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Past Life Therapy Mystic and the Doctor Reincarnation Past Life Memories The Mystic and the Doctor To practitioners of PLT, the names of Dr. Milton
Erickson and Edgar Cayce are well known. Though different in many ways, each, in
his own way, has made rich and significant contributions to our field. The
impact of their work continues, still teaching, still guiding, still inspiring.
In this article, Henry Leo Bolduc examines these two men. After decades (even centuries) of disdain
for, mistrust of, and even downright antagonism toward hypnotherapy and holistic
healing (so-called nontraditional medicine), the medical profession is slowly
realizing that such alternative techniques to traditional medicine can, in many
cases, equal or even surpass the effectiveness of modern medicine. This
realization has been brought about by increasing public awareness of the success
of these alternative methods, a success that can no longer be ignored. Although these nontraditional methods have
been totally accepted for centuries in Eastern medicine, they have been for the
most part ignored by western medicine until the beginning of this century, when
a few pioneers began a revolution in healing techniques. Of these pioneers, two
names stand out: Edgar Cayce, the famous “Sleeping Prophet” of The two men could hardly have been more
different in their backgrounds, lifestyles, and approaches toward healing.
Despite their widely different backgrounds, however, I found startling
similarities between the two. Both were innovators and will be remembered for
their profound contributions to humanity. Both men shared two great assets —
they were unpretentious in their daily lives, and both lived lives of service to
their fellow man. Cayce had little formal education, whereas Erickson was a
doctor of medicine, a psychiatrist, and an educator. It is interesting to note,
also, that both men first used their healing techniques on themselves, as will
be seen later. Erickson was a pioneer in the development of
modern hypnosis and psychotherapy. He developed a non-authoritarian, indirect
approach to hypnotic suggestion, demonstrating that people could use their own
subconscious minds to solve many of their problems. When he began his hypnosis
research in the 1930’s, he was one of the first to demonstrate, experimentally,
that hypnosis is a safe procedure. He was an authority on the use of hypnotic
utilization, metaphorical and subconscious communication and the use of fables,
stories and teaching tales. He was one of the first therapists to put himself
into a trance along with the patient. In later years he specifically did this to
attune to their needs and subtle clues. By contrast, Edgar Cayce diagnosed medical
problems and prescribed remedies while in a self-hypnotic trance. He was able to
do this without seeing, or even knowing, the individuals concerned. While in
trance, he needed only to be given the name and address of a particular
individual, and would give a discourse (called a reading) on the condition of
that person. Not only was he able to describe with great accuracy the physical
condition of the person’s body, he was able while in this state to look into the
future and the past, in many cases relating present physical ailments to events
which occurred in past lives. While Erickson seriously questioned
mysticism in his scholastic writings, in daily practice he applied the
principles of holistic living. Cayce, in his readings, was the greatest advocate
of a holistic life, and is considered the father of holistic healing — the
healing of the whole person, not just the treatment of random symptoms. The Mystic Edgar Cayce was born in 1877 in In his youth, Cayce’s life was a simple one,
typical of that of most boys of his generation. However, occasionally his
unusual psychic gifts became manifest. For example, one day, while alone in the
woods, reading the Bible, an angel appeared to him in a vision, told him that
his prayers had been answered, and asked him what he desired. He replied that he
wanted to be able to help people, especially children. This desire to help
others was the driving force in Cayce’s life, and, when giving readings, his
primary concern was that the information be accurate and beneficial to the
people for whom they were given. As mentioned above, Edgar Cayce’s special
healing gifts were first used on himself. At the age of fifteen, while playing
ball at school, he was struck in the spine by a ball. The blow left him acting
strangely for the rest of the day. That night, after having gone to bed, in a
trance-like state he told his parents what had happened and what to do to
correct the problem. They complied and the next morning he was normal, having no
recollection of anything that had occurred since he had been struck. In his early twenties, Cayce lost the use of
his voice; for over a year he was able to converse only in a whisper. Local
medical doctors were unable to help him. A travelling stage hypnotist was able,
through hypnotic suggestion, to give some relief, but it was temporary.
Eventually a local man, who had taken correspondence courses in hypnosis and
osteopathy, guided him into a self-induced trance. While in trance, he described
the cause of his problem, and explained in a normal tone of voice that it could
be corrected through certain specific suggestions. The recommended suggestions
were made, and when he awakened, Cayce’s voice was normal. He remembered nothing
that had taken place while in trance. This experience led him in 1901 to begin
giving readings for other people. He continued these readings, typically twice a
day, for the next 43 years, until his death in 1945. The complete significance
of his work is yet to be fully appreciated. Even so, he is now recognized as one
of the most amazing men of the 20th century. And this was a man who was
initially very reluctant to use his exceptional ability. Cayce’s readings emphasize that we are
spiritual beings, and that all healing comes from within; the body contains the
wisdom to heal itself, and will do so when given the opportunity. What is the
source of this healing? The readings state that the body’s innate ability to
heal itself is the direct result of the manifestation of the Divine Spirit
within it. This assertion makes sense when we consider that healing is a
universal property of all creation, and takes place constantly and naturally in
nature. Cayce’s readings stress that a proper
motivation and the establishment of a spiritual ideal is most important in our
lives. The readings tell us that we can best understand our bodies in terms of
three-dimensional concepts, reflecting the three-dimensional world in which we
live. There is the physical body, the mental body, and the spiritual body. Each
is a separate part of us, yet they are one and the same. The Cayce readings
compare the relationship of these three bodies to that of the Christian Holy
Trinity, — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scientists are also recognizing that no
line can be drawn between psyche and soma, between mind and body. The Doctor In our century, many of the greatest
advances in hypnosis were made, recorded, and demonstrated by Milton Erickson.
He is considered the most innovative hypnotherapist of our time, perhaps even of
recorded time. His professional work and personal history comprise one of the
amazing sagas in the history of hypnosis. Born in 1901, Erickson spent his formative
years in At the age of seventeen, Erickson almost
died from polio. Like Edgar Cayce, Erickson first used his healing techniques on
himself, in his case, to overcome the effects of polio. With infinite patience
and determination, he recovered largely through his own efforts, developing the
techniques that later became the foundation for his work as a hypnotherapist.
(At age 51, he was stricken a second time with a different strain of polio,
which confined him to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.) Cayce had learned early that he could
literally sleep on his books and awaken with their contents imprinted on his
mind. Erickson also had subconscious talents and experienced one of his many
spontaneous self-hypnosis lessons as a sophomore at the He went to sleep planning to arise and write
the paper during the night. Much to his amazement, he awoke the next morning to
find the written editorial on his typewriter. He had no memory, however, of
having written it! (This type of writing was originally called “automatic”
writing; in modern times it is known as “inspired” writing. The Cayce source
would most likely have explained that there was a vast store of universal
information which the sleeping Erickson was able to channel.) Erickson never
read these automatic or inspired writings, but just submitted them to the paper.
Later, when he read the editorials in the paper, he did not recognize them as
his own writings. He discovered that “there was a lot more in my head than I
realized”. Experiences in Erickson’s youth similar to
that of the automatic writing of his college days had motivated him to become a
psychiatric researcher, writer, and lecturer; however, his special interest was
always hypnosis. After obtaining his medical degree from the Erickson encouraged people to experience
life to the fullest, asserting that experience is the best teacher, and that a
wealth of learning could be gained even from mistakes. His pioneering
discoveries were in the separate abilities of the conscious and the subconscious
minds. His own experience with inspired writing and other phenomena, combined
with a lifetime of careful observations and testing, led him to conclude that
people have a vast reservoir of inner wisdom and experience, though most remain
quite unaware of it. Erickson’s goal was to motivate people to
use their own subconscious, or inner minds, to solve their problems, and to
respond to life in new ways. “In hypnosis, we utilize the unconscious mind . . .
the reservoir of learning. The unconscious mind constitutes a storehouse.” We
have to agree when he states that there is much to our behavior that we don’t
know about, that our bodies are a lot wiser than we are. Being a realist,
Erickson cautioned about placing mystical interpretations on information that
came by subtle clues. Some things that appear mystical, he explained, are
subconscious learnings over a lifetime, things that we forget we have learned.
Emotions are stored in the subconscious and at times it becomes very childlike.
(Edgar Cayce would agree with Erickson but would assert that the storehouse, in
addition, contains experiences learned over many lifetimes in many
incarnations.) Erickson taught that learning is more than
cerebral, and we must not allow the intellect to interfere with our learning.
Feeling is the essential factor, he insisted. We must get the feel of it, the
feel of a poem, of a picture, of a statue. Feeling is very meaningful. We feel
with our hearts and minds as well as with our fingers. We feel the lessons of
the past, the hopes for the future, the realities of the present. Perhaps more important than Erickson’s
teaching of hypnosis was his own use of it himself. He learned to go into
hypnosis while working with patients. He taught hypnosis by having his students
experience it. He concluded after long experience that it was the easiest and
quickest way to learn to induce trance — by getting the “feel” of it. Erickson
is quoted as saying, “At the present time if I have any doubt about my capacity
to see the important things, I go into trance. When there is a critical issue
with a patient and I don’t want to miss any of the clues, I go into trance.” He
discovered that he could even conduct therapy while in trance. He set out to
learn if he could do equally good work with reality all around him, or if he
would need to go into trance; he found that he could work equally well under
either condition. In his early days, the popular term for
self-hypnosis was autohypnosis (they are synonymous). He advocated using
self-hypnosis to explore the mind, not just to instruct it. He claimed that if
we trusted our unconscious mind, it would do the autohypnosis for us, and maybe
with a better idea than we had consciously. Hypnosis has always been a very
powerful tool in the workshop of the human mind. (Edgar Cayce also had first to
explore his mind, not just give it hypnotic suggestions before giving his
readings.) Their Legacy and Teachings In recent years the healing power of humor
has been widely publicized, and now the value of humor is even being taught in
medical schools. But long before the recent recognition of humor, both Erickson
and Edgar Cayce were its strong proponents. Dr. Erickson is credited with being
the first to use humor as a vital part of psychotherapy. “Humor is important
because it often bypasses the intellect,” he would observe. He was famous for
his funny stories, practical advice, and teaching tales. For example, he once
asked a friend, “Do you want a good recipe for longevity?” He told the friend,
“Always be sure you get up in the morning — and you can insure that by drinking
a lot of water before you go to bed.” Cayce also spoke of humor in many of his
14,000 readings, in some cases advocating that people specifically incorporate
humor into their lives — even instructing some individuals to read the Sunday
funnies. To others he recommended being optimistic and making at least three
people laugh each day. He explained it would be as good for them as for the
other people. Even Jesus, he related, laughed and joked with people throughout
his life. “For, remember, the Master smiled and laughed often, even on His way
to Like all innovators, Dr. Erickson had to
overcome some terrible prejudices in his day. For example, he was emphatically
forbidden by Edgar Cayce also was the victim of prejudice
and ignorance during his lifetime. For example, at one time while in Dr. Erickson had an innate respect for
people and believed that hypnosis was a natural human experience, and that all
normal people could be hypnotized. As early as 1945 he was teaching that the
stages of hypnosis (i.e., light, medium, and deep trance) are determined by the
subject, not by the hypnotist. He stated, “The crucial step of bridging the gap
between light hypnosis and deep trance can often be accomplished easily by
letting the subject assume the entire responsibility for this further progress,
instead of resorting to the use of overwhelming, compelling suggestions by the
hypnotist” He also believed that practically every one
could learn to be a hypnotist. However, entering hypnosis is one thing, but
fully using that state for maximum benefit requires knowledge and experience.
With sincere humility he professed that the therapist was really unimportant,
except for his or her job of getting the patients to do their own thinking and
understanding. The therapist merely has to create the climate for the patient to
do the work. In common with Erickson’s belief that anyone
could be a hypnotist, the Cayce readings point out that Edgar Cayce’s abilities
were not unique to him, that we all have the potential to accomplish what he
did. There were apparently two sources that he accessed to obtain his
information. The first is the subconscious mind. According to the readings, the
subconscious minds of all humans are interconnected, and what is known to one is
accessible to all. The second source was described as the superconscious mind,
or the level of mind at which each individual soul is aware of its relationship
to God, the source of all knowledge and wisdom. Attunement to the superconscious
makes this source of infinite knowledge available to all. Cayce tells us that at the superconscious
level, we can gain access to the Akashic Record, a chronicle of everything that
has ever been thought, said, or done by everyone who has ever lived. The Akashic
Record, also referred to in the readings as the Book of Life, or the Book of
God’s Remembrance, can be thought of as the revelation of the Creator’s
all-encompassing wisdom and knowledge. According to the readings, contact with
both the subconscious and the superconscious is possible for all minds, making
the infinite wisdom of the superconscious available to each one of us. To
communicate with these levels of consciousness, we need the ability to put our
egos aside and attune ourselves to God, the universal source. In Edgar Cayce,
this ability was developed much more highly than in most (the readings attribute
this to his many lifetimes as a healer), but the sources that he drew upon and
the information he obtained are available to everyone. Of all the great contributions Erickson made
to humanity, his work with the utilization of the past, present, and future was,
to me, the greatest. He found age regression work to be particularly insightful
in hypnosis, and did much research into present-life regression, but I have not
found that Erickson ever experimented with past-life regression, although he did
recommend the novel (for that time) procedures of automatic writing and
automatic drawing as early as 1939. He used age regression to direct one’s
attention to relevant memories. These memories were then utilized to re-educate
or redirect the present memories to project a positive future outcome. To make
the process enjoyable and more effective, Dr. Erickson first guided people
through pleasant memories and experiences. “I like initially to regress my
psychiatric patients to something pleasant, something agreeable . . . I impress
upon them that it is tremendously important to realize that there are some good
things in their past, and those good things form the background by which to
judge the severity of the present.” Erickson discovered a natural link between
the trance state and regression. Regression and trance are important tools in
all healing and betterment, but they are only tools, not an end in themselves.
Insight into a person’s past does not, of itself, change the present. Regression
only suggests the direction for the present therapy. Once the past is gently and
wisely explored, the process of bringing about change and improvement calls for
tact and sensitivity. He set no strict limits on the conditions for change, and
never forced his patients but encouraged them to set the correct pace
themselves. “One does not try to force upon his patient a new pattern, but
rather to reestablish the old unused and forgotten pattern of behavior the
patient had previous to the development of his phobia.” Dr. Erickson was a pioneer in the use of
future progression and future perspective. He encouraged his patients to
concentrate on their successful accomplishments, rather than getting bogged down
in past failures and mistakes. Contrary to the practice of most psychotherapists
of the past, he encouraged the patients to describe what THEY saw or felt as the
successful outcome — not what the therapist hoped or wanted for an outcome.
“Subjects oriented from the present to the actual future, instructed to look
back upon proposed hypnotic work as actually accomplished, can often, by their
‘reminiscence’, provide the hypnotist with understandings that can readily lead
to much sounder work in deep trance.” As people pre-viewed their future, they
realized what could work for them or what might not. Once they progressed beyond
the point of their successful accomplishment, they could “look back” and
describe the methods that they, themselves, had used. Edgar Cayce’s greatest contribution to
mankind is the collection of 14.145 transcribed readings which spanned a time
period of over 40 years (1901-1944). They are now available for research and
study at the library of the Association for Research and Enlightenment at They teach that there is a oneness of all
force and that force is God. God is Light, Life, and Love. Humans, all of us,
are spiritual beings, children of God, with a continuity of life that has
existed and will exist throughout eternity. Our sojourn in the Earth plane
embraces the concepts of reincarnation, karma, and grace. The readings tell us
that all questions can be answered if we but seek the Spirit within, listen to
what the Spirit tells us, and trust that Spirit for the proper information,
guidance, and healing. So while Cayce is remembered primarily for his
contributions as a healer, his philosophy extends to our entire physical and
spiritual lives. His is a philosophy of work and service to others, which, if
properly applied, will lead to fuller and richer lives for ourselves and for all
mankind. In later life, Dr. Erickson received
numerous honors and awards for his discoveries and achievements. He was
president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and a Life Fellow of the
American Psychopathological Association. He wrote extensively on the subject of
hypnosis, founding and editing a journal and co-authoring several books on the
subject. Well over 100 books have been written about him and his courageous
work. Even the staunchest of his critics were impressed by his professionalism
and his successes. Cayce, on the other hand, saw his dream of a
hospital vanish with the crash of the stock market in the early 1930’s. Like
Erickson, over 100 books have been written about him. The two men never met in
person, but I consider both Erickson and Cayce to be the two greatest
practitioners and teachers of hypnosis and holistic living of this century. If it were possible to condense the lives
and teachings of two great men into one paper, I would — but that is not
possible. Both were pioneers who explored and mapped the vast resources of the
inner mind, and taught us how to use our inner wisdom and healing capacities to
the best advantage. I can only attempt to summarize by suggesting that these two
men, so different in background and style, yet so alike in philosophy and
concern for the well-being of their fellow human beings, have made the most
profound contributions to the acceptance and advancement of holistic healing and
hypnotherapy of anyone in the twentieth century.\ Suggested Havens, R. A. (1985). The Wisdom of Milton
H. Erickson. Rossi, E. L. (1983). Healing in Hypnosis.
Milton H. Erickson. Steam, J. (1967). Edgar Cayce — The Sleeping
Prophet. Sugrue, T. (1945). There is a River. Reprinted from The Journal of Regression
Therapy, Volume VI, Number 1, December 1992 From: http://henrybolduc.com
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