This blog is part of our 2022 Enlightenment Course, an exclusive benefit for members of Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. Each month John Van Auken provides a lesson with a worksheet, a video, a blog, and in each issue of the member magazine, Venture Inward, he writes an article about this topic. For 2022, we are focusing on Cayce's insights into achieving health, happiness, and a meaningful life. Members can access all of the available material in the Member-only section of our website at EdgarCayce.org/members. 

Here's a preview of the January lesson for 2022: 

The 2022 course will study and apply getting and staying healthy – physically, mentally, and spiritually. It will explore the activities and principles that bring us happiness. And it will explore all the teachings that humanity has discovered and shared about living a meaningful life.  

Here are 3 activities that we will focus on to achieve these goals: 

1. Engage the Fullness of Our Minds.

The mind that we most identify with is not the entirety of our consciousness. It is only a narrowly focused portion that is designed to function in this present reality and with these present relationships. Cayce explained that "the attributes of the mind are a portion of the soul, as well as a portion of the material self." Our soul is that portion of us that lives beyond death and was alive prior to this incarnation. It is celestial, infinite in its perception, while we are terrestrial and finite. We also have an even higher and more expansive portion to our minds, our superconscious. It is in touch with the Universal Consciousness or Mind of God. 

In this course we are going to learn how to engage the fullness of our minds, all portions working together to bring mental and physical health, happiness, and meaning. 

2. The Power of Our Attitudes.

Cayce taught us to use our will-power to "keep in the attitude of creative forces. Keep happy. Do not let anxiety of any nature disturb." We can determine to be happy. He used "creative" in opposition to destructive. Too often we slip in destructive, negative thinking. Rather, let's be uplifting instead of down-putting. Let's be positive instead of negative. Let's be life-giving instead life-taking. Let's be a helpful influence, a listening ear, an empath for those who are sad, confused, angry, depressed, and so on. An attitude of "I'm here to be a light and help to others, as well as myself" is POWER! Somehow getting beyond self and playing a role in others' lives heals self, comforts self, and lightens self's burdens. 

Cayce asked us to consider how circumstances, conditions, and surroundings affect our mental attitude and how these affect our bodies. He wanted us to consider how self's attitude and outlook towards conditions and people shapes our disposition. He encouraged us to observe how the attitudes of others affect us. He encouraged us to avoid too much time around negative people. Avoid the human tendencies toward doubt, fear, anxiety, worry, sulkiness, and gloom. "To be sure, there should be rather that expectant attitude... for unless there is the expectancy, unless there is hope, the mind's outlook becomes a drag, a drug on one." (572-5) 

3. The Energy of Our Emotions.

Now some believe that emotions should be subdued for they disturb more than they help. This is not the view we have here. Emotions expressed properly and decently fill us with energy and enthusiasm for living life and relating with others more fully, more honestly. Emotions expressed with good intention and in a genuine, natural manner energize life for us and for others. Laughter, joy, love, tears, sorrow, and wonder are all part of human life.  

Throughout this year-long course we are going get into these activities more deeply. To do this, let's identify some steps we can take this month: 

1. Observe our 3-orb mind: 1. Conscious daily mind, 2. Subconscious Soul mind, and 3. Superconscious godly or angelic Spirit-Mind. Observe how wonderfully arranged our daily mind is for processing daily life. Consider how it grows through experience and education, through reading and listening. Next, consider how intuition and subconscious whispers help us succeed in daily life. Notice how we sometimes just know something spontaneously, how we pick up on people's vibes more than their appearance and words. And then, pull away from daily life and sit in a quiet place, reflecting on our spirit's existence and its natural connection with the Great Spirit.

2. Observe our mental state and attitude: Through each day and night pause to take note of our mental state and attitude. Observe how situations and people affect our mental state and attitude. If we don't like our present attitude, use our willpower to change it. See how a change in attitude makes a big change in life. 

Watching ourselves go through a day brings insights to the watcher. When situations and relationships cycle back around, we don't act or react in the same way because we are now more conscious of our disposition and how circumstances and people affect us. Now we willfully modify our actions and reactions.

3. Observe our Feelings, Emotions, and Mood Changes. Throughout the course of a day, we will experience an array of emotions – joy, impatience, frustration, contentment, sadness, anxiety, anticipation – depending on the events and how they unfold. Keep in mind that we are the physical expression of our genetic makeup as well as modeled behavior and training in our early, formative years. Even Cayce stated that emotions come from bodily activity and memory, including past-life physical activity that is still in our psyche. Therefore, the way we experience, process, and express emotions is a result of both genetics and upbringing or what is called socialization.

Emotional expression can influence how well we navigate our day-to-day life and relationships. "Know Thyself" declares the famous classical teaching. We come to know ourselves by observing our patterns of behavior and emotions. Watching self-go through a day, a conversation, an event, leads to us better knowing ourselves. This can then lead us to modify our behavior and emotions, which then leads to healthier living – for us and those we share life with.  

Read the full lesson and access a helpful worksheet to help you stay on track and track your progress through the lessons in this course in the member only section of our website. Not a member? Join now at: EdgarCayce.org/membership  Then, when you are at our Home Page you'll login as a member and access all of these lessons, videos, and much more.