Edgar Cayce recommended bibliotherapy; the reading of inspirational materials, as one means, among others, to combat depression. Depression is the most common worldwide emotional problem.
In accordance with his Christian orientation Mr. Cayce preferred the Bible as a source of inspiration and verses John 14-17 were repeatedly prescribed for those suffering from depression.
14 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.' 5Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?' 6Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'
8 Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.' 9Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father"? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
15 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.'
"If we follow the reading given by Edgar Cayce we would study the following:
The Gospel of John. Chapters 14, 15, 16, 17 (Above). Deuteronomy 30th, 34th. Psalms, 1st, 2nd, 24th, 91st, 23rd, 67th, 150th. (Below) The Revelation - John. Tertium Organum - P. D. Oupensky. The Law of Psychic Phenomena - Thomas J. Hudson. Varieties of Religious Experience - William James." Edgar Cayce 2608-1 (Reading to a missionary nurse)
Recommended reading by Edgar Cayce.
30 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations 2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you back. 5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He well make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous. Just as He delighted in your ancestors, 10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land - from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.4 Then the Lord said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."
5 And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,11 who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt - to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Psalm 1
Blessed is
the one
who does
not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose
delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who
meditates on his law day and night.
That
person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which
yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither -
whatever
they do
prospers.
Not
so the wicked!
They are
like chaff
that
the wind blows away.
Therefore
the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor
sinners in the
assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches
over the way of the righteous,
but the
way of the
wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire
and the
peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and
the rulers band together
against the Lord and
against his anointed, saying,
"Let us break their chains
and throw
off their
shackles."
The One
enthroned in heaven laughs;
the
Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes
them in his anger
and
terrifies them in
his wrath, saying,
"I have
installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the Lord's decree:
He said to
me, "You are my son;
today I
have become
your father.
Ask me,
and I will
make the
nations your inheritance,
the ends
of the earth your possession.
You will
break them with a rod of iron;
you will
dash them to
pieces like pottery."
Therefore,
you kings,
be wise;
be warned,
you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with
fear
and
celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his
son, or he will be angry
and
your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 24
The earth
is the Lord's, and everything in it,
the world,
and all
who live in it;
for
he founded it on the seas
and
established it
on
the waters.
Who may
ascend the
mountain of the Lord?
Who may
stand in his
holy place?
The one
who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does
not trust in
an idol
or swear
by a false
god.
They will
receive
blessing from the Lord
and
vindication from God their Saviour.
Such is the generation of those
who seek him,
who seek
your face, God of Jacob.
Lift up
your heads,
you gates;
be
lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the
King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong
and mighty,
the Lord mighty
in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift
them up, you ancient doors,
that
the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty -
he is the
King of
glory.
Psalm 91
Whoever
dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest
in the
shadow of the Almighty. [a]
I will say
of the Lord,
"He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in
whom I
trust."
Surely
he will save you
from the
fowler's
snare
and from
the deadly
pestilence.
He
will cover you with his feathers,
and under
his wings
you will find refuge;
his
faithfulness will
be your shield and rampart.
You will
not fear the terror of night,
nor
the arrow that flies by day,
nor
the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor
the plague that destroys at midday.
A
thousand may fall at your side,
ten
thousand at your right hand,
but
it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your
eyes
and see
the
punishment of the wicked.
If
you say, "The Lord is my
refuge,"
and
you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
no
disaster will come near your tent.
For he
will command his angels concerning you
to guard
you in all
your ways;
they
will lift you up in their hands,
so that
you will not
strike your foot against a stone.
You
will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will
trample the
great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord,
"I will rescue him;
I
will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He
will call on me, and I will answer him;
I
will be with him in trouble,
I will
deliver him
and honor him.
With long
life I will satisfy him
and show
him my
salvation."
Psalm 23
A psalm of David
The Lord is my
shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes
me lie down
in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he
refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his
name's sake.
Even
though I walk
through
the darkest valley, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for
you are
with me;
your rod and your staff,
they
comfort me.
You
prepare a table before me
in
the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely
your goodness and love will follow me
all
the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 67
For the director of music
With stringed instruments;
A psalm. A song.
May God be gracious to us and
bless us
and make
his face
shine on us -
so
that your ways may be known on earth,
your
salvation among all nations.
May
the peoples praise you, God;
may all
the peoples
praise you.
May the
nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you
rule the
peoples with equity
and guide
the nations
of the earth.
May
the peoples praise you, God;
may all
the peoples
praise you.
The land
yields its
harvest;
God, our
God, blesses
us.
May
God bless us still,
so that
all the ends
of the earth will fear him.
Psalm 150
Praise
the Lord.
Praise God
in his sanctuary;
praise him
in his
mighty heavens.
Praise him
for his acts of power;
praise him
for his
surpassing greatness.
Praise him
with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him
with the
harp and lyre,
praise him
with timbrel and dancing,
praise him
with the
strings and pipe,
praise him
with the clash of cymbals,
praise him
with
resounding cymbals.
Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise
the Lord.