Thisarticleincludesalistofreferences,butitssourcesremainunclearbecause ithasinsufficientinlinecitations.Pleasehelptoimprovethisarticlebyintroducing moreprecisecitations.(February2008) RaUnNeferAmen(bornRogelioAlcidesStraughn,onJanuary6,1944)isthefounderoftheAusar AusetSociety,aPanAfricanreligiousorganizationdedicatedtoprovidingAfrocentricbasedspiritual trainingtopeopleofAfricandescent.

Contents
1Earlylife 2Spiritualwork 3Culturalliaison 4Bibliography 5References

Earlylife
RaUnNeferAmenwasbornintheCentralAmericancountryofPanama.Hisinitialexposureto AfricanculturecamethroughhisvisitstotheislandofSanMiguelwheremanyenslavedAfricanshad escapedtoafterbeingbroughttoPanamainthe18thcenturybySpaniardstoworkinthegoldmines. TheseAfricans,ofprimarilyEastandCentralAfricandescent,havebeenabletomaintainmuchof theirtraditionalculturethroughtheinterveningperiod.Itwastheearlyexperiencesofthisphenomenon thatshapedhisyoungself. AmenattendedPanama'sConservatoryofMusicwhenhewassixyearsold.HearrivedintheUnited StatesonMay30,1960tocontinuehisformalmusicaltrainingandgraduatedfromtheBrooklynHigh SchoolforBoysinBrooklyn,NewYorkin1961.Upongraduating,Amencontinuedhisformaltrainingat JuilliardPrep(PreCollegeDivision)andMannesCollegeofMusic.[1]

Spiritualwork
Trainedoriginallyasaconcertpianist,composer,andmusictheoretician,Amenpassedon opportunitiesinthemusicindustrytodevotetimetothespiritualeducationandupliftofAfricanpeople. Toaccomplishthisgoal,hehaswrittenandpublishedseveralbooksonthesubjectofancient Egyptianphilosophyandspiritualculture,mostnotablyMetuNeter(Vols.17)andtheMetuNeter Oracle. OneofRaUnNeferAmen'searlyworks,MeditationTechniquiesoftheKabalists,Vedantinsand Taoistsprovidesspecificinstructionforstudentinitiates.Instructionsareprovidedfor"morallaws"(pg. 16)orbodymindlawsrequiredforreturningtoacorrectwayofliving,i.e.,awayoflivingnotdeviated (seefallofman)orbaseduponunnaturalconditionings.Adherencetotheselawswillproduceinthe practitioneranunderstandingoftheSoul,WillandConsciousness(thethreeprinciplesthatconstitute anexactknowledgeoftheSelf).Returningtoaproperwayoflivingisaprerequisitebridgetobe crossedthroughmethodswhichincludemaintainingaproperdiet.R.A.Straughn(ashecalledhimself atthetimeofthebook'spublicationinthelate1970s)pointedout,forexample,thatthemostpeople

eatadiet"severelylowinfreshfruits"(page20).IncludedisaspecificregimentforHathaYoga techniquesincludingposturesAsanasandbreathingexercisesPranayamaincluding,specifically,a techniquecalledDhumoBreathingusedforthepurposeofcleansingtheenergychannelsofthesubtle body(seeNadis)). ThebookdescribesthethreestatesofconsciousnessfromYogasciencewhichwereperhapsfirst documentedinPatajali'sYogaSutra's:Dhyna,Dhra,andSamadhi.Emphasisisplacedupon theabilitytocontrolthesestatesofconsciousness,andthusavoid"sowing"intoone's consciousness,the"seeds"ofthoughtswhichenterwithouttheoperationofone'swill(onlytocause unwilledthoughtstoreturnagainlaterandthusincreasethelikelihoodofproducingactionanda furtherbindingtoone'sconditionings). ThebookalsoincludesanintroductiontotheChineseIChingOracleamethodofDivinationfor providinganswerstoquestionsaboutone'spath.ThebookwarnspractitionersnottousetheIChing improperly,andonlyaskquestionswhichthestudenthasmadeeveryefforttoanswerbefore submittingthemtotheIChing(abuseoftheIChingwillleadtoanswerswhichcannotbe comprehended,appearnonsensical,oroffernovalue). RaUnNeferAmencurrentlyleadsaninternational[2]followingasthe"ShekhemUrShekhem"("Chief PriestandKing")oftheAusarAusetSocietyheadquarteredinBrooklyn,NewYork.

Culturalliaison
In1984hewasselectedbytheAshantiKingofAgogo,NanaKwameAkuokoSarpong,tohostthefirst Durbar(royalreception)foranAfricankingeverheldoutsideofAfrica.Thus,inOctober1985the ShekhemUrShekhemRaUnNeferAmenhostedtheDurbarforAsanteheneOtumfuoNanaOpoku WareII. InNovember1985,Amen,alongwithfiftyfourAASmembers,attendedthe50thanniversaryofthe restorationoftheAshantiConfederacy,attheinvitationoftheAsanteheneinKumasi,Ghana,West AfricawherehewasenstooledasanOmanheneoftheAshantionNovember15,1985.Duringthis visitAmenwasalsopresentedtheEpohStoolofficiallyestablishinganalliancebetweentheKingship oftheAshantiandtheKingshipoftheAusarAusetSociety.Hewasfurtherconferredthepositionof ParamountKingunderthetitleofOdeneho(KingofKings).Additionally,AmenwasenstooledbyNana KwameAkuokoSarpongascorulerofAgogoStateinGhanaonNovember18,1985. InhisroleasculturalliaisonbetweenAfricanAmericansandtheNationalGhanaianHouseofChiefs, theShekhemUrShekhem,alongwiththeGhanaiancommunityintheUnitedStateshavesponsored DurbarsforseveralotherkingsofAfrica,includingTogbiAdeladzaV,akingoftheEweNiiAumgiV,a kingoftheGaNanaAdodankwaIII,KingofOkuapemman,andothers.In1986,RaUnNeferAmen wasgivenaformalreceptionbyPresidentJerryRawlingsofGhanaasanofficialguesttothe dedicationoftheNkrumahMausoleumMemorialinAccra,Ghana.In1991,Amenwastheofficialguest oftheOnioftheYorubakingdomofIfe,ObaOkunadeSijuadeOlubuseIIinNigeria,wherehewasthe soleAfricanAmericandignitarytothefirstIleIfeReconstructionProject.Hewasalsoreceivedbythe EmirofKano,HisRoyalMajestyAlhajiAdoBayero.

Bibliography
AgelessWisdomGuidetoHealing:HealthTeachingsoftheAgelessWisdom AnAfrocentricGuidetoSpiritualUnion

HealingisintheSpirit:GuidedSpiritualMeditationsforHealingandMaintainingWellness HealingtheErrorsofLivingThroughHomeopathy,MusicandMeditation Heru,TheResurrection(Novel) KamiticSuccess:AchievingHealth,Wealth&HappinessThroughtheAgelessTeachingsof AncientEgypt Maat,The11LawsofGod MeditationTechniquiesoftheKabalists,VedantinsandTaoists MetuNeter,Vol.1:TheGreatOracleofTehutiandtheEgyptianSystemofSpiritualCultivation MetuNeter,Vol.2:AnukAusarTheKamiticInitiationSystem MetuNeter,Vol.3:TheKeyToMiracles MetuNeter,Vol.4:TheInitiate'sDailyMeditationGuide MetuNeter,Vol.5:KeystoHealth&Longevity MetuNeter,Vol.6:TheRaInitiationSystem MetuNeter,Vol.7:TheUtchauMetu NotOutofGreece:TheOriginsofLogic,Mathematics,andScience NukAuNeterIAmADivineBeing:TheKamiticHolyScriptures QiGongSuccess:PrescriptionsForHealth,Wealth&Happiness TreeofLifeMeditationSystem(T.O.L.M) TreeofLifeQiGong,Vol.1:BalancingHeavenandEarth TheRealizationofNeterNu

References
1. Jumpup^Amen(1996).TheKeytoUnderstandingYourIncarnationObjective(Destiny Reading).KhamitPublications.p.4. 2. Jumpup^Asante&Mazama(2005).EncyclopediaofBlackStudies.SagePublications.p. 104. Amen,RaUnNefer,HarlemRiverArrangement(TheIChingTranscripts),1984 Amen,RaUnNefer,MetuNetermagazine,vol.4,no.1,1994 Amen,RaUnNefer,TheKeytoUnderstandingYourIncarnationObjective(DestinyReading), 1996 Amen,RaUnNefer,IChingSpiritualCounselorCommentaryBooklet,2006 Asante,MolefiandMazama,Ama,EncyclopediaofBlackStudies,SagePublications,2005