follow the teachings of lineage, religion, culture, or society. We must find comfort in our beliefs as we grow in spirituality. Many years ago, Edgar Cayce set me on an exceptional spiritual path. 

Excerpt of an article printed in the Winter 2015 A.R.E. Member Newsletter, available at EdgarCayce.org/members.