First, a little bit about the name. It is a deliberately playful take-off on the title of a popular song of a few years ago, Ricky Martin's "Living La Vida Loca" ("living the crazy life"). In 1970, Alvin Toffler published Future Shock. In this book, he pointed out that the rate of change of just about everything in the world was accelerating at such a rate that it was exceeding the ability of the human body to adapt to the changes. He called the result of this situation "future shock" and basically said that it would make people sick. The ability to adapt to change is the physiological definition of stress. So when the ability to adapt is exceeded, the body "stresses out" and we end up with the stress-related illnesses that we associate with our crazy modern life - "La Vida Loca". And the unfortunate truth is, this isn't going away any time soon. However, Clarissa Pinkola Estes encourages us to "not lose heart. We were made for these times." What does that imply?

It occurred to me that the wisdom contained in the over 14,000 psychic readings of Edgar Cayce might provide some direction in dealing with our future shock, an approach to living that might fortify us for the journey ahead, a Cayce-based lifestyle - La Vida Cayce. There is ample evidence documenting the beneficial stress-reducing effects of meditation, positive affirmations, moderate exercise and proper diet to name a few of the things present in the readings. At this level, La Vida Cayce can be seen as an approach to physically surviving in "La Vida Loca".

However, La Vida Cayce can be taken at a deeper level. Edgar Cayce's Source would sometimes ask a questioner seeking a physical reading how they would live their life differently if they were healed of their illness or affliction. This question addresses the level of the soul's purpose, which is to become consciously aware at an experiential level that we are individuated unique sparks of the Divine Spirit. Once we become aware, then our job is to put Spirit into action in the world.

That is what we are made for.

So this Congress week, there will be opportunities to attend workshops and hear panels discussing the various aspects of La Vida Cayce. But most of all, there will be opportunities for conversations among ourselves, to share our own explorations and discoveries along the path. We hope that by the end of the week, we will all have a road map for the journey ahead and a set of tools for living La Vida Cayce.

Peace and Blessings,
Greg La Gana, M.D.
Coordinator, Congress 2008