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