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The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King
• Draws on firsthand accounts from Elvis’s wife, Priscilla, his friends and family, the Memphis Mafia, and his spiritual advisors
• Looks at key teachers who influenced him, including Yogananda, H. P. Blavatsky, and Manly P. Hall
• Examines Elvis’s efforts as a natural healer, the significance of his UFO encounters, and his telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveling abilities
Elvis Presley, the most successful solo artist in history and an emblematic cultural figure of the Western world, has been widely perceived as a conservative Southerner. However, the truth about the man has been missed.
Writer and researcher Miguel Conner reveals how Elvis was a profound mystic, occultist, and shaman. Beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth—including his stillborn twin brother, Jesse—Conner traces the diverse thread of mysticism that runs through Elvis Presley’s life, drawing on firsthand accounts from the people closest to him, including his wife, Priscilla, friends and family, the Memphis Mafia, and his spiritual advisors. He reveals how Elvis was a student of seminal nineteenth- and twentieth-century occultists, including H. P. Blavatsky, Manly P. Hall, G. I. Gurdjieff, and P. D. Ouspensky, as well as a devotee of Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. He argues that Elvis was well-versed in esoteric practices including sex magic, meditation, astrology, and numerology and had a deep familiarity with Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Theosophy, and Eastern traditions. Conner also reveals how Elvis was a natural healer, telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveler who had significant mystical experiences and UFO encounters.
Looking at the conspiratorial and paranormal aspects of Elvis’s life, the author explores the “Elvis visitations” that have occurred since Presley’s ostensible death and the general high weirdness of Elvis’s life. As Conner convincingly argues, Elvis was not just a one-of-a-kind rock-and-roller. He was the greatest magician America ever produced and a key player in transforming Western culture forever.
• Looks at key teachers who influenced him, including Yogananda, H. P. Blavatsky, and Manly P. Hall
• Examines Elvis’s efforts as a natural healer, the significance of his UFO encounters, and his telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveling abilities
Elvis Presley, the most successful solo artist in history and an emblematic cultural figure of the Western world, has been widely perceived as a conservative Southerner. However, the truth about the man has been missed.
Writer and researcher Miguel Conner reveals how Elvis was a profound mystic, occultist, and shaman. Beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth—including his stillborn twin brother, Jesse—Conner traces the diverse thread of mysticism that runs through Elvis Presley’s life, drawing on firsthand accounts from the people closest to him, including his wife, Priscilla, friends and family, the Memphis Mafia, and his spiritual advisors. He reveals how Elvis was a student of seminal nineteenth- and twentieth-century occultists, including H. P. Blavatsky, Manly P. Hall, G. I. Gurdjieff, and P. D. Ouspensky, as well as a devotee of Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. He argues that Elvis was well-versed in esoteric practices including sex magic, meditation, astrology, and numerology and had a deep familiarity with Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Theosophy, and Eastern traditions. Conner also reveals how Elvis was a natural healer, telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveler who had significant mystical experiences and UFO encounters.
Looking at the conspiratorial and paranormal aspects of Elvis’s life, the author explores the “Elvis visitations” that have occurred since Presley’s ostensible death and the general high weirdness of Elvis’s life. As Conner convincingly argues, Elvis was not just a one-of-a-kind rock-and-roller. He was the greatest magician America ever produced and a key player in transforming Western culture forever.
- GenresNonfictionMusic
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2025
30 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Miguel Conner
15 books51 followersMiguel Conner is host of Aeon Byte, the only topical and guest radio show on Gnosticism, ancient mysteries, and true conspiracy theories evolving since the beginning of civilization. He is author of the critically acclaimed Voices of Gnosticism. His fantasy book, 'The Executioner’s Daughter', will be released in 2012 by Solstice Publishing. His articles, fiction, and reviews have appeared in such publication as The Stygian Vortex, The Gnostic Journal, Houston Public News, The Extreme, Mindscape Magazine, The Cimmerian Journal, Reality Sandwich, and many others. He lives in the lawful dystopia of Chicago with his family, patiently waiting for the beginning of the world.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 17, 2025
3.5 stars
"It should be mentioned that [Elvis Presley's] innate kindheartedness was one his greatest magical abilities. He would exemplify another Gospel of Philip passage: 'Faith receives, love gives. No one can receive without faith, nor can anyone give without love.' Elvis spent money like a drunken sailor or a sober Pentagon general, without a doubt - on fleets of cars, airplanes, jewelry, and guns. He was just as unrestrained when it involved expensive gifts for family, girlfriends, or sometimes total strangers. [.] He just didn't care: if he had his cult, tribe and America itself to engage with, all would work out." -- on page 126
As some other GR reviewers have noted, I also was unsure what to exactly make of author/radio show host Conner's The Occult Elvis. However, I much appreciated that it was usually a sincere or respectful work on Elvis - a musician/entertainer, also similarly like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, that I will probably never tire of reading about - and his Christian faith, his genuine studious interest in other religions / spiritual matters, and even the more trivial aspects like his childhood adoration of superhero Captain Marvel a.k.a. Shazam, or his striking choice of 70's concert jumpsuits. Probably less successful were some of the dubious theories put forth linking Elvis with various mysticisms, or such otherworldly powers such as telekinesis and faith healing. So yes, I would occasionally throw my hands into the air, but I would gyrate my pelvis and everything would be okay with the world. 😉
"It should be mentioned that [Elvis Presley's] innate kindheartedness was one his greatest magical abilities. He would exemplify another Gospel of Philip passage: 'Faith receives, love gives. No one can receive without faith, nor can anyone give without love.' Elvis spent money like a drunken sailor or a sober Pentagon general, without a doubt - on fleets of cars, airplanes, jewelry, and guns. He was just as unrestrained when it involved expensive gifts for family, girlfriends, or sometimes total strangers. [.] He just didn't care: if he had his cult, tribe and America itself to engage with, all would work out." -- on page 126
As some other GR reviewers have noted, I also was unsure what to exactly make of author/radio show host Conner's The Occult Elvis. However, I much appreciated that it was usually a sincere or respectful work on Elvis - a musician/entertainer, also similarly like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, that I will probably never tire of reading about - and his Christian faith, his genuine studious interest in other religions / spiritual matters, and even the more trivial aspects like his childhood adoration of superhero Captain Marvel a.k.a. Shazam, or his striking choice of 70's concert jumpsuits. Probably less successful were some of the dubious theories put forth linking Elvis with various mysticisms, or such otherworldly powers such as telekinesis and faith healing. So yes, I would occasionally throw my hands into the air, but I would gyrate my pelvis and everything would be okay with the world. 😉
April 13, 2025
I'm not sure really how to describe this book, and I'm not sure how I really feel about it. It is kind of all over the place. I'm not sure if the author is serious, or if this is just one big joke. That being said, I enjoyed parts, and either learned something knew or remembered something. With that there are a several things that have been proven to not be accurate that are included in this book. However, there are bits and pieces of some interesting insight.
If you are someone who needs to read everything on Elvis than I recommend this book. However, if you are a casual Elvis fan than I would not recommend this book.
If you are someone who needs to read everything on Elvis than I recommend this book. However, if you are a casual Elvis fan than I would not recommend this book.
July 20, 2025
4-stars because the author went so far above and beyond to pull together an amazing amount of information about Elvis. Elvis was a little before my time, so I never got caught up in the frenzy, but Elvis is certainly an iconic figure in history, and I'm interested in spiritual things, so I had more than a passing interest in this book once I read the title. Covering all the ins and outs of psychoanalysis, the mythologies of the ancient gods, the psyche of America and the world during the years of Elvis' life (and after, clear through to today), this author covers it all very thoroughly. You don't have to buy-in to all the suppositions made, but it is documented in many other places that Elvis had powers and skills in the occult, the psychic, the spiritual healing realms. And he was troubled, wounded, highly sensitive to energies and he seems to have been born to create disrupting chaos to the status quo of the whole of humanity during his short 42 years.
April 23, 2025
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 04/23/2025.
It’s no surprise that musicians and magic have been linked: Stevie Nicks’ witchery, Jim Morrison’s mysticism, and even the misguided belief of a Satanic Alice Cooper. Musicians can seem aloof and unapproachable and easy to apply whatever beliefs we’d like to them. However, nothing could prepare me for the idea of an occult Elvis. Elvis?!?!
Now look, I am no stranger to Elvis Presley. I’m a second-generation Elvis fan, okay? My mother took great pride in showing me the scrapbook she devoted to Elvis as a young girl and I will tell you about Presley’s ‘68 Comeback Special at the drop of a hat (it’s amazing), but never, never, ever, did I consider that he had a spiritual side aside from his Church roots.
Unbeknownst to me, Miguel Conner has been considering Elvis Presley for more than his musical prowess and put his efforts into the book “The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King.”
Honestly, I don’t know where to begin when unpacking Conner’s book. “The Occult Elvis” is a thoughtful look at the life of Elvis. Conner chronicles Elvis’ many quests and misadventures in being a spiritual seeker. Referencing texts and interviews from those who spent time in Presley’s orbit you find not only man of church going roots, but an explorer of Eastern philosophies, the martial arts, spiritual healer, and extraterrestrial enthusiast. “The Occult Elvis” treats Elvis as human being, but also a magical being unto himself, or even possibly of intergalactic origin. It makes for a compelling, fun, and thought provoking read. I was particularly enchanted by a section dedicated to how Elvis Presley and Philip K. Dick had similar mundane and spiritual lives.
In “The Occult Elvis” Miguel Conner shows us a multifaceted Elvis; one filled with amazing gifts and tragic flaws. In exploring all that was supernatural in the life of Elvis Presley, Conner succeeds in making Presley truly human.
It’s no surprise that musicians and magic have been linked: Stevie Nicks’ witchery, Jim Morrison’s mysticism, and even the misguided belief of a Satanic Alice Cooper. Musicians can seem aloof and unapproachable and easy to apply whatever beliefs we’d like to them. However, nothing could prepare me for the idea of an occult Elvis. Elvis?!?!
Now look, I am no stranger to Elvis Presley. I’m a second-generation Elvis fan, okay? My mother took great pride in showing me the scrapbook she devoted to Elvis as a young girl and I will tell you about Presley’s ‘68 Comeback Special at the drop of a hat (it’s amazing), but never, never, ever, did I consider that he had a spiritual side aside from his Church roots.
Unbeknownst to me, Miguel Conner has been considering Elvis Presley for more than his musical prowess and put his efforts into the book “The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King.”
Honestly, I don’t know where to begin when unpacking Conner’s book. “The Occult Elvis” is a thoughtful look at the life of Elvis. Conner chronicles Elvis’ many quests and misadventures in being a spiritual seeker. Referencing texts and interviews from those who spent time in Presley’s orbit you find not only man of church going roots, but an explorer of Eastern philosophies, the martial arts, spiritual healer, and extraterrestrial enthusiast. “The Occult Elvis” treats Elvis as human being, but also a magical being unto himself, or even possibly of intergalactic origin. It makes for a compelling, fun, and thought provoking read. I was particularly enchanted by a section dedicated to how Elvis Presley and Philip K. Dick had similar mundane and spiritual lives.
In “The Occult Elvis” Miguel Conner shows us a multifaceted Elvis; one filled with amazing gifts and tragic flaws. In exploring all that was supernatural in the life of Elvis Presley, Conner succeeds in making Presley truly human.
April 25, 2025
The Occult Elvis: The Mystical Life of the King is Miguel Conner doing what he does best. He might have titled this book The Acts of Elvis, as it is not a simple biography recounting the more unusual and mystical aspects of Elvis Presley’s life. It is a deep dive into the inner life of America’s cultural messiah, revealing both the light and the dark of arguably the most influential of American icons.
If you like your spiritual memoirs to reflect the high weirdness of what the author calls “our Gnostic times,” The Occult Elvis is your initiation into that world. The book is a real treat.
Miguel Conner takes the reader on a journey to the crossroads and introduces us to the great god and trickster, Hermes, who enters mid-century American life embodied as his Rock ‘n’ Roll Majesty, Elvis Presley. The reader will never view Elvis the same way again. If you’re not an Elvis fan when you start reading—watch out, all you hard-nosed Beatles fans—you will be.
Elvis is a true American Godman, come to redeem the Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and rain down Gnosis on all who have “ears to hear” and “eyes to see.” If you’re waiting for the Second Coming of the Christ—you missed it.
Hail to the King, baby.
Hail to Miguel Conner—a magician and mystic in his own right. Read this book!
If you like your spiritual memoirs to reflect the high weirdness of what the author calls “our Gnostic times,” The Occult Elvis is your initiation into that world. The book is a real treat.
Miguel Conner takes the reader on a journey to the crossroads and introduces us to the great god and trickster, Hermes, who enters mid-century American life embodied as his Rock ‘n’ Roll Majesty, Elvis Presley. The reader will never view Elvis the same way again. If you’re not an Elvis fan when you start reading—watch out, all you hard-nosed Beatles fans—you will be.
Elvis is a true American Godman, come to redeem the Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and rain down Gnosis on all who have “ears to hear” and “eyes to see.” If you’re waiting for the Second Coming of the Christ—you missed it.
Hail to the King, baby.
Hail to Miguel Conner—a magician and mystic in his own right. Read this book!
August 14, 2025
I was only 6 when Elvis died. There is no real reason for me to have liked him or his music. And yet I have been drawn to him throughout my adulthood. Now I think I know why. After reading this amazing book, I believe Elvis is an ascended Master. He was sent here for a job, who knows how many times over the eons, and he completed it on his last journey to Earth. This book is both heart wrenching and heart fulfilling. Every Elvis fan should read it to find out this side of him. We all have this inside us. It’s a journey to find it, and a journey to keep it. Fantastic book. Thank you.
June 9, 2025
I heard this book advertised on BBC Radio 4 Sunday, and being an Elvis fan (also a huge Beatles Fan) i downloaded it on audible. Without giving too much away I will never look at Elvis 68' Comeback nor Girls girls girls in the same light again. It was a fascinating read, especially for anyone interested in Theology or Spirituality. I will listen to it again as there are a few questions that have surfaced that I am sure the book covered. Fascinating.
May 23, 2025
This was a playful book. I am sceptical of the sincerity of the hypothesis and exploration, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s actually a relief. The whole thesis is irrefutable anyway. In the end, I am more interested in Elvis. Sure, I’ve heard Elvis songs but out of curiosity, actually listened to Elvis for the first time. I don’t hate his music. It is compelling.
August 20, 2025
I got 170 pages in and got too frustrated with the writing style (why is there an entire chapter dedicated to the similarities between Elvis & some author???).. Sure, I believe Elvis was a seeker but I absolutely wouldn't call him a shaman or a magician - more like a man with a God complex
December 11, 2025
Interesting learning new things about Elvis I hadn't heard before.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews