Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation [Mass Market Paperback]

This book was so well-written that I was shocked to discover, after reading it, that it had first been published decades ago. Its message is timely and significant, no matter when you are in time when you read it. What I like best about this book is that it answers little questions about reincarnation that other books do not. It is perhaps for this reason that it is so good and so convincing.

WARNING!!! Since Edgar Cayce's readings had many references to the Bible, especially to what is found in the Gospels, many of his readings are phrased in Christian terminology.

Chapter Two is about Edgar Cayce's life. Since Gina Cerminara's research is based on the Cayce readings, she had to give a good background of the man, which I have to say, from my knowledge of Cayce's life, is an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the man.

Chapter Three describes the first reactions to Cayce's life readings. Cayce himself was appalled by them--but he was soon convinced otherwise. The reasoning which Cayce used to convince himself that the readings were valid and not evil at all can be used to convince others who, like him, are not skeptical of the readings as much as they are afraid of believing in them.

Chapter Four gives information on PHYSICAL KARMA. Anyone who was born with a disease or defect--or anyone whose physical body has ever had to suffer--will find a reason for the madness of life in this chapter. Here, Cerminara also explains karmic spheres of operation (my term), which show how karma created in one life manifests in the next.

Chapter Five is about the Karma of Mockery. Though it is a very short chapter, is message is very clear: Do not laugh at the sufferings of others, for those sufferings may in turn fall upon you.

Chapter Six contains a very controversial argument about Jesus as the Savior of humankind. Christian dogma states that Jesus died to save us all from our sins, but reincarnation must prove this dogma wrong. Nobody can save us from our sins but ourselves. How did Jesus heal all those sick people then and forgive all those sinners? The answer comes later.

Chapter Seven is about Suspended Karma. It will explain why the karma begun in one life may take hundreds, even thousands of years, to come full circle. A person may have started the ball rolling in Ancient Rome but not have reaped the karma until the Crusades.

Chapter Eight discusses how karma affects health. People are sick so that they can live out their karma, but they can also heal themselves and erase the karma. Is this paradox? Not really. Cerminara points out a case in which a man asked Cayce for a cure, received one, tried it, found that it worked for several months, then experienced a relapse. When he wrote back to complain, another reading was done. Whoever spoke through Cayce about the man said, "What does the entity want to be healed for? That it may gratify its own physical appetites? That it may add to its own selfishness? Then, if so, it had better remain as it is." We cannot erase our karma if we have not learned our lesson. This chapter is full of other fascinating ideas about how sick people can be and are healed.

Chapter Nine brings psychology into the picture. How do our past lives affect our personalities, our talents, our characters, our beliefs, our likes and dislikes? Cerminara explains in her clear and readable style.

Chapter Ten takes the ideas in the previous chapter further. The soul is shown as an entity on the road to full consciousness. Cerminara shows how extroverts become introverts, and vice-versa, when enough lives are lived for them to have experiences that cause them to see things anew each birth.

Chapter Eleven shows how making judgements can also create karma. "Judge not that ye not be judged" takes on new meaning as case after case of entities who condemned faults in others only to be born tormented with those very faults is presented.

Chapter Twelve is about the past-life roots of mental abnormalities, such as phobias and fetishes. It also explains the strange dreams many people have that are really scenes from past lives. Here, Cerminara answers an often-asked question: "Why should we be tormented by things we have done in the past if we do not even remember them?" (The answer is that forgetfulness of detail does not invalidate memory of principle. A person may not remember being racist in a past life, but the racist feelings will remain unless he or she learns what should be learned.) The way Cerminara tackled that question is typical of the smooth and logical way she handles other objections to reincarnation found in this chapter and throughout the rest of the book.

Chapter Thirteen should be of interest to FEMINISTS as it is about women in particular. Not only does it show how a woman's karma works in a marriage, it also shows how karma keeps women from marrying at all. (Note: This book was written during the 1950's, when women were not as free as they are today.)

Chapter Fourteen is about those who do not get married, the "lonely ones." Yes, there are many different karmic reasons behind loneliness and aloneness.

Chapter Fifteen looks more deeply at the karmic problems in a marriage.

Chapter Sixteen explores separation, divorce and infidelity. It contains interesting information on what the Cayce readings advised about divorce.

Chapter Seventeen is about the karmic ties that connect parents and children. It answers questions about why children were born into their families: what we have to learn from our parents and what we have to learn from our children.

Chapter Eighteen is a continuation of the previous chapter. This time, it is about karmic entanglements in whole families. It answers the question: "Why was I thrown together with this group of souls at this point in time? What are we supposed to work out?"

Chapter Nineteen is the least-frightening part of the book, as it is about how our skills, abilities and talents are karmic rewards from hard work done in past lives.

Chapter Twenty gives advice on how to choose one's vocation. Cerminara presents three concepts that show up over and over again in Cayce readings about vocational choice: 1)"Determine your ideal, your inner life goal, and seek to accomplish it." 2)"Strive to be of service to others" 3)"Use that in hand; start where you are."

Chapter Twenty-One is another wonderfully-worded chapter of commentary. Here, Cerminara advises people not to be frustrated or depressed at what life has handed them, because what goes around does come around. The poor shall be rich; and the rich shall be poor. The key is to create good karma and try to erase the bad.

Chapter Twenty-Two explores the inner contradictions people may notice within themselves. One minute they are determined leaders; the next they are shy followers. One secret of karma is learning how to balance the many parts of yourself so that all the lives you have ever lived can come full-circle within you.

Chapter Twenty-Three answers many random questions about reincarnation.

Chapter Twenty-Four shows how a belief in reincarnation can be useful in giving people workable philosophies for their lives. It isn't just conceptual, fascinating and intriguing: knowledge of reincarnation is also useful.

Finally, Chapter Twenty-Five presents the conclusion, which is a summary of why Edgar Cayce's readings are valid evidence of the reality of reincarnation. It is not a heavy chapter. Cerminara's argument is written down in short sentences that anyone can quickly understand and repeat in defense, if necessary.