Edgar Cayce Readings, 4907-1

Time and Place: 3:30 P. M. Dayton, Ohio.

TEXT

LS: You will give an original story that might be used as a scenario and one that would outline the Psychic Work as done by Edgar Cayce.
EC: (Beginning the story) - WHY -
In a palatial home in the hills, near the City of New York, at the holiday season, are gathered two families, who have been life long friends in business, though in different branches of the financial world.
In each of these families are two children, who have just reached the age of majority. Amos Druid and John Wayne. In the Druid household two boys, James and Amos, Jr. In the Wayne two girls, Catherine and Mae.
During the evening's conversation present day theory of thought transference and of Psychic forces are discussed, and fourth dimension theory as is being taught in the schools of the day.
As the discussion advances, a young man who is caretaker about the Wayne homes enters to repair the fire, and Amos Druid Sr. suggests, as he has had some experience with different phases of mesmeric and hypnotic influences, that the boy, Abe, be put into this condition and questioned regarding subjects discussed.
Abe agrees and submits to this experiment, and these are the word pictures as obtained from Abe.
He pictures to them former incarnations in the earth plane. A stage, on which he is acting, the great round amphitheater of the Roman's, and those about him are the players, while he, Abe, is the leading character and the director of the scene.
The positions as enacted show the personalities as exhibited in the lives of the six persons present, and each sees in what is being said, as in reality, their individual selves acting upon this stage and that this is a page of life that has been inert in their inner selves; the singer, the musician, the harpest, the artist, the lover and hunter. The enacting of these persons, intent in acquiring the worldly goods, is shown before each of these and their own selves, as it were, are brought before each.

BACKGROUND

2/08/17 EC gave a reading outlining a scenario for Miss Violet Mersereau of Universal Films. Although a 450-word telegram was rec'd by them from EC via his friend Edwin Williamson in Selma, Ala., no copy of the reading is in A.R.E. files. See subsequent background information and 4907-1 Reports.
2/15?/17 Moving Picture World Article:
ALABAMA MAN SENDS PSYCHIC SCENARIO TO N.Y. FOR VIOLET MERSEREAU
PSYCHIST WRITES MERSEREAU PLAY
1200 Miles From Broadway, He Sends Star Just What She Asked.
THIS IS A UNIVERSAL "STORY"
Much has been heard about messages being conveyed by spirits from the other world to hypnotists, phychists, psycho-analysts and all the other ists, but all of them were outdone, outclassed and outwitted the other evening when the Universal Film Manufacturing Company introduced to the world the first and only psycho-scenarioist. His name is Edgar Cayce and he sent a psycho-scenario, four hundred and fifty words long, from Selma, Alabama, twelve hundred and eighty miles away, to room 1, in Churchill's, where Violet Mersereau, the dainty little Bluebird star, was sitting nervously, surrounded by thirty newspaper men and trade journal representatives, awaiting the plot.
If the Universal accept this scenario, it will be the first written by a psycho-scenario writer, for not since the beginning of filmdom has a panner of plots attempted to do what Mr. Cayce did last Thursday evening.
It all started something like this: On December 13 last President Carl Laemmle received a mysterious letter from one Edwin Williamson, who in addition to acting as freight agent for the Southern Railway at Selma, fills in his spare time by acting as spiritual advisor, or spiritual business manager of Mr. Cayce. Just imagine what could be done if he could persuade his employer to apply the mental stuff to the transportation of all freight for the Southern Railway. Or, for example, imagine what the British Government would give to employ Cayce to go into these hypnotic sleeps and direct the course of their ships and German submarines!
In this letter Williamson said that he had a personal friend who was possessed of "an unusual gift, power or whatever it might be called." This friend was in the habit of going into a hypnotic sleep, from self suggestion or otherwise, and then he conversed with the party who he went to sleep to. Mr. Williamson stated that he had diagnosed many diseases that have baffled physicians and has located lost articles, and performed many other wonderful feats.
"If you are interested, and will write me, naming a date and the hour, allowing for the difference in time, which is one hour, stating the name of the party who you have in mind to take the lead in a photo-play, and tell me the street and house number where the party will be. I think I can surprise you."
Mr. Laemmle was so much impressed with the possibilities that he turned over the correspondence to the publicity department and instructed that the fellow be given an opportunity of showing what he could do.
Accordingly, it was decided to hold the test at Churchill's, and that Violet Mersereau, with a staff of newspaper men and trade journalists, be on hand to await the results.
The ceremonies were in charge of Nat Rothstein, advertising manager of the Universal, who explained to the gathering what it was all about, aided by speeches on psychology, etc., by Paul Gulick, Eustace Hale Ball, who is the author of the Universal's forthcoming serial, "The Voice on the Wire," and Dr. William E. Young, who is an authority on the subject of hypnotism, mental telepathy, self-suggestion and psycho-analysis.
A table was placed in the center of the room and on it was laid a piece of paper describing the sort of play Violet Mersereau would like for her next vehicle. This was at exactly 8:30, and the paper remained there for fifty minutes - the time required for the test. And all the time it was there Edgar Cayce was suggesting himself to sleep down there in tropical Selma.
During the interval the spirits were greatly aiding the committee, so that by the time the scenario arrived they were in an excellent frame of mind to receive the results of the test. Peter Milne of the Motion Picture News; Benny Grimm, Moving Picture World; Frederick Schrader, Variety; Arthur Ungar, New York Clipper; Ben Davis, New York Tribune, amused themselves while waiting for the psycho-scenario by singing a symphony written by Joe Burrowes, on the spur of the moment, to Violet Mersereau, and which ran something like this:
Dear Violet Mersereau, You've won our hearts, you know - Star of the Universal, A picture queen without rehearsal; With your very charming face, Your wondrous smile and grace, You've won a nation's hearts With your many leading parts, Dear Violet Mersereau, You're getting all the "dough."
At 2:35 Friday morning the psychoscenario arrived. It proved to be just the sort of a play that Violet asked for previous to the beginning of the test. Mr. Cayce calls it "Through the Sublimal," and it is a five-reeler. Miss Mersereau says she has turned it over to the scenario editor with the recommendation that it be prepared for her so that she can start it as her next picture.
See Source File Key #4907 for newspaper photograph of Violet Mersereau.

REPORTS

1/08/24 See 4907-1 thru 4907-5 continuing the scenario.
4/17/72 David Techter's letter:
FATE MAGAZINE Highland House, 500 Hyacinth Place, Highland Park, Illinois 60035, Telephone: 433-4550 Area Code 312
Association for Research & Enlightenment Post Office Box 595 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
Gentlemen:
I enclose Xerox copy of a brief manuscript recently submitted to FATE for our consideration. As I do not recall having read this particular story in any of the many books about Cayce, I am wondering if the A.R.E. might have any documentation as to this episode having occurred. We would like a copy of the reading done by Mr. Cayce if this still exists.
Thank you for any help you might be in this connection.
Sincerely, [signed] David Techter, Associate Editor
4/17/72 Enclosure to A.R.E. by FATE Magazine, asking if the story by E. G. Everett, submitted to them for current publication, was authentic:
E. G. Everett 1106 1/2 Pike St., Seattle, Wash. 98101
(S.A.E. enclosed if not acceptable for current editorial needs.)
Approx. 900 words
EDGAR CAYCE AND THE PSYCHIC SCENARIO
by E. G. Everett
Of all the mysteries surrounding Edgar Cayce, the Man of Miracles, perhaps none is stranger than the one described in the yellowing pages of a 1917 issue of the MOVING PICTURE WORLD:
ALABAMA MAN SENDS PSYCHIC SCENARIO TO NEW YORK FOR VIOLET MESEREAU, UNIVERSAL STAR.
"His psychic self travelling more than 1200 miles on a space-annihilating train of thought, the 1st psycho-scenario writer of record transmitted from Selma, Ala. to New York, a 5-reel scenario for Miss Violet Mesereau, the Bluebird star, on the night of Thursday, February 8. The psychic Wonder's name is Edgar Cayce, and while he was physically asleep down in Alabama, his mysterious and uncanny "thought-self" penetrated the concentrated collective mind of 30 newspapermen and motion picture trade journal representatives - the guests at dinner in Churchill's of the of Universal Film Manufacturing Co."
It all began on December 13, 1916, when a freight agent for the Southern Railway at Selma, wrote to Carl Laemmle, the head of Universal Pictures. Describing himself as "a spiritual advisor, or spiritual business manager of Mr. Cayce", Edwin Williamson said that his friend was able to go to sleep, and in that state, had diagnosed many diseases, found lost articles, and performed other amazing feats.
Laemmle was intrigued by the story of this "unusual gift, power, or whatever it might be called," that he called in his publicity director and they studied Williamson's offer: "If you are interested, and will write me," Williamson said, "name a date and the hour, allowing for the difference in time, stating the name of the party who you have in mind to take the lead in a photoplay, and tell me the street and the house number where the party will be. I think I can surprise you."
Accordingly, Universal's publicity staff arranged a party at Churchill's a noted restaurant of the day, invited a number of newspapermen, and arranged for brief lectures to the crowd from Dr. William E. Young, "who is an authority on the subject of hypnotism, mental telepathy, self-suggestion, and psychoanalysis," and by Eustace Hall Ball, a noted writer of the day who was currently writing a movie serial for Universal called "THE VOICE ON THE WIRE".
All the chairs were moved to the walls of the dining-room, and on a large table in the center, Miss Mesereau placed a single sheet of paper face down. On this (and unseen by anyone else) she had written a few lines outlining the type of story she wanted to use in her next film.
This was done at exactly 8:30 p.m., and the paper remained there unseen for 45 minutes as the party waited, some of them joking to see what would happen.
At 9:15, exactly, the special telegraph wire that had been run into the dining room began to clatter and they all watched in amazement, as a 450-word telegram, going on and on, clicked off its message.
The brief outline on the unseen piece of paper on the table was read and looks of amazement crossed the reporter's faces, as it was seen that Edgar Cayce's movie scenario from Selma, Alabama, followed, detail for detail, Miss Mesereau's outline!
They were only a few of the skeptics, who, during Edgar Cayce's life, would stand amazed at the powers of the Man of Miracles.
5/01/72 Hugh Lynn Cayce wrote that the story was authentic but that all we had to prove it was a February 1917 newspaper account.
(?)/73 Below article submitted by E. G. Everett with attached penned note of explanation. Is it the article he found in a 1917 movie magazine? or is it his article as it appeared in the FATE Magazine, being changed from the 4/17/72 version? GD
Edgar Cayce, the famous American mystic and clairvoyant, is known today around the world.
No biography of "The seer of Virginia Beach", nor any of the books that bear his name, however, include this strange story, discovered in a 1916 [1917?] movie magazine.
It is hoped that this story will help all those interested in the remarkable career of this man, in understanding his strange and fascinating life.
Copyright 1973 by E. G. Everett
ALABAMA MAN SENDS PSYCHIC SCENARIO TO NEW YORK FOR VIOLET MESEREAU, UNIVERSAL STAR
His psychic self traveling more than twelve hundred miles on a space annihilating train of thought, the first psycho-scenario writer of record transmitted from Selma, Ala., to New York, a five-reel scenario for Miss Violet Mesereau, the Bluebird star, on the night of Thursday, February 8. The psychic wonder's name is Edgar Cayce, and while he was physically asleep down in Alabama, his mysterious and uncanny "thought-self" penetrated the concentrated collective mind of thirty newspaper men and motion picture trade journal representatives - the guests at dinner in Churchill's of the Universal Film Manufacturing company.
The scenario itself, taking physical form in the shape of a 450-word telegram, was received while the members of the dinner party were still making merry. The plot is psychological in the extreme, and the man whose powers have baffled scientists calls it "Through the Sublimal." That the psychic-scenarioist has entered thought-realms closed to most of us was proven by the precautions against faking taken by the Universal; and further by the fact that the rough synopsis is now in the hands of a continuity writer.
It all started something like this: On December 13 last President Carl Laemmle received a mysterious letter from one Edwin Williamson, who in addition to acting as freight agent for the Southern Railway at Selma, fills in his spare time by acting as spiritual advisor, or spiritual business manager of Mr. Cayce.
In this letter Williamson said that he had a personal friend who was possessed of "an unusual gift, power or whatever it might be called." This friend was in the habit of going into a hypnotic sleep, from self-suggestion or otherwise, and then he conversed with the party whom he went to sleep to. Mr. Williamson stated that he had diagnosed many diseases that have baffled physicians and has located lost articles, and performed many other wonderful feats.
"If you are interested, and will write me, naming a date and the hour, allowing for the difference in time, stating the name of the party who you have in mind to take the lead in a photoplay, and tell me the street and house number where the party will be, I think I can surprise you."
Mr. Laemmle was so much impressed with the possibilities that he turned over the correspondence to the publicity department and instructed that the fellow be given an opportunity of showing what he could do.
Accordingly, it was decided to hold the test at Churchill's and that Violet Mesereau, with a staff of newspaper men and trade journalists, be on hand to await the results.
The ceremonies were in charge of Nat Rothstein, advertising manager of the Universal, who explained to the gathering what it was all about, aided by speeches on psychology, etc., by Paul Gulick, Eustace Hale Ball, who is the author of the Universal's forthcoming serial, "The Voice on the Wire", and Dr. William E. Young, who is an authority on the subject of hypnotism, mental telepathy, self-suggestion and psychoanalysis.
A table was placed in the center of the room and on it was laid a piece of paper describing the sort of play Violet Mersereau would like for her next vehicle. This was at exactly 8.30, and the paper remained there for fifty minutes - the time required for the test. And all the time it was there Edgar Cayce was suggesting himself to sleep down there in Selma. In addition to the scientific interest manifested in the Southern man's performance, the party at Churchill's had a wonderful time socially. It was mostly a "stag" affair, Miss Violet Mesereau and her mother being the only members of the fair sex present. Miss Mesereau again proved her versatility, too, by dancing with every one of the thirty men present.