This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at his office, 115 West 35th Street, Virginia Beach, Va., this 16th day of July, 1926, in accordance with request made by self - [900].

Present: Edgar Cayce; Mrs. Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Dr. T. B. House.

TEXT

1. GC: You will have before you the body and the enquiring mind of [900], of ..., Deal, N.J., and the dreams this body had on the dates which I will give you. You will give the interpretation and lesson to be gained from each of these, as I read same to you, and you will answer the questions which I will ask you regarding same.
2. EC: Yes, we have the body here. This we have had before. The dreams, as we see, come through those channels as have been outlined. Ready for dream.
3. (Q) Night of July 8, 1926, while reading "Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant. Voice: "Plain English."
   (A) These interpretations of the consciousness gained by the entity through the correlation of the mental conscious, the body conscious, and the subconscious, giving back and answer from the subconscious and mental consciousness of the entity, see?
4. (Q) Voice: "You're a fool."
   (A) Same kind and same conditions presented in the different way and manner, through the different CONCEPT the entity gathering of that at the time as is perceived by the entity. There is, then, the difference between perception and of consciousness, for, as may be seen, one may unconsciously commit an error and, becoming conscious of same, may not SEE the error, but be conscious of same. Perceiving and conceiving two various conditions, yet are one.
5. (Q) "Came to his friend."
   (A) We have no relation with this.
6. (Q) While reading Bible. Voice: "I know, but you are going against the grain."
   (A) Again this same consciousness, and as is seen and given, this would be as another illustration of that perception - conception.
7. (Q) "Trouble with my ear - it seemed running."
   (A) This the indication to the entity that those conditions may be relieved through the entity's carrying out those suggestions as have been given for the relief of same.
8. (Q) Does this indicate that I will have trouble?
   (A) Rather that it may be corrected so it will never bother again, see?
9. (Q) How may I prevent it?
   (A) As given.
10. (Q) "Box of cigarettes - the letters small or only half in size. I was smoking them, to my surprise, as I thought I had discontinued this practice entirely. (Really I have.) I seemed to be reasoning that a small amount didn't hurt - might do some good."
    (A) In this there is seen that which to the consciousness of the entity are the various phases of conscious perception and consciousness, - as is seen, that in this reasoning there are those that hold such conditions - mean such and such, and as is reasoned with the entity, these are of the body consciousness, and is an awakening of the INDIVIDUAL condition, and not one way or another, as to the HINDRANCE towards any condition, save when it becomes physical, see?
11. (Q) Does this pertain to the habit of smoking in general, or to my smoking?
    (A) Smoking in general or to self either.
12. (Q) If to me, does it mean resumption of cigarette smoking on a small scale might prove beneficial, rather than detrimental?
    (A) Might prove beneficial, rather than detrimental. Rather the matter of the consciousness of the individual, and of that that is felt by the perception of that as is maintained within self, either pro or con.
    In all, we see all of these are presented, as it were, in their various phases and manners, as are brought about by that study of the reason of philosophy, and of the reason, as are seen, in the study of the book. That the various consciousness of each individual is to that individual that as is necessary for ITS individual sustenance, see? Not that life is an INDIVIDUAL condition, see? but that development of every individual is the consciousness it attains or sustains, or perceives or receives, and APPLIES, see? All those are as lessons to that same condition under which the entity, the individual, [900], has and is making the study of.
13. (Q) "In the office I seemed very busy. Irwin Berliner seemed to want something, or certain book work seemed to require my attention, but being too busy I let it go. Meyer Half, in the office, criticized me and I turned to Irwin Berliner, saying: 'He thinks I should have gone over all this while I am so busy - do you think so?' 'Of course not,' said Irwin. 'Do it when you can, or better yet turn the book right over to the customer and let him do it himself.'"
    (A) These are as presentations to the entity of the various consciousness as are seen, and as these are presented to the entity through these emblematical forces of these various conditions, and as the entity gains the percept or the consciousness of one phase, the other is presented in the different phase. This is as presented toward the efforts of the entity in assistance in writing for others' benefit and of the labors of the self in the office, and that relation with each, see?
14. (Q) "I was anywheres at any given time. I was contemplating the wonder of the inner power of all phenomena of the Lord. I was reflecting upon this power's directing force away from one self - hypnotizing its portion (as Bergsen [Henri Bergsen] puts it) so as to appear in individual flesh form and material phenomena. Also my experiences in this form, and I was very happy in my double vision of the outer form and inner process. Then a girl, seemingly representing the wisdom and consciousness of this inner power, and who seemed perfectly aware of my limited knowledge, threw a stone into space. It passed like a shooting star thru the skies and hit some animal there in space. 'He is going to get something he doesn't expect,' said the girl, referring to me, and beheld it was so, for the stone striking the animal in space brought it to earth. There were two of them and they were in cages. On earth they crawled along on their belly like a hideous snake, yet with head and neck upraised like powerful dragons. They moved around, dragging their cage with them. They came close to the girl, close to other things, and altho they looked dangerous, and I feared greatly for everything and everyone the animal came near, they seemed to do no harm - in fact helped matters. How I cannot say, for I felt them a menace - i.e. viewed them with fear, but observed they did no harm. The fear was in me, the hideous interpretation of what I cognized in me, but good seemed to be in them, for they suddenly changed from hideous animals to pretty little children, free, laughing and dancing in glee. This pretty vision, this inspiring experience was repeated in this fashion: I was in a house with this girl who seemed to represent the power, the inner impetus - the Lord of creation, or as represented in me, my subconscious self, which in a lower dimension is present in all things. I was in the material house and knew my elusive pretty companion was also there. Yet I had much to learn about her, and she determined to give me a lesson. Mind, now, I knew she was there, saw in the vision the lesson she planned to surprise me with - that is, I was (supposedly) unaware of her plans. I climbed up the stairs of the house, and as I did so the girl said to someone: 'We'll give him a surprise and teach him.' This all behind my back, so to speak. As I entered the room, instead of the beautiful girl I expected to find I beheld a hideous black face, so ugly and so ferocious that I fainted with fright! Upon awakening I beheld the figure transformed again into the pretty girl. She stood over me, winsome, smiling and encouraging. Happy - recognizing the spirit - I was yet afraid."
    (A) In this there is seen to the entity that emblematical experience of the conditions as have [been] and are taking place within the inmost self, for these emblematical visions are as the truths the entity is propounding to self and those preparations for those being given to others, and, as is seen, each condition represents to the entity those various phases of same, and the fear as is seen from within self being that condition that prevents the entity from gaining the full concept, full joy, full purpose of the lesson as would be gained through those higher forces, as are represented in the girl, the figure, and the fear is seen to turn these conditions into those monsters that would be either dragging the cages about, or of the hideous black monster, for these are as truths, and the entity gains the lesson from same.
15. (Q) This represents FEAR, again and again presented to me and I divide it into these phases: 1. Fear of the supernatural. 2. Fear of criticism, social and in daily life. 3. Fear of physical failure in undertakings - being made a fool of. 4. Fear of the ferocious or savage appearing things in nature (snakes, savage beasts and men). 5. Fear that I may push too far, too hard or in a direction displeasing to the Lord. Is this the correct interpretation?
    (A) Just as given. The entity sees, understands, knows the lessons. The perfect love casteth out fear. Put the love, trust and faith perfectly in Him, the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, for, as has been said, "The Silver and the Gold is mine, saith the Lord."
16. We are through for the present.

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