The psychic readings of Edgar Cayce consistently maintain the reality of the soul and its connection to the physical body through definite anatomical centers, most notably specific glands and nerves. The endocrine glands and sympathetic nerves are the primary centers of this association, with pineal and Leydig glands having been singled out as the “seat of the soul.”
The Pineal: The pineal gland is easy enough to identify. It is located in the center of the head, suspended in the cerebrospinal fluid of the third ventricle of the brain. The French mathematician and philosophy Rene Descartes even specified the pineal gland as the “principal seat of the soul.” So Cayce’s assertion is not original on that point.
The Leydig: The Leydig component of the seat of the soul is a bit more mysterious. Numerous Cayce readings discuss the Leydig gland, also calling it the lyden (with various other variations of spelling and pronunciation). The readings stated that “lyden” is the meaning (a sealed or closed door) and Leydig is the name of the man who indicated its activity. The readings noted that it be called either, depending upon the context. The currently accepted position by the A.R.E. is that the Leydig gland is actually the cells of Leydig discovered by the Austrian physiologist Franz von Leydig in 1850. Most notably, the cells of Leydig secrete testosterone into the general circulation, which qualifies as an endocrine function. But there are some serious problems with this association, as we shall see in the articles on this site.
Application: In short, when it comes to the seat of the soul, and especially the Leydig component of that duo, there are many more questions than answers. The purpose of this website is to explore these questions with a particular focus on APPLICATION - knowledge that leads to helping people and making the world a better place for everyone.