12/06/32 R. N. Ladd's ltr. to EC:
19 Parsons Drive
Hempstead, N.Y.
My dear Mr. Cayce,
The present finds me with a great many things to write to you
about, but instead of following any particular sequence I am
going to try to tell you about a wonderful experience though
it is beyond word to express some phases of it.
By no stretch of imagination you can of course recall
experiences in human relations when your whole inner self
seemed to respond to some great love showered upon you by
another. This same feeling of response this same
consciousness of an inner fulness of love a spiritual thing
was my experience while driving home tonight and it has
brought into my life a peace and a happiness beyond anything
I have ever known. Perhaps I should not speak of it, but I
want you folks to share the knowledge of it because it is
through you all that such a thing is possible and I am afraid
that without your help there have been times when I would
have slipped back into that utter blackness of despair
whereas I can now say with sincerity for the first time in my
life those grand words of that hymn
"I heard the voice of Jesus say
come into me and rest.
Lay down thy weary head upon my breast.
I came to Jesus as I was
Weary and worn and sad
I found in him a resting place
and he has made me glad"
I told Mrs. Ladd that these words came to me while waiting
for a train in the subway yesterday and she says that she has
found herself singing this hymn quite a lot lately.
Now I want to tell you that the carton containing the ash
[for Mrs. [
4493]] and the reading were received last Friday
night at 5 P.M. and Mrs. Ladd and I started straight for
Brooklyn with it and we felt that we were carrying a real
message of hope and sunshine from you to a friend who was
badly in need of it.
Complications and delay developed however due to a condition
which I am explaining to Miss Mildred Davis in a letter
[re. dire financial straits of Mrs. [
4493]], a condition that
came to my knowledge as a distinct surprise.
Nevertheless the first treatment of ash was given by me to
Mrs. [
4493] last Sunday afternoon at about 3 o'clock and
followed with the violet ray as prescribed. Mrs. [
4493] is
extremely weak, but the dear old lady knew me though she had
not seen me in years and I told her that I had come to her
with some real help and though her lips could hardly form the
words and her voice was weak she said "I hope so". The
treatment seemed to be a comfort to her and by six o'clock
that evening and after a couple of hours of sleep her voice
was quite a bit stronger.
An interesting fact is that from the night I sent the request
for the reading and during the two days following there was a
noticeable difference and change for the better, but I am not
surprised at this because the same condition was apparent in
Mrs. Ladd's case.
Although some might say that Mrs. [
4493] (because of her age
and present condition) has fulfilled this present experience
on this earth, it is my hope that it is God's will that she
should pass through this illness and be well again that in
addition to the personal benefit to her physically it may be
the greatest blessing to her and those close followers of the
teachings of The Master her son, daughter-in-law and their
three fine children and be the means of an open door to them
in this the severest test that they are passing through at
present, bearing each one a cross that is indeed hard to
bear.
This is their first contact with anything psychic, but
nevertheless I find them searching for a true understanding
of it all and I am going to set forth here some of their
comments.
The [son [...]] is quite upset in his mind about it as he is
about many things just now and he questions whether he is
doing right to prolong his mother's life and he says that his
minister in St. Petersberg would say that this move to
restore her to health might be an instrument of the devil and
the whole thing including myself under evil influences. Of
course my answer to this was the effect of our experience and
resulting spiritual uplift and a closer union with God than
we have ever had, which he could not help acknowledge as a
fact.
Another idea which troubles both him and his wife is that
they can find nothing in The Bible which proves that they
should believe in reincarnation or the transmigration of
souls and [...] his wife particularly can accept nothing that
does not show a clear understanding given in The Bible and
both she and [...] are seeking for many truths through this
source and [...] is of course seeking a knowledge and
understanding of the Pyramid records which have had his
attention for the past few years.
Please don't misunderstand me. They are and have been all
their lives trying their best to live true Christian lives
and they have been and are very active in church work and I
realize that for them as well as for any others an attempt to
understand thoughts that are entirely new to them is
difficult.
Another thing. They do not think that reincarnation would
tie in with the belief in the divine conception and its
related fact as given in The Bible.
I am passing this on with the thought that you might have
some greater understanding of these things than have I and I
am sure you have a much grater knowledge not only of these
matters but could express them in such a way as to be of
comfort to their troubled minds if you wold choose to write
to them which I hope you can find it possible to do.
I want to thank you for your very kind offer presented in
your last letter to assist both Mr. Kahn and myself in our
effort which I failed to mention in my last letter. I am
expecting this relationship to grow into something very
useful to ourselves and to others not because of any
particular abilities or acquisitions of ourselves created but
because of those creative forces that may act through us both
if we but make ourselves the channels through which such
influences can operate.
With love to all
Sincerely [signed] Robert N. Ladd
The address is. Mr. & Mrs. [...] Brooklyn, N.Y.
12/12/32 EC's letter to Mr. R. N. Ladd:
I'm certainly glad the ash [for Mrs. [
4493]] and instructions
arrived on time. I hope the gesture we made in her behalf
will bring to her and those about her the consciousness that
it is the living Christ we must worship, not one so far away
but one interested in our daily lives, our hardships and
pleasures. As yet I do not know whether I can put into words
that which will give the right conception of what the
information really teaches about psychic forces and
activities in the experiences of individuals, or the proper
interpretation of the Scripture, to those who have been
studying along lines such as Mr. [[...] her son] especially
in the directions necessary for an understanding of
re-incarnation. It is my belief, however, that all students
of the Scripture recognize the fact that possibly the Gospel
of John carries more of the words of the Master than any of
the writings. If we begin at the third chapter of John and
read through the eighth, or the whole Gospel, we will find
there are some definite statements that cannot be construed
other than that He must have lived many times, even as he
spoke of John the Baptist as being Elias. Then, I do not
know whether or not I am competent to write to Mr. [...].
When I started out I thought I might write today, but I
falter; for I am afraid I am not competent to present my
Master's teaching in a way that would be satisfactory to me
or possibly to him right at this time. Still, I am hoping
to some day be able to do this. I will try to write to
Mr. [...]. Possibly some questions that he may be induced
to ask may bring back just that he will need to find the
experiences himself. As the teachings of the Master, it is
self-development.
I have been looking for the questions about your association
with Mr. Kahn. I trust this association will develop to
something entirely satisfactory, that will work out to the
good of all concerned.
12/12/32 EC's letter to [
4493]'s son:
..., N.Y.
My dear Mr. [...]
From Mr. Ladd I understand something of the experience
through which you must be passing at this time, in entrusting
the welfare of one near and dear to you to the information
coming from one about whom the most you know is that he is
supposed to be psychic.
Let me set you straight on a few things regarding the
information that has, does or may come through what we call
readings. Mr. [...] I make no claims whatsoever. I can only
give you the experiences that others have related to me, as
to the helpfulness which has come to them through their
contact with this work, and what has been my own personal
experience.
Many years ago (for I have been doing this work for more than
thirty years), a physician came into my place of business
(I was a photographer by profession). Until that time I had
not had much concern for the information others declared had
come through me, for I was afraid - from my little study of
the Scripture - that it was too easy to class such
information with those the Good Book called familiar spirits,
soothsayers, and the like, which we find classified with the
great abominations among the people. This physician had seen
many readings. On this particular evening he said to me,
"Quite an elderly lady has been brought to my hospital, and
we are afraid she can't hold out very long. Won't you try to
help us?" I knew the lady to whom he referred had a son and
a son-in-law who were both physicians; so I asked him, "Do
you consider the information that might come through me of
such value that, with your own knowledge and that of these
two men who must hold the mother's life near and dear, it
would be worth considering in the light of your abilities?"
He said, "Yes." I have thought a long time over that.
Suffice to say that this mother still lives, though she is on
well past the hundred mark and, as she says today, though she
has seen her son and son-in-law both buried, life is still
very sweet to her.
You may feel as a lady did who came with her husband [
2893]
to hear his life reading. When we had finished the reading
and were talking about the information, she said, "Well, most
of the things you have said about my husband I know to be
true; everything so far as to his character, abilities, and
practically everything about his physical condition as we
know it, but I have wondered what the nigger in the woodpile
is with your teaching, and I find it reincarnation." She
said she could not make it coordinate with the necessity of,
or with the Christ life, and wanted to know how I saw it. My
only answer could be that I was not taught reincarnation.
I have never read any one's theory, though I understand that
in the East many religions teach reincarnation. I have only
known that which the readings themselves have given. I think
it enables me to understand much that the Master taught that
I was not able to understand before. We may read much in, or
we may read much out of the text as we find it in the Gospel,
I understand that; but did He mean what He said when He
talked to Nicodemus, that "ye must be born again"? Did He
mean it when He said to the scribes and pharisees, "Before
Abraham was, I AM," and "Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and
he saw it and was glad"? Did He mean it or was He speaking
figuratively? What did He mean by what He said? Did He mean
it when He said that John the Baptist was the incarnation
(spiritually) of Elias? He said so!
But I may be going into a lot of things that are not even of
interest to you. I understand that you have been reading the
message of the pyramids. Then, that there has been a record
left, both physically and spiritually, for the experiences of
man, must be evident. We may have many thoughts that will be
of interest one to the other. If there are any questions
that you desire to ask regarding my beliefs, please do so. I
do not want to get into a discussion; neither do I want to
induce anyone to subscribe to or believe in anything which I
do not believe in myself, or that I do not understand; but I
am seeking Truth. TRUTH, I believe, is life; and I believe
it is a growing thing; for we grow in grace and
understanding, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. He is our only Savior. Those that climb up
some other way are thieves and robbers to their own selves.
I believe that.
I'll be very glad to hear from you, and hope that we may be
of a service one to another.
Hoping that I have not burdened you, but that I may hear from
you, I am
Sincerely, EC:GD
12/12/32 [
4493]'s son's letter:
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc.
Virginia Beach, Va.
Friends;
Referring to your letter of December 1, with reading attached
thereto relative to the physical condition of Mrs. [
4493] of
the above address, I would ask for a check reading, and offer
the following questions as a part of that reading.
1. What is the fundamental, internal trouble or cause of the
patient's present physical condition?
2. Is the trouble completely curable, or capable only of
temporary relief with incurable relapse in the near future?
3. If completely curable, what treatment will effectuate the
cure?
4. What particular diet is recommended?
5. Patient's husband died a little over a year ago and she
yearns for him. Because of that fact and of her age,
lonesomeness and general physical condition, is it best to
allow her to go to be with her Saviour?
The following questions are asked by Robert N. Ladd, of 19
Parson's Drive, Hempstead, Long Island:
6. Why has not the treatment had a more favorable effect?
7. Are the answers I have had in the mental and from the
creative forces correct in respect as they answer the above
question; if so, what can I do to correct this condition?
Respectfully submitted.
12/15/32 See
4493-2.
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation