In spite of his being uncomfortable with the readings, his life was fulfilling. He had a loving wife, a home, a Sunday School class at the local church, and a good job" (The Life of Edgar Cayce). He also opened a photographic studio and was later able to run his own hospital for a time. However, his second son, Milton, developed whooping cough shortly after his birth. When the doctors were not effective in curing him, Edgar undertook as reading of his son's condition and found that there was no hope. This was a devastating use of his abilities that traumatized Cayce. After the death of the child both Cayce and his wife, Gertrude, suffered from depression. As a result Gertrude became physically ill. The medical doctors eventuality told Cayce that he wife has tuberculosis and was terminal. However, when Cayce undertook a reading of her condition he became more positive about her condition and during his trance-like state he prescribed certain medications. His wife subsequently recovered from her illness (The Life of Edgar Cayce).

One of the greatest threats to Cayce's health and life was the fact that the trance states and readings that he undertook were extremely physically and psychologically draining. "The trance reading caused problems with Cayce's health which were easily seen." (What did Edgar Cayce claim to be able to do?) Doctors had warned him that he should reduce the number of reading but the need to help others was stronger in Cayce than concerns about his own health. In 1944 his health began to deteriorate and even his reading of his own health advised more rest. But his obligations to others overrode these concerns and he eventually collapsed from exhaustion. He had a stroke and become partially paralyzed. He died on January 3, 1945 (The Life of Edgar Cayce).

Conclusion

The visions, prophesies and healing powers of Edgar Cayce have raised a number of important issues. The first is the validity of mystics like Cayce in a modern world that is predominantly materialistic and rationalistic. The question arises; to what extent are the predictions powers of and prophesies of mystics like Cayce valid and true in a world where science, reason and logic dominate?

There are many rationalists who would discount the likes of Cayce as merely fraudsters and charlatans. However, even these critics have to acknowledge the extensive documentation and evidence that indicates the veracity and authenticity of Cayce's achievements and powers. The fact that he was able to predict real historical events like the World Wars of the last century and the stock market crash is indicative of his validity as a modern day prophet.

A second issue...

In this regard it could be argued that the religious and Christian environment in which he was brought up and lived was generally supportive of his abilities.
On the other hand there were many problems that he had to face during his life. One of these was his self- doubt and the obvious criticism that must have been directed at him from many of the more conservative sectors of the society in which he lived. Consequently, one of his greatest concerns was that his powers and insights into reality were from a source that was counter to the ethos and norms of his conventional Christian upbringing. This was a cause of intense concern for him, which he could only overcome by referring to the good that these powers achieved in the world.

In the final analysis, it is the fact that Casey helped hundreds if not thousands of people who were ill or suffering from various conditions that validates the positive and essentially good source of his powers. Possibly what is even more important is that Cayce's life provides an important massage for people living today in the contemporary world. In the face of an increasingly selfish, egotistical world concerned with greed and power, Cayce's life is an example of selflessness and the deep concern for others and society in general. It is this non-egotistical and selfless desire to help others that is one of the most important aspects of his life. His life suggests that there are regenerative and mystic powers that are released through the loss of ego and concern for others and that is all too often forgotten or ignored in our contemporary societies.