Who was Edgar Cayce? Famed psychic's summer camp staff sexually abused, raped minor girls according to lawsuit
VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA: In a shocking revelation, multiple women have claimed that they suffered sexual harassment, abuse, and rape at the hands of male workers while attending the Association for Research and Enlightenment's (ARE) summer camp in Virginia Beach when they were all minor girls. The camp was founded by a psychic called Edgar Cayce.
On Wednesday, April 28, nine women filed a lawsuit in Virginia Beach Circuit Court claiming the staff at the summer camp sexually assaulted them. The lawsuit claims the camp's staff through their teachings convinced the then-children into believing it's acceptable for men to sexually assault women.
READ MORE
Who is Edgar Cayce?
Cayce was an American clairvoyant who claimed to channel from his higher self. Born on March 18, 1877, near Hopkinsville, Kentucky, US, the self-proclaimed faith healer and psychic established the Association for Research and Enlightenment in 1931. The mission of the ARE, as per its official website, is to create “opportunities for profound personal change in body, mind, and spirit through the wisdom found in the Edgar Cayce material”. Cayce died on January 3, 1945 at the age of 67.
The disturbing allegations
“I saw how the ARE spiritual teaching set the stage for a silent epidemic of sexual assault and violence against young adults and children [like] myself," said Lynsey a former camper, who alleged that older staff sexually assaulted her at age 13 and again later in her teens. The lawsuit says that a male camp counselor aged 18 or 19 forced her to play Spin the Bottle, forced her to touch his genitals, and placed his hands under her clothing, and digitally raped her.
Another attendee, Hannah, said she witnessed inappropriate behavior. “Hugs and massages between children and adults were encouraged. But it went well beyond that. I witnessed male counselors send love notes to female campers and regularly participate in events that involved counselors and campers being naked together" she said. The women said they had come forward before after the alleged incidents happened over the last decade. But they claimed their complaints fell on deaf ears. “The director and camp manager did nothing to just say that’s just the way things are," Hannah said.
The women claimed that under the spiritual teaching that they were given there, they were forced to forgive and hug the people that did it to them. “I returned to camp and I was forced to participate in a so-called 'Forgiveness Circle,' which meant I had to hug my abuser and say I forgave him. It was a horrible, degrading experience,” Lynsey said.
The camp's CEO Kevin Todeschi said in a statement that the organization was distressed by the allegations and encouraged folks to come forward. Todeschi said the accusations were not acceptable and went against what they believed in. The organization, he said, brought in an outside group to investigate after learning about the claims last summer. He said the camp will remain closed until the investigation was completed and they had addressed all concerns.