Claude Nowell
Claude Nowell | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 2, 1944 |
| Known for | Founder of Summum |
| Children | 2 |
Claude Rex Nowell (November 2, 1944 – January 29, 2008), also known as Corky King, Corky Ra, and Summum Bonum Amon Ra, was an American businessman and founder of Summum, a non-profit philosophical and religious organization that practices a modern form of mummification.[1][2]
Early life and education
Nowell was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. When he was four years old, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved to Southern California. That same year (1948), his mother married Robert Williamson King and she had Claude's name legally changed to Claude Rex King. When he was young, Claude was given the nickname "Corky" which was how he was known to friends and family.[1]
Up until 1959, Nowell lived in
Career
Founding of Summum
In 1975, Nowell founded Summum following an experience he describes as an encounter with highly intelligent beings.[4][5] The purpose of Summum is to share with others the information he received from his encounter and to provide an environment for those on a path of spiritual development. In 1980, Nowell legally changed his name to Summum Bonum Amon Ra as a representation of his spiritual path.[1]
Pyramid and winery
In 1978, Nowell began construction of a
Modern mummification
Through Summum, Nowell re-introduced mummification in a modernized form and at one point was a licensed funeral director in the state of California.[6] Nowell has been referred to as "the father of modern mummification,"[10] and the mummification services offered by Summum have received attention in international publications.[11][12] The process begins with the body's submersion in fluids for 77 days and is complex, requiring about 1,000 hours of labor over six months. Those wishing to be mummified write a "spiritual will" outlining where they hope their soul will go in the next lifetime, to be read to their body at least once a day during its 77 days of submersion.[13]
The first human to undergo the mummification process was Nowell himself, who died in January 2008. His body is encased inside a bronze mummiform (casket) that is covered in gold and stands inside the group's pyramid.[14][15]
Personal life
Nowell was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He had two children.[16] Upon Nowell's death in 2008, he became the first human to be mummified using Summum techniques.[17][18]
References
- ^ a b c d "Claude Rex Nowell (King) also known as "Corky"". Summum. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
- ^ "About Summum". Summum. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
- ^ Henetz, Patty (April 22, 2002). "Utah-based church melds wine, sexuality, meditation". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ^ a b Murray, John (May 8, 1978). "Summum philosophy: a cosmic view". The Daily Utah Chronicle. Vol. 87. Salt Lake City, Utah.
- ^ "The First Encounter". Summum. Retrieved September 13, 2006.
- ^ ISBN 1-58542-505-2.
- ^ "Utah Wineries". The WineWeb. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ^ "The Summum Nectar Publications". Summum. Archived from the original on July 16, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ISBN 0-8133-6612-7.
- ISBN 978-1-58196-059-4.
- ^ Kienle, Dela (2007). Ägypten Geheimnis am Nil (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Kosmos.
- ^ Enklaar, Jasper; Maarten Raven; Herodotos van Halikarnassos; Frank Mutter; Bas de Leng; Mark Wiegman (2007). Balsemen, thanatopraxie & koelen (in Dutch). Den Haag, Netherlands: Uitvaart Media.
- ^ Ravitz, Jessica (November 12, 2008). "Spotlight on Summum: Journey of one's essence". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah.
- ^ Ravitz, Jessica (June 11, 2010). "Summum: Homegrown spiritual group, in news and in a pyramid". CNN. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ "The Golden Mummiform of Amen Ra". Summum. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-317-52887-6.
- ^ "Religious group performs mummification rituals in Utah pyramid | KSL.com". www.ksl.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ "~~|~~ SUMMUM, Amen Ra ~ In Memoriam". nowscape.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
General references
- "New Age Mummies". Radio National Breakfast with Peter George. July 5, 2000. 5 minutes in. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Radio National.
- davico (February 19, 2007). "Various methods of mountain burial" (in Korean). FuneralNEWS. Retrieved November 10, 2007. [dead link]
- Mrazek, Milos. "Summum Bonum" (PDF) (in Czech). Dingir. pp. 79–81. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
- "Morir como un faraón" (in Spanish). XLSemanal Magazine. January 25, 2004. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- "Fit für die Ewigkeit" (in German). Stern.de. November 6, 2003. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- "La morte ti fa bella: quando il design incontra l'arte funebre" (in Italian). Dispenser. January 16, 2001. Retrieved November 10, 2007. [dead link]