Shumsky, Susan

PERSONAL:

Education: Holds Bachelor of Ministerial Science, Master of Ministerial Science, and Doctor of Divinity. Attended California College of Arts and Crafts, 1966-70; studied at Maharishi European Research University (India and Switzerland), 1970-76; studied at Maharishi College of Natural Law, and Maharishi International Institute, 1980-89; and with Babaji Raman Kumar Bachchan and Amritananda Mayi, 1991-93.

ADDRESSES:

Office—New York, NY. E-mail—divinerev@aol.com.

CAREER:

Teacher of transcendental meditation, self development, and intuition. On the staff of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1971-76. Affiliated with the Ozark Research Institute and New Alternatives for Publishers, Retailers, and Artists (NAPRA).

MEMBER:

American Society of Dowsers, International New Thought Alliance.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Divine Revelation, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1996.

Exploring Meditation: Master the Ancient Art of Relaxation and Enlightenment, New Page Books (Franklin Lakes, NJ), 2002.

Exploring Chakras: Awaken Your Untapped Energy, New Page Books (Franklin Lakes, NJ), 2003.

Exploring Auras: Cleansing and Strengthening Your Energy Field, New Page Books (Franklin Lakes, NJ), 2006.

Miracle Prayer: Nine Steps to Creating Prayers That Get Results, Celestial Arts (Berkeley, CA), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Susan Shumsky studied with, and was on the staff of, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the spiritual guru of the Beatles and Deepak Chopra, in such locations as the Himalayas and the Alps. She immersed herself in meditation, not speaking for months at a time, but she left the ashram when she began another form of meditation she calls divine revelation. Since 1989 she has lived in a motor home, traveling across the United States to conduct lectures and seminars. She has also written a number of books, including her first, which is named for the form of meditation she practices, which she contends helps the believer communicate with God.

The first section of Exploring Chakras: Awaken Your Untapped Energy explains prana, kundalini, and the subtle bodies. The second section discusses understanding chakras, with a chapter devoted to each to help in opening them. The last section offers instruction on awakening kundalini, using techniques similar to those in the previous section. Cauldron Web site reviewer Randall wrote: "These are explained both simply and directly, in clear and understandable language—even if the text is sprinkled with many foreign words."

Similarly, in Exploring Auras: Cleansing and Strengthening Your Energy Field, she explains prana, the force that creates the aura. Spirit of Change Web site reviewer Alec Franklor wrote: "Introducing an amazing quantity of information about all aspects of the human energy field, Susan Shumsky's engagingly energetic, yet simple writing style makes the ‘contagious health’ and ‘infectious virtue’ of a vibrant aura accessible to everyone."

Shumsky followed with Miracle Prayer: Nine Steps to Creating Prayers That Get Results, in which she contends that one can have direct contact with God. A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote: "Readers inclined to practice the willing suspension of disbelief may appreciate this book."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Publishers Weekly, July 15, 1996, review of Divine Revelation, p. 69; May 15, 2006, review of Miracle Prayer: Nine Steps to Creating Prayers That Get Results, p. 69.

ONLINE

Cauldron,http://www.ecauldron.com/ (May 14, 2007), Randall, review of Exploring Chakras: Awaken Your Untapped Energy.

Spirit of Change,http://www.spiritofchange.org/ (May 14, 2007), Alec Franklor, review of Exploring Auras: Cleansing and Strengthening Your Energy Field.

Susan Shumsky Home Page,http://www.divinerevelation.org (May 14, 2007).