[Letter to the editor].Did Edgar Cayce have a near-death experience?
Journal of Near-Death Studies 2014 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2014-32-4-p237-240 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key points | Argues that Edgar Cayce's childhood drowning may have been a near-death experience combined with an out-of-body experience, possibly involving a meeting with God in the form of Jesus, and notes that Cayce's subsequent Bible reading, openness to God, and reported psychic gifts such as precognition are features often reported after near-death experiences. |
Abstract
E dgar Cayce told Harmon Bro that he had drowned as a young child. When I read about this experience, I began to consider the possibility that Cayce had had a near-death experience (NDE) combined with an out-of-body experience (OBE), during which he went to the other side and met God, probably in the form of Jesus. Such experiences are common in NDEs. We do know that Edgar, after his drowning experience, began reading the Bible, opened himself to God, and received psychic gifts such as precognition: the ability to look into the future and discern past events. These gifts are also often reported after NDEs. After conducting research for decades in my former career, I began a formal study of NDEs after moving to Virginia Beach from the Washington, DC area in 2009. My wife and I wanted to be more active in the A.R.E. and Atlantic University, and I completed an MA degree in Transpersonal Studies. My master’s thesis was a study of the spiritual aspects of NDEs. I chose this subject to research, and better understand, my own NDE that I experienced at age five.