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Which peer-reviewed studies have reanalyzed Cayce case files and what methodological critiques did they offer?
Executive summary
Very little of the provided reporting identifies peer‑reviewed reanalyses of the Edgar Cayce case files; the searchable archives and organizational pages show extensive primary material (the Cayce Readings and circulating files) and institutional curation but do not list specific peer‑reviewed studies that reanalyzed those case files or detailed methodological critiques [1] [2] [3]. Available sources document the existence, scope and accessibility rules for the Cayce collections and ARE research bulletins, but they do not name journal articles that reanalyzed the files or summarize critique points [1] [2] [4].
1. What the archives and A.R.E. make available — the raw materials scholars would reanalyze
The Edgar Cayce Foundation and the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) preserve a large, well‑organized corpus: transcribed readings, extract files, Gladys Davis’s stenographer files, circulating files, and research bulletins that collect readings by topic and sometimes include basic statistical summaries for medical recommendations [1] [2] [4]. These collections are explicitly intended to support research and study groups and are open for research use under Foundation policy, with publication and identity‑release requirements noted by the archive [1] [3].
2. What the organizational materials say about research practice and limits
The A.R.E. describes “Circulating Files” and “Research Bulletins” as curated sets of verbatim readings and topical extracts; some research bulletins contain statistical analyses of causes and treatments as recommended in the readings, and the A.R.E. advises researchers to include all readings on a topic to capture many variables Cayce outlined [2]. The A.R.E. and Foundation also warn that readings were given to individuals as case‑specific guidance and that the health database is not a substitute for professional care, signaling an institutional caution about overgeneralizing from cases [5].
3. What the provided sources do not show — no cited peer‑reviewed reanalyses or their critiques
None of the provided documents or pages names peer‑reviewed journal articles that reanalyzed Cayce’s case files nor summarizes methodological critiques from journal literature; the materials focus on archive descriptions, internal bulletin practice, and access policies [1] [2] [4]. Therefore, claims about which peer‑reviewed studies exist, or what methodological criticisms they offered, are not supported by the current corpus of sources: “not found in current reporting” for peer‑reviewed reanalysis listings and critique summaries [1] [2] [4].
4. Where reasonable reanalysis would encounter methodological challenges (based on archive descriptions)
The archive structure implies several likely methodological challenges for any reanalysis: readings are case‑specific and coded by file number (which may complicate linking readings to clinical outcomes or external records), the data were transcribed by a stenographer (introducing transcription and recording biases), and curated circulating files select readings by topic (which risks selection bias unless the researcher returns to the full corpus) [1] [2] [4]. The A.R.E.’s own guidance—to include all readings on a topic—implicitly flags the selection and generalizability problems any reanalysis would face [2] [5].
5. Competing perspectives and hidden agendas to watch for
The A.R.E. and Edgar Cayce Foundation are stewards with an institutional interest in preserving and promoting Cayce’s legacy; their materials emphasize accessibility and study but also contain internal research products (circulating files, research bulletins) that serve members and practitioners [2] [6]. This means secondary analyses originating within or relying heavily on A.R.E. resources may reflect sympathetic framing or selective emphasis unless external, independent peer review and transparent methods are documented — available sources do not list independent peer‑reviewed reanalyses to verify that has happened [2] [1].
6. Practical next steps if you want the peer‑reviewed literature and methodological critiques
Given that the supplied sources do not name peer‑reviewed reanalyses, the next step is a targeted search of academic databases (JSTOR, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science) and legal or archival literature for journal articles citing the Edgar Cayce Readings; consult the A.R.E. library or contact the Edgar Cayce Foundation archives for any researcher bibliographies or lists of published studies that used their collections [1] [4]. The Foundation’s access and publication rules suggest they can point to externally published work if it exists, but those works are not listed in the materials you provided [1].
Limitations: This analysis relies only on the supplied documents, which emphasize archive holdings and A.R.E. resources; they do not catalogue external, peer‑reviewed reanalyses or document specific methodological critiques from the academic literature [1] [2] [4].