Toward a Deeper Meditation. John Van Auken

it, but I decided to first go to the bathroom and empty my bladder. When I returned, I had absolutely no recall of the dream. Nothing! I couldn’t believe it. There was no dream content in my mind. Therefore, I lay back down on the bed and began to go back into sleep when suddenly there was the dream content. In my desire to understand this, I practiced moving from the dream state out into the conscious state to see if I could better bridge these two realities. It became clear to me that when I was in the dream, I really felt like “I” was conscious and dreaming. However, when I was out in the conscious state, I also felt that “I” was conscious, but without any dream content. The more I played with this movement between the two realities, the more I realized that there truly were two, clearly discernible parts to my being. One was aligned with my subconscious mind, and experienced and possessed the dream content. And the other was aligned with my conscious mind and physical world and contained no dream, unless I gradually awoke and purposefully conveyed the content over to it. Even then, it could barely hold on to it for any length of time! Despite these distinct parts, I felt that I was really me when I was in either. “I” was dreaming, and “I” was emptying my bladder. My inner and outer self were familiar to me, but not to each other. The veil between them was so opaque that I could not see back into the subconscious once I was fully in the outer consciousness. But the movement between the two was so subtle that I didn’t even notice I had moved out of one and into the other.

      In this next discourse, we have Cayce referring to the work, or role, our inner self plays in the healing process, and the help it needs.

      The revivifying influences will give thine inner self that which will create, that which will build in the body, as thou holdest to that thou knowest within thine self—that He, the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, is renewing thy strength and thy life within thee; and that thou wilt use same in His service so long as the days are given unto thee for thy activities in this material world. And we will find strength being built in thine body as the stamina of steel! And, as the vital forces renew thy vitality in thine body, use thy mental self.

      716-2

      If we also remember that the subconscious mind (the mind of the inner self) is amenable to suggestion, then many of Cayce’s guidelines about positive belief and active mindfulness make real sense.

      Coordinating body-mind-spirit and taking hold of the forces within us will lead us to health and rejuvenation. However, for Cayce, the answer to why we want to be healthy and rejuvenated is as important as how we achieve it.

      Two people can do exactly the same things toward rejuvenation and wellness but get different results. So often, the influencing force in these cases is their attitude. One is hopeful and expectant, the other doubts or feels unworthy. Attitude is a powerful, unseen influence in the outcome of any activity.

      To be sure, there should be rather that expectant attitude of the body … for unless there is the expectancy, unless there is hope, the mind’s outlook becomes a drag, a drug on one that is being attacked from within by the various diseases of a physical body.

      572-5

      Cayce often hyphenated the word disease in an effort to convey the real source of disease as being a dis-ease in the system, physically and mentally. When a being is at ease with itself, health is usually present. But health cannot be maintained long when something within a person is uneasy, or at dis-ease. Notice also that Cayce continues to emphasize the importance of the right mental attitude: being hopeful and expectant.

      Doubt was also on Cayce’s list of don’ts, as we see in this next instruction:

      Do not become morose. Do not doubt the abilities of those influences in the spiritual life to meet the needs of the body physically, mentally, spiritually, and we will revivify these things.

      458-2

      Nothing save self stands in the way of the entity making or becoming a channel of blessings to many! For the entity may be assured, for the entity will find, nothing in heaven or hell or earth may separate thee from the knowledge and the use of the I AM Presence within, save selfishness—or self!

      440-20

      This is a hard one to accept. Few of us take full responsibility for our circumstances in life and in health. But it sure appears that Cayce is listing “self” as the only limitation to success.

      This next Cayce comment reminds me of my parents’ admonitions to “pull yourself together” or “get hold of yourself.” Mind over circumstances, whether they are physical, emotional, or mental, is a powerful tool toward changing the prevailing condition. Here Cayce reminds us, in this excerpt from a previously mentioned reading, that we shouldn’t use discouraging remarks when we or others are struggling to overcome a condition.

      Hence mind over matter is not to be lightly spoken of, nor is there any disparaging remark to be made as to the ability of the body-physical to be revivified, resuscitated, spiritualized such that there is no reaction that may not be revivified.

      1152-5

      The Cayce records are filled with the admonition to “live what you know to be true and right.” Our actions must reflect our deepest beliefs and values. If they do, then the Life Force can flow through us without getting meshed in a web of hypocrisy, contradiction, and disharmony. Cayce often identified incoordination of the two nervous systems as one of the major causes of illness, equating it with the two parts of ourselves (inner and outer) being at war with one another. Here he calls for us to hold to a simple truth:

      For He hath shown the way—not by some mysterious fluid, not by some unusual vibration, but by the simple method of living that which is life itself. Think no evil; hear no evil. And as the Truth flows as a stream of life through the Mind in all its phases or aspects, and purifies same, so will it purify and revivify and rejuvenate the body. For once this effacement urge is overcome, then may there begin the rejuvenation.

      294-183

      In this case, and with many of us today, we actually seem to get in a self-destructive mode, or as Cayce said, an “effacement urge.” Who can save us from ourselves? All the outer applications can’t overcome the desires of the ruler of the house. First, one must stop effacing oneself or destroying oneself, for whatever reason we may think justified. Then, self can be transformed.

      Mind is the master.

      2529-1

      Paradoxically, this powerful statement is frequently offset by a “nevertheless” statement, such as this one: “Yet, physical conditions need the [therapeutic] activity that may regenerate or revivify the abilities for reproduction of self through the afflicted or disturbed areas of the body.” (2529-1)

      One can only conclude that the mind is the master, yet we also need therapeutic applications to help along the regenerative process.

      It may appear long, but—keep that attitude of being the channel through which more love of the divine nature may be given, even as ye would be shown that towards the ways and manners for the helpfulness in the material physical body.

      1199-3

      Cayce often encouraged those who were in the worst situations to get out of their self-absorption with their problems by simply looking around for someone else who needed help, and helping them—with no thought of reward. Something in the spirit of helpfulness has a magical effect upon the helper.

      In this next case, we see someone who is suppressing herself, either from guilt, self-consciousness, anxiety, or fear. Since every living thing has an inner drive to express life, suppression is against the flow of life and must therefore be transformed in order for life to flow and health to return. He encourages her to get interested in something, as well as to keep up with the therapy.

      The destruction of the blood forces [is] by suppression of self in a mental manner. Hence, the necessity of directing and interesting self in a fad, or even a fancy, and keeping self interested in same, as well as correcting the physical conditions.

      5554-2

      As we have