Cayce and the Growth of Consciousness
by Gordon Yumibe

“In the words of the Master Himself, ‘In my Father’s house there are many mansions’(John 14:2 ), many consciousnesses, many stages of enfoldment, of unfoldment, of blessings, of sources.”
Edgar Cayce Reading 2280-1

I grew up in the raucous and sometimes tumultuous ‘60s and ‘70s, having experienced many of the highlights right along with my contemporaries. For me that was a time of music, Woodstock, the Vietnam war, Kent State, Mayor Daley and the Democratic convention, just to name a few. My hair was shoulder length at the time. Two of the things that I took away from that period were a lifelong interest in health and healing, and an interest in consciousness. Both interests have survived and taken root. Many of us realized at that time that the only way we could effectively change society was to change how we, collectively, thought of ourselves; in other words, our state of awareness or our consciousness. Many pioneers of consciousness of that time, including Alan Watts, Baba Ram Dass, and Timothy Leary, led the way. Cayce said “…to all: the ability to be conscious of a thing—mentally—is the only manner through which anyone experiences anything!” (Reading 272-4) That might apply to seeing an object or situation, but it also might mean that we need to recognize or discern different states of awareness, e.g. a drunken state of awareness vs. a higher spiritual state.

Today we see many people advocating a “shift” in our consciousness as the way to move forward. I too am learning what this means in my life. Many A.R.E. members have already done some of the required work to help this movement forward. Many of the timeless values advocated by Cayce, like compassion, kindness, and long-suffering, have become part of the real spiritual foundation that helps support this shift. That very foundation is essential to withstand many of the changes already occurring within ourselves and in the physical world. At the heart of this shift in consciousness has been our ability to reconnect with our source, which Cayce calls the Creative Forces. Some are describing this shift from a 3rd-dimensional consciousness to a 5th-dimensional consciousness. I think in essence, much of this means we are moving out of the mental sphere towards a heart-centered consciousness. We will ultimately need to master both parts of our natures, before we can be on the straight path toward the “promised land.”

Cayce has acknowledged different levels of consciousness all along. In my copy of The Edgar Cayce Companion, I have found numerous references to consciousness. Here are a few:

“…That which is known in the earth as a three-dimensional phase of existence with a five-consciousness of its existence…”
Edgar Cayce Reading 2280-1

“How many dimensions are in this solar system? Eight!”
Edgar Cayce Reading 5755-2

I know this might be pretty confusing at first, but I think as we learn to raise our level of consciousness, we will recognize some of these higher awarenesses. There are a couple of authors who have been able to put this forth in a contemporary perspective. One is Meg Blackburn Losey, who wrote The Secret History of Consciousness: Ancient Keys to Our Future Survival. Another fascinating account of this is The Alchemy of Nine Dimensions: The 2011/2012 Prophecies and Nine Dimensions of Consciousness by Barbara Clow. Both Losey and Clow help integrate the concept of light and sound energy to higher levels of consciousness and dimensions. They are helping us grasp the sometimes difficult concepts that are starting to resonate more throughout the world. We are only beginning to understand part of what this “shift” may mean. Many are getting a better sense of what it means to become deeply connected spiritual beings. Cayce seems to indicate that the 4th dimension is approached mentally. I experience part of this as our collective consciousness or unconsciousness where part of our collective past memories are stored. Barbara Clow says this might be where the akashic records are found. This energy field seems to collect and store all our thought patterns and energies from our common human history together.

The 5th dimension seems where we become re-centered in our heart. Some describe this sphere where one begins to experience the essence of Divine Love; the inter-connected whole, and true joy. No matter what one ends up believing, there is an all-encompassing desire to return to Divine Love. No matter how far out intellectually I’ve resonated with the many things I have read, including writings from these two sources, I’ve always come back to the Truth and the Light that shines in the Cayce readings.

I’d like to thank Linda Lubin who helped me understand what the “shift” means through her website: Journeytoawaken.org and the writings she has exposed me to.

Gordon Yumibe is a lifelong seeker with an interest in Jungian, Gnostic, and Edgar Cayce material. While he is a professional gardener by trade, he also has a psychology degree. In 2009, he received a Spiritual Mentoring Certificate from Atlantic University. You can find Gordon on Facebook.