§ I have had the benefit of much good Karma and Grace to have had encounters in this lifetime with a host of wonderfully ensouled teachers. Most of them have not been “in the body” when I encountered them. But, I have learned as much if not more from those who have passed on as from the majority whom I can see and touch and hear. Most of those encounters have come through those wonderful things called books.

Numbers of my teachers have not been happy to teach me. Nor have they all confronted me with pleasant and easy lessons to learn. “Physician, heal thyself,” has been one of the worthy injunctions laid before me in many ways and times. I have often recited that phrase to the man in the mirror in different words.

Nonetheless, I do believe that I and most readers have been blessed in so many ways. Living in the West – in America – at this time we have so much for which to be thankful. We have bounty all around us. We clearly have been showered with gifts and goodness far beyond that which touches the vast majority of humans who now live or have ever lived on Planet Earth. 

I did not meet Edgar Cayce in this lifetime, but I have come to the sense through my studies that I have known him for ages. And, that may well be the honest case. I believe I knew him centuries ago. The connection was resurrected in a different way in the 20th century AD.

I was born in 1948, three years after Mr. Cayce parted again from physical form. Short of relating to him in a material way, I have been able to study his life and readings again and again for well over 40 years. I also have had the good fortune to meet his son, Hugh Lynn, on a number of occasions. 


My first meeting with Hugh Lynn occurred at the ARE Library in Virginia Beach, VA. Of present interest, I was in 1977 traveling from one Army base to another undertaking interviews at hospitals with Family Practice Residencies, trying to find a first-year position in such a program.

Once introduced, Mr. Cayce was pleased to know of another soon-to-be anointed physician with interest and experience of the Cayce readings. He was especially delighted to know that I had recently spent a month-long medical-school elective with the McGareys at the ARE Clinic in Phoenix.

Among other comments he made to me in our brief session, Hugh Lynn told me, “You will meet all kinds in the Army. I know that from experience during the War in Europe. Watch your step and be careful how you share studies and interests which may appear outside the bounds of regular medicine or regular Army. But then, also remember that we meet ourselves wherever we go. I trust you will have many worthwhile learning experiences.”

There was much truth in his words. Would that I had written them down then, rather than 40 years later. But, there was practice to be done and learning to address in the Army and the rest of this lifetime.

Recently reading the biography of Hugh Lynn (About My Father’s Business by A. Robert Smith) – how did I miss it for almost 30 years – I was reminded me of the goodness, vitality, and wisdom of the fine man who continued, elaborated and fulfilled his father’s Work.

At the same time, Hugh Lynn’s personal stories tell quite well how he met not only the hard and difficult as well as the light and giving parts in the people he encountered in his 75 years. Those same parts he discovered and re-discovered within himself. He engaged and struggled with them to his last bodily days. Along the way, he gave and contributed so much to so many.

Fortunately, life keeps better track of things than our little embodied minds do. We get back what we give out, and we are always meeting ourselves in other people, life station and life events along the path. The whole of life is an out-picturing of our being, our karma made manifest for the road we travel day by day and year by year and life by life.

The Universe is an awesome, incredible, magical magnet which draws us to the places and times and people we need to fulfill our karma, to do our duty, to meet our destiny, and to grow into the fullness of our Greater Being. The Records are intact and “every jot and tittle shall be met.” As hard as some of the lessons may be, we can know they lead us ever in the right direction.

“God leads us throw deep water. Not to drown us, but to cleanse us.” §

~~~~~~~

My beginning with Edgar Cayce involves family. So, let me first introduce them and tell you about my introduction in the proper chronology a few pages on. 

I appeared this time in the McNary family in the Corn Palace City of Mitchell, South Dakota, with Albert and Helen (Abe and Allie) for my parents, and Norman and Thomas (Norm and Tom) for brothers. I am in the middle. Tom gets credit for the introduction to Cayce, as you will see.


I had a benign, maybe dull childhood with caring parents. Still, there was so much to be thankful for. My father worked for the US Post Office. Mother stayed home until we were advanced in school. Then, she cleaned houses and worked at the supermarket at different times.

We played ball – of one kind or another – the year round. We were outside whenever the weather permitted. In summer that was all day long. Lake Mitchell was within walking distance and Northside Park was two blocks away for games of baseball or approximations of the sport. When we got inventive, we played bunt ball or wiffle ball in the lot next to our house. Until we made errors which caused the ball to fly into Mr. Riggert’s yard, whence he sometimes took possession thereof.

We always had a friendly, shaggy dog and television appeared to replace radio when I was about seven years old. The programs were all G rated and wholesome, and memorable.

That was the same year that I found an unused Roman candle [fireworks] and presented it to my father. I asked him to light the powder for me. I had it laid out in a neat little pile in our garage. Dad tried and tried to get it to burn, but without success. After he gave up and turned away, I tried again. And, POOF!

The powder blew up in my face. The episode was much like the one which happened to Hugh Lynn Cayce at the same age. Except Hugh Lynn’s burns were more serious than my own. And, he had Edgar to give him a medical reading. I got a trip to the hospital for a day or two and my first pair of glasses soon after.

There surely is an explosive part to my nature. Which relates me to Edgar as well as Hugh Lynn Cayce. More of that later. I was also – to a greater or lesser degree – the odd cob in the family. I read and kept mostly to myself unless I was playing ball or walking the dog or staring at the TV.

I was a smart and shy kid. Eventually, I realized that shy simply meant that I was afraid to do things, or just didn’t want to experience them. “I’m too shy.” Thankfully that trait gave way in later years.

I was ahead of the class in most subjects, except for the arts and physical education. And with my reading, I gradually appeared as a thinker. I wondered, Why this and why that? But, asking such questions of others usually got little for responses and fewer answers. It often still does.

Among other adjectives given to Robert over the years has been the one of “opinionated.” That began in my high school days. I had opinions about the school principal as well as real principles, particularly. Hopefully, some opinions have basis and are worth expressing. But, which ones are they?

In my opinion, we are all “Searching for God.” Whether we know it or not. Consciously or unconsciously, we are each and all of us the Prodigal Son lost in the Earth searching for our we back Home. Along the way, in my opinion, we are called to be about spiritualizing the planet and bringing Heaven into outer manifestation on planet Earth.

Heaven is as much a fact as Earth – in my opinion, regardless of what stern evolutionists and atheists might suggest. Simply put, without some kind of Divine Mind the worlds and the humans on them never would have appeared. Nor would human minds and senses have developed from the raw matters around us.

Well, I certainly did not know – or remember – that when I was born. I still know next to nothing. Like Socrates, “I know nothing.” I have lots of instincts and ideas, feelings and sentiments, intuitions and understandings, etc. But, they are pretty much all subject to change. Like the rest of manifested beings, “All is vanity [change].”

Socrates related that, in his opinion, what we carry around as “knowledge” is really recollection from previous lifetimes. We remember and embellish, else we dawdle as slow learners  – which all are in some areas of life. I now figure I must have had a few successes in previous lives and carried more than a bit of knowledge and memory along with good karma with me this time.

I remember once upon a time lying on my bed in my little room on North Wisconsin Street wondering about things: life and death. The idea of reincarnation hadn’t crossed my path as I grew upon in WASP town in a Plains state and went to a Methodist church. Apparently, I hadn’t been convinced of the idea of a churchy Heaven. And, I wondered and worried about a death of darkness and void. For what it is worth, I can make my own attestation that there is no such thing.

High school passed by with a few lumps for a mouthy, opinionated and frequent loner like myself. Three hours in jail for following in my car with two friends “police officers in the performance of their duties” took the starch out of my collar for a time. My elder brother was threatened with jail as well when he went days later and complained to the Chief of Police for my treatment and not being offered a call home. Dad was going to sue, but decided against it as “the better part of valor.” That would have been so unlike my father, regardless of the circumstances. And, I did learn a lesson about saying, “Yes, sir,” to law enforcement officers.

That incident would certainly not have occurred had I still been dating the one girlfriend of my high school career. She cut the cord, I don’t remember why, for a time. But, we passed graduation times together before going our separate ways.

Judy went off to college in Nebraska and I on to the University in Vermillion, SD. Tuition was cheap in those days and I had a small scholarship. The school was bigger than the town. I got good grades, but had no direction and was not pleased to continue sitting and sitting in classrooms.

After a few weeks at home, I told the folks I wanted to go to New York City to study photography. There is another point of contact with Mr. Cayce. Like Edgar, I always liked shooting pictures and am pretty good at it.

But, my parents said, “No. New York City is a terrible, dirty, dangerous place.”

So, I joined the Army and went to the Republic of Vietnam.