About the Author

Summum Bonum Amen Ra aka Corky Ra aka Claude Nowell (November 2, 1944 - January 29, 2008) was the founder of Summum, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah. Summum is a spiritual organization that teaches philosophy, meditation, and a way of life, and was founded in 1975 by Ra as a result of encounters he experienced with advanced beings. In 1980, he reluctantly established Summum as Utah's first federally bonded winery and the state's second winery. He was forced to do so by governmental agencies so that Summum could create sacraments used in the meditations taught by the organization. Known as "Nectar Publications," these sacramental nectars are made inside of a three story pyramid built by Ra and volunteer supporters of Summum. The pyramid is also used as a classroom for the Summum philosophy. Through Summum, Ra re-introduced the spiritual practice of mummification in a modern form and at one point was a licensed funeral director in the state of California. He has been referred to as "the father of modern mummification," and the mummification services offered by Summum have received international recognition. Summum's philosophy is based on basic principles also known as the "Seven Aphorisms" which Summum at one point had requested to be placed on monuments next to Ten Commandments monuments in city parks. This resulted in litigation against several local municipalities, and one of the cases made its way to the US Supreme Court where in 2009, the court unanimously decided against Summum. After his passing, Ra's body was mummified according to Summum's precepts and was sealed inside a gold bronze sarcophagus also known as "The Mummiform" where it will rest for all time and eternity.