Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00228)

In message <199708091529.LAA01893@leo.vsla.edu>, "K. Paul Johnson"
<pjohnson@leo.vsla.edu> writes
>Hi folks--
>
>My book is ready to mail off this week, two manuscript copies
>with photos and a bunch of forms I filled out.  One of the
>forms, a marketing questionnaire, asked that I provide a
>one-page (double spaced) summary of the contents to be used in
>preparing the back cover copy.  I'm not totally happy with what
>I have, and am asking for last minute suggestions.  But it
>can't be any longer!  (And I prefer not to debate the point of
>view taken until after the book is out.)  Here goes, for anyone
>who cares to play editor:

RIGHT:
>
>     Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) is widely recognized as the best-
documented psychic in history and a forerunner of the holistic
health movement.  This book describes and evaluates his
clairvoyant "readings" - more than 14,000 trance discourses that
address the medical, theological, historical and psychological
concerns of thousands of inquirers.  Cayce is revealed
as a pivotal figure in the transition from the esoteric and
metaphysical movements of the late 19th century to the
New Age movement of today.  The author evaluates evidence for and
against Cayce's relibaility in four areas emphasized by the readings.
Cayce's medical and psychological advice is shown to be well ahead of
his time in many ways, while his spiritual teachings are appraised as a
reconciliation of Protestant mysticism with New Thought and Theosophy.
Although the medical readings provide intriguing evidence for Cayce's
ESP, his clairvoyant "time travel" illustrates the unreliability of
information derived through hypnotic trance.  The author contends that
the strengths and weaknesses of the readings reflect the knowledge and
interests of their recipients as much as Cayce's personal opinions and
beliefs.  Sympathetic yet objective in approach, this is the first book
to appraise the Cayce readings from a scholarly perspective.
>

My two penn'orth.

Alan :-)