Summum is Gnostic Christianity

The Teachings of Summum are the Teachings of Gnostic Christianity

The word "gnosticism" comes from the Greek word "gnosis" meaning knowledge. In Gnostic Christianity, spiritual gnosis is not just a knowledge of facts or figures or an intellectual understanding of theological ideas. Rather, it is an experience. This knowledge or gnosis is subjective in its nature. The Gnostic doesn't just believe in God, he or she experiences God. Spiritual gnosis can not be attained through the intellect. It is special initiatory knowledge given to the few who are ready to receive it. Through devotion and spiritual practice, the Gnostic has a revelatory experience that modifies human perception, and transfigures the individual. The authentic teachings of Jesus centered upon that theme and in recent times came more to light with the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts and the Gospel of Judas.

John the Evengelist — "John the Evangelist"
by Jacopo Pontormo

The opening verses of the Gospel of John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" allude to the Gnostic concept of the Logos (which translates as Word), a divine presence.

In the first century of Christianity, Gnosticism was one of the three major branches of the faith. It differed from the other two in the following ways:

It had different interpretations of the bible.
It taught tolerance for different religious beliefs, both within itself and outside of itself.
It did not discriminate against women.
It put an emphasis on experiential knowledge. Experience of God was more important than obedience, faith, or good works.

Painting of Paul the Apostle — The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt, c. 1657. Paul's writings are considered to be Gnostic.

By the end of the 5th Century CE, the Gnostic movement and most of its writings had been destroyed by Catholic "heresy hunters" and the Roman army. The iron hand of Constantine smothered philosophy with a blanket of theology. Anything that had to do with gaining revelatory experience was cast aside. Writings were compiled for the purpose of establishing power and control and anything that did not fit this purpose was banned. The loss to the Christian Church was incalculable, for its very essence and spirit was gutted.

Large religious movements of any kind are complex and difficult to define. As in contemporary Christianity, there are disagreements between sects and within sects. Professor Clark Emery from the University of Miami helped to elucidate the basic tenets of Gnosticism in a work he did on William Blake, a 19th century poet and Gnostic. Professor Emery gave twelve points on which most Gnostics agree. They are listed in below. Click/tap on each one to show related passages from the book, SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind.

1. The Gnostics posited an original spiritual unity that came to be split into a plurality.

Summum, Chapter Two

Before the material universe manifested there was NO THING. If there was NO THING (NOTHING), then it must have been possible for nothing to be. If it is possible for NO THING to be, then it must be possible for everything to be -- all matter, "space-time," all relativity -- all this must be possible. If there is All Possibility, then there must be the possibility of the NO THING (NOTHING). In the same fashion it must be possible for ALL THINGS to be (SUMMUM). Automatically, with no beginning and no end, do these Grand Opposites "come in and out of bond infinite times in a finite moment" -- therefore creating a series of infinite "EVENTS." These infinite EVENTS, held within the finite moment of singularity, display as infinite conceptualized energy released in an incredible, phenomenal explosion. This has been called the BIG BANG -- an EVENT.

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SUMMUM, created by the copulation of NOTHING and POSSIBILITY, is SPIRIT, and may be considered and thought of as A UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND. This MIND is the effect of CREATION'S "copulation," manifesting the qualities of nothingness and (SUMMUM) possibility. From the copulation of CREATION emanates the seven Great Principles of Summum: PSYCHOKINESIS, CORRESPONDENCE, VIBRATION, OPPOSITION, RHYTHM, CAUSE AND EFFECT, and GENDER. These Principles are the NATURE of the Grand Copulation of CREATION.

Summum, Chapter 3

This living MIND performs gastrulation, which is a turning of itself inside out, manifesting its esoteric NATURE outwardly. Therefore, all the phenomenal worlds and universes are simply a mental creation of SUMMUM (MIND), subject to the laws of created things, and the universes, as a whole and in their parts or units, have their existence in the Mind of SUMMUM.

2. As a result of the precosmic division the universe was created. This was done by a leader possessing inferior spiritual powers and who often resembled the Old Testament Jehovah.

Summum, Chapter 9

The Summum teachings concerning the process of the mental creation of the universe are that at the beginning of the creative cycle, SUMMUM in Its aspect of "Being," projects Its Will towards Its aspect of "Becoming," and the process of Creation begins. The process consists of the lowering of vibration until a very low degree of vibratory energy is reached, the point at which the grossest possible form of matter manifests. This process is called the stage of involution, in which SUMMUM becomes "involved" or "wrapped up" in Its creation.

3. A female emanation of God was involved in the cosmic creation (albeit in a much more positive role than the leader).

Summum, Chapter 7

SUMMUM is not real duality; only in Its subjective essence. The two aspects come from NOTHING and POSSIBILITY in their BONDing copulation; for SUMMUM is the EVENT of this bond. The masculine principle displayed by SUMMUM stands, in a way, apart from the actual mental creation of the universe. It projects Its Will toward the feminine principle, the womb (which may be called "nature"), whereupon the latter begins the actual work of the creation of the universe.

4. In the cosmos, space and time have a malevolent character and may be personified as demonic beings separating man from God.

Summum, Chapter 2

Although your physicists and astronomers have determined the origin of the material universe, they are incapable of determining the MOMENT just prior to the BIG BANG. This cannot be examined by formulas, because formulas use the methodology of the material universe. Just prior to the EVENT (singularity), "space-time" and therefore "matter" did not exist, so it is impossible to make formulations based upon the non-reality of these systems. To be totally correct one would have to say there was no MOMENT just prior to the BIG BANG, for time did not exist. So when physicists try to examine the origin of the Creation, they must be confined to studying philosophical states, and they are not comfortable doing this at this time.

Summum, Chapter 8

The partially wise, recognizing the comparative unreality of the universe, imagine that they may escape its laws. Such is vanity, for these presumptuous fools are broken and torn apart by the elements by reason of their folly. The truly wise, knowing the nature of the universe, use Law against laws; the higher against the lower; and by the Art of Psychokinesis alter that which is undesirable into that which is perfected, and thus prevail.

5. For man, the universe is a vast prison. He is enslaved both by the physical laws of nature and by such moral laws as the Mosaic code.

Summum, Chapter 17

To be able to immerse IN the presence of SUMMUM, that point opposite "all action and manifested creation," above physical body life, the disciple must leave behind him or herself. Self (ego) will not immerse in SUMMUM, for the ego is a fixation of memories from the points of "all action and manifested creation" -- your prison of bodily nature.

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Obstacles and Barriers

1. Correct Idea -- Holding a perception of an object (a process of mentally "defining" an object with which you make contact); or accepting the testimony of a qualified expert regarding an object of perception; and judging that perception or point of view to be the "right" or "proper" or "only way" to perceive the object.

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Remember the Divine Paradox. Everything is partially true. Everything is correct and incorrect. The enlightened recognize all perspectives. They have cast aside the judgments which fix humans to single points of view and obstruct progression.

6. Mankind may be personified as Adam, who lies in the deep sleep of ignorance, his powers of spiritual self-awareness stupefied by materiality.

Summum, Chapter 17

Meditation is the process of awakening you to your spirit. Most humankind simply talk about having a spirit, and some believe they have one, but are not really sure. For you are so "involved" in the drama of your physical life that your consciousness is bound up in your ego, and bodily nature and appetites, making you asleep to your spirit.

7. Within each natural man is an "inner man," a fallen spark of the divine substance. Since this exists in each man, we have the possibility of awakening from our stupefaction.

Summum, Chapter 9

SUMMUM is immanent in (remaining within; inherent; abiding within) Its universe, and in every part, particle, unit, or combination within the universe.

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In the degree that humans realize the existence of the indwelling spirit immanent within their being, by directing their ATTENTION to the spirit within and storing potential within that spirit, they empower themselves with the essence of SUMMUM. As they convert their treasure of kinetic mental action to spiritual potential, so will they progress in the spiritual levels of life.

Summum, Chapter 17

As you direct your attention "by meditation" to your spirit and withdraw it from the involvement in the vivid dream of your ego and physical life and bodily appetites, you begin to comprehend how asleep you are.

8. What effects the awakening is not obedience, faith, or good works, but knowledge.

Summum, Chapter 17

The technique of meditation is IMMERSION; the concentrating of your ATTENTION at a single point, using your Will to fix your ATTENTION at that point. In meditation your ATTENTION is immersed, vibrating at a single point. Using your Will you prevent your ATTENTION from being attracted to the infinite other points or distractions on the scale of consciousness. The paragon point to immerse in is that point of pure, alert, clear, total, undisturbed, and OPEN consciousness -- SUMMUM -- the point behind "all action and manifested creation" -- above your vivid dream of physical body life.

9. Before the awakening, men undergo troubled dreams.

Summum, Chapter 8

When human beings live, act, and think of the universe as merely a dream (like their own finite dreams), then certainly it becomes so for them. Like sleep walkers they stumble ever around and around in circles, making no progress, and are forced into an awakening at last by their falling bruised and bleeding over the natural laws which they have ignored.

10. Man does not attain the knowledge that awakens him from these dreams by cognition but through revelatory experience, and this knowledge is not information but a modification of the sensate being.

Summum, Chapter 17

SUMMUM (GOD) cannot flow through you until you become a portal and an open door. Until you go away and die, until you surrender to a Master and are reborn awakened, you will remain an obstacle closed to the flow of GOD's essence through you. You insist on being miserable, you insist on being blind, you insist on being what you think you are. You protect your ego, you defend your beliefs, you build an armor against SUMMUM and GOD. Until you can listen, open your mind, and be touched by a Master of God, you will never recognize or become an open portal for GOD.

11. The awakening (i.e., the salvation) of any individual is a cosmic event.

Summum, Chapter 17

Bringing yourself to the point of equilibrium through balance between mind, body, and spirit produces the complete person. By neutralizing the swing of the pendulum, concentration is focused towards the center, between the opposing points of extremes. The mind surrenders through meditation, rhythmically dancing into the music of pure, alert, clear, total, undisturbed, and OPEN consciousness in the presence of SUMMUM; and the body is brought to sensitivity through dynamic, rhythmic dance -- physical, exhaustive exercise.

This ideal meditation is the Grand Master Key to Reconciliation and the powers of spiritual psychokinesis. With the reconciliation of the two extremes neutralized and brought into balance, the disciple allows for a smooth, continuous evolution. When the disciple develops the powers of spiritual psychokinesis, he or she becomes a master of the universes. Truly, it is "MAGICAL."

12. Since the effort is to restore the wholeness and unity of the Godhead, active rebellion against the moral law of the Old Testament is enjoined upon every man.

Summum, Introduction

Contrary to popular opinion, these initiates have never sought to become martyrs. However, there are certain principles which, when publicly promulgated, bring great cries of scorn and persecution from the so called "religious." Yet a few are capable of understanding the Principles and have advanced along the path with the teacher.

In this work, the Master Key as taught by the Summa Individuals, is given to you. These are fundamental Principles of Creation. These are the working Principles, and it is left to you to apply these Principles for yourself. There will be those who read this book who will refuse to understand how Creation provides for the continuance of the work, which must recreate itself in every age. Sometimes the work is neglected but it cannot remain so forever. The master key which unlocks the Principles of Creation is a constant. However, the application is best adapted from age to age.