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Our Physical Heritage: Creation of the Human Body
So Spider Woman gathered earth, this time of four colors, yellow, red, white, and black … molded them … She sang over them the Creation Song, and when she uncovered them these forms were human beings in the image of Sotuknang.
—The Book of the Hopi
THE story of the creation of the soul, as depicted in the previous chapter, illustrates that we were created as spiritual beings of celestial origin. Yet the entry of the third soul group into materiality added a new dimension to our existence and marked the beginning of a long process by which we slowly built the physical side of our nature. As a result of this process, we reached a point where we might more appropriately be thought of as a “soul-body,” containing both the physical and spiritual elements. “… for in man we find both the spirit entity and the physical entity …” (900-24)
We cannot ignore the fact that there is a dual aspect to our existence. To ignore one aspect in favor of the other gives us only a part of the picture. In order to completely understand who we are and how our destiny will manifest, we must consider not only our spiritual selves, but our physical selves as well. This chapter will first consider the creation of the human body as told in the Cayce readings, and then consider the scientific view of human development and attempt to see if correlations can be drawn between the two sources of knowledge.
Creation of the Human Body
As stated in the last chapter, Amilius realized that he must experience flesh and blood in order to learn how to overcome them. He must take on physical form and yet somehow retain an awareness of his divine nature. He therefore created a new body, one capable of existing in the physical world and yet capable of possessing spiritual consciousness. “… when one individual [Amilius] first saw those changes that eventually made for that opening for the needs of, or the preparation for, the Universal Consciousness to bring into the experience what is known to man as the first created man.” (2454-3) Through this new body, the soul would then be able to arrest the process of devolution and begin its slow evolutionary climb upward back to God consciousness. It should be noted that this body, although flesh and blood, was not as vibrationally dense as the body we know today.
Thus did Amilius lay plans for the creation of the human body, also called the Adamic body, the Fourth Root Race. It is this physical creation which is recorded in the second chapter of Genesis. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” (Genesis 2:7) Note the timeline here, as the spiritual creation of the soul, told in the first chapter of Genesis, preceded the physical creation of a body. While the first creation was spiritual, after the likeness of the Creative Spirit, the second was earthy or physical, as symbolized by the dust of the earth.
There are indications in the Cayce readings that the creation of the physical body was directed by Amilius, hence making it a creation of the soul, and not a direct creation of God. “… the sons of God came together to announce to Matter a way being opened for the souls of men, the souls of God’s creation, to come again to the awareness of their error.” (2156-2) Physical man, “the last of the creations,” (364-7) created out of the elements of the earth might best be considered as a result of the soul’s development, a necessary consequence of the choices the soul had made. “… for when man was brought into being there was a variation in the creation.” (262-3)
Thomas Sugrue, Cayce’s well-known biographer and the author of other materials based on the readings, echoes this thought “… they [the souls] played at creating; they imitated God … and what had been set in motion gradually entangled the souls, so that they became trapped in the plan of earth’s evolution, inside the bodies they had themselves created [author’s italics].”1 Hugh Lynn Cayce, Edgar Cayce’s son and an expert on his father’s work, concurred with this interpretation, saying that it was man and not God who brought our physical bodies into existence and, by so doing, limited ourselves to three-dimensional consciousness.2 The soul, being spirit, was created by God and is therefore eternal. The body, created by God’s creation, has a finite existence.
Amilius, ever the Way Shower, set the pattern the others were to follow. We need to understand that this new body was not an individual creation but a group creation, which occurred in five places on earth at once, each manifestation representing one of the five “races” of man. “Man, in Adam (as a group; not as an individual), entered into the world (for he entered in five places at once, we see—called Adam in one …).” (900-227) The “color differences” of these groups were nothing more than adaptations to the environment and climatic conditions they would inhabit. The readings also indicate that each group symbolized one of the five physical senses which were to be spiritualized before perfect union could be attained. The white race in the Caucasus represented sight/vision, the black race of West Africa represented taste/appetite, the yellow race of East Asia represented hearing, the brown race in Lemuria represented smell, and the red race of Atlantis3 represented touch/feeling/intuition.
Since the actions of the soul had resulted in the domination of the flesh over the spirit, the soul, while in the earth plane, was subject to physical laws. “… when earth became habitable for physical man, man entered in the plane, just as the highest of created forces in the earth plane. Then became man amenable to laws of earth plane, and amenable to physical birth, physical conditions, physical conceptions, physical forces …” (900-70)
It is not clear, however, whether the birth-and-death cycle, as we know it today, was intended to be a part of the soul experience at this time. One interpretation concludes that the soul was able to project itself into the human body and leave when its experience on earth was complete, much as Enoch and Melchizedek did. This interpretation holds that it was only after humankind, symbolized by Adam and Eve, had done that which was forbidden to them—to partake of the world’s physical gratifications—that the soul became subject to the cycle of birth and death. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19)
Once in the human body, the soul chose not to honor the purpose for which it was created but continued to seek gratification of its own desires over the will of God. Even the Amilius soul, now as Adam, succumbed to this temptation. “Remember Adam.” (5753-2) “… knowledge without the practical ability to apply same may become sin. For, it is knowledge misapplied that was the fall—or the confusion—in Eve.” (281-63)
Yet no sooner was Amilius’ (Adam’s) error shown to him, than he repented and again offered himself, this time as a sacrifice, for the souls he had come to save.4 He knew that the choice of the physical over the spirit had led to death, and that death itself would have to be overcome as the final barrier to spiritual awareness. “And with error [sin] entered that as called death, which is only a transition—or through God’s other door …” (5749-3)
The Growth of the Physical Forces
It was the birth-and-death cycle that resulted in the emergence of what is sometimes referred to as “ego” or “little self,” a reflection of what the physical self thinks itself to be. As the soul became more concerned with the physical world in which it lived, rather than with the spirit world of its origin, the ego grew in strength and reinforced the idea that we are physical beings. As the mind focused more on the physical world, the vibration of the human body slowed ever further and became more dense—as symbolized in scripture by the putting on of skins upon leaving the Garden of Eden—until it gradually devolved into the body we know today. The spiritual realm became little more than a memory, something recalled in myth and legend, something we perhaps caught a glimpse of in our dreams. God Consciousness retreated into the deepest recesses of the mind, later to be recognized as the “superconscious.” As the soul-memory itself (hereafter called the subconscious) faded from consciousness awareness, many souls completely forgot their divine nature while in the earth and came to believe that they were nothing more than physical beings. The process of devolution was now complete.
The soul was now firmly entrenched in the physical body. Although spiritual in origin, we had chosen a path which created a physical or genetic heritage. This dual nature we had assumed would hereafter be encoded in the development of the human species. For the faculty of development, which allowed the soul to learn and grow through experience, remained an attribute of the soul-body. As the human species, we were now subject to the physical laws of the universe and would thereafter develop and evolve according to those laws. “In all ages we find this has been the developing—day by day … or the evolution as we see from those forces as may be manifested … The theory is, man evolved … from first cause in creation …” (3744-5)
We are the children of God, yes, but we are also the children of Mother Earth. For that reason alone, we must take a look at what the earth has to say about her children’s development.
Evolution: The Scientific View of Human Development
Now that we know what metaphysical sources have to say about the creation of the human body, we turn our attention to the scientific view of human development. This body of knowledge, based primarily upon evidence in the earth’s fossil record, can tell us much about the development of the human species and its relationship to other species. When paleoanthropologists examine the physical evidence found in the fossil record, they interpret what they find according to the principles of evolutionary theory. Nearly 150 years after the principles of evolutionary theory were first proposed, it remains one of the most controversial and misunderstood areas of scientific study. The reason evolutionary theory remains controversial in some quarters may stem from the fact that many people believe it denies the existence of God, and they therefore reject it on that premise alone. Like all scientific theories, however, evolution neither denies nor confirms God. It simply does not address the issue, as that is not its focus.
Yet I suspect that there may be more to it than this. I can’t help but wonder if the resistance to evolutionary theory stems from the fact that, on the subconscious level, it reminds us of how we, as spiritual beings, separated ourselves from God and chose an earthly existence over our celestial home. The theory of evolution may hit a little too close to the heart of the matter and, by calling to mind our “fall” or descent into matter, it reminds us of something we would rather forget.
As well as being controversial, evolutionary theory is also one of the most misunderstood areas of science. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard well-meaning lecturers misstate concepts of evolutionary theory; they refer to “descent from monkeys,” mention the “missing link,” use “survival of the fittest” incorrectly, or state other common misperceptions, none of which are true. For this reason, I want to begin by dispelling some common misbeliefs regarding evolutionary theory.
1. Evolution does not say that man descended from the monkey. What it does state is that the human family, Hominidae, and the ape family, Pongidae, had a common ancestor.
2. Evolution does not search for the “missing link,” a supposed half-man/half-ape creature. There is no such thing as a missing link, as used in common parlance. The common ancestor of hominids and apes was most likely a generalized “ape-like” primate.
3. Evolution does not say that only the physically fit or strongest survive. It does say that those individuals possessing characteristics which help them successfully adapt to their environment tend to live longer than those who do not. They therefore pass these characteristics on to their offspring in greater numbers.
4. Evolution does not say that we came from primitive, brutish “cave men.” The groups of hominids, such as the Neandertal tribes who lived in caves during the Ice Age in Europe, had a complex society which included a family structure, social customs, and even religious beliefs.
5. Evolution does not say that individuals of any species evolve. The unit of evolution is the population, a word used to describe a group of interbreeding individuals, or a species. Individuals do not evolve from one form to another. Rather, species change over time as genetic mutations, which occur in DNA structure, are passed from generation to generation.
6. A belief in evolution does not imply a non-belief in God. In fact, you could even argue that God created the process of evolution just as He created other physical laws, and set them up to govern the orderly operation of the universe.
Simply put, evolution is the process by which all living things have developed from simpler organisms to more complex forms. Living organisms develop specific traits or characteristics caused by genetic mutations in their DNA structure. Some traits increase the organism’s chance at survival, others may have no effect, while still other traits hinder the organism’s ability to survive. Those traits that increase the organism’s adaptability, or chance for survival, are passed on to offspring in greater numbers than those traits which hinder survival and result in early death of the organism.
An example of this would be certain color markings on animals, such as the spots on newborn deer, which camouflage the animal and hide it from predators. This is a positive trait that increases the chance of survival. A negative trait would be albinoism, which makes the animal more visible to predators and would likely result in an early death before the animal reaches the age of bearing offspring. The elimination, often through early death, of those possessing negative traits and the passing on of favorable traits is known as natural selection, which is the result of selective environmental pressures. The process of natural selection therefore addresses the issue of “survival of the fittest” in terms of which organisms are best adapted to survive in their environment.
Charles Darwin is remembered as the father of evolutionary theory, although his proposal was actually presented simultaneously with that of Alfred Russell Wallace, who independently discovered natural selection during the same time. Today, the modern or synthetic theory of evolution has expanded upon their ideas and combined them with data drawn from genetic studies. The synthetic theory states that variability among individuals within a population is produced through random mutation, an inheritable change in the chemical composition of DNA, which produces new or modified enzymes and alters physical characteristics. The differing characteristics, or genetic variability, is then acted upon by natural selection in the environment. All species of life currently existing on earth are a result of this developmental process. Therefore, in light of evolutionary theory, let’s examine the evolutionary development of our species.
The Emergence of the Human Species
Modern-day human beings are classified as “hominids,” a term which refers to members of the human family Hominidae. The Hominidae family belongs to the Primate Order, which also includes apes, New and Old World monkeys, and the prosimians. Humans are placed in the Primate Order based on anatomical and physiological characteristics, as well as biochemical makeup. Numerous studies have revealed that modern-day humans and apes are very similar in terms of skeletal structure, muscular anatomy, physiological processes, serological reactions, and chromosome patterns.
Over the years, science has defined our species in a variety of ways—an intelligent, tool-making, social, self-aware animal. Today, however, paleoanthropology bases its definition of the human species primarily on its physical characteristics. Yet if we look at humankind’s physical make-up, there is not one single characteristic that makes us unique. Rather, a combination of four specific traits, referred to as a “complex,” distinguishes us as human beings. The human or hominid complex includes: (1) bipedal walking, (2) manipulative hands capable of a precision grip, (3) binocular (three-dimensional) color vision, and (4) a large brain-to-body ratio.
The traits of the hominid complex are interrelated; as one trait developed, it often enhanced the effectiveness of another, thereby creating a positive feedback loop within the trait complex. For example, the development of efficient bipedal walking left the forearms completely free from the task of support and locomotion, thus enabling the hands to be used for other purposes. Our forward-facing eyes, sensitive to color, depth, and shape, allowed us to manipulate objects with our now-freed hands. The ability to precisely manipulate objects led to habitual tool use, which in turn increased our chances of survival. Then, as brain size increased relative to body size, convolution of the brain surface gave rise to increased neural interconnections, thus enabling even further refinement of hand-eye coordination and the development of more efficient tools.
A scarcity of fossil evidence makes it difficult to date precisely the division of the hominid lineage from the ape or pongid lineage, although it seems likely that the human lineage split from its closest relatives approximately 6 to 12 million years ago. An early genus of apes, Dryopithecus, which dates from 22-15 million years B.P. (before present), is believed to include the evolutionary ancestor of both humans and later apes such as the chimpanzee and gorilla. It’s likely that another genus, called Ramapithecus, dating back 12 million years B.P., was the first direct ancestor of the hominid line. Until recently, it was believed that the first true hominids, called Australopithecines, appeared in the fossil record as early as 4.2 million years ago. The recent discovery of a new genus, Ardipithecus, dating to 4.4 million years ago, however, may displace the Australopithecines as the first hominid species.
A discussion of hominid forms found in the fossil record is a complex issue due to several factors. First, there are a large number of taxonomic classifications within the human lineage. Further, there is often disagreement within the scientific community as to how a specific fossil find should be classified. The “lumpers” tend to minimize differences, saying that they are no more significant than the genetic variation we see in modern-day humans. The “splitters,” however, see even small variations as significant and label similar specimens as different species. (As you can tell, I consider myself a “lumper.”) Add to this the fact that a new find can seriously alter our view of the human evolutionary landscape. In the last decade alone, the discoveries of four new species have completely altered previously long-held beliefs.
Rather than give a lengthy discourse on the various hominids found in the fossil record, I will present a general overview of the human evolutionary landscape. Those desiring more detailed information on hominid forms are referred to references listed. Table 2, Evolution of the Hominid Lineage, outlines the distinguishing characteristics of each species. I suggest that readers refer to that table during the following discussion.
The Early Hominids
A likely candidate for the first true hominid is Ardipithecus ramidus, found in Ethiopia. This species dates to 4.4 million B.P., was forest dwelling, and likely bipedal. Originally placed within the Australopithecine genus, it is now proposed that the differences are great enough to warrant assigning it a new genus. However, the fossil evidence is sparse, and an absolute determination as to its place in the hominid family remains to be seen.
There is no doubt that the genus Australopithecus belongs in the hominid family. There are at least several (depending upon your classification) species: anamensis, afarensis, africanus, and garhi, dating from 2.3-4.2 million years ago, all found in Africa. This genus clearly shows the transformation from ape-like features to modern human features. Afarensis contains the famous “Lucy” skeleton, whose discovery thrilled the scientific world in the early 1970s. Lucy dates to 3.2 million years ago, and her species is the likely link between the Australopithecines and the Homo genus. Australopithecines walked completely upright, had a brain size averaging 420-480 ml (milliliters), ranged in height from three to four feet, and lacked projecting canine teeth (an ape characteristic). They lived in family groups, appeared to be semi-nomadic, and made crude shelters. Some finds have been associated with tool use, once thought to be a strictly Homo trait.
Another group of hominids existed at the same time as the Australopithecines. The Paranthropus species include aethiopicus, robustus, and boisei. Robustus and boisei were once classified as an early form of Australopithecine. Fossil evidence now shows that they had a separate evolution and eventually died out, playing no part in the evolution of the Homo genus. Although bipedal with large brains, they also had primitive features, including a saggital crest, huge teeth and molars, and large jaws. They appear in the fossil record as early as 2.8 million years ago and disappear about one million years B.P.
The Homo Genus
The Homo genus, to which modern humans belong, began about 2.3 million years ago, and has two species: the earlier habilis and the later erectus. Both species show significant brain development and mastered tool use, language, and demonstrate the beginnings of developing a human culture. They also exist outside of Africa, with finds discovered in China, Asia, Indonesia, and Europe. One of the earliest specimens recognized as belonging to the genus Homo was found in 1964 at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, by Dr. Louis S.B. Leakey. Leakey named his discovery Homo habilis or “handy man,” after the many tools associated with it. Habilis specimens possess a large brain capacity (630-750 ml), small human-like teeth, and skeletal bones similar to those of modern humans.
Homo erectus, “erect man,” walked upright, had a large brain capacity of approximately 880-1100 ml, developed the Acheulean tool culture, made temporary dwellings such as tents, and most importantly, possessed the use of fire. The discovery of fire about 500,000 years ago enabled these populations to expand their territory beyond temperate areas and successfully inhabit cold climates. There is also evidence that Homo erectus groups engaged in cooperative hunting of big game animals. The specimens found in the French Pyrenees are noteworthy because they have features similar both to Homo erectus and the later appearing Homo sapiens. Between 300,000 and 250,000 years ago, traces of Homo erectus gradually disappear from the fossil record. It’s believed that erectus populations are the ancestors of both the Neandertals (Homo neandertalensis) and modern humans (Homo sapiens).
The Neandertals
In the early 1900s, Neandertals were erroneously portrayed as dimwitted, brutish, bent-kneed, hairy cave dwellers. Unfortunately, the earliest studies of Neandertal man were based on an isolated group of European specimens, later called Classic Neandertals, which possessed more primitive traits such as heavy brow ridges. These traits were most likely regional adaptations to their extreme environment. To make matters worse, the most prominent study was based on an individual whose deformed body was later found to be due to severe arthritis. By the 1970s, enough evidence had been analyzed to change this picture. Their average brain size of 1500 ml exceeded that of modern man, which averages around 1400 ml, and even ranged as high as 1800 ml. As different populations grew and flourished, distinct tool traditions developed. There is also evidence that they practiced ritual, including elaborate burial of the dead. It’s interesting to note that children were often buried with flowers, and aged and handicapped people lived to an advanced age, indicating that they were supported by the tribe. Given this evidence of complex rituals and sociology, it is likely that they possessed some form of speech, although there is disagreement as to whether or not their vocal cords were capable of speech like ours.
For many years, Neandertals were classified as a subspecies of modern-day humans. In 1997, however, the first analysis of Neandertal mitochrondial DNA (mDNA) revealed significant differences from that of modern humans. Subsequent analyses have verified that Neandertal mDNA is well outside the range of variation for modern humans. Based on this evidence, the Neandertals have been classified as a separate species, and it is now believed that they died out about 40,000 years ago, likely due to competition with their cousins, anatomically modern Homo sapiens (AMHS).
The Human Species’ Genetic Heritage
While the fossil record tells us a great deal about the physical forms which may have been ancestral to the human body, some of the strongest proof of man’s evolutionary origins comes from biochemical studies which compare the body’s molecular building blocks with those of other organisms. These studies are both intriguing and controversial and may yet shed the greatest light on our relationship with other species.
Similarities in chromosome patterns provide fascinating evidence of our close relationship with modern-day great apes. In a comparison of the alpha chain of hemoglobin of humans and the gorilla, 139 of the 141 amino acids in this chain have an identical composition! Comparisons between humans and chimpanzees show no difference at all! This clearly indicates an extremely close genetic and evolutionary relationship between these species.
DNA annealing shows similar results. Annealing is the process whereby the double helices of DNA are separated, or “unzipped,” and mixed with another strand to create a hybrid double helix. In this process, only those molecular units or sites which are identical will unite. When this process was tested using human and chimpanzee DNA, only one unit out of every one hundred was a mismatch. Not surprisingly, serum immunological testing, which matches the immunological response to the albumen in blood, shows similar results.
When the results of such studies were first released in the 1970s, they immediately became a hotbed of controversy, because they placed the divergence of the ape and human lineages at no more than 5 to 6 million years ago. The fossil record, at that time, placed the divergence at 12-20 million years, although subsequent fossil finds have pushed that figure down to a date closer to 10 million years ago. This issue has yet to be resolved within the scientific community.
Physical Evidence Versus Metaphysical Insight: Can We Compare the Two?
Now that we have discussed both the scientific view of the development of the human body and that given in the Cayce readings, we need to see if we can draw any correlations between the two. While at first glance it might seem as if these two sources of information are contradictory, a closer look at the content of the readings will show that there are indeed similarities.
Refer to the reading stating that physical man was created out of the elements of the earth, of all that had been before: “From among the many physical shapes and sizes that resulted from the mixtures, he [Amilius] selected the form of the present man as the most suitable vehicle for physical manifestation on this planet.”5 This reading indicates that Amilius chose an existing life form as the most suitable vehicle for the human soul.
Thomas Sugrue, the well-known biographer of Edgar Cayce, expounds upon this further, stating that this process involved the souls directing or manipulating the evolutionary development of an already existing life form. “A form was chosen to be a proper vehicle of the soul on earth … The form already existing which most approached the needs of the souls was what man would call one of the anthropoids.”6 The readings go on to tell how the souls hovered about this species, rather than inhabiting the body, and influenced the species to move toward a different purpose. “They came down out of the trees, built fires, made tools, lived in communities, and began to communicate with each other. Swiftly, even as man measures time, they lost their animal look, shed bodily hair and took on refinements of manner and habit. All this was done by the souls working through the glands,7 until, at last, there was a new inhabitant of the earth: man.”8
The developmental process described here certainly sounds like the hominid complex which led to the evolutionary development of the hominid lineage and is identical to that reflected in the fossil record. The only difference is that science states that this followed the natural laws of evolution, while the readings describe a “divine” impetus which engineered this process.
While this may at first sound extraordinary, is the concept of “divine intervention” any more astounding than the scientific probability by which life first appeared on this planet? According to the late Carl Sagan, the world-renowned astronomer and author, the number which represents the odds of life appearing on this planet haphazardly would start with the numeral one followed by enough zeros to fill the pages of six paperback books. And this number reflects the odds of life itself, not the even greater odds of intelligent life.
Many people already accept the premise that the laws of nature and physics were created by God to govern the affairs of His creations. Could it be that the evolution of the human lineage, which led to the development of the Homo genus, was not due to random laws of evolution but was rather the product of a well-thought-out plan of divine-soul origin which used the evolutionary process to produce a body capable of fulfilling both the soul and the material needs? Perhaps that’s why paleoanthropologists can’t explain exactly how and why the hominid complex appeared. Perhaps that’s why the consciousness of humankind is unique among all animals. Perhaps we are in a sense a “special” creation which houses the soul and yet also carries the patterns of our genetic heritage.
If we accept the premise that the human lineage was the result of soul-intervention in the evolutionary development of an existing anthropoid species, the next logical step would be to see if there is a way to cross-reference the fossil record with the various groups of “man,” as given in the readings, to determine when the culmination of this process—the human body capable of housing the soul—appeared. Regretfully, attempts to cross-reference material in the readings with evidence in the fossil record are sketchy at best, due to differences inherent in the framework of the two thought systems themselves.
One of these differences stems from the fact that in the readings, the word “man” is not always used to refer to our physical aspects. It is used to refer to any of our developmental stages, including the spirit-body, light-body, and thought-forms. The fossil record, of course, deals only with the physical remains of a species. Since our earliest manifestations on this planet were not in physical form, much of the material in the readings cannot be verified by the fossil record.
A related problem is that the word “flesh,” as used in the readings, has more than one meaning “… all spirit being one spirit. All flesh not one flesh. Flesh being that as has merited by its development in its plane of existence.” (900-70) This seems to indicate that when Cayce speaks of a flesh body, we cannot assume that he is necessarily speaking of the one we possess today.
Another difficulty stems from the fact that the readings often give a date in a relative sense, rather than an absolute sense. “In the period, then—some hundred, some ninety-eight thousand years before the entry of Ram into India—there lived in this land …” (364-3) Using this passage as an example, we must first identify who Ram was, and what year, as we count it, he entered into India. Such relative references make it difficult to pinpoint events in the readings to a specific time. Combine this with the fact that we must also determine in which form the soul manifested, and you can see the variety of interpretations that can result.
There are, however, several readings which, when considered together, can be used as the basis for making inferences as to the appearance of physical man in the earth. To begin, the earliest date given in the readings for the entry of a soul into the earth plane, in spirit form, is 10.5 million years ago. This indicates that the soul’s intervention or direction in the evolutionary process had to occur after that time. No doubt this was a lengthy process which required generations of manipulation and refinement in accordance with the laws of evolution which do not work quickly. This scenario does agree with the scientific record which indicates that the human and ape lineages split sometime between 6 million and 10 million years ago, each thereafter following its own separate evolutionary path.
From the readings, we also know that the Atlantean civilization lasted approximately 200,000 years, until its final destruction in 10,500 B.C.E. At first glance it might seem that, since Amilius was present in Atlantis, his activities in directing the evolution of a new body would have had to occur within that time frame. Keep in mind, however, that the 200,000-year period refers to the Atlantean “civilization,” and not necessarily its earliest inhabitation. Amilius’ plans for the creation of a human body could, therefore, stretch back further, even to the millions of years noted above.
Further, we need to remember that the readings refer to the existence of thought-forms during the earliest years of Atlantis, implying that the human body had not yet been perfected. The readings indicate that “Adam,” the Amilius soul who directed this process and who is associated with the appearance of a human body much like our present one, appeared during the course of the Atlantean civilization. “… in the Atlantean land … in those periods before [author’s italics] Adam was in the earth … among those who were then ‘thought projections’ …” (5056-1) Another noteworthy reading includes a reference to present-day man “… much in the form of the present-day man (were one chosen of those that were, or are, the nearest representative of the race of peoples that existed in this first period as the first destructions came about) … The ones that became the most useful were those as would be classified … as the ideal stature, that was of both male and female … and the most ideal (as would be called) was Adam …” (364-11) This reading is most significant because it is given in terms of a definable date, namely the first phase of destruction in Atlantis. Interpretations of other readings indicate that these upheavals may have occurred at approximately 52,700 B.C.E.
These readings therefore suggest that a physical form much like our present-day Homo sapiens body appeared sometime between 200,000 and 50,000 years ago. This corresponds in the fossil record to our very own species which appeared in many areas of the world at this very time and spread across the globe by 40,000 B.P. The worldwide entrance of Homo sapiens also correlates to the appearance of five racial groups as cited in the readings.
Yet other than these broad generalizations, no direct correspondences between the fossil record and the readings are evident. Assigning a specific group of archaic humans to a particular time as described in the readings, or determining exactly when the soul, as represented by Adam, entered the physical body, may not be as important as recognizing the common message found in both the fossil record and the readings. That message, clearly stated in both sources, is that the physical development of the human species has been ongoing for a very long time; we share a genetic heritage with all other life forms existing on this planet. Though our origin is divine, we adopted the earth as our mother eons ago, and while in the earth plane, we live as her children.
The Human Species: No Stranger in the Earth
It should be clear by now that the soul, whether as a spirit entity, thought-form, or in a physical body, has been involved in the affairs of this planet for a very long time. We know that the earliest date given in the readings for the entry of a soul into the earth plane—in spirit, not physical form—is 10.5 million years ago. We also know that “present day man” has been in existence for over 40,000 years, a fact supported by the fossil record as well. The readings further state that our present-day body is the result of a lengthy process whereby a pre-existing species was influenced or directed by soul force to evolve into a physical form capable of housing the soul while in the earth plane and not losing sight of its spiritual nature. Based on this information, we can therefore conclude that physical man, in the human body, has been developing for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years. Consider this extract from the readings:
Man did not descend from the monkey, but man has evolved … from time to time, here a little, there a little, line upon line … the preparation for the needs of man has gone down many, many thousands and millions of years, as is known in this plane, for the needs of man in the hundreds and thousands of years to come.
3744-5
This certainly sounds like a restatement of the evolutionary process. Remember, evolution doesn’t teach that we descended from the monkey. In fact, if you look up the definition of evolution in a dictionary, you will find such words as “develop, emerge, mature, result, and unfold.” Evolution simply says that species change from simple to complex form, a process reflected in the fossil record. One-celled organisms became complex organisms with multi-cellular structures. Rudimentary neural systems evolved into elaborate neurological networks with millions of synapses and interconnections. Simple vocal systems developed into the intricate symbology of human language. Science contends that these developments are the result of the natural and random laws of evolution. The Cayce readings contend that they are the culmination of a divine-soul plan, which manifested in the earth according to natural evolutionary law.
Either way, the human species has been a long time in the making. We did not magically appear out of the ethers, nor were we transported here by an alien civilization. Our biochemical makeup, nearly identical to that of several other species, clearly shows that we were created out of the “dust” of the ground, the elements of this planet. A successful bone marrow transplant, wherein an AIDS patient received the healthy bone marrow of a baboon, serves as testimony to the close genetic relationship we share with others in the primate family. According to the readings, we can expect our development in the earth to continue for hundreds and thousands of years to come.
Remembering the Divine Within
By the time the human body came into existence, souls in the earth plane had begun to think of themselves as physical rather than spiritual beings, seeing only the physical aspect of their nature. Although the First Cause was an inherent part of the soul, memory of our divine nature became as a whisper, a quiet voice within, an echo within our consciousness, prompting us to remember our divine origin. At times the memory of the First Cause broke through to consciousness, as evidenced by the works of the poets, the dreamers, and the Great Teachers of history, who dared to believe that we are more than we appear to be. Throughout history, it has remained a primary driving force of the soul.
Yet it was through the human body that the soul would be able to express the constructive force of the mind and use these faculties to manifest spiritual attributes rather than gratify physical desires. Our journey in the earth plane thus became one of progress, not decline, here a little, there a little, the enlightenment overcoming the darkness. “… and man’s evolving, or evolution, has only been that of the gradual growth upward to the mind of the Maker.” (3744-5) Through the constructive force of the mind, the soul reversed the downward spiral of devolution and began instead an evolutionary journey back to the state of God Consciousness which was ours at the beginning of our creation.
What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How infinite in faculty … In action how like an angel. In apprehension how like a god. The beauty of the world. The paragon of animals!
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet
