Which of Edgar Cayce’s predictions are documented to have clear, verifiable outcomes?
Executive summary
Edgar Cayce made many specific forecasts — some clearly tied to later events (for example, predictions about China’s rise and various world and geological events) while others (Second Coming in 1998, catastrophic California destruction) are documented failures or remain disputed [1] [2]. Available sources frame Cayce’s record as a mix of retrospective hits, missed specific dates, and interpretations promoted by supporters [3] [1] [2].
1. A towering catalogue with mixed verification
Edgar Cayce’s body of “readings” generated dozens of specific claims about nations, geology, world events and spiritual trends; proponents at the Association for Research and Enlightenment highlight forecasts such as major developments for China and geographic watch-points around the Atlantic, India and Australia as examples of predictions “yet to come” or realized in part [1]. Supporters and modern popularizers argue that many readings have been “partially validated” when judged against 20th–21st century history, a theme repeated in contemporary summaries that take Cayce’s corpus as a blend of material prophecy and spiritual counsel [3].
2. Clear, verifiable hits — limited and interpretive
The sources provided do not supply a rigorous, item-by-item verification list; instead they present a handful of claims that supporters treat as validated. For instance, the A.R.E. emphasizes Cayce’s long-standing statements about China’s future prominence as a concrete example [1]. A recent retrospective article likewise asserts that “many of Cayce’s predictions about world events, geological changes, and technological developments have been at least partially validated” without enumerating independently verified cases in the same piece [3]. Available sources do not mention a systematic, peer-reviewed inventory proving which individual forecasts are unambiguously correct.
3. Documented misses and contested apocalyptic forecasts
Some of Cayce’s highest-profile date-specific forecasts failed to materialize. Wikipedia notes Cayce predicted the Second Coming of Christ in 1998 and records other dramatic forecasts like large-scale destruction of Los Angeles and San Francisco; skeptics and science writers have long argued that evidence for Cayce’s clairvoyance rests on anecdotes rather than empirical validation [2]. These documented missed dates and spectacular scenarios complicate claims that Cayce’s prophecies are uniformly verifiable.
4. How supporters interpret ambiguous language
Cayce’s readings often use broad, poetic or conditional language that supporters can reinterpret after events occur. The A.R.E. frames many readings as part of an unfolding spiritual evolution and highlights regions “to watch” rather than narrowly timed events; that framing allows for flexible validation [1]. A modern essay follows the same pattern, suggesting that Cayce’s mix of material prediction and spiritual counsel is best judged by broad patterns rather than single, falsifiable forecasts [3].
5. Skeptical appraisal and methodological gaps
Contemporary critical sources stress methodological problems: many “verified” claims come from anecdotes, testimonials and post‑hoc readings rather than contemporaneous, falsifiable predictions documented independently [2]. Wikipedia cites critics such as Martin Gardner who argue that supposed verifications can often be traced to prior reading material or retrospective interpretation [2]. The sources provided do not include controlled studies or third‑party audits that would separate genuine foresight from after‑the‑fact fitting.
6. What can be responsibly claimed from available reporting
From the material supplied, responsible claims are these: Cayce made numerous specific predictions and some of his supporters point to items they view as validated (notably statements about China’s future and regional “watch” locations) [1] [3]. He also made date-specific and catastrophic forecasts (Second Coming 1998; major U.S. west‑coast destruction) that did not come to pass as stated and are cited by skeptics [2]. The sources do not supply a definitive, independently verified list of which individual prophecies have “clear, verifiable outcomes,” so any definitive roster beyond supporters’ selections is not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting).
7. Bottom line for readers
Edgar Cayce’s record is a patchwork: selective, interpretable confirmations exist alongside explicit missed predictions and significant methodological controversy [3] [1] [2]. If you seek a short, verifiable list of his “clear hits,” available reporting in these sources does not provide one; instead the literature offers contested examples promoted by advocates and critiques from skeptical scholars demanding stricter standards of evidence [1] [2].