Edgar Cayce, also known as the sleeping prophet, lived from 1877 to 1945. In 1901 Cayce had an unexpected awakening of his psychic powers during a hypnotic trance. During the trance, Cayce entered a sleep like state and was able to describe the illness he had and how to cure it. Cayce, his family and his friends were astounded. Soon word got out of Cayce's ability and many people came to him for psychic diagnoses.

In order to read someone and give them advice, Cayce would need their name, address, and where they would be during the reading. Often the recipients were hundreds of miles away. Then Cayce would enter a self-induced trance and slowly begin to speak in an authoritative voice. In 1923, a new form of reading emerged where Cayce would answer metaphysical questions, such as, "What is the meaning of life?" Cayce's answers to questions such as this often paralleled many of the views of the world's religions. One of the main themes of Cayce's readings was the theory of reincarnation.

Cayce described two sources from where he got his information. One was the subconscious mind of the subject, and the other was the universal memory, also known as the akashic records. During his life Cayce gave over 14,000 readings. His legacy lives on today in the many books written about him and through the people who are still inspired by his teachings. Cayce is often considered one of the most respected and important channelers of the modern era. The following are examples of Cayce's channeled material:

"All souls were created in the beginning and are finding their way back to whence they came."

"The coming into the earth has been and is for the evolution or evolving of the soul unto its awareness."

"The spirits of all that have passed from the physical realm remain about the realm until their developments carry them onward, or they are in the realm of communication, or remain with this sphere, and may be communicated with. There are thousands about us here at present."

"All you may know of heaven or hell is within your own self. Meditation allows you to obtain information on any subject and the answer will come from within."