A.R.E. Meeting for 12/30/13

Leader:   Greg (for Nancy)
Reader:   Greg

We started on the “Destiny of the Soul” chapter and read three sections in the SFG book. We are up to the section titled “The Activities of the Soul in the Material.” In the Experiments book we also read three sections and we are up to the quote at the top of page 87. For an experiment, we had a couple wanting to do this experiment:

 Select an experience which might be called a dishonor for you. It is likely to be something you find yourself being ashamed of, embarrassed about or criticizing yourself for. Turn around your response to this. What was the lesson you learned from what happened? Try to put that lesson into action in your life rather than continually dwelling on those past events.

We also had a couple of people want to do this experiment:

Make a list of what you have faith and confidence in to do well. Select one item and identify what “soul power” might be associated with it. Use that power more often or more effectively to help others.

For example: “I am good at home repairs.” The soul power – the God-given talent – might be a mind which is insightful about how physical things operate or good eye-and-hand coordination. Now how could you be doing an even better job of using what has been given to you?

A.R.E. Meeting for 12/23/13

Leader:    Greg (for Nancy)
Reader:   Greg

We finished the “Destiny of the Body” material by reading to the end of the chapter in the Experiments book. We did not really decide on an experiment, but if everyone is so inclined, use the last one in the chapter on page 82 (but you will have to read the section leading up to the experiment):

Practice using this training exercise for meditation. Let it carry over as well into your daily living. In tense times take a moment to think of a spiritual affirmation, then harmonize mental awareness with breathing. This can be done with your eyes open, even in the midst of daily affairs.

A.R.E. Meeting for 12/16/13

Leader:   Greg (for Nancy)
Reader:   Greg

We finished reading the “Destiny of the Body” chapter. We read one section in the Experiments book (to the top of page 80).  Next week we will finish the chapter in the Experiments book and listen to the Elsie Sechrist summary of the chapter. The experiment we chose for this week was:

Treat your body in a way which reflects an awareness that it is eternal.

A.R.E. Meeting for 12/9/13

Leader:    Nancy
Readers:   Nancy, Cindi, John, and Greg

We read two sections in the “Destiny of the Body” chapter and are up to the section titled “What is Meant by the Resurrection of the Body.” We also read four sections in the Experiments book (to the bottom of page 77). The experiment we chose for this week was:

Live with a sense of contentment with the now. Let go of any feelings of being rushed or wanting the current moment to end so that you can get to the next thing.

A.R.E. Meeting for 12/2/13

Leader: Nancy
Reader: Greg

We started the “Destiny of the Body” chapter and read three sections. We are up to the section titled “What is Meant by Presenting Our Bodies a Living Sacrifice?” We also read two sections in the Experiments book. The experiment we chose for this week was:

Complete the exercise in visualization for your body described above. Try it regularly for several days.

This was a five step procedure where you relax, focus on your breathing, mentally move through your body attuning to the Christ Consciousness, visualize at each of the seven spiritual centers,  and close by feeling your body be a channel of light.

A.R.E. Meeting for 11/25/13

Leader:  Sylvia
Reader:  Nancy & John

We finished reading the “Destiny of the Mind” chapter, and capped it off by listening to Elsie Sechrist comment on the chapter. We will start on the “Destiny of the Body” chapter next month. The experiment we chose for this week was:

“Work with applying the three dietary laws described above in the way you feed your mind.”

These three dietary laws are on page 65:

1. Certain things in and of themselves are toxic to the body and should be avoided. For example, in a physical diet we might want to avoid refined white sugar all the time. What are things you might have been feeding your mind that are probably unhelpful all the time (e.g., a particular television show, a particular kind of reading material)?

2. Certain things are to be avoided in combination with other things. For example, Edgar Cayce says do not drink orange juice and have a whole grain cereal at the same time. It is a matter of the context and the timing. What are things in your mental feeding patterns that need to be avoided in certain contexts or at certain times (e.g., not to listen to a certain kind of music just before going to bed, not watching a particular type of television program while eating)?

3. A balanced diet involving a variety of foods is necessary. No one food will have all the nutrients which are needed. How balanced and varied is your mental diet? Do you spend all your free time for reading on just one kind of book? Do you have friends who only want to talk about one kind of topic? Consider if there is anything you need to change in order to have better variety and balance.

A.R.E. Meeting for 11/18/13

Leader:    Sylvia
Reader:   Greg

We finished the reading in the Experiments book for the “Destiny of the Mind” chapter. The experiment we chose for this week was:

Use as an affirmation for the day (not for meditation but in waking life events) "I am a god." Be sensitive to the creative potential and the responsibility which this entails.

A.R.E. Meeting for 11/11/13

Leader:   Nancy (for Sylvia)
Reader:   Greg

We read two more sections in the “Destiny of the Mind,” chapter, and are up to the section “Mind in Relation to the Soul Body.” We also read two sections in the Experiments book (to page 62). Our experiment this week is:

Meet circumstances which interrupt the flow of your intentions with optimism and a belief that you can make the interruption part of a process working together for a good.

A.R.E. Meeting for 11/4/13

Leader:   Sylvia 
Reader:   Bob, Nancy, & Greg

We finished the chapter on “Desire” by completing the remaining reading in the Experiments book. We then started the chapter on “Destiny of the Mind,” and read the first two sections. Turning to the Experiments book again, we read the first two sections, and have a choice of two experiments:

Experiment 1: “Be truthful to yourself and others. Let your actions reflect more closely what you have thought, said or intended for your life.”

Experiment 2: “Nurture a sense of trust in life. Allow events to come to you rather than trying to force things to happen the way you think they should. Trust that inner, directive influence of your soul’s destiny that will continually bring to you things to keep you on the best course.”

A.R.E. Meeting for 10/28/13

Leader:   Bob 
Reader:   None

We listened to Elsie Sechrist talk about Desire and discussed the experiment for the week. No new reading was accomplished, but the experiment for this coming week is:

Select a desire pattern for which you alternate between taming it and feeling guilty for allowing it to control you. Try to get clear on what it is you really desire. Is the apparent desire only a mask for deeper desire? Try to see clearly how a change in this habitual desire pattern could also benefit others. In order to keep a sense of openness to receive help, use this affirmation or write another version of it in your own words: ‘I cannot bear this alone, my Savior, my Christ, I seek Thy aid.’

A.R.E. Meeting for 10/21/13

Leader:   Bob
Reader:   Marsha

We finished reading the chapter on “Desire,”  but still have some reading to do in the Experiments book (starting on page 50). The experiment is:

Look at the example on page 51 of the man that wants to heal his skin condition as a conscious desire (first column). The second column heading is “Experience or Feeling if Desire fulfilled,” and the third column is “How to Bring Those Feelings to Others.” Use that as the basis to “Work with the principle of giving to others in order to fulfill a specific desire which you select. Create a chart similar to the example, using the personal desire you have chosen. Try to apply the items you list in the third column."

A.R.E. Meeting for 10/14/13

Leader:   Bob 
Reader:   Sylvia and Greg

We read one more section from the chapter on “Desire,” taking us up to the section “The Wisdom of Unselfish Desire.” Then we read a section in the Experiments book and decided on the following experiment:

When you find yourself desiring something for the future, refocus that desire away from “pre-forming” how it will happen. Instead focus attention on the spirit of what you desire to have happen. When the time arrives for these future events, try to be in the now and to be creative. 

A.R.E. Meeting for 10/7/13

Leader:   Greg (for Bob)
Reader:   Nancy, Greg, and Eric

We started the chapter on “Desire,” and read three sections, up to “Spiritual Desires.” We read to the bottom of page 48 in the Experiments book, and decided on the following experiment:

Be aware each day of how past desire patterns have created or led you to specific conditions which you count as blessings. Use this remembrance as an aid to keep a hopeful attitude toward the future fulfillment of spiritual desires you now hold.

A.R.E. Meeting for 9/30/13

Leader:   Marsha  

Reader:   Marsha & Greg

We finished the “God the Father and His Manifestations” chapter in the Experiments book, so next week we start the chapter on “Desire.”

The experiment is:

Make it a discipline to smile frequently, communicating to others your sense of hope and joy about life. If there are times when you don’t feel like it, try smiling occasionally and see if the consciousness follows the action.

A.R.E. Meeting for 9/23/13

Leader:   Marsha 
Reader:   Greg

We listened to Elsie Sechrist talk about the “God the Father and His Manifestations” chapter, then discussed temptation, forgiveness, and world affairs. We read the next section in the Experiments book, and will do this experiment for the week:

Try living your life as a recognition that you are Jesus’ friend, not just an obedient servant.

Example: Be a friend to someone who needs a friend. Offer to go for a walk, have lunch with or simply listen to someone.

A.R.E. Meeting for 9/16/13

Leader: Cindi  

Readers: Greg

We finished reading the chapter “God the Father and His Manifestations” in the SFG book. Our experiment for the coming week is:

Select one area of your life in which you often feel tempted. It may be a temptation to act in a certain way or to hold particular thoughts or feelings. Try to look upon the situation as a way in which you are challenged: “Will you use the resources which you have available to benefit (or please) just yourself or yourself and others?” Then try to act in such a way that benefits are derived by the greater whole.

Example: When you feel tempted to eat more, consider how that resource can best be used to benefit the whole. If you are just going to eat to please yourself, then wait. However, if that food represents energy you need now in order to be about the work of living and serving others, then you have affirmed a purposefulness to your action.

A.R.E. Meeting for 9/9/13

Leader:  Cindi 
Readers:  Marsha & Greg

We read two sections in the Experiments book (up to page 37), and are offered a choice of one of these experiments:

Experiment 1: "Replace any thoughts that God may be punishing you or making you repay an old wrong, with the understanding that it is mankind that chooses the way of trial and suffering. Pick an area of your life where there tends to be some suffering on your part (physically, mentally, emotionally) and see if you can determine what lesson it is teaching you. Then see if you can find some way to put that lesson into application through loving and serving others."

Experiment 2: “Observe how you evaluate the greatness of others. Work at recognizing and reinforcing (or reflecting) greatness in the lives of ordinary people who give of themselves and love.”

The Power of Prayer

The following article is by John Van Auken.

Thy prayers ascend to the throne of God, and the angel of each entity stands before the throne to make intercession. Not as a physical throne, no; but that consciousness in which we may be so attuned that we become one with the whole in lending power and strength to each entity for whom you speak and pray. --3954-1

For the power of prayer is not matched even by the devil himself. Hence with that attitude of being as persistent as the devil, you will bring a strength. But if you do so doubting, you are already half lost. The desires of the body are to do right! Then aid those desires in the right direction; for the power of right exceeds -- ever and always. Like the devil himself -- PRAY! --1439-2

The biggest support for the power of prayer is coming from medical research! Science is proving the effectiveness of prayer, beyond what anyone expected. Not only are researchers finding that prayer affects humans, it affects bacteria, seeds, plants, and mice! Since these would all seem to be beyond the influence of religious faith, the question naturally arises: Just what is the true power in prayer? How can one’s prayers affect the growth of bacteria and seeds, or even mice?

Prayer results are just as amazing in human studies. In a 1988 study by Dr. Randolph Byrd at San Francisco General Hospital, 393 coronary care patients receiving prayer with their medical care suffered significantly less congestive heart failure, fewer cardiopulmonary arrests, used fewer antibiotics and diuretics, and had less pneumonia.

In a 1998 study at California Pacific Medical Center, a double-blind study revealed profound effects from “distant healing prayer” with advanced AIDS patients. They survived in greater numbers, got sick less often, and recovered faster than those not receiving prayer.

An amazing study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine showed how prayer could help even those who did not know they were being prayed for. The study was conducted at Columbia University in New York City on women having difficultly becoming pregnant. They found that even though the women did not know they were being prayed for, 50% of the prayed-for group became pregnant as opposed to only 26% of the control group that was not prayed for.

Larry Dossey, a well-known doctor in Dallas and author of several books on prayer, says that prayer’s power lies in one’s thoughts and intentions. This type of prayer is amenable to study because, once emitted, it should cause its intended effects. He explains that as humanity becomes more aware of the universal mind, which is a “non-local mind” that is infinite and immortal, in which we all have our existence, then healing will be more common and “we could become a kinder, gentler culture.” Any prayerful intention and thought from one local-mind to another has an impact upon that other because we are connected. Nonlocal mind leads to what he calls “the Golden Rule of Era III of medicine and healing: ‘Do good unto others because they are you!’ Why? Because nonlocal mind is unlimited and boundless, which means that minds can’t be walled off from each other. In some sense, at some level, we are each other.”

Edgar Cayce’s readings would certainly agree with this view. There is one collective mind out of which we are all projections; local minds, to use Dossey’s terms. But we can easily move into the nonlocal mind of the Whole, the Universal, and from there we are all one and can affect one another positively, or for that matter, negatively as well. As we saw in the article on Mind, every thought makes an impression upon this collective mind, an impression that Cayce was able to read long after the thought had been created. Prayer for others makes just such an impression. One of my friends shared how he believes that prayers are like gifts set upon a shelf, which the other person can open any time. Cayce once had a vision of a room filled with gift packages stacked to the ceiling. When he got a reading on this imagery, he was told that these were things that people stopped praying for. Their prayers had created them, but before they could be delivered, the prayers ended, and here they sat. Prayer is creative power. Patience and trust are the UPS and FedEx of prayer gifts.

Prayer is so effective that Cayce often said, “Why worry when you can pray?” Worry will accomplish nothing. Prayer, as even science is finding out, works. It influences situations, people, and outcomes. However, outcomes are best left in the hands of God. Dossey found that all prayer was effective, but surprisingly, non-specific prayer was more effective than specific, petitioning prayer -- which is the way most of us were taught to pray. It seems that if we simply pray for the best for the other person, our prayers are more effective. This could be because it allows the karma and free-will desires of the other person to play a role in his or her own healing. Projecting what we believe is best for that person is not as effective as allowing God and the person to find what’s best for his or her disposition, destiny, and growth.

In one of his readings for a reincarnated healer who used prayer to heal, Cayce said that she knew how “spiritual life may affect the physical bodies of people through the power of prayer and meditation, as many were brought to the body’s presence for healing in their afflictions; and the body then, through its own efforts, learned again those discernments of who, how, where, the efforts of individuals aided one rather than another - see?” Clearly, we can play a major role in helping others with prayer and meditation, but the dynamics underlying other people’s situations also play a role in their wellness, and we must use discernment to better understand how many ways help may come.

In my own experience, all prayer is helpful. The outcome is in God’s hands, but prayer always helps. I’ve seen its potency repeatedly. One of Cayce’s readings that stuck with me was his admonition to “Pray ceaselessly.” It’s living in prayerfulness; not piously so, just prayerful in all situations.

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/26/13

Leader:   Cindi  

Readers:   John & Marsha

In the "God, The Father, and His Manifestations in the Earth" chapter, we read two sections, going up to the section titled "Perfect Manifestation in the Earth." We also read the two sections in the Experiments book, and have chosen the following experiment:

Explore in your own life what it means to be patient and forgiving and yet still be able to ‘be angry and sin not.’ Act on anger instead of in anger.

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/19/13

Leader:   Cindi
Reader:   Eric

We started the "God, The Father, and His Manifestations in the Earth" chapter and read the first two sections, going up to the section titled "God, the Father." We also read the first section in the Experiments book, and have chosen the following experiment:

Make a list of the ways that you seek God (e.g., meditation, prayer, dreams, physical attunement procedures, reading material, giving to other people). Select a category which you realize has become rather rigid or habitual--that is, much of the spirit and creativity associated with it is now missing. Try a new way or form or procedure for seeking God in that area.

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/12/13

Leader:  Marsha 
Reader:  Greg

We finished  the "Day and Night"  chapter in the  Experiments book, so should be ready to start a new chapter next week.  There is a choice of two experiments this week: 

 Experiment 1: "Spend a week paying special attention to your dream experiences. Identify those elements of your dreams (symbols or actions) which reflect parts of yourself that you have been ignoring or have been darkened to you."   

or

Experiment 2: "Try relating to a specific dark, confusing or suffering side of your life in a new way. Nurture a sense of appreciation for difficult or confusing times. Try to step aside and observe things as part of a greater process and find yourself with more patience with others in their periods of darkness because you understand its role in the greater process." 

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/5/13

Leader:  Marsha 
Reader:  Greg

  During the experiment discussion, we listened to a bit of a program with Victor DaPonte who talked about creating your reality and "I am" awareness. Creation follows intent, so using "I am" affirmations is you creating your reality. Afterwards, we read  one more section of  the "Day and Night" chapter in the  Experiments book.  The experiment for next week is:

Select the 15 minutes before you go to bed on activities and attitudes which you feel will make it more likely that your sleep period will be one of rest and healing. Keep a record of these activities and the results.

Example:  Pray, read poetry or inspirational material, sing, chant, etc.

A.R.E. Meeting for 7/29/13

Leader: John
Reader: Greg

We started with a discussion on what the Pope said about not judging homosexuality. The Wall St. Journal article referred to was: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324354704578635401320888608.html.

Afterwards, we read more sections of the "Day and Night" chapter in the Experiments book. The experiment for next week is:

As all three--body, mind and soul--are important, so is it important to have a balanced, integrated life. Select an area of your life in which you need to have a better sense of working with all three aspects simultaneously. Try living that part of your life holistically.

A.R.E. Meeting for 7/22/13

Leader:  John 
Reader:   Sylvia &  Greg

 We finished reading the "Day and Night"  chapter in the SFG book.  Next week we may continue to the next chapter or maybe read from the Experiments book. The experiment for next week is:

Tell yourself that for a week you will let go of anxieties about how you will obtain what you think you need from the material world in order to be happy. Make a special effort to put God first and be open to receive what He knows you most need. Affirm that you will trust God to bring you that you have need of.

A.R.E. Meeting for 7/15/13

Leader:  John 
Reader:  Cindi &  Greg

We started the chapter "Day and Night," and read the first four sections. We will start next week with the section titled "Experiences Regarding Day and Night."  

The experiment for next week is:

Select a  difficulty in your life or some situation with which you are struggling.  Work at changing your attitude by recognizing to what law it is you must be obedient in order to move beyond the problem. In your prayers about this difficulty ask for a greater capacity to be lovingly and joyfully obedient to this higher law.

Book: How to Interpret Your Dreams

The following is an outline/summary of Mark Thurston's book How to Interpret Your Dreams: Practical Techniques Based on the Edgar Cayce Approach.

Outlined by Cindi.

Chapter 1--The Levels of Mind: How Do Dreams Happen?

*    Mind Is the Builder

The spirit is the life, mind is the builder, and the physical is the result. Cayce says there is only one fundamental energy or force in the universe, and it is a spiritual life force. The mind is the creative (or building) function within us. What we experience in the physical or material realm of life is the result of what we have created or built mentally.

*     Levels of the Unconscious Mind

Cayce describes a subconscious mind, which includes the personal unconscious, plus a variety of levels beyond that, which are characterized as universal. In this case, universal does not mean omniscient, but accessible to all persons. Beyond the subconscious mind is the superconscious mind, which is the Divine Mind within us all.

*     Types of Forces Producing Dreams

1) Mental forces are related to what the conscious mind has been dwelling on in daily life.

2) Subconscious forces are thought-energy creations we have personally built that have a given purpose or directionality. Generally they are forgotten or repressed.

3) Spiritual forces are related to the superconscious mind. They are patterning forces which, for the most part, exist as a potentiality within us, and are an influence or impetus toward the realization of that potential.  They show up in our dreams, especially as direct guidance or warnings.

*     Dream Definitions

1) A dream is an actual experience or activity of the soul.

2) A dream usually is a description of the conditions that exist in or among the levels of our being.

3) A dream can give an insight into God’s law or His working in our lives.

4) A dream can present a lesson to be applied.

5) A dream can provide a solution to a problem.

6) A dream can be an attunement to likely future circumstances.

*     Categories of Dreams

1) Physically produced dreams simply reflect conditions in the body, especially conditions related to imbalances in assimilation. Nightmare are of this variety.

2) Elements of the conscious personality are the mental forces of an individual. Our concerns of the day are weighed, or a solution is presented. This can also include telepathic dreams.

3) The mind of the soul can produce dreams which introduce an understanding or awareness beyond that which we have had through the waking personality–a sense of discovery, the unveiling of a truth or lesson.  This category of dreams are primarily of the subconscious and spiritual forces.

Chapter 2--Cooperating with the Unconscious Mind

a.  Cooperation between the unconscious and the conscious selves takes place as the unconscious mind considers the needs of the conscious self and makes the “effort” to produce a dream.

b.  From the spiritual perspective, cooperation takes place as the spiritual forces express themselves in a dream, providing guidance and understanding to the conscious self.

*     How to Remember Dreams?

We may meet with resistance from our habit patterns. However, we can be assured that once we start interpreting our dreams, we are going to discover suggestions from the unconscious–quite strong and pointed suggestions–to make life style changes.

(See suggestions pp. 24-29.)

Chapter 3--The Basics of Dream Interpretation

            Dream interpretation is far more than just the translation of symbols.  The message or lesson of a dream, depicted in symbols, must maintain its living, meaningful nature. The real interpretation comes in applying the dream in daily life.

Two Key Factors to Consider:

1.  The dreamer and his responses and feelings in the dream.

2.  The dream and the events and symbols.

            Interpretation of a particular dream should not limit itself to just one of these factors, nor should these two be confused. We must be alert to possible multiple meanings as we work with the symbols of a dream.

Chapter 4--Knowing Ourselves Through Dreams

            This chapter explores two techniques for interpreting a dream. Both are primarily based on the concept of knowing ourselves.

A.  Gestalt Techniques: (pg. 54)

The Gestalt technique is to role play the given symbols and characters of a dream, whereby the dreamer may find more meaning than appears on the surface. If deeply pursued, the Gestalt technique moves well beyond simply working with a dream into a profound kind of psychotherapy.
1. Relate the dream in the present tense.  (I am walking alone on the beach.)
2. Select the key symbols or objects of the dream.  Choose one symbol.  Then ask 3 questions:

     a.  How would you describe yourself?  Make an initial identification with the character or object.  (I am a piano, a rather large one, and black in color.)

     b.  How do you feel (as that object)?  The dreamer now moves from an intellectual function to the emotional content of the symbol.

     c.  What do you want (as that object)?  Many symbols represent an unfulfilled part of the self.

     d.  What might you say to the other key symbols in the dream?

B.  The Thematic approach: (pg. 62)

            By examining a dream as a whole, rather than in parts through its symbols, we can identify the significant patterns or processes that make up waking life.

1.  Make sure you have a workable dream, not a fragment. If it is long, consider working with it in parts.

2.  Identify the key action words. The theme is concerned with the movement and interaction of the dream events.

3.  Do something with the nouns which are linked to those actions. Generalize them. (Someone is running away.)  Frequently only 4 or 5 words can unlock the meaning of the dream.

Chapter 5--Ideals in our Dreams

            Ideals play a role in the formation of dream experiences.  Not only does the perfect Ideal within us provide an impetus to experience inner worlds, but the Ideal and our conscious ideals interact in the creation of a dream experience. Cayce suggest that our capacity to recall a dream is closely tied to our attunement with the Ideal.

Applying ideals to dream interpretation:

1.  Our highest ideals are sometimes directly depicted in the images or overall quality of the dream. They come as reminders.

2.  A second method calls on us to evaluate and compare ideals, through (a) alternative ideals illustrated in the dream, or (b) between an ideal depicted in the dream and the spiritual, mental, or physical ideals we have consciously chosen.

3.  Set ideals in regard to the characters and circumstances in the dream. A dream is often trying to call our attention to something we have ignored or misunderstood.

Chapter 6--Fellowship: Our Social Life at Night

            Cayce recognizes the possibility that dreams can be a channel for interpersonal communication.

a.  Dreams can allow us to better our associations with others.

b.  The nature of mind is such that all subconscious minds are in contact with each other.

c.  A variety of possible types of dream communication–or telepathy–are available. 

            The law governing this process states that valid contact with another soul through dreams is determined largely by purposefulness. We must not assume that we are experiencing dream telepathy every time we dream of a person. For each dream ask these questions:

  1.  Are both the characters and content of this dream literal?

  2.  Are the characters of this dream literal, but the content symbolic?

  3.  Should I be seeing things in daily life from this dream character’s perspective?

  4.  Is this a dream I am having for someone else?

  5.  Am I being treated by persons in the dream the way I treat them in waking life?

            You may be able to answer Yes to several of the five questions and find another interpretations that treats the dream characters in a more symbolic way. In order for our dreams to be helpful to us, we must be willing to act upon the insights derived from these special dreams of fellowship.

Chapter 7--Patience and the Dimensions of Dreaming

            Cayce’s theory of the dimensions of human experience is helpful to our understanding, not only of material life, but of our dreams as well. The three primary dimensions or measurements of time, space, and patience are complemented by a fourth dimension of ideas, or thought itself. The fourth dimension includes dreams. 

            From one perspective, we can say that our work in the earth as souls is to master the third dimension: the quality of our responses to life situations. In learning to manifest the most loving types of response, we also master the dimensions of time and space.

            Dreams can be viewed as fourth-dimensional experiences–journeys into the world of thought forms.  They can be valuable in our attempt to achieve mastery of the third dimension.

1.  A dream can awaken a particular response pattern needed in waking life.

2.  It can permit us a rehearsal experience with a response we already know is best.

Chapter 8--In His Presence: Dreams of Divine Inspiration

            Dreams can be a way of discovering the reality of God’s promise that we can know Him directly.  This type of dream is likely to require preparation on our part. We should have a sense of giving of ourselves, rather than getting something. Dreams in which we directly contact His presence may come in a variety of forms:

 1.  A voice that seems to come from God.

 2.  Some symbolic representation of God (such as a light or some human form).

 3.  The image of a spiritual master (such as the Christ).

            To realize the potential of such a dream, we must maintain the attunement to and companionship of His presence, despite distractions in the dream that might lead us elsewhere.  His presence may also be felt in one’s dreams, even though it is not recognized immediately nor remembered.  An influence of harmony and reconciliation in a dream can be viewed as the intervention of the Christ Spirit in one’s consciousness.

            Keep in mind that we should not judge our own spiritual growth by how often God or the Christ seems to be appearing in our dreams.

Chapter 9--Oneness of All Force: The Psychic Element of Dreaming

            The principle of oneness gives us the key to understanding how a psychic dream can happen.  All life is interrelated–oneness of all force; oneness of minds; oneness of body, mind and soul. This principle can be applied: to time to produce precognition; to space to produce clairvoyance; and to the oneness of all minds to produce telepathy. What is the best source of psychic information?  Cayce suggests that it is the individual himself, through an attunement to the superconscious. We should not assume that all of our dreams are best interpreted as precognition, clairvoyance, or telepathy.

            Two of the most significant factors in psychic dreams are (1) the concerns we consciously entertain, and (2) the degree of our love and purposefulness toward that concern.

Recognizing a psychic dream:

            A three-step process for finding dreams which make use of the law of oneness (use it in conjunction with other dream interpretation approaches).

1.  If this dream were telepathic, what might it be telling me about the dream characters?  If this were a warning dream, what might it be warning me of?

2. If this dream were influenced by ESP, how would I apply it in a way that corresponds to my ideal?

3.  Apply the response determined in step two and observe the results. Some people have found that a valid ESP dream almost always includes a particular quality: a specific person, a certain feeling upon awakening, a distinct type of story line, etc.

Chapter 10--The Opportunity in Dreaming

            There are at least three distinct perspectives of patience, and they constitute a growth sequence.  Each step along that sequence represents greater understanding of the meaning and purpose of our experiences in time and space. 

a) The initial development in patience is to work on your feelings and attitudes as you go through the action of waiting, or any other life experience. 

b) The second stage can be called acceptance. In this case our attitudes and feelings are not necessarily constructive, but at least we have turned off the resentment or irritation. 

c) A third stage is thankfulness for the situation. He can see the current conditions as an opportunity to express his ideals. Another way of understanding opportunity is that things happen to us because they provide the chance for the event to stimulate something in us. 

            We might begin to see that karmic situations happen to us, not because God is punishing us, but because out of God’s grace we are given the opportunity to react differently and break an old cycle of cause-and-effect.

Opportunities in dreams:

1.  A dream can be an opportunity to directly awaken something within us–the awakening to a lesson. What is the attitude which this dream gives me the opportunity to awaken?  What is the feeling which the dream gives me the opportunity to experience?

2.  A dream can be the opportunity to discover a talent, latent within us are abilities which we have denied or simply never knew were there. We can expand our self-concept.

Chapter 11--Day and Night: Balance Through Compensation

            Knowing the essential oneness of all force, we can understand the seeming opposites of life to be polarities. The masculine and feminine influences within us are not irreconcilable opposites, but rather aspects of a fundamental wholeness and spiritual growth–One Force. For this to happen, there are several requirements facilitated by dream study. Dreams can teach us two of the required elements: a perspective of oneness and a recognition of ideals. In addition, they can help us toward a more balanced contribution from each of the polar opposites. When this balanced condition exists, one is more likely to stay on track in growth toward an ideal. This balance can be achieved through a compensatory dream. By awakening the opposite of an extreme which is being lived in the waking state, the dream serves two purposes:  a) It is doing an actual work of balancing.  b) If we interpret the dream, it gives us applicable guidance to be expressing greater moderation and balance.

Interpreting compensatory dreams:

1.  Does this dream depict an extreme–of attitude, feeling, or action?

2.  If yes, then ask: What is the opposite extreme?

3.  Am I living this opposite extreme in my daily life?

            If the final answer is Yes, then this is likely a dream of compensation, suggesting the need for greater balance between the two extreme poles.  The actual interpretation of such a dream will be to express in daily life a greater degree of moderation.

Chapter 12--Desire: The Building Blocks of Dreams

            Our work, to attune our desires to our ideals, can be greatly facilitated through dream study and application. What we see in the events of our dreams are largely our own thought forms. Just as the physical body is a collection of energy at the material level, the mental body can be understood as a collection of the mental patterns that have been built by an individual. Similarly, we might think of the spiritual body as a collection of the potentialities of the soul. Our mental activities in daily life create the images that will be used in our dream life. Desires–as the activating influence of our mental patterns–can therefore be seen as a major contribution to the dream-creation process. They can constitute the building blocks of our dream experience.

Three types of desire:

a) Repeatability.  We have had an experience before and want to have it again.  We must distinguish between biological need and a desire.  Although the affirmation “I already have that experience within me” may not keep us from ever again following that desire pattern, it may serve to bring a better balance and more use of the will to decide when the desire will be followed.

  Fear dreams: (a subset of repeatability.)

Fear can be a building block of our dream experiences. If we look deeper, we can see at its root there is a type of desire: to hold on to present conditions. Those conditions may be exterior or conditions of our self-concept. A fear of death might be a desire to hang on to the notion of oneself as a physical body. Fear is often the desire for repeatability. Some dreams directly stimulate fear.  It can identify a warning.

  Interpreting the dream as fear:

            Does this dream bring me an experience which I consciously fear?

b) Incompleteness.  It is a matter of wanting something we have missed out on, and if we have it, we believe our lives will happier in some way. (Travel to a foreign country, finding a spouse.)  When we realize this, we may see alternative means of fulfilling that need. (Giving love or encouragement to others will likely draw that experience to ourselves.)

c) God-directed.  This desire comes from the soul, a desire to know God.

An interpretive approach:

            Does this dream merely depict something which I desire? If Yes, be careful in assigning any psychic quality to the dream. The dream may be only of a wish-fulfillment variety.

Varieties of desire dreams:

1.  Some desires in our dreams will show us how they are affecting our waking, physical lives right now.

2.  Shows how current desires could affect future conditions.

3.  False ESP.  Even though the dream appears to be a telepathic contact, it is actually a product of our desire to have such.

Chapter 13--Destiny of the Body: Physical Attunement Through Dreams

            The destiny of the physical body is to be the vehicle for expression of the infinite. Rather than being an obstacle to spiritual growth, the body can be viewed as a great asset. It is only as the body is brought into attunement with the mind and spirit that it can fulfill this destiny. Dreams provide feedback to the conscious mind so that greater physical health can be achieved. This especially takes place through warning dreams (alerting the dreamer to unforeseen physical problems) and solution dreams (in which a diagnosis and/or treatment procedure is suggested).

Types of physical dreams:

1.  Physically produced dreams, the result of external or internal conditions that already exist.

2.  Physical warning dreams, about conditions that are likely to come in the body.

3.  Health problems solved.

How to recognize physical dreams:

1.  The setting. Is it in the kitchen or dining room? It could be about diet. Is it in the bathroom? It could be about physical cleansing or eliminations. Doctor’s office or hospital? There is a likelihood that the dream concerns physical health needs.

2.  Body part depicted. Pay attention to what part is depicted.  Looks for puns and play on words.

3.  Thematic approach. Find where the theme of the dream might fit a physical condition. It is versatile and can often help us identify those physical dreams which do not include the clues of setting or body part.

Chapter 14--Spirit: The Certainty of Survival

            Experiential proof of survival is available to all through dreams. Although we rarely take time to realize it, each night we rehearse the process of dying. We venture into non-material realms that approximate the after-death state. What is generally missing in ordinary dreams is any kind of self-awareness to help us realize that we are experiencing the reality of non-material life. With proper expectations and purposes, the development of lucidity in the dream state can sharpen our understanding. We can see that death in the physical world will merely be a birth into another dimension of living.

            The same principle holds true for dreams of death and dying. Although such dreams may occasionally be recognition of impending physical death, much more frequently a dream involving death represents the birth of a new awareness. When we find a dream character is dying, the following interpretative question can be helpful: What part of myself could this dream character symbolize, and do I recognize a change taking place in that part of me?

A.R.E. Meeting for 7/9/13

Leader:  John 
Reader:  Greg

We finished the Opportunity chapter.  Next week we will start the chapter on "Day and Night." 

The experiment for next week is:

Select a current difficult life experience. Write down in your journal: (a) exactly what is most difficult for you about this, (b) what new state of consciousness you are challenged to develop, and (c) what symbolic images you recognize.

A.R.E. Meeting for 7/1/13

Leader:  John 
Reader:  Greg

We read up to the last section (p.16) in the Experiments book in the Opportunity chapter.

The experiment for next week is:

Be aware of how different situations and persons require different types of love and service. Try to be especially sensitive to appropriateness in your service to others.

A.R.E. Meeting for 6/24/13

Leader: Martinaya
Reader: Nancy & Greg

We read the first two sections out of the Experiments book in the Opportunity chapter.

The experiment for next week is:

Focus on doing the little things of daily life well and with love. Choose one "little" thing, such as beginning the day with a prayer of gratitude, smiling, offering to help another.

Remember...next week we are back at the Ruth Holley library, and John will be our leader.

A.R.E. Meeting for 6/17/13

Leader: Martinaya
Reader: Marsha & Greg

We read four more sections in the "Opportunity" chapter. Next week we will start with the section "The Open Door Is the Way into Greater Fields of Opportunity."

The experiment for next week is:

Whenever you find yourself restless or disenchanted with a current situation, become aware of how it has been particularly created for you here and now because it perfectly meets your need for the that experience. Thank the Father for it.

A.R.E. Meeting for 6/10/13

Leader: Martinaya
Reader: Greg

We started the chapter on "Opportunity," and read the first three sections. Next week we will start with the section "The Higher the Ideal the Greater Are the Opportunities."

We are free to choose one of the first four experiments, but most seemed to have a preference for this one:

 Practice a sense of release, or turning things over to God. Ask for His help frequently. Do the best you can, but know (and live as you know) that by yourself nothing can be accomplished of real value. Write and use as needed your own 'release affirmation' such as: 'I release this person or situation into the hands of God, trusting that He will bring to both of us that which is most needed.'

A.R.E. Meeting for 6/3/13

Leader: Martinaya
Reader: Greg

We finished the chapter on "Love," and therefore finished Book I. Next week we start Book II with the chapter on "Opportunity."

Some people want to work on their own experiments next week. Others chose this last experiment:

Select and write down the name of one person in your life whom you would like to love more deeply. Write out a list of your current perspectives and feelings about this person. Each day for at least a week keep an attitude of being open to see a deeper reality. This new perspective of a greater dimension may come through a dream, a meditation insight, an intuition impression or something that someone else says. Keep a record of how a new, more loving outlook towards this person awakens in you.

A.R.E. Meeting for 5/20/13

Leader: Sylvia (for Nancy)
Reader: None

After a discussion of our experiments for the week, we listened to an ARE audio file on Love. We still have a little to finish reading in the current chapter. Next meeting we will start with the section titled "Personal Experiences."

NO MEETING ON MEMORIAL DAY.

For our experiment:

Use forgiveness as a vehicle for expressing our love for others. For the next two weeks, whether we meet enemies, rivals, or neigbors we don't get along with, see the good in them, and make a point of forgiving them.

Martinaya is our leader in June.

Book: Channeling Your Higher Self

What follows are notes taken from Henry Reed's book Channeling Your Higher Self: Edgar Cayce's Concept of the Superconscious Mind and How It Can Transform Your Life. The Location column on the left points to where these notes can be found in the book.

Location		Notes
Introduction, Page xiv		Much of channeling requires you to set aside self. In Reed’s book The Intuitive Heart, he says that simply caring about someone else creates a channel of intuitive understanding about the other person. A willingness to help the other person activates the channel and does not require going into trance.
*Chapter 1, What is Channeling* The Human Being: A Channel of Divine Energy, Page 11		Cayce says the highest psychic realization is that God talks directly to human beings.
What is Channeling? Pages 12–14		Cayce said that every person, as a manifestation of divine energy, is a channel.       A channeler receives something that might otherwise be invisible to others, shapes it into transmittable form, and presents it to others.      A channeler may receive information from a disembodied spirit, from God, from an angel, from plants, or animals. The channeler may simply have an intuition.
*Chapter 2, Listen to Your Intuition* The Secret of Unitary Oneness, Pages 24–29		Intuition is not a creation of the conscious mind. The conscious mind separates us from the rest of life so that we can analyze it with our senses. The conscious mind, which reasons on the basis of the senses, assumes knowledge must come from without.      Cayce’s term for oneness is that there is one spirit, or energy, that unites all of Creation, and permeates everything. Each soul is a projection of God in the same way our thoughts and images are projections of our own mind. Each soul has its own individuality, yet all souls are of one spirit.
The Superconscious Mind, Pages 30–31		There is only one mind, it is universal, and we all have it in common. The term is transpersonal, meaning that except for our conscious mind, mind is not a personal thing, and is shared by all.      The subconscious mind lies between the level of the universal mind and the individual conscious mind, but there are no boundaries in that region. All subconscious minds, of both the living and the dead, are in contact with one another.      The conscious mind is a channel of sensory information. It gets its knowledge from outside the person. The subconscious mind is a channel of telepathic information. It gets its information from other people’s thoughts and experiences. The superconscious mind is a channel of clairvoyance, or universal knowledge. It gets its information directly from the oneness of all life.      Intuition is a super-channel, using information from all the other channels. When it uses the imagination, it speaks through visions and symbolic impressions. When it uses feelings and emotions, it speaks through urges or promptings. When it uses thoughts, it may speak through a voice that we hear inside.
Hearing Voices, Page 40		There are some risks to channeling. Cayce teaches us to anchor our channeling in ideals and purposes so as to direct the receptivity of our channel. By having some purpose focused on serving a real need, we direct the active part of our channel in a constructive manner.
Learning to Listen to the Still, Small Voice, Page 41		Begin with a difficult decision. Think through the alternatives and make the best decision. Make a commitment to that decision. This arouses your entire being, whereas hypothetical thoughts don’t excite the intuitive facility. Sit down, get quiet, and go within. This is the attunement step. Focus on the feelings coming from your highest values and ideals. Ask yourself if the decision is a good one, and get a yes or no response. It is usually the first response to come to mind.
Is Intuition the Same as Psychic?, Page 43		In her book Natural-Born Intuition: How to Awaken and Develop Your Inner Wisdom, Lauren Thibodeau describes psychic as a process of reaching outside of ourselves, while intuition is the process of going within. Reed compares this to facts (coming from the outside) and to wisdom (coming from within).       Cayce sometimes separated intuition from psychic events and sometimes spoke of intuition as psychic ability as when he said that intuition is the highest form of psychic ability.
The Guardian Angel, Page 46		Cayce explained that our guardian angel resides where our portion of the superconscious mind becomes the one, universal mind. Cayce described the guardian angel as that part of us that hasn’t forgotten our oneness with God and knows of no separation from God. The guardian angel thus has no free will of its own, but serves only the will of God.      We experience our guardian angel through intuition and not free will. The guardian angel part of ourselves is one of the images we can have for the term, “our higher self.” Dreams are a nightly channel of the higher self.
Channeling Dreams into Action, Pages 70–71		What Reed calls Cayce’s Law: “In the application comes the awareness.” To understand something, act on what you know, and through that experience, you’ll gain real understanding.      Cayce’s method for interpreting dreams: First, have a purpose for dreaming and write it down. Second, when you recall a dream, write it down. Third, find something in the dream—anything—that you think could be a clue relative to your purpose for dreaming. Fourth, think of some way to test the validity of that clue, or your understanding of it, by some practical application. Then do something constructive about it. Write down the results of your experiment and compare them against your own standards.
*Chapter 4, The Creative Channel of the Mind: What We Think We Become* Ideas: Channels of Material Reality, Pages 78–81		Cayce was fond of quoting Proverbs (27:3): “As a man thinketh, so is he.” What we think, we become ourselves or experience in our lives. The life we live, the possessions around us, the circumstances of our lives, all the details of our lives, are expressions of our being channels. The patterns we hold in our minds channel the life energy into physical expression. Ideas are real in themselves and become real in the physical world.      Cayce would have us understand that ideas exist in another dimension, which exists outside of space and time. We tune into ideas. As we tune into an idea, it begins to shape our experience. Every moment in our lives we’re acting as channels of energy, shaping events through the ideas we hold.      Ideas don’t belong to us, but exist within the universal mind. We can’t assume responsibility for the ideas themselves, or their consequences. Instead, our role is to choose which ideas or patterns we will hold within our mind. It’s more accurate to say that our choices determine which ideas will create our reality. We’re responsible for our choices.
The Ideal of the Christ Consciousness, Pages 83–85		Cayce would say that the ideal choice of an ideal is the Christ Consciousness.      Cayce often defined sin as “self,” meaning the focus on our separateness rather than on our oneness. Sin creates its own punishment. The focus on separateness creates fear. Fear creates defensiveness. Defensiveness builds further separation.      If you feel lonely, forget yourself and reach out to someone in love. That is the spirit of the Christ Consciousness.
*Chapter 5, Meditation: Channel of the Spirit* The Higher Consciousness Within Is Not Above You, Page 101		Some people meditate by focusing on a point above their head. We should focus within ourselves. Cayce advises us to raise the level of consciousness to that within self, and God meets us there.
Meditation on an Ideal, Pages 105–106		During meditation, a person becomes a channel that is receptive to the energy of many invisible influences. Other minds, including those of the dead, have easier access to us when we meditate. Unlike in sleep and in the dream state, when we automatically have protection, we don’t have automatic protection in meditation, so we should not let go of our defenses. Some surround themselves with white light to express their intention for meditation. Focusing on an ideal in meditation is like tuning your mind to that particular channel. We’re focusing the energy of creation and shaping its influence on us. Spiritual energy changes to physical intelligence.
Meditation and the Book of Revelation, Pages 107–108		The endocrine system operates to change patterns of psychic and mental energy into physical patterns within the body, and vice-versa. It’s in the endocrine system, not the brain, that mind and body merge.      The Christian concept of the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the dove, is the Western equivalent to Kundalini.
*Chapter 7, Artistic Channels of Creativity* The Temple Beautiful, Page 137		Cayce indicated that of all sensory effects, odor has the most powerful influence on the body.
Participate in the Arts in the Spirit of Play, Pages 144–145		Voice is the highest vibration we can achieve in the physical body.      Cayce suggests adding silent humming to your daily chores and activities to aid and guide you during the day. It also grooms your mood and helps the work along.
*Chapter 8, The Visionary Channel of the Imagination* The Boy Who Saw True, Page 160		Cayce often remarked that people don’t become any smarter after they die, except to discover that there is life after death.
*Chapter 9, The Voice of Angels: Who Speaks During Trance Channeling* The Darker Side of Channeling: Whatever Possessed Me, Page 206		Cayce indicates that evil isn’t a separate force—all force is the one energy of God—but that it’s a pattern of use of that one force for personal indulgence at the expense of the whole, a willful and knowing rebellion against God’s will. It’s a powerful transpersonal pattern, existing both within and beyond the individual personality.
*Chapter 11, Using Hypnosis for Trance Channeling* The Suggestibility of the Subconscious During Hypnosis, Page 231		Cayce explained that the essence of hypnosis is communicating directly with the subconscious mind.
Hypnosis and ESP, Page 234		If hypnosis is a means of communicating with the subconscious mind, we should expect that ESP would be more pronounced during hypnosis than during the normal, waking state. Hypnotic subjects should be mind readers. Experience and research proves this assumption correct.
*Chapter 13, Being a Channel of Healing* The Secret of the Green Thumb, Page 277		Cayce was a believer in the power of our thoughts and feelings on plants. Besides watering, fertilizing, and other care, plants need our love. In one of his psychic readings, he pointed out that vegetables grown by a grouchy gardener are hard on our digestion.
Awakening the Atomic Power of Healing Forces, Page 284		When we meditate, the ideal we focus on shapes our awareness. This altering of our consciousness filters down to every cell in the body and to every atom. Cayce explained that to become a channel of healing, it is important to set as the ideal the Christ Consciousness, or as Jesus said, “The father and I are One.”
The Little Things That Count, Pages 291–292		To Cayce, a smile was as valuable as a prayer. Lending a hand, reaching out to touch someone, giving a hug—all these little acts are as valuable as the laying on of hands in a formal healing service. Listening can make a big difference.      To become a channel of healing, it’s important that we understand that it isn’t for us to fix or rescue people. That’s judging them. We need to keep our thoughts positive, as they aren’t private, and affect those around us. Thinking kindly of others is as important as acting in kindness.      Focus your attention on the process, have faith in the process, and leave the results to God.
*Chapter 14, Being Yourself: The Ultimate Form of Channeling* Serving an Ideal Opens the Channel, Pages 298–299		The greater and more genuine the need for insights, the better the channel opens, and the better the psychic functioning. Your talents express themselves best when you’re using them to make some kind of gift for someone else.      What qualities we wish to have for ourselves, we need to give to others. By becoming a channel of blessings, we ourselves are blessed.