American trance reader known as the “Sleeping Prophet” (1877–1945). While in a self-induced sleep, he delivered thousands of readings on health, spirituality, past lives, and life purpose; later archived by the A.R.E. in Virginia Beach.
The “Sleeping Prophet”: holistic health, intuition, and soul-development — a contested legacy that still shapes modern spiritual culture.
Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) was a Kentucky-born trance reader whose dictations—given while in a sleep-like state—covered health remedies, dreams, spirituality, reincarnation, and life purpose. He eventually settled in Virginia Beach, where his supporters founded the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) to preserve and study the readings. Across decades, stenographers recorded more than 14,000 sessions now housed in the A.R.E. Library.[1][2][3][4]
For a week I practiced Cayce’s “ideal of the day.” I wrote the word steadiness on a sticky note and chose one action each morning. The acts were small—drink water before coffee, take a quiet walk, finish a task before checking messages—but the tone of the day changed. By Friday, the simple rhythm felt like a hinge: less friction, more quiet confidence.
See the in-depth article and the standalone reflection linked below.