Association for Research and Enlightenment
From Freepedia
The Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) is an open-membership organization devoted to the American psychic Edgar Cayce (1877-1945). Its headquarters are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Founded 1931 on the ashes of a previous organization (the Association of National Investigators), the A.R.E. now boasts several tens of thousands of members, and probably many more who participate in its activities in some way. While most of its members are American, the A.R.E. is represented in more than 60 other countries.
The A.R.E. does not accept that it is a church or religion, though it accepts that it is a spiritual organization. As its organizational mission, the A.R.E. aspires
- "...to help individuals change their lives for the better by exploring concepts and ideas found in the Cayce work."
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History
From 1931 until Cayce's death in 1945, people seeking a psychic "reading" from Cayce were asked to join the A.R.E.. This helped insulate Cayce from charges of fortune-telling (which was illegal in some U.S. states), as he was not charging a "fee" for his services but receiving a salary from the member-supported A.R.E.. (Its predecessor, the Association for National Investigators, had been supported primarily by a few major donors, and focused on major institution-building activities which collapsed with the Great Depression.)
Cayce died in 1945, leaving many "readings" requests unanswered. His son Hugh Lynn Cayce returned from the army later that year, and took charge of the A.R.E.. A major question which he had to decide was what kind of organization the A.R.E. would become. For example, would they support some other psychic? Become a para-church organization? Publish books?
Under Hugh Lynn Cayce's presidency (he retired in 1976), the A.R.E. arrived at the basic cluster of activities and interests which it follows today. A major boost came with the rise of the 1960's Counterculture and then the New Age movement, which coincided with a plethora of popular books on Cayce.
- Source: A. Robert Smith, About My Father's Business
Activities
Major activities of the A.R.E. include:
- Organizing Cayce study groups
- The "Glad Helpers" intercessory prayer group
- Lectures and tours at A.R.E. headquarters; library facilities
- Disseminating Cayce readings through various media ("circulating files", CD's, internet)
- Encouraging research into various aspects of Cayce
- Book and magazine publishing
- "Conferences" (i.e. public talks on Cayce for which tickets are sold) and tours
In addition the A.R.E. cooperates with several Cayce-oriented health providers, a summer campsite, Atlantic University, and the Cayce/Reilly Institute of Massotherapy.
Structure
The A.R.E. is led by a self-perpetuating board of trustees. The same board also heads a sister organization, the Edgar Cayce Foundation, which claims to hold the copyright to the Cayce readings and related material. (Critics point out that Cayce himself freely distributed the same material without copyright.) Books using Cayce quotes are thus expected to pay royalties.
A.R.E. membership is conceived as a kind of subscription arrangement, in which the "member" receives a packet of goods (publications, mainly) and services (e.g., access to Cayce readings online) in exchange for an annual fee. These can be halved or even waived altogether for people who cannot afford the full fee. Life memberships are also available.
Within the United States and Canade, A.R.E. activities are divided into 11 multi-state / multi-provincial regions and 3 major metropolitan areas. Their relationship with Virginia Beach is basically that of a branch office to headquarters. Overseas, there are presently 29 "Edgar Cayce Centers" in 25 countries, and another 35 countries with a lesser degree of A.R.E. representation.
Study groups and the Glad Helpers group are organizationally independent of ARE headquarters (and in fact pre-date that organization). They do however cooperate to some degree. For example, ARE headquarters refers inquirers to study groups, while study groups may donate money or encourage their participants to join the ARE.
Study groups
Cayce study groups tend to meet weekly, in members' homes. About half the meeting is generally devoted to the study of some appropriate Cayce text, traditionally the two volumes of A Search For God. These consist of "lessons" which Study Group #1 put together with guidance from the sleeping Cayce (who refused to allow them to continue until he felt that they were successfully living the spiritual lessons already given). Often, study group members will attempt to apply the "lessons" in their lives, just as the first group did.
Usually, the other half of the meeting will be given over to meditation. Several prayers are often recited, including the Lord's Prayer and the Twenty-Third Psalm ("The Lord is my shepherd..."). Despite the prevalence of Christian traditions, a significant number of "Cayce people" are Jews or other non-Christians.
Symbol
The A.R.E. symbol consists of a white cross and dove, on a blue background.
Criticism
Critics have accused the A.R.E. of
- Presenting a distorted image of Cayce
- Neglecting generally-accepted standards of scientific research
- Attempting to tightly control the use of Cayce readings
- Undemocratic governance
- Over-emphasis on product sales or "spiritual entertainment"
- Constituting a church or sect after all, despite protests to the contrary
