Elvis Presley’s Hidden Spiritual Journey

According to his late hairdresser and spiritual mentor Larry Geller, Elvis was a deeply spiritual seeker, profoundly affected by the death of his twin at birth.

The Library That Traveled With Him

The 1982 book ELVIS HIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, co-written by Geller and Jess Stern, reports that there were hundreds of spiritual books Elvis read, traveled with, and collected beginning in the mid-1960s.

These books educated and comforted him as he tried to understand his purpose in life and why he lived while his brother did not.

Geller wrote that, after the Bible, Elvis’s favorite spiritual book was The Impersonal Life by Joseph Sieber Benner. Geller gave it to him after he was hired in 1964 to cut, dye, and manage Elvis’s hair.

As Geller worked closely with him over time, Elvis also became intrigued by The Prophet (his bedside companion), The Mystical Christ, Beyond the Himalayas, The Secret Doctrine, Cosmic Consciousness, and The Infinite Way. Another favorite was The Secret Teachings of All Ages, signed by Manly Hall.

Seeking Universal Consciousness

Although Elvis was interested in universal consciousness, he avoided psychics and fortune-tellers. Instead, he was drawn to ideas about reincarnation, astrology, and UFOs.

Meditation, Music, and Mentors

On tour and at Graceland, Elvis meditated with Geller, and they reportedly had deep philosophical discussions that his entourage often did not understand and sometimes felt excluded by.

Beyond reading and meditating, Elvis also met several times with Daya Mata, president of Self-Realization Fellowship, and recorded his first spiritual album, How Great Thou Art.

The Mystery of Numbers and Destiny

Toward the end of his life, Elvis became interested in numerology, influenced by Cheiro’s Book of Numbers and Heline’s Sacred Science of Numbers.

Both Elvis and Geller were “number 8” people. According to these books, number 8 personalities were often either great successes or great failures. They were said to have a leaning toward occult studies and religious devotion.

“Eight is the number of the resurrection into a higher consciousness and a new manner of living,” according to The Sacred Science of Numbers.

Loss, Loyalty, and a Vanished Library

Geller was pushed out of Elvis’s inner circle in 1967—some say by Colonel Tom Parker, who disliked Geller’s influence on Elvis. Geller later returned in 1972 and was at Graceland when Elvis died.

Geller’s book about Elvis’s spiritual journey—overwritten at times but still fascinating—does not record the bonfire burning of all of Elvis’s books, which reportedly happened while he was away from home.

I can only speculate that it may have been for legal or practical reasons. Whatever the cause, the loss of his beloved library must have been a major blow to both the late Geller and Elvis.

#Elvis #SpirtualElvis #Numerology #CosmicConsciousness #LarryGeller