The A.R.E. Study Group

Developed through the psychic ability of the late Edgar Cayce, the two volumes entitled A Search for God provide road signs on the spiritual path. They point to one of the ways one can learn to find and use universal laws, which have their basis in the Law of Love and Oneness of All Force. No claim is made that these books are the only way to Truth, nor is there any attempt to use them in competition with any religion based on belief in One God.

The material in A Search for God, Books I and II, is not an intellectual exercise which one can absorb and apply to oneself. Designed to be used in the group setting, it needs the interplay of group reactions and disciplines. It flourishes best when there are divergent viewpoints that stimulate the exploration of the many facets of a spiritual concept.

Historical Context

In a self-induced trance, the late Edgar Cayce could commune with the subconscious mind of another person anywhere in the world, determine precisely the physical ailment and prescribe the necessary procedures to restore health to the whole person. With no conscious awareness of his statements, and with no medical training, diagnoses and prescriptions of astonishing accuracy flowed through him, were recorded verbatim by stenographers, and were transcribed. Thousands of these readings are available for study at A.R.E. Headquarters at Virginia Beach, and through the internet (for members).

In 1931 Cayce began a series of readings with a study group, to assist them with the practical application of spiritual laws. Almost eleven years later, the outcome was two small books called A Search for God, the contents of which had been tested in their daily lives, and then written up and edited by Cayce in the trance state. The two A Search for God books reflect the practical guidelines for group effort which were distilled from 130 readings. More than 800 groups in this and other countries attest to the practical value of the material.

Ideals and Purposes of A.R.E. Study Group Work

Study Groups bring together individuals who, by using the material, may attain a better understanding of spiritual laws. Within each group, members have an opportunity not only to study and discuss, but also to test and to make practical the precepts found in the records. Working together, individuals create an actual "field of mental and spiritual energy" which accelerates their individual growth. Any study group thus becomes a laboratory for spiritual research-the results of which become effective in the home, in the church, or in the office.

Not only the individuals in a local group, but all affiliated groups in the A.R.E. Study Group Program, subscribe to these ideals and purposes:

• To assist each individual to meditate and pray in an intelligent and practical manner-not only alone, but in groups.
• To show by practical application how each one may know his or her relationship to God and to fellow humans.
• To furnish a safe way for soul growth.
• To help each member to live a balanced life.
• To inform each member about the broad areas of information that may be found in the readings given through Edgar Cayce-information that will help to awaken the individual to a more spiritual and useful life.

The Study Group Program has a spiritual purpose. Group study is designed to stimulate inner motivation, to awaken individual psychic perception and, above all, to encourage self-discipline. Work with a group gradually brings to an individual recognition of his personal responsibility, wherever he/she is. One begins to require of oneself (rather than of others) understanding and obedience under the law.

The A.R.E. group program stands apart from today's trend toward instant spirituality by various short cuts. It should be made quite clear that the A.R.E. study group is not an encounter, sensitivity, or therapy group. It does not advocate the use of drugs or mechanical or chemical devices to achieve crash breakthroughs to the unconscious mind. Instead, the work rests on these basic assumptions:

• That we are here at this time because our eternal souls have need of certain experiences in the Earth plane.
• That these experiences are not "problems" but "opportunities" for the particular development our souls need.
• That God is eager to work with us in facing our opportunities.
• That we need group support.

Local Groups Meet Weekly

The A Search for God study groups welcome you to visit and/or join them. There are 2 groups in Raleigh/Wake Forest, one in Hillsborough/Chapel Hill, and one in Pittsboro/Siler City. Please see the listings in the Ongoing Calendar or call Tom at (919) 742-3379 for assistance in locating a group near you.