This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at his home on Arctic Crescent, Virginia Beach, Va., this 16th day of October, 1940, in accordance with request made by those present.

Present: Edgar Cayce, Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Florence Edmonds, Esther Wynne, Hannah Miller, Frances Y. Morrow, Helen Ellington, Helen Godfrey, Mae Verhoeven, Sallie Jones, Louise Dill, and Gladis Hardin.

TEXT

1. GC: You will have before you the members of the Glad Helpers gathered here. You will continue with the discourse on the endocrine system of the human body.
2. EC: Yes, we have the group as gathered here; and their study of the endocrine system.
3. It has been indicated as to what takes place at the time of conception, and the manner, and the influences which regulate activities spiritually, mentally, physically, through the period of gestation. It will possibly be well to illustrate same; that there may be drawn, by those studying same, the experience as in the life of individuals.
4. We begin then with the seers or sages of old, from that period indicated as to how influences affected the offspring:
5. When Abraham and Sarah were given the promise of an heir through which the nations of the earth would be blessed, there were many years of preparation of these individuals, of the physical, mental and spiritual natures. Again and again it is indicated as to how they each in their material concept (watch the words here, please, if you would understand) attempted to offer a plan, or way, through which this material blessing from a spiritual source might be made manifest.
6. Hence we find as to how the material or mental self-misunderstanding, misconstruing the spiritual promises - offered or EFFECTED channels through which quite a different individual entity was made manifest; and through same brought confusion, distress, disturbance one to another in the material manifestations.
7. Yet, when the last promise was given, that even in their old age there would be given an heir, we find that when Sarah thus conceived there was the development of a body physically, mentally and spiritually so well balanced as to be almost etheric in his relationships to the world about him, when the material manifestation had grown to maturity.
8. Here we find, then, that mind and matter are coordinated into bringing a channel for spiritual activity that is not exceeded in any of the characters depicted in Holy Writ.
9. What, then, were the characteristics, the activity of the glandular system as related to that individual entity? We find that there was a perfect coordination in and through the whole period of gestation, and the fulfilling of the time according to the law set in motion by the divine influence that was the directing force of both parents through the period.
10. We find also that throughout the period of gestation the activities about the entity, the mother, were such as to INFLUENCE the entity yet unborn, in patience to a degree not manifested in any other of the patriarchs. While the physical conditions made manifest in the body during the growth into manhood were affected by MATERIAL laws, there was not the changing or deviating whatsoever from the spiritual through the mental.
11. Hence we have that illustration of what may be termed the individual ideally conceived, ideally cherished and nourished through the periods of gestation. As to the care afterward, - these vary, as we shall see from other illustrations.
12. What, then, were the developments of that ideally conceived entity as related to the study here of the endocrine system?
13. First, - the individual was one conceived in promise; with the desire, the purpose, the hope - in the act OF conception - to bring forth that which had BEEN promised. Hence the ideal attitude of both parents in that individual case.
14. Hence as given, first the pineal, the cranial, the thymus; then the aerial, then the gradual development of those influences which brought a goodly child; one subject to the care of both parents - by natural tendencies from conception; bringing into materialization that one worthy of being accepted and of RECEIVING the promise beyond MANY of those who were of the seed of Abraham.
15. Then we have that illustration in the sons of Isaac, when there were those periods in which there was to be the fulfilling of the promise to Isaac and Rebekah. We find that their MINDS differed as to the nature or character of channel through which there would come this promise; when, as we understand, there must be the cooperation spiritually, mentally, in order for the physical result to be the same. HERE we find a different situation taking place at the time of conception, for BOTH attitudes found expression. Hence twins were found to be the result of this long preparation, and yet two minds, two opinions, two ideas, two ideals. Hence we find that HERE it became necessary that even the DIVINE indicate to the mother that channel which was to be the ruler, or that one upon whom would be bestowed the rightful heritage through which the greater blessings were to be indicated to the world, to humanity, to mankind as a whole.
16. Hence we find two natures, two characteristics, - physically, mentally, spiritually. Here we find what might be termed a perfect channel again, and with same a testing - not only of the parents themselves but of the individuals that were begotten under those conditions in which the promise was as clear to them as it had been to Abraham.
17. What, then, were the physical and mental attitudes which contributed to this condition which existed in that period, and that may; be used as an illustration of those ideas being presented here for the study of man, his nature, his characteristics, his spirituality, his weakness in physical being?
18. Here we find, as indicated, there was NOT a union of purpose in those periods of conception. Hence we find both characteristics, or both purposes of the individuals, were made materially manifest.
19. What then, ye may well ask, made this difference in the characteristics of the individuals; conceived of the same parents, under the environ or the law from the body of the one; with such a different characteristic made manifest as they grew to maturity?
20. As indicated, the first cause, - that purpose with which the individuals performed the act for conception to take place, or under which it did take place. THAT is the First Cause! And the growth of that conceived under the same environ, through the same circulation, through the same impulse, was such that - when gestation was finished - one was of the nature or characteristic of the mother, the other was of the nature of indifference with the determination of the father; one smooth as the mother, the other hairy, red, as the father in maturity; and their characteristics made manifest were just those examples of the variations. Though conceived at once, born together, they were far separated in their purposes, their aims, their hopes; one holding to that which made body, mind and soul coordinant; the other satisfying, gratifying the appetites of the physical and mental without coordinating same through its spiritual relationships to the progenitor or those conditions and environs from which they each drew their desires, their hopes, their wishes.
21. Do ye think that one received a different instruction from the other? Each received the same, yet their reaction, their choice of that in the environment made physical characteristics that varied in their activity.
22. Why were the characteristics such that one desired or loved the chase, the hunt or the like, while the other chose rather the home, the mother, the environ about same? Were these depicted in the very physiognomy of each individual? When they had reached that period when the CHOICES were made, these were manifested. But when did they begin? What gland developed this characteristic in one and not in the other? The cranial and the thymus receiving the varied vibration, one brought harmony - not fear, but harmony - with caution; the other brought just the opposite, by this "stepping up" in the rate of vibration. Or, if we were to study these by numbers, we would find one a three, the other a five; yet conceived together.
23. What do we mean here by the vibration of the number? One had the nucleus, the structure about same, three to one of its spiritual import; the other five to one of the material import, see?
24. Hence we find there the various forms or manners in which there is illustrated those characteristics that made for individual activity, that PROMPTED the carrying on of that through which the channel of hope might be made manifest.
25. Let's change these then to those illustrations of quite varied forms, in which more of the characteristics became manifested of the environmental nature; for the illustrations we have just used show how the characteristics of the individuals responded to the environment as each grew to maturity and became active in relationships and dealings with others.
26. Then, with Jacob and Rachel we have the material love, and those natures in which the characteristics of material love were athwarted. Yet, in the very conception of same - though under stress (for there is held here by the mother the desire to outshine, as it might be poorly said) - we find a goodly child, one with all the attributes of the spiritual-minded individual; partaking of both the father and the mother in the seeking for a channel through which God might be manifested in the earth. And yet the entity had those physical attributes that brought into the experience of individuals those things that were reflected in the mind, in the movements and activities of the mother throughout the periods of gestation, - when the entity had grown to manhood.
27. Also from the same attitude taken by those parents when the second son, Benjamin, was conceived, - what were the varying characteristics here? The material love was just as great, the satisfying of material desire was completely fulfilled; yet it lacked that desire to BRING such as was wholly a channel through which the SPIRITUAL was to be made manifest. But it was a channel that EVENTUALLY brought the material made manifest in Saul [See 221-2], an incarnation of Benjamin.
28. Hence we find the varied characteristics illustrated not only by the attitude of the pair as the channel being made manifest, but the attitude of that channel which was given from the beginning.
29. Now, conceive first what the variations are in the sexes, as given in the beginning in the creating of same; one to be a channel of material and mental satisfaction to the other; the other to be a channel, a manner, through which there was to be the alleviation of desire when spiritualized in the purpose toward the mate.
30. Hence we may find again and again here, in the Word, that which IS the connection between man and his Maker; that finds its final concept in the manner which John presents to the elect, - in which all the varied attributes of the human development - in body, in mind, in spirit, with each phase of man's development - are also chosen as channels through which expressions of same are given.
31. We would rest with the illustrations; for there are others that need to be given.
32. We are through for the present.

BACKGROUND

1. Subject of 281-48 - "Glad Helpers."

REPORTS

1. See Source File Key #281 for Chart of Revelation and Glands prepared by A.R.E. Prayer Group based on the [281] series readings on The Book of Revelation and the endocrine system re 281-48. See also 281-29, Par. 23-A.

Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation