The initial financier of the Edgar Cayce Center in Virginia Beach was Morton Blumenthal, a Jew and one of the brightest questioners of the famous “sleeping prophet,” as one of the bestselling biographies of Edgar Cayce was also titled, an epithet given to Cayce because he mostly answered questions asked of him while in a deep meditation, appearing as if sleeping. Without Morton Blumenthal, we would not have some of the most profound discourses Cayce ever gave, because Morton’s questioning garnered the deepest insights of all of Cayce’s 14,000–plus readings. (They are called readings because Cayce felt that he was reading from the Book of Life, or the akashic records of Eastern teachings.) Morton received more than four hundred readings from Cayce, many of them dream interpretations. Here is an excerpt from one of Morton’s dreams that reveals how universal he was—and a Kabbalist, whether he knew it or not:
Saw Rabbi Wise in pulpit and recalled his lectures on Christ—particularly those admitting Christ to be a perfect man—but not a God. I seemed to want to get up on that platform. Awakening then I found myself reasoning as though continuing right on from dream: Christ represents the Evolution of this Spirit Energy into Flesh Man—the Perfect Flesh Man, Wise concedes.
EC 900–147
Such terms as Spirit Energy and Perfect Flesh Man reveal that Morton had at least some knowledge of the mystical concepts found in Kabbalism and Gnosticism.
An example of Cayce’s universal view is his natural comfort with the idea of souls incarnating multiple times in their journey toward enlightenment and soul growth—certainly not a standard Christian teaching; however, this concept fits with the Kabbalah, which also teaches that souls reincarnate. (More on this in chapter 2.)
Another exceptional concept found in Kabbalah and in Cayce’s teachings is the curious concept of “the Word,” “the Logos,” “the Son,” created by the heavenly Father and Mother, this Logos giving life to all souls. This is expressed in the first lines of the Gospel of John:
In the beginning was the Word [in Greek, Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through this One [the original Greek text does not use the masculine pronoun him, as most Bible translations do]. Without this One was not anything made that has been made. In this One was life, and the life was the light of humanity. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it . . . The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Kabbalah teaches that there is a primordial being that is so one with the infinite, unseen God (Ein Sof) that it is the bridge between our souls and God. This first being is called Adam Kadmon. In Lurianic Kabbalah (a system that includes elements of Indian philosophy, Platonism, and Gnosticism) the original Adam soul is the Logos from which all souls have emanated.
Some schools teach that the great “I AM” emanated masculine wisdom (Chokhmah) and feminine understanding (Binah), and the two blended to conceive the Logos, the Soul–Consciousness, within which all souls were conceived (more on this in chapter 5 and throughout this book.)
With the Logos concept and that of reincarnation in mind, let’s read another of Cayce’s discourses:
Q: What part did Jesus play in any of His reincarnations in the development of the basic teachings of the following religions and philosophies? First, Buddhism:
A: This is just one.
Q: Mohammedanism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Brahmanism, Platonism, Judaism.
A: As has been indicated, the entity—as an entity—influenced either directly or indirectly all those forms of philosophy or religious thought that taught God was One.
In the first, as one that associated with—in the meditation or spirit of—that one guiding same, and those things that have been added to are much in the same manner that was added to in Judaism. Whether in Buddhism, Mohammedanism, Confucianism, Platonism, or what—these have been added to much from that as was given by Jesus in His walk in Galilee and Judea. In all of these, then, there is that same impelling spirit. What individuals have done, do do, to the principles or the spirit of same—in turning this aside to meet their own immediate needs in material planes, or places has made for that as becomes an outstanding thing, as a moralist or the head of any independent religious force or power; for, as has been given, “Know, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one!” whether this is directing one of the Confucius’ thought, Brahman thought, Buddha thought, Mohammedan thought; these are as teachers or representatives, or to make more of the distinct change—as was in that as given by the apostle to the Gentiles: “I hear there are divisions among you. Some say I am Paul, another I am Apollos, another I am of Caiaphas. Paul may minister, Apollos may have watered, but it’s God that gives the increase!” The Spirit of the Creative Force, and as such the Son represented in the spirit in that as was made manifest in the earth. Not as only one, but the only one; for, as He gave, “He that climbs up any other way is a thief and a robber.” As the Spirit of the Master, the Spirit of the Son, was manifest—as was given—to each in their respective sphere. As it is today. As it was of yore. God calls on man everywhere to seek His [God’s] face, through that channel that may be blessed by the Spirit of the Son—in whatever sphere this may take its form. Because there are contentions, because there is the lack of the giving and taking as to others’ thought, does not change God’s attitude one whit; neither does it make one above another; for, as has been given, there is only one—the others are as those acting in the capacity of the thought that was given to them through that same power, that “In the last days has He spoken unto us through the Son, as one born out of due season.” We find the same contentions arising in that called in the present denominationalism, and each one crying, “Lo, here is Christ—Lo, this is the manner of approach—Lo, unless ye do this or that ye have no part in Him.” “He that loves me will keep my commandments.” What are the commandments? “Thou shalt have no other God before me,” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” In this is builded the whole law and gospel of every age that has said, “There is one God!”
EC 364–9; italics in the original
In this discourse Cayce reaches beyond religions and isms, capturing the essence of all spiritual pursuit: There is only one God, and that God is the God of all people. Love God and love one another (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18). Cayce often called God the “Universal Consciousness” and the “Life Force,” further revealing his universal view.
Kabbalah Origins
From ancient times, Kabbalah was carried forward orally. Then, in the Middle Ages, its various elements, written and in lore, were finally codified in various texts and distributed as the mystical, esoteric books of an outgrowth of Judaism (it was never a part of traditional Judaism). Many Christians had copies of these texts or their own versions. The main books include The Mystery of the Chariot (Ma’aseh Merkabah), The Mystery of the Beginning (Ma’aseh Bereshit), The Book of Creation [or “Formation”] (Sefer Yetzirah), The Book of the Brightness (Sefer haBahir), The Book of the Angel (Sefer Raziel), Life in the World to Come (Chayye Olam Ha Ba), and the most famous, The Book of Splendor [or “Radiance”] (Sefer ha–Zohar)—known today simply as the Zohar.
Many of these texts did not initially exist in one binding but were fragmented writings or pamphlets that were later compiled into various books. There is no single book titled The Kabbalah.
The Mystery of the Chariot was among the earliest writings in Jewish mysticism. It was based on a vision experienced by the prophet Ezekiel. While standing by a river in Babylon, Ezekiel saw a vision