"It is thought and feeling which guides the universe, not deeds"

The insight attributed to Edgar Cayce, "It is thought and feeling which guides the universe, not deeds", invites consideration of the fundamental forces at play in the unfolding of reality. Rather than elevating outward actions, Cayce points inward, toward the domain of intention, emotion, and consciousness as the engines that propel existence and causality. The suggestion is that the material acts humans perform, the deeds visible and measurable in the physical world, are but symptoms or expressions of the deeper, often invisible currents of thought and feeling.

From this perspective, every action in the universe is preceded and shaped by an internal state. Compassion, malice, hope, or fear first manifest within the realm of feeling and imagination before becoming actualized through behavior. The creative process, whether on a cosmic or individual scale, emerges not through the accumulation of acts alone, but through the motivations and beliefs infusing them. When a person performs a kindness, the gesture draws its transformative power not only from what is done, but from the love or empathy inspiring it.

On a broader scale, the quote touches on the philosophical notion that collective consciousness may impact universal patterns. The fabric of human experience and, by some accounts, the very structure of nature, could be governed by the aggregate of thoughts, expectations, and emotions. Rather than being powerless bystanders swept along by circumstances, individuals participate in shaping reality through what and how they think and feel.

While deeds have tangible consequences, their origins lie rooted in the intangible. Change in the world thus begins with a shift in attitude, beliefs, or emotional perceptions. This view, espoused by Cayce and echoed throughout spiritual traditions, presents a universe guided less by mechanics than by the energies of mind and heart, suggesting that the truest form of agency lies within.