From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summum
Summum
Summum’s philosophy stems from what it considers to
be principles of nature that cannot be accredited to any
person.[4] These principles flower in different forms and
were outlined before in the writings of The Kybalion first
published in 1908.[5] But Summum, considering The Ky-
balion incomplete and antiquated, rewrote the book after
it entered the public domain.[6] The new derivative work
utilized a more modern language and incorporated the
new information that was presented to Ra by the Summa
Individuals. Included in that information is an explana-
tion and description of how creation came about. The
rewrite resulted in a book published by Summum enti-
tled SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind, and it pro-
The Summum Pyramid vides an outline of the group’s philosophy. The basis of
the philosophy is the "Grand Principle of Creation" that
Summum is a religion and philosophy that began in states, "Nothing and Possibility come in and out of bond
1975 as a result of Claude "Corky" Nowell’s claimed en- infinite times in a finite moment". The principle of cre-
counter with beings he described as "Summa Individu- ation generates the totality of existence which the Sum-
als". According to Nowell, these beings presented him mum philosophy refers to as "SUMMUM", and from this
with concepts regarding the nature of creation, concepts master principle emanate "Seven Summum Principles"
that have always existed and are continually re-intro- known as Psychokinesis, Correspondence, Vibration, Op-
duced to humankind by advanced beings who work along position, Rhythm, Cause and Effect, and Gender.[4]
the pathways of creation. As a result of his experience, Summum states that its teachings are the same as
Nowell founded Summum in order to share the "gift" he the teachings of Gnostic Christianity and maintains that
received with others.[1] In 1980, as a reflection of his new- knowledge does not come from things such as the intel-
found evolutionary path, he changed his name to Sum- lect or obedience or faith, but from revelatory experi-
mum Bonum Amon Ra,[2] but news stories indicate he ence.[7] Summum teaches the "Systematic Law of Learn-
went by Corky Ra.[3] ing" which explains that knowledge is attained through
questioning and experience.[8] According to Summum,
Basis of the philosophy devotion and spiritual practice leads to revelatory expe-
rience, and that was the basis of the authentic teachings
of Jesus.[7]
Etymology and philosophical
meaning
The word "summum" is Latin and is the neuter form of
"summus" which means "highest".[9]
In the context of the Summum philosophy, "sum-
mum" means "the sum total of all creation".[10] Summum
appears to distinguish between "Summum" and
"SUMMUM" in that "Summum" is the name of an organi-
zation and philosophy while "SUMMUM" is a name given
to the totality of existence.[4]
Summum sign: "The grand principle of creation is: ’Nothing
and possibility come in and out of bond infinite times in a finite
moment.’"
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summum
Meditation
Practice of the religion involves meditation upon the as-
pect of creation that is within one’s self. Summum be-
lieves that within all created things is an essence which is
the spirit of the creator. The more one directs his or her
attention to this indwelling spirit, the more one realizes
its existence and moves along the lines of spiritual pro-
gression, developing "spiritual Psychokinesis".[4] It ap-
pears that there is no recognized deity per se in the phi-
losophy, but rather that people are all part of the mind
of the universe and that the universe collectively consti-
tutes something great and worthy of study and medita-
tion.
According to Summum, our mental states dictate our
sense of harmony and disharmony, and the resulting ex-
A cat being mummified by Summum
periences become part of our memories that then hold us
captive.[11]
that is covered in gold and stands inside the group’s pyra-
mid.[18][19]
Nectar Publications
Summum produces "Nectar Publications" which are nec- Participants
tars containing alcohol and used in the meditation prac-
According to its founder, over 250,000 people worldwide
tices that Summum teaches. The nectars are made inside
have "received" Summum instruction. As the organiza-
the Summum Pyramid and according to Summum are
tion does not keep formal membership records, this fig-
imbued with resonations that contain spiritual concepts.
ure is based on the number of bottles of wine it has dis-
Summum has made a number of different types of nec-
tributed.[3][20]
tars, each containing its own "message". A small amount
of nectar is consumed prior to meditation, and the alco-
hol is said to carry the resonations across the blood-brain Summum and the Ten Com-
barrier where they are released in the brain. Perception
of the nectars’ effects is said to depend upon the aware- mandments
ness of the person using them.[12] Summum contends that the principles and nature of cre-
Governmental authorities consider the nectars to be ation are continuously re-introduced to humankind by
wine and required that Summum obtain a winery license evolved beings.[4] The group holds that in one such case,
in order to make them. Summum is Utah’s first federally Moses in the Old Testament was given both a "lower"
bonded winery.[12][13] and "higher" knowledge from a divine being. The lower
knowledge was embodied in the more widely known Ten
Mummification Commandments, while the higher was expressed in what
Summum refers to as the "Seven Aphorisms".[21] Accord-
Summum practices "Modern Mummification" and ing to Summum, when Moses first descended from
"Transference" as a means to guide one’s essence to a Mount Sinai, he had with him the higher law inscribed
greater destination following the death of the body.[14] on stone tablets. However, the undeveloped condition of
Summum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation sole that the Israelites prevented them from understanding. Mos-
was granted a religious exemption from the IRS for its es returned to Mount Sinai and returned with another set
mummification service.[10] The service is available to of tablets containing the lower law that was much easi-
anyone for spiritual reasons and is also offered for pets. er for the people to comprehend. The higher law was on-
Summum does request and accept donations, thereby ly shared with a few capable of understanding its mean-
making it probable that these mummification services ing.[22] This appears to coincide with one of Summum’s
are a major source of financial support.[15] The process precepts that states, "The voice of wisdom is silent, ex-
has been featured in programs produced by National cept to the OPEN MIND",[4] and in this aspect, Summum
Geographic and the British Broadcasting Corpora- resembles an esoteric religious movement.
tion.[16][17] According to the group, the "Seven Aphorisms"
The first person to undergo the mummification are:[23]
process was Nowell himself, who died in January 2008. 1. SUMMUM is MIND, thought; the universe is a mental
His body is encased inside a bronze mummiform (casket) creation.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summum
2. As above, so below; as below, so above. nent monument in a public park" is perceived by an ordi-
3. Nothing rests; everything moves; everything nary and reasonable observer to be an expression of val-
vibrates. ues and ideas of the government, the owner of the park
4. Everything is dual; everything has an opposing and the monument, even though the particular idea ex-
point; everything has its pair of opposites; like and pressed by the monument is left to the interpretation of
unlike are the same; opposites are identical in the individual observer. Alito made a clear distinction be-
nature, but different in degree; extremes bond; all tween forms of private speech in public parks, such a ral-
truths are but partial truths; all paradoxes may be lies and temporary holiday displays (Christmas trees and
reconciled. menorahs), and the government speech represented by
5. Everything flows out and in; everything has its permanent monuments. He opined that even long wind-
season; all things rise and fall; the pendulum swing ed speakers eventually go home with their leaflets and
expresses itself in everything; the measure of the holiday displays are taken down; but, permanent mon-
swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the uments endure and are obviously associated with their
left; rhythm compensates. owners. Alito wrote, "cities and other jurisdictions take
6. Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause; some care in accepting donated monuments." While
everything happens according to Law; Chance is just Summum and its supporters, attempted to persuade the
a name for Law not recognized; there are many fields Court that preventing governments from selecting mon-
of causation, but nothing escapes the Law of Destiny. uments on the basis of content would be tenable, Justice
7. Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine Alito noted that such a situation would put government
and feminine principles; Gender manifests on all in the position of accepting permanent monuments with
levels. conflicting messages, that do not represent the values
and ideals of the community, or removing all monuments
Freedom of speech from public space. As described by Alito, if the law ac-
See also: Pleasant Grove City v. Summum corded with Summum and its supporters, New York
Summum followers have gained attention as of late in would have been required to accept a Statue of Autocracy
that they have proposed that their Seven Aphorisms be from the German Empire or Imperial Russia when it ac-
placed in public places alongside the Ten Command- cepted the Statue of Liberty from France.[29]
ments, specifically in several locations in Utah.[24][25] In a companion case, Summum requested a monu-
Christians and town fathers have objected, claiming that ment of its Seven Aphorisms be placed next to a Ten
the Ten Commandments are of great historic significance Commandments monument in Roy Park, a public park
to the United States, and as such are not solely a religious in the city of Duchesne, Utah. Following the Supreme
statement, whereas the seven aphorisms are a modern Court’s ruling in Pleasant Grove v. Summum, Summum
philosophy. Summum has prevailed in other litigation claimed the ruling opened the door for a new challenge
where the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Sum- based on church-state separation claims. Unlike Pleasant
mum was denied its right to free speech and govern- Grove, the Duchesne Ten Commandments monument
ments had engaged in discrimination.[26][27] The govern- was the only one in the park. Duchesne decided to move
ments in those cases elected to remove their Ten Com- the monument to the city cemetery to avoid continuing
mandments monument rather than allow Summum to litigation, citing counsel from their attorney who said
erect its Seven Aphorisms monument.[20] However, the solitary monument would establish a religion for the
Pleasant Grove, Utah, was successful in getting the Unit- city. As a result of the monument’s removal from the
ed States Supreme Court to hear the current case. Their city park, Summum’s lawsuit became moot and was dis-
argument is that the acceptance of a monument is not missed.[30][31]
an instance of a public forum where speakers may not be
discriminated against, but rather a form of government Summum Pyramid
speech that does not require neutral viewpoints.[28]
On February 25, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled unan- Main article: Summum Pyramid
imously against Summum in the Pleasant Grove case. Jus- The Summum Pyramid is a sanctuary and temple used by
tice Samuel Alito, in his opinion for the court, explained the organization of Summum for instruction in the Sum-
that a municipality’s acceptance and acquisition of a pri- mum philosophy. It is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and
vately funded permanent monument erected in a public was built during 1977 to 1979. The pyramid is 40 feet long
park while refusing to accept other privately funded per- at the base, 26 feet high, and is oriented towards true
manent memorials is a valid expression of governmental north of the Earth. The structure also incorporates the
speech, which is permissible and not an unconstitutional Divine Proportion in its design.
interference with the First Amendment’s guarantee of
free speech. According to Alito, "the display of a perma-
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summum
References [17] Frayling, Christopher (Writer/Narrator/Presenter)
(1992). The Face of Tutankhamun (TV-Series).
[1] Ra, Amen. "The First Encounter". Summum. England/USA: British Broadcasting Corporation
http://www.summum.us/about/ (BBC). http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0262957/.
firstencounter.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-26. [18] Ravitz, Jessica (2010-06-11). "Summum:
[2] "Welcome to Summum". Summum. Homegrown spiritual group, in news and in a
http://www.summum.us/about/welcome.shtml. pyramid". CNN. http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/
Retrieved 2006-05-26. 2010/06/11/summum-a-belief-system-in-the-
[3] ^ Henetz, Patty (2002-04-22). "Utah-based church news-%E2%80%93-and-unlike-any-other/.
melds wine, sexuality, meditation". Associated Retrieved 2010-09-25.
Press. http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/ [19] "The Golden Mummiform of Amen Ra". Summum.
042702/rel_0427020109.shtml. Retrieved http://www.summum.us/gallery/index.php?/
2007-09-15. category/15. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
[4] ^ Ra, Summum Bonum Amen (2004) [1975]. [20] ^ "Religion sues Utah town to display ’7
SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind. Salt Lake Aphorisms’". The Associated Press. 2005-08-05.
City: Summum. http://www.summum.us/ http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/
philosophy/ebook/ebook.htm. Retrieved %5Cnews.aspx?id=15635. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
2006-05-26. [21] Full text of the Seven Aphorisms
[5] Three Initiates (1940) [1908]. The Kybalion. Chicago: [22] "The Aphorisms of Summum and the Ten
The Yogi Publication Society. Commandments". Summum.
http://www.kybalion.org/kybalion.asp. Retrieved http://www.summum.us/philosophy/
2006-05-26. tencommandments.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-22.
[6] "Summum and The Kybalion". Summum. 2002–2006. [23] Barnes, Robert (2008-04-01). "The Seven Aphorisms
http://www.summum.us/philosophy/ of Summum - washingtonpost.com". Washington
kybalion.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-26. Post (washingtonpost.com).
[7] ^ "The Teachings of Summum are the Teachings of http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
Gnostic Christianity". Summum. 2007. content/article/2008/03/31/
http://www.summum.us/philosophy/ AR2008033102359.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
gnosticism.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-11. [24] Liptak, Adam (November 10, 2008). "From Tiny
[8] "The Systematic Law of Learning". Summum. 2007. Sect, Weighty Issue for Justices". New York Times.
http://www.summum.us/philosophy/ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/
learning.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-11. washington/11sect.html. Retrieved 2008-11-11. "In
[9] "summum bonum." The American Heritage 2003, the president of the Summum church wrote
Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition to the mayor here with a proposal: the church
2000. Dictionary.com. 26 May 2006. wanted to erect a monument inscribed with the
[10] ^ "About Summum". Summum. Seven Aphorisms in the city park, “similar in size
http://www.summum.us/about/. Retrieved and nature” to the one devoted to the Ten
2006-05-26. Commandments. The city declined, a lawsuit
[11] Ra, Summum Bonum Amen (2004) [1975]. "Chapter followed and a federal appeals court ruled that the
4". SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind. Salt First Amendment required the city to display the
Lake City: Summum. http://www.summum.us/ Summum monument. The Supreme Court on
philosophy/ebook/ebook.htm. Retrieved Wednesday will hear arguments in the Pleasant
2006-05-30. Grove case, which could produce the most
[12] ^ "The Summum Nectar Publications". Summum. important free speech decision of the term."
http://www.summum.us/nectars/ [25] "Freedom of Speech". Summum.
publications.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-28. http://www.summum.us/about/freespeech.shtml.
[13] "The Summum Sanctuary". Summum. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
http://www.summum.us/pyramid/ [26] Summum v. Callaghan. Case No. 96-4191. 10th
sanctuary.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-28. Circuit Court of Appeals. 29 November 1997. Kansas
[14] "Mummification, A Philosophical Examination". Judicial Center. 25 May 2006.
http://www.summum.us/mummification/ .
[15] "Modern Mummification by Summum". [27] Summum v. City of Ogden. Case No. 01-4022. 10th
http://www.summum.org. Retrieved 2006-05-26. Circuit Court of Appeals. 19 July 2002. Kansas
[16] Chan, Wah Ho (Cinematographer) (1996). Pet Wraps Judicial Center. 25 May 2006.
(TV). USA: National Geographic Television.
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summum
. Sealed Except to the Open Mind. Salt Lake City:
[28] Barnes, Robert (2008-04-01). "With the Summum. http://www.summum.us/philosophy/
Commandments, Must City Make Room?". The ebook/ebook.htm. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
Washington Post. • "Summum and The Kybalion". Summum. 2002–2006.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ http://www.summum.us/philosophy/
content/article/2008/03/31/ kybalion.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
AR2008033102332.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved • "summum bonum." The American Heritage
2008-04-30. Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition
[29] "Supreme Court rules against Summum in Ten 2000. Dictionary.com. 26 May 2006.
Commandments case". Salt Lake Tribune. .
ci_11781464?source=rv. Retrieved 2008-02-28. • "The Summum Nectar Publications". Summum.
[30] "Summum wants lawsuit against Duchesne http://www.summum.us/nectars/
dismissed". Deseret News. 2009-06-02. publications.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-28.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705308052/ • "The Summum Sanctuary". Summum.
Summum-wants-lawsuit-against-Duchesne- http://www.summum.us/pyramid/sanctuary.shtml.
dismissed.html. Retrieved 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2006-05-28.
[31] "Move of Ten Commandments monument ends • "Religion sues Utah town to display ’7 Aphorisms’".
lawsuit against Duchesne". Salt Lake Tribune. The Associated Press. 2005-08-05.
2009-07-10. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12812615. http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/
Retrieved 2009-10-17. %5Cnews.aspx?id=15635. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
• Summum v. Callaghan. Case No. 96-4191. 10th Circuit
Further reading Court of Appeals. 29 November 1997. Kansas Judicial
Center. 25 May 2006. .
http://www.summum.us/about/. Retrieved • Summum v. City of Ogden. Case No. 01-4022. 10th
2006-05-26. Circuit Court of Appeals. 19 July 2002. Kansas Judicial
• "The Aphorisms of Summum and the Ten Center. 25 May 2006. .
http://www.summum.us/philosophy/ • Three Initiates (1940) [1912]. The Kybalion. Chicago:
tencommandments.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-22. The Yogi Publication Society.
• Henetz, Patty (2002-04-22). "Utah-based church http://www.kybalion.org/kybalion.asp. Retrieved
melds wine, sexuality, meditation". Associated Press. 2006-05-10.
http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/042702/ • "Welcome to Summum". Summum.
rel_0427020109.shtml. Retrieved 2007-09-15. http://www.summum.us/about/welcome.shtml.
• Chan, Wah Ho (Cinematographer) (1996). Pet Wraps Retrieved 2006-05-26.
(TV). USA: National Geographic Television. • Rivenburg, Roy (1993-01-27). "Return of the
• Frayling, Christopher (Writer/Narrator/Presenter) Mummy". Los Angeles Times.
(1992). The Face of Tutankhamun (TV-Series). http://articles.latimes.com/1993-01-27/news/
England/USA: British Broadcasting Corporation vw-1906_1_ancient-egyptian-practice. Retrieved
(BBC). http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0262957/. 2009-09-14.
• "Freedom of Speech". Summum.
http://www.summum.us/about/freespeech.shtml.
Retrieved 2006-05-26.
External links
• "Modern Mummification by Summum". • The organization and philosophy of Summum
http://www.summum.org. Retrieved 2006-05-26. • Mummification services and information
• "Mummification, A Philosophical Examination". • Summum content geared for kids
http://www.summum.us/mummification/
philosophy.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
• Ra, Amen. "The First Encounter". Summum.
http://www.summum.us/about/
firstencounter.shtml. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Summum&oldid=452777055"
5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summum
Categories:
• New religious movements
• New Age
• Religious organizations established in 1975
• Organizations based in Salt Lake City, Utah
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