Where can Edgar Cayce’s original reading transcripts be accessed and how are they dated?
Executive summary
The primary repository of Edgar Cayce’s original reading transcripts is the Edgar Cayce Foundation / Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) collections in Virginia Beach, which hold the original transcriptions and case files arranged and numbered by Cayce’s stenographer Gladys Davis Turner (the E.C.F. collection) [1][2]; large portions have been published or digitized and are available through A.R.E.’s library and public archives such as the Internet Archive [3][4]. Dating and order are not ad hoc: readings are filed by recipient number and then by reading sequence (e.g., 262-1), and accompanying materials are organized chronologically by day, month and year, reflecting the original shorthand-to-typewritten transcription workflow [2][1].
1. Where the “original” transcripts physically and digitally live
The canonical physical holdings are the Edgar Cayce Readings collection maintained by the Edgar Cayce Foundation / A.R.E. in Virginia Beach, which houses original copies of readings, case files, correspondence and supplemental research assembled into a multi-series archival collection [1][2]; the A.R.E. Library advertises more than 14,000 Cayce readings as the core of its collection and acts as the institutional steward and access point for researchers [3]. For public access and research, many editions and compilations — including multi‑volume print editions, searchable CD‑ROMs, and extensive scanned collections — are hosted on public repositories such as Internet Archive, which holds scanned books, curated “mega collections,” and individual reading texts [4][5][6].
2. How the readings were recorded and why that matters for provenance
Readings were delivered while Cayce was in a trance, with his wife Gertrude conducting and posing questions and Gladys Davis Turner taking shorthand and later producing two typewritten copies from her notes; that documented workflow underpins the provenance of the transcripts and explains why the archival items are typed copies derived from original shorthand notes rather than audio recordings [1][2]. The archive’s item-level descriptions note identification and dating information where known, and emphasize that many items were organized according to Gladys Davis Turner’s original numbering, which ties each file to a recipient and sequence rather than merely a topical label [2].
3. The archival numbering and dating system explained
The cornerstone of Cayce’s archival order is Gladys Davis Turner’s numbering system: each recipient is assigned a number and individual readings are sequentially numbered for that recipient (for example, “262-1” denotes the first reading for recipient 262), while related materials are arranged chronologically by day, month and year when available, providing a structured way to date and retrieve individual sessions [2]. The E.C.F. finding aid explicitly instructs users on box, folder and item citation using that system, making the numbering the practical datum for researchers who need to reference or date a specific reading [1][2].
4. Publicly accessible formats and limits on reproduction
Many readings have been republished in edited volumes (for instance, A.R.E. editions and compendia available on Internet Archive) and digitized collections or CD‑ROMs that provide searchable access to the texts, but the archival finding aid warns that authorization to publish, quote or reproduce must be obtained from the Edgar Cayce Foundation and that certain recipient identity releases are governed by foundation policy [4][7][2]. In practice, researchers can consult the A.R.E. Library onsite or access numerous scanned volumes online, but full unrestricted republication of raw archival items may require permission [3][2].
5. Competing claims, scholarly access and unresolved gaps
Biographers and scholars — notably Sidney Kirkpatrick, who had access to the Cayce letters and papers — have worked from these same archival holdings, sometimes citing material not broadly circulated, which underscores that the E.C.F./A.R.E. collection is the touchstone for both proponents and critics of Cayce’s work [8]. Public scans and compilations available online provide broad transparency, yet the archive’s policies and the fact that original shorthand notes were transcribed into typed copies mean researchers must be attentive to chain‑of‑custody, transcription practice, and permission restrictions when asserting textual authenticity [2][1].