Susan Shumsky & Interview on Divine revelations
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 2:37PM 
I initially grew aware of Dr. Susan Shumsky through her writing and grew fascinated with her spiritual journey. I am grateful she takes the opportunity to share insights from her experiences during this interview;
What was it like to reside in remote areas of the Himalayas and Alps for 7 years?
When I lived in the ashram, I meditated from 5 to 20 hours per day. I would go into my room and not appear for up to 8 weeks at a time. I would have the food brought to my door. I would observe silence and not utter a sound for up to 4 months at a time. I would fast for up to 2 months at a time. I observed celibacy for decades. So I was an introvert. And that is definitely an understatement.
How did you end up on the staff of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi? Is this unusual for women?
I ended up on his personal staff because I asked him. He had both men and women on his staff. Men were more in the limelight. Women worked more in the background.
I served on Maharishi's personal staff for 7 years. That was an amazing experience. I was swinging from of the highest intensity of bliss of heaven, to the deepest intensity of suffering of hell. Heaven, when my guru gazed at me or gave me that special, powerful wave of grace and bliss that is transmitted from master to disciple. Hell, when he ignored me or scolded me. This swing from heaven to hell is the master's way of inflating and destroying the ego in turns, until the disciple becomes egoless.
Why is Transcendental Meditation (TM) useful?
TM teaches people how to go into a deep state of meditation and experience transcendental consciousness, otherwise known as turiya (the fourth state of consciousness), samadhi (stillness of mind and body), or sat chit ananda (absolute bliss consciousness). There are over 500 scientific studies done on this practice, including everything from reversing heart disease to creating a more harmonious atmosphere and reducing crime rate in cities.
I no longer teach TM. I teach Divine Revelation--a spiritual teaching founded by Mahavatar Babaji, the Yogi-Christ mentioned in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.
At what stage did you begin to assume the role of spiritual teacher?
I have taught meditation since 1970. But I have taught Divine Revelation since 1986. Divine Revelation helps people hear the voice of God, learn how to distinguish between the true divine voice and other voices in your mind, and attain God realization.
Please share events that sparked your perception of Divine Revelations;
Even though I spent 22 years in an ashram of the famous spiritual master from India, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, I never received one divine revelation during that time. Once a year, my guru and his closest disciples went into silence for 7 days. We would stay in our rooms and meditate and fast for those 7 days. When he came out of silence, he would gather with a handful of people, and he would say something like, "Mother Divine spoke to me and she said..." He would then describe what Mother Divine had told him during his silence.
When you are living with a guru from India, often you think that he is a very evolved soul, on a much higher plane than you are. That is what I thought. I worshipped my guru and believed him to be like God. I thought that I could never attain a level of consciousness like his. And I could never conceive that Mother Divine would speak to me directly. Little did I know that all I had to do was ask.
When I lived in the ashram, I loved meditation, and I enjoyed profound spiritual experiences every day. These experiences helped me establish a powerful level of awareness that has served me throughout my life. That was the upside of my decades of meditation in the ashram. However, there was also a downside.
As a faithful TM practitioner and teacher, and as a devoted disciple of my guru, for 22 years the TM creed was hammered into my brain: TM is the only path to enlightenment. Maharishi is the only enlightened master. TM is your only chance for spiritual evolution. If you don't practice TM faithfully, you are doomed to lifetimes of suffering.
Just like many other TM teachers, I was thoroughly convinced that I was on a higher, "more evolved" level than the teeming masses. I firmly believed that I was vastly superior to the insignificant, irrelevant, trifling swarm of ignorant, unevolved humanity, whose measly awareness waded through muck and mire-far outside the gates of the insulated, unsullied paradise/ cocoon/ safety/ bubble/ heavenly grace of the TM community.
The TM ashram was definitely a bubble, but it was inflated with the hot air of its arrogant, swaggering residents. I was one of them.
The hierarchy of TM social status was defined by a precise stepladder, with Maharishi above the highest rung, the International Staff and other TM officials on the highest rung, TM teachers on the middle rung, and TM mediators on the bottom. When I served on Maharishi's International Staff, from 1970 to 1976, I was perched on the highest rung. However, when I lived in Fairfield, I had slipped a few rungs down the ladder. Yet I was still perched firmly on the ladder.
One night I attended one of the frequent parties held in the homes of the inhabitants of Fairfield, Iowa. Here I encountered Rich Bell, a seeming nobody whom I pegged as a bottom feeder who crawled in the dirt below the bottom rung of the ladder.
At this party Rich Bell accosted me and attempted to convince me that he had something to teach me--a meditation technique different from TM (horror of horrors). Teach me something? Teach me anything? I know everything there is to know about meditation. Ha. With my nose high in the air, I laughed and flicked him away like a fly, with a flip of my wrist. My self-importance stopped him cold.
I believed that the TM organization was my only avenue for learning, my only path to enlightenment, and my only lifeline to God. But my mask of superiority cloaked an ominous cloud that hung on the horizon. Little did I know what was in store.
Shortly after my encounter with Rich Bell, I was stunned to receive a phone call from a member of The Executive Board--the governing body of the TM organization in Fairfield, Iowa, who summoned me to his office. To describe this as a shocker is an understatement. It was more like a knockout punch. As I hung up the phone and struggled to gasp my next breath, my heartbeat sped into overdrive and terror ripped through my bones. At once my mind concocted the worst possible punishment--my entry badge to "The Dome" (where TM practitioners meditated and levitated in large groups) being confiscated.
The Board insisted that I appear before them to explain my actions, because an informant had apparently reported me for organizing a New Age psychic fair at the VFW in town. This was an infraction of the TM organization's strict rules, since TM teachers are banned from any extracurricular activity not officially sanctioned by the organization. I had evidently been a bad, bad little girl. And the Board wanted to either slap my wrists or chop them off. Which option they might choose was entirely unknown to me.
I do not know what possessed me to phone Rich Bell. Perhaps I was seized with a terror of drowning so immediate that I grappled for the nearest flotation device. After hearing of my dilemma, Rich asked me to grab a pen and paper. Then he dictated an affirmation over the phone, and he told me to repeat the affirmation for 15 minutes right before my meeting with The Board. Frankly, I did not know what an "affirmation" was.
Right before the meeting, I was so intimidated and frightened in anticipation of appearing before the Board, that I repeated the affirmation aloud for 30 minutes solid. Amazingly, with every repetition of the affirmation, my awareness became more powerful and filled with greater inner strength. By the time the meeting hour arrived, I was brimming with energy, grounded and solid as the earth.
I entered the office with what I expected would be six intimidating, glowering men ready to pounce on me. But they transformed into puppy dogs. The entire meeting turned to my advantage. They were uncharacteristically polite, and they ended the meeting by apologizing for any inconvenience they may have caused. I floated out of the office, high on my own energy. The entire crisis simply vanished into nothingness.
I was so impressed with the power of Rich Bell's affirmation, that I asked him to teach me this new meditation practice. That is how I learned how to listen to the "still small voice" of God within.
When Rich and I finally sat down together, he guided me into a different meditation practice than I had ever experienced before. As he led me through various levels of awareness, I saw a bright white light and later a beautiful azure light, otherwise known at the "blue pearl" of Lord Krishna, and I expanded to levels of my higher self in a way that I had previously never realized. I visited realms of inner space that I had not previously seen on my radar map. These were celestial regions, the worlds of the personal God, the highways and byways of God consciousness. The "still small voice" of God spoke to me, and I received words of love, comfort, and peace.
What can you tell us about the meditation techniques of “Buddha boy” (16 year old Nepalese who meditated 6 months)?
I wish that I could, but I cannot tell you about his meditation techniques. I do not believe that he has told anyone his techniques. Some people believe he is a reincarnation of Gautama Buddha. Others say he learned his methods in the Tibetan monastery in Dehra Dun--Tumo meditation (Tibetan meditation that increases heat in the body), and in a monastery in Himachal Pradesh--the Sakya tradition of Buddhism. He seems to be living on prana, without food or water. Other yogis have done that. Giri Bala did that for 56 years. Prahladbhai Jani, who is now age 80, has not eaten or drunk anything since age 12. He was scientifically tested for 10 days straight, during which time he ingested nothing. He never passed any urine or feces. He claims to gain energy from solar gazing and from the Mother Goddess. The sun transmits energy through a hole in his throat, producing a sticky solid lump that he can redigest. This refuels the chakras in his body. From this description, this appears to be the practice of kechari mudra, a process whereby the yogi drinks soma, amrita, or nectar produced by the pineal gland. I explain this process in my new book ASCENSION.
How does a person on a spiritual path turn the self inside out so the whole universe resides on the inside?
Our subtle body already embodies the entire universe. Therefore, the entire universe is already inside. If you read my book EXPLORING CHAKRAS, you will understand deeply how the microcosm embodies the macrocosm, how the universe gets created and gets absorbed, and how the human energy field reflects all of that in its creation and absorption. By using my CD "Chakra Yoga Nidras," you can experience that universe within you with the guided meditation. Your Cosmic Self is an aspect of your higher self. It is as large and vast as the entire universe. All the galaxies and stars are within it.
Why do you sense so many people are hoping to learn more about God now?
The consciousness of the world has been lifting since the 1960s, when a great spiritual awakening began and the human potential movement was born. It is the cycle of cosmic time when spirituality is on the rise. Many enlightened masters have graced us with their presence and have begun to lift our consciousness out of the World Wars of the 20th century and the stiff, rigid, blocked mindset of that time. Now a new age is dawning, which brings greater peace and direct connection with God. The old ways are dying, People will, in time, take responsibility for their own lives rather than considering themselves victims, and they will take a direct path to God rather than going through intermediaries, such as gurus, priests, channellers, psychics, healers, astrologers, and so forth. They will realize their own self-empowerment and discover who they really are.
What advice do you offer people who struggle to focus on the present moment?
I am not sure what you mean by that question. If you mean to say that people are not focusing on the task at hand, then the practice of meditation can improve their concentration. If you mean that people are trying to "live in the now," then I would say that they are trying to make a mood of living in the now, and that they will fail. No one can make a mood of higher consciousness. You must earn it through genuine spiritual practices and through surrender to God.
Some people sense the Intuitive Age is upon us, that is, the usefulness of extended solitude no longer has the same relevance. Share your insight.
Extended solitude is not as necessary as it was in the 20th century. That is because the vibration of the planet is already on a much higher plane than before. People are now able to have spiritual experiences much quicker than before. I was a pioneer of the spiritual movement of the 1960s, and I have observed through the past 42 years how people can now attain states of deep meditation and profound experiences of God much easier. Today, through the practice of Divine Revelation, in just a few moments people can receive divine contact with God within them and hear the voice of God. When this teaching first appeared in the 1960s, people took many months to have this experience.
Where is home for you?
Home is within my heart, for that is where God resides. I have no home base on the material plane. I live in a motor home.
What additional insights would you like to share?
There is only one thing worthwhile seeking and attaining in this world--God realization. No material possession or worldly status will fulfil you. Do everything in your power to fulfil your destiny, which is to return to God.
Some of my websites:
http://www.divinerevelation.org, for my books, CDs, DVDs, art prints, and other products.
http://www.divinetravels.com, for my spiritual retreats and tours to sacred destinations, including Sedona in August.
http://www.kumbhmela.net, for my Kumbh Mela tour in the Spring of 2010.
http://www.perutour.org, for my tours to Peru.
http://www.twitter.com/SusanShumsky, for daily divinely revealed messages.
I encourage visitors here to explore Susan's websites and read about more of her experiences.
Reader Comments (23)
susan's description of Maharishi going into silence and then coming out and claiming to have had revelations from "Mother Divine" drastically mischaracterizes Maharishi--implicitly if not directly. he was not self-aggrandizing in that way, as everyone who actually knew him will attest. i have been associated with him for 37 years, and i can tell you: her description does not sound like Maharishi at all.
yes, his knowledge comes from the highest levels of expanded comprehension and clarity: this is attested to from the success and effectiveness of the meditation practices he taught. but Maharishi was not one to promote himself as "divine authority" or to use references to divine revelation to garnish attention, as susan seems to depict him.
she says some positive things about TM, but there is still a shadow in her heart.
the negative perceptions and assertions about Maharishi and the TM organization that susan lays before us in the above comments (the rigidity of the organization, the social hierarchy, the dogma, the fear-based structure) have nothing to do with TM or Maharishi, but have everything to do with susan herself. it is her reality, her perception, her state of consciousness that she is giving an account of, and nothing else. and negativity has nothing to do with the Divine. if there is some constriction or negativity in her heart, that is for her to purify--hopefully through meditation. i feel it is unfortunate that she feels compelled to share this negativity with the rest of us, but if this is her way of working it out, so be it. perhaps she is not even aware that this is what she is doing or that her comments about TM and Maharishi are somewhat haughty and denigrating.
susan means well i'm sure, and i wish her the best of luck. she was fortunate to have spent the time she did practicing TM, but she may not fully understand her experiences. could it be that the reason all went so smoothly when she appeared before the board of TM administrators was because they actually WERE puppy dogs and very harmonious and cordial people?
of course there is legitimate concern, on part of the TM organization, when a TM teacher begins to mix other practices and possibly teaches them along with TM, because TM is a revival of a very special, specific technique unlike all others, and for its effectiveness to be maintained for this and future generations, Maharishi wants it taught in its pure form, undiluted. that concern is a good and natural thing. susan makes her summons before the board, if that's what actually happened, llook like something bad. perhaps she lost sight of the importance of keeping the practice pure.
it is not uncommon for someone who has been practicing TM, when they then switch for whatever reason to some other practice, that they have very good experiences with that new practice because they have been doing TM and purifying their nervous system and have opened up their direct connection to the transcendent. also, when they stop TM, they are no longer purifying their nervous system to the same degree, so there is less "outward stroke" or mental activity of purification that corresponds to the physiological activity of stress release. so they believe that this new practice is better. but is it?
an enlightened friend of mine once said that even Krishna bows to Maharishi and the masters of the Vedic Tradition, who offer the highest and most powerful techniques for evolution, because without these techniques for transcending Krishna's devotees cannot reach him.
i think a more appropriate response would be for susan to express gratitude for the precious gifts that she received from the Vedic Tradition, through Maharishi and his teaching, which led her forward to the point where she became open to what she calls "divine revelations."
i wish her many true divine revelations and a life of total positivity.
laughing crow.
Maharishi never even said TM was the only way to enlightenment, or even to transcend from the gross material level of life to the pure field of creative intelligence that is the source of thought deep within the minds of everyone. TM is simply the most consistently reliable, scientifically verifiable and completely effortless technique to achieve same. Our awareness becomes saturated in Bliss and life is richer, more blissful and even the most minute aspects of our daily experience are elevated to a happier status than before.
Susan mentions the peer-reviewed research (more than 600 now) on TM showing how it is effective in alleviating, and in many cases, reversing chronic disorders such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrom, hypertension, ADHD and even the aging process.
I am so grateful to have been practicing TM for more than 35 years. I can tell you that as a result, my spiritual experience is exact, precise and still blossoming every day.
The world is as we are.
Wishing you all effortless transcending, bliss and fulfillment,
I do believe there could be a person who has not eaten in 60 years, for what is food but energy and energy is available in many forms.
An getting back to God -- the be all and end all is for sure where everything's at!
Oh, and I would love to know what the mantra was she chanted inwardly for half an hour! I could use it. But I do jest a bit, for I know we all can make our own affirmations, because everything we need does lie within.
In fact, I am also a true believer in TM and I have the greatest respect for Maharishi and his meditation method. After all, the practice saved my life. I enjoyed practicing it for 22 years. My TM experiences were awesome. I experienced Samadhi every day using TM. And I loved having the rare opportunity to live so close to Maharishi in his inner circle for 7 years. His darshan was filled with grace, blessings, and bliss.
I see that the TM practitioners who responded on this blog failed to notice that my interview was not criticizing them or criticizing Maharishi. I was poking fun of myself and of my own arrogance that possessed me at the time that I lived in the TM ashram in Fairfield, Iowa. My story was meant to be amusing. It is always amusing when someone makes fun of herself for being a jerk, which I was at the time.
Yes, I was haughty. Yes, I lived in fear. Yes, so did most of the people I knew at that time in that place. Yes, I was paranoid about the iron fist rule of the organization. So were other people around me. They were terrified that they might get in trouble for any slight misstep. I have heard dozens of horror stories of people I know personally who were unjustly persecuted by the TM organization.
And Yes, the member of the Board who phoned me and demanded that I appear before them spoke harshly, with the typical arrogant attitude of many leaders in the organization. Not all, certainly, but many--at least at that time, which was circa 1985. And Yes, I was terrified to appear before the Board as a result.
There is nothing that I could possibly say that would change the mind of any TM defender. I could never convince them of anything, unless my response would be to declare Maharishi as the greatest guru in the universe, whom "Even Krishna bows to." I personally believe that anyone as spiritual attuned and evolved as Maharishi deserves the respect of everyone, including Krishna. But I have also personally met many other great spiritual masters.
The posts of the TM defenders, which parrot the strict tenets of TM doctrine, only underscore my contention that TM true believers belittle every other practice and every other spiritual teacher as worthless. TM true believers on this blog claim that TM is "unlike all others." Wow, as Byron Katie might ask, "How do you know for sure that this is true?" Are the TM defenders aware that TM uses bij mantras that are well-known and widely used in India? Once again, this is not meant to belittle Maharishi or his methods. For he did something extraordinary--he managed to singlehandedly make "meditation" a household word throughout the world. Maharishi was undoubtedly a great spiritual master.
I was on Maharishi's International Staff for 7 years and lived in his ashrams for 22 years. He knew me personally and spoke with me daily. Therefore, I knew him intimately. I did not fabricate stories. Maharishi did come out of silence and say exactly what I quoted him as saying. In fact, to his inner circle of disciples, Maharishi often reported details of what Mother Divine told him. However, some TM defenders on this blog implied that I am a liar.
My quote from Maharishi when he broke his silence was not meant to deprecate Maharishi. In fact, it was meant to praise Maharishi for being able to communicate directly with the Divine Mother. How the TM defenders could twist that around and make that into criticism of Maharishi--well I am just scratching my head on that one.
Apparently something about my interview ruffled the feathers of some people. That might be a good thing. At least they reacted, defended, and then perhaps could look at how my words triggered something that they can then look at in their own mirror. And then I could also look at my own mirror.
Liara sent me an email filled with her wisdom and a great story. Here is an excerpt from her email:
"Throughout my own life, I have encountered many critical individuals and I come to view them all as meaningful teachers. They teach me the value of listening, attuning to my core self and remembering every soul is at its own level of self-awareness. To love and accept the self completely is to love and accept others equally, regardless of their stage of perception and self-understanding.
"Among Zen stories, I often refer to one about a senior monk who takes on an obnoxious junior protégé. The senior monk’s peers repeatedly ask him why he does not get another protégé. After all, the junior in tow strikes them as anything but “monk material.” The senior monk replies that before this particular experience, he thought he was tolerant, understanding, loving, humble and patient. Yet, he came to view his young protégé as one of his greatest teachers who reminds him that he knows nothing."
http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2009/6/5/what-to-learn-from-an-ancient-medicine-man.html
http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2009/5/7/10-reminders-the-intuition-age-is-now.html
Peace,
Tammy
when asked how many followers he has, Maharishi said, "I have no followers. Everyone follows their own progress."