All that time that we were enjoying Elvis' music, films, and personality, we never had an inkling that the spiritual life was important to him. Maybe this fact was deliberately withheld for the sake of his career. In any case, it is too bad that we did not really know him while he was alive. This book describes the real Elvis.

At the time he was born, a blue light surrounded his home. This was a sign that the spiritual would be important to him. It began in blood and thunder churches that he quickly rejected. Then he found gospel churches, where he learned to naturally move his body to exciting music. Then, after his career began, Larrry Geller entered his life. Of course, you never heard of Larry Geller, but he was Elvis' best friend and spiritual confidante for many years. Larry was a student of what is called metaphysics, a very broad field that Shirley MacLaine helped popularize. The author of the book, Jess Stearn, has also popularized it. The book describes Elvis' long interest in this field, from numerology to astrology to pre-Christian spirituality to Christ himself. For Elvis, it was a lonely path, as his friends and wife were not interested.

The book, like Out on a Limb, is a good introduction to metaphysics, and describes what a typical (if Elvis could be called typical) student experiences. His study helped him to face death with no qualms, and the book explains the real cause of his death (not drugs)

This is a curious book. It gives an overview of Elvis' spiritual search as seen through the eyes of Larry Geller, his personal hairdresser and self-proclaimed Guru. Geller got Elvis to explore his spiritual side mainly through New Age readings and meditation, and his own conversations with him. But the book seems to be a series of anecdotes, and bits and pieces of information thrown together. It was interesting, but did not give the kind of insight into Elvis' spirituality that I was expecting from Mr. Stearn. Perhaps I am expecting too much - Elvis the mystic?