Back from Egypt and Ancient Mysteries Conference

I've been so busy I haven't been able to read and post since June. I have read some of your new postings and questions and will get to them over the next two weeks. I have also been evaluating how this blog works and reading your problems with it. I have also checked out some other blogging sites, but didn't find any that seemed much better than this. If any of you come across one, email me at john@johnvanauken.com

Gave a talk last night to the 78th A.R.E. Congress

The 78th Congress of Members of the A.R.E. asked me to give a talk on meditation and "The Kingdom Within." It was like preaching to the choir, for most all of them had years and years of seeking with prayer and meditation. But we all enjoyed reviewing the great teachings from Scripture and Edgar Cayce's discourses on the nature and pathway to the Kingdom Within.
When you think about it, this concept is very difficult for physical being to grasp: somewhere within us is the Kingdom of God?? We've completely explored the human body and brain, so where is it?? But as most of us knew last night, it is within our heart (not the pump) and mind. Here are some of the Cayce readings we shared:
“All that you may learn of the Father God is already within self. For your body is indeed the temple of the living God, and as you meet Him there you may gain in your own consciousness the satisfaction of walking and talking with Him. When these consciousnesses are yours and you are one with Him, then indeed may you see that the kingdom of heaven dwells within.” (EC 5155-1)
“Know that your body is the temple of the living God; there you may seek communion. There you may seek counsel as to the choices to be made, the directions to be taken.” (EC 622-6)
“This is a promise to you, to each soul; yet each soul must of itself find that answer within self. For indeed the body is the temple of the living God. There He has promised to meet you; there He does. And as your body, your mind, your soul is attuned to that divine that answers within, so may you indeed be quickened to know His purpose; and you may fill that purpose for which you entered this experience.” (622-6)
“He has promised. 'If you will but open the door of your consciousness, of your heart, I will enter and abide with you.' This is not a fancy; this is not hearsay. You may experience such. For it is the law, it is the way, it is LIFE itself!” (EC 1632-2)
“Seek and you shall find. Not without but from within. For in thine own temple He has promised to meet you.” (EC 2677-1)

40 Years and Still Experiencing New Levels and Phenomena

Not that phenomena is a goal or a measurement of successful meditation, but perception is, and as perception expands and changes, it expands consciousness and awareness. As Cayce would occasionally say upon contacting the deeper mind of a person getting a reading from him, "Ah, a fourth-dimensional mind, how refreshing!" So an expanding awareness indicates some degree of progress with meditation. Paradoxically, it cannot be a goal that overshadows stillness and a silent mind! How can these two conditions coexist? One is the condition of the lower inner self and the other is an awakened condition of the higher inner self and its contact with the Universal Consciousness and the Community of Saints or Seekers (as Cayce named them).
With this established, let me share my main point in this posting: over my forty years of meditating, using many different techniques, I am still reaching new plateaus and then breaking through these plateaus to even newer levels. Recently, in the midst of many physical-life challenges, I awoke in the wee hours of the night to find my body in a state of high vibration and my mind filled with a dream of being at a healing place in the heavens with many other souls, receiving a much-needed healing and recharge (like the ancient Atlanteans used to get from time to time, according to Cayce). The next morning in my normal meditation, I experienced a totally new phenomenon of imagery and vibrations. It's got me so excited that I'm fired up for another 40 years of meditating. I am happy to share that meditation keeps growing and expanding if we just keep on with the practice and striving to have our outer life reflect what we are seeking and experiencing in our inner life. Practice with expectation, yet with contented patience, and the breakthroughs will come and those little phenomena benefits will reward your endurance.

A New View, A New Concept

It is difficult to accept that inner, unseen influences have more of an impact and role in our life than outer influences. Yet, Cayce’s discourses affirm over and over that the unseen forces are more powerful than the seen.

It is difficult to accept that outer events and relationships begin within, and are only a result, a manifestation of inner dynamics, of inner forces. Yet, Cayce’s readings affirm over and over that life events and relationships begin in the spirit (the motivating force), move into the deeper mind (forming of thoughts), and only then manifest in the outer physical life. In fact, Cayce says that nothing occurs in our physical life that was not first foreshadowed in our dream life!

From the perspective of our material self, outer life appears to feed inner life. But from Cayce’s deep attunement to the Infinite Consciousness, it is the other way around. Our deep inner life feeds our outer life. This why he often said to “set your heart and mind,” to “set an ideal first.” It was because these inner dynamics are magnetic forces that attract people and events in our outer life.

Once we accept this concept, even tentatively, then we can see how important meditation and dreams are. They help us get in touch with the inner influences that are shaping our lives and relationships.

This arrangement is true because of a oneness that we don’t often see. To us life appears to be a multifarious array of people and activities. Everyone appears to be separate individuals. Every event appears to be different from another. Life is a “manyness,” not a oneness. Yet, from Cayce’s deep attunement, all these seemingly separate minds are connected at a deep level in one, infinite, collective consciousness. Thoughts of one affected another. Seemingly new events flowed from a pattern. Though it appears new when our little boat turns at that next bend in the river of life to see what's new, a bird high above of the river of life saw where we were going long before we got to the bend. This bird is like our higher mind, which can rise above the daily activity and people on our river. This level of our consciousness can see as we cannot. And past experiences that occurred far beyond the last visible bend in the flow of this life, are knowable. Cayce could read the book of our soul life as if it was happening now, even if it were in Atlantis or Lemuria. And those experiences are influencing us today, in this life, in these relationships.

As Jesus taught, “the spirit of truth, the comforter, will bring all things to your remembrance.” This inner resource is available to us through meditation and dreams.

Approaching daily life and relationships with a sense of how these outer dynamics are influenced by inner, unseen forces brings enlightenment and creative power to us. We become aware of the motivating influences behind our actions and reactions. We become aware of patterns in our way of thinking that shape our views, and the views of others. Add to this the power of meditation and prayer to change patterns and adjust motivations, and you and I have a new and powerful way to make life better, to move karma to grace, to heal and enliven.

Meditation and dreams are two excellent ways to get in touch with the oneness of consciousness and life.

A Major Cayce Teaching on Prayer and Meditation

There are 1013 mentions of the word “meditation” in 636 Cayce readings. It is an important part of his visions. Let’s take a look at one of his key readings on prayer and meditation, 281-13:
“It would be well to analyze that difference (that is not always understood) between meditation and prayer.
“As it has been defined or given in an illustrated manner by the Great Teacher, prayer is the MAKING of one's conscious self more in attune with the spiritual forces that may manifest in a material world, and is ORDINARILY given as a COOPERATIVE experience of MANY individuals when all are asked to come in one accord and one mind.”
Cayce identified prayer as a means of lifting one’s conscious self more in tune with the spiritual forces. It is also a process for helping many individuals come together in one accord, one mind.
He now moves on to define meditation:
“Meditation, then, is prayer, but is prayer from WITHIN the INNER self, and partakes not only of the physical inner man but the soul that is aroused by the spirit of man from within.”
This is a key Cayce point: our physical self’s effort to arouse the spiritual forces, arouses our soul self! Our soul feels our physical self’s efforts and desires, and responds.
Cayce continues:
“As has been given, there are DEFINITE conditions that arise from within the inner man when an individual enters into true or deep meditation. A physical condition happens, a physical activity takes place!”
I don’t think we consciously grasp this teaching from Cayce: there is REAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE WITHIN US when we enter into meditation.
Cayce continues:
“Acting through what? Through that man has chosen to call the imaginative or the impulsive, and the sources of impulse are aroused by the shutting out of thought pertaining to activities or attributes of the carnal forces of man. Then, changes naturally take place when there is the arousing of that stimuli WITHIN the individual that has within it the seat of the soul's dwelling, within the individual body of the entity or man, and then this partakes of the individuality rather than the personality.”
Here it is important that understand that Cayce uses the term “individuality” to indicate our deeper, soul self, whereas the personality is our outer, physical self.
Also, our meditations will improve if we comprehend Cayce’s tip on “the imaginative or the impulsive” forces of our inner, deeper selves. These forces are released when we shut out thoughts pertaining to activities and attributes of the carnal forces – those that pertain to living in a flesh body in a physical dimension of egocentric expression. By moving away from our self-consciousness and earthly life and personality, we free the powers of imagination and impulse (impulse in the sense of motivative force), and this lifts our awareness into our higher mind and higher vibrations.
Cayce continues:
“If there has been set the mark (mark meaning here the image that is raised by the individual in its imaginative and impulse force) such that it takes the form of the ideal the individual is holding as its standard to be raised to…”
What a mind-boggling mouth full this Cayce teaching is. If we read it carefully and over a few times, we see that Cayce is saying that “the mark,” a term used to indicate either a good person or evil one (as in “the mark of the beast” in the Revelation), indicates the motivative force deep within us. Cayce warns that using the same technique, one may become a Frankenstein or a god, depending upon what ideal we are holding. Are we seeking an exalted self with a brilliant mind, dynamic aura, and superpowers? Or, are we truly seeking reunion with our Creator – seeking higher consciousness and vibrations to be more compatible to our Creator’s consciousness and vibrations? This marks us as we enter into the temple within. This mark is also an attractive force, like magnetic energy attracting a complementary response.
Cayce continues:
“…within the individual as well as to all forces and powers that are magnified or to be magnified in the world from without…”
Cayce has always taught that our outer actions and words must reflect our inner beliefs, thoughts, and desires, or we create a conflict.
Cayce continues:
“THEN the individual (or the image) bears the mark of the Lamb, or the Christ, or the Holy One, or the Son, or any of the names we may have given to that which ENABLES the individual to enter THROUGH IT into the very presence of that which is the creative force from within itself - see?” (281-13)
The mark that gets us through is not one of power, might, or glory, but of a lamb of God, a son or daughter of the Most High. Also notice what we arrive at is “the creative force from within” us. The very forces of life and creativity are reached through a meditative process. Once we reach this holy of holies within, the life forces begin to flow more fully through our bodies, minds, and souls.
What a powerful reading from Edgar Cayce, so filled with potent insights and information. Now all we have to do is apply these in our meditative process – patiently and persistently. There is no surer way of realizing these promises than to keep on trying. I would add, that evoking God’s help in this process is a wise addition.

Another Tip for Working with this Blog

Look to your right and slight down, you'll see in light blue "2009" and the current month, "June". You may click on these and all the posting in the blog will come up, either for the entire year or just the current month. It's a handy link when you get a bit lost, as I have occasionally. But people tell me that this Blogger.com site is one of the easiest blogs to use, so I hope you find it so after a little practice.

Tips on Working with this Blog

Here's what I've been able to determine: First, you need to join the blog, which creates a profile. Once you've signed in as a member, then you click on the title of a posting to make comments about the post, share your experiences, and so on. Others will be able to see it and make comments. The little envelope icon is for sending the post to a friend via email. You cannot make posts, only I can, but you can make comments to any of my postings.

Setting an Ideal and Meditation

According to Edgar Cayce's discourses, the most important meditative technique we can do is to first set an ideal. He wants this ideal to be a mindful understanding, even written down. He says, "Know in whom and in what you believe. Know what is the ideal you, as well as the ideal life, attitude, emotional dynamic, and activity. Why do we need to do this? Because the practice of meditation gives life and strength to our ideals - whatever ideals we hold. Cayce said that we can build a frankenstein or a godling of the great God using the same techniques - the ideal held while building this being will determine what the outcome will be. Thus, we need to spend a little time reflecting on our ideals, shaping them in a manner that we feel good about, because they are going to gain strength over the course of our meditation practice - whether we are conscious or unconscious of this. Cayce said that we will gradually be raised to the level of our highest ideal. He encouraged us to set a high, spiritual ideal, one that included the Fruits of the Spirit: love, kindness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, humility, meekness, and so on. He encouraged us to think of ourselves as channels of God's love and light in this world, and to leave the world a better place for us having lived in it. Our meditation practice will build on these, and we will become what we hold as ideal. Meditation is creation. Let's be mindful of what we are creating. Set an ideal and hold that in heart and mind, both during our meditation and our daily life.

The Life Force and Meditation

Normally during an incarnation, the life force flows mostly through the lower chakras. But as we use the life force for higher purposes - such as creativity, imagination, higher thinking, speech, higher listening and seeing (as in Jesus’ statements, “those who have ears to hear, let them hear….”, as in Matthew 13:9), we raise the life force. It becomes dynamic, increasing vitality and creativity. Cayce identified the four lower chakras (the root, navel, solar plexus, and heart) as the earth within us, and the three upper chakras (throat, third eye, and crown) as the heaven within us. Meditation is one of the best practices for raising the life force. Special breathing patterns are among the best meditative techniques for raising the life force during meditation. A simple but most effective breathing pattern is the Taoist (pronounced dow-ist) “Circulation of the Light.” During every inhalation one is to imagine and feel the energy being drawn up the torso from the lower chakras, through all the chakras, to the top of the head. Then, imagine and feel it unite with the Infinite Breath of Life that was breathed into us in Genesis 2:7. Then, with every exhalation, imagine and feel this Divinely enhanced energy bathe the chakras - all the way down to the lowest one at the base of the torso. One continues this circulation - raising the life force up along the spinal column to the top of the head, receiving the Infinite Life Force, then bathing the body as it flows down through the body - until you feel the energy and vibrations of the body have been raised. Then, raise the mind in a similar manner; using uplifting phrases, mantras, or little prayers, until you feel the little mind of self is united with the Infinite mind of the Creator. Another breathing technique is Cayce’s alternate nostril breathing. It begins by taking in three deep breaths (inhalations) through the right nostril and feeling strength as you do this. With each of these breaths we are to exhale through the mouth, slowly and steadily (with practice this becomes easy). Next we take in three deep breaths through the left nostril, feeling ourselves opening to the Infinite, Divine Forces of Life within us. With each of these breaths we do not exhale through the mouth, but through the right nostril, slowly and steadily. The first three breaths will feel like they are more focused in the torso, the second three breaths will feel like they are focused within the head. Raising the life force is good but it is also problematic in the sense that we now have more energy. This energy must be used. Ideally, it will be used in creative, life enhancing ways. One must be mindful of this raised energy, because there is only one energy, which may manifest in many ways. For example, the raised life force may cause us to feel heightened sexual energy, tempermental energy, agressive energy, which must be channeled properly. Heightened energy can become dynamic physical energy for activities that burn up energy or for creativity that expresses the energy through arts, music, skill-based activity, caring for others, lifting others to higher levels of hope and life-purposefulness. Just be mindful that you have more of the life force awakened and looking to flow through you. You must find the better outlets.

Cayce's Passage in Consciousness Technique

Another technique described in Cayce's discourses is my favorite. I call it, "Passage in Consciousness," because of an instruction Cayce gave to a few students practicing this type of meditation. They were reaching a level in their meditations at which they had out-of-body experiences. When they got a follow-up reading from Cayce, he told them that they wouldn't be able to go as high or as deep in their meditations using out-of-body movement; rather, they needed to "make passage through dimensions of consciousness." In this technique Cayce also required that we use our "imaginative forces" in order to reach beyond the realities we know. For example, if we are going to reach beyond our finite individualness, we are going to have to image the transition to infinite universalness and the nature of that state when we get there. If we are going to move into God's presence, God's consciousness, we are going to have to image how that feels. Here are the steps to this technique: 1. Sit or lie down comfortably; 2. image yourself removing "your earthly portion and your personality," feel these moving out of your body, leaving it lighter and open; 3. image yourself "subjugating" control of your system to your subconscious mind and your autonomic nervous system (the system through which our chakras, lotuses, and souls operate); 4. give your subconscious a powerful suggestion that moves you out of your present state of being and consciousness into an infinite, universal condition within the consciousness of God, the Creator of the universe and all within it; 5. you should image yourself rising and expanding out of your present state into an infinite state; 6. when you have the slightest sense of the Infinite Presence, connect with It firming, plug into It, hold onto It; 7. now become completely receptive, allowing the Infinite to flow into your finiteness, until the two become one; Cayce encourages us to use this phrase: "Not my will, but Thy will"; 8. abide here until the meditation is feels it is concluding; 9. now you must rebalance your body and mind for normal functioning in this world, this dimension - but bring with you the vibrations and awareness you had while in the Infinite Presence.

Cayce's Simple "Magic of the Silence" Technique

There are many techniques for meditating. An easy, simple one is to sit comfortably and combine deep breathing with meaningful phrases. It does require that you use what Cayce called "the imaginative forces," but we all can do that. Let's use the line from Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." Here's how we use this phrase in combination with our breathing. Sit comfortably. Inhale deeply and say to yourself (in your mind and heart), "Be still." Now, as you hold your inhaled breath, FEEL stillness throughout your being. As you do this, exhale gently and leave your breath empty for a moment, continuing to feel stillness. Do this inhalation and exhalation in combination with the phrase a few times. Then, change the phrase on the next inhalation to, "Know that I am God." Now, as you hold your inhaled breath, FEEL God throughout your being - body, mind, and soul. Do this inhalation and exhalation in combination with the phrase a few times. At some point in this process you will become still and will have a sense of God's presence - this is when you stop directing the breath and using the words. Now you abide in the stillness and the Presence. Your job is to abide here in the silence and the Presence, allow them to work their magic within you. Your job is to simply be still and know God. When the meditation begins to conclude, share some of the wonderfully sublime vibrations and clearer, higher consciousness with others through prayer for them as you picture them in your mind and heart while sitting with God's Presence. Then, go live your day fully. The magic will work throughout the day, often subliminally but effectively ways.

The Value and Joy of Meditation

In this incarnation, I would not have endured this far without the many benefits that come from meditating. Edgar Cayce's discourses encourage all of us to budget time to meditate, and now, after 40 years, I understand why. It is one of the best ways to experience personal contact, attunement, and union with God, to enhance the flow of the Forces of Life through our bodies and minds, and to keep ourselves centered and mindful. Meditation brings health, peace, guidance, a good disposition (or at least a better disposition), love toward others, and truth in one's heart and mind. It so enhances our energy levels. Edgar’s son Hugh Lynn Cayce first encouraged me to meditate regularly - if for no mental or spiritual reason, do it because it is so good for the body. Meditation became a part of my daily life, and now, after all these years, I've written may latest book about meditation and meditating. It is my hope that in some small way this blog will encourage and help others to learn how to meditate and to make the practice of meditation a part of their daily lives.