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Elvis: The man behind the crown
Texas A&M professor takes a look at the spiritual side of "The King"
By Denise Schoppe
June 13, 2002
ELVIS LIVES!
Elvis spotted at train station!
Elvis resides on closed second floor of Graceland mansion!
Stories about Elvis Presley continue to circulate 25 years after his death. Numerous people speculate that he faked his death in 1977. Others recall seeing him alive, be it a one-on-one relationship or in concert. Presley continues to be a staple figure in pop culture. Tourists from all around the world flock to Graceland, his home in Memphis, Tenn., in hopes of personally experiencing a little bit of what made Presley the icon he was, and continues to be.
David Rosen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science and humanities in medicine at Texas A&M, had such an experience in 1989, the result of which is his new book, The Tao of Elvis.
"Elvis Presley was a very spiritual individual," Rosen said. "I would like people to realize that. He was very open to spirituality manifesting everywhere, in himself and outside."
After his experience at Graceland, Rosen proceeded to analyze Presley's life using Tao, one of the oldest religions in the world. Coming from China, it focuses on balance between opposites.
"We have to make choices, and ideally balance," Rosen said. "Tragically, I think Elvis lost that battle."
Rosen's book plots out how Taoist concepts apply to Presley's life before and after his death. It also illustrates how spiritual he was, revealing that Presley himself read Tao.
"When I found out that Elvis liked and read the Tao Te Ching, I was amazed," Rosen said. "I started reading about him, and doing research, and he struggled with opposites his whole life."
Over a span of 12 years, Rosen researched Presley by reading books and interviewing people who knew him best, includingPresley's spiritual adviser, Larry Geller. Rosen also spent time with Presley's dentist and his wife, Lester and Sterling Hofman, both of which Presley considered to be like family. Rosen said that Presley had "sort of adopted them as surrogate parents."
He also sought out Ann Finch, an old girlfriend of Presley's whom had never been interviewed before. All described Presley as a very spiritual man.
"She said he didn't drink alcohol or take drugs at that time, and liked to play spiritual songs," Rosen said, in regard to comments made by Finch. "He'd sit down at the piano and play". Finch said that Presley's mother liked spiritual music.
Presley was close to his mother, and Rosen said that after she died, he never stopped missing her.
"I think he, in many ways, saw going to heaven as being close to his mother, and with his twin brother that died at birth," Rosen said. "When his mother was alive, she always told him that he would live for both of them, and he may have. He accomplished so much."
Despite Presley's fame and achievements, he was often described as sad. In Rosen's book, he explains that Presley knew that very few saw past his public persona as "The King."
"People put this kind of archetype onto him, which I think is in a way unfair," Rosen said. "In a way, we had a hand in his death by increasing the pain that he felt, because he was very isolated."
Rosen does not describe himself as a Presley fanatic. He does not collect memorabilia associated with Presley, but has an appreciation for the man and his talents that has spanned many years.
"As a boy, like many other young people, I remember going to see him in 1956," Rosen said. "He came along at a time when we were a very conformist society. Post-war. Mid-50s. Segregated. You could say an arid culture."
Rosen described Presley as bringing water to the culture by breaking down barriers in music as well as in society.
"Elvis came along and seemed good, but people said he was bad," Rosen said. "And as a boy I didn't think he was bad. He initiated all these movements, because he broke racial barriers through music."
Presley, best known for his rock and roll hits, such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Teddy Bear" and "Hound Dog","only won Grammy's for his recordings of Gospel music. Rosen's book focuses on this spiritual passion.
"He felt God gave him his voice," Rosen said. "And God spoke through him with his voice. He meditated for 30 minutes before he recorded "How Great Thou Art" in order to get his ego out of the way so that God could come through him."
Stories like that fill Rosen's new book. It is his seventh published book, and was a long process that he worked on as a side project.
"I didn't do this as a primary activity," Rosen said. "It's just sort of something I've worked on in addition to everything else."
He feels his book is a one of a kind amid all the other books written by Presley and the Tao religion. "I don't think anyone has every suggested that he had the propensity to balance his religion of origin with Eastern religion," Rosen said. "I think he spent his whole life doing it. And people don't know that."
Rosen will be giving a presentation and signing copies of his book, The Tao of Elvis, on Friday, June 14, from 7 - 9 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in College Station.
Also Found Here
Texas A&M professor takes a look at the spiritual side of "The King"
By Denise Schoppe
June 13, 2002
ELVIS LIVES!
Elvis spotted at train station!
Elvis resides on closed second floor of Graceland mansion!
Stories about Elvis Presley continue to circulate 25 years after his death. Numerous people speculate that he faked his death in 1977. Others recall seeing him alive, be it a one-on-one relationship or in concert. Presley continues to be a staple figure in pop culture. Tourists from all around the world flock to Graceland, his home in Memphis, Tenn., in hopes of personally experiencing a little bit of what made Presley the icon he was, and continues to be.
David Rosen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science and humanities in medicine at Texas A&M, had such an experience in 1989, the result of which is his new book, The Tao of Elvis.
"Elvis Presley was a very spiritual individual," Rosen said. "I would like people to realize that. He was very open to spirituality manifesting everywhere, in himself and outside."
After his experience at Graceland, Rosen proceeded to analyze Presley's life using Tao, one of the oldest religions in the world. Coming from China, it focuses on balance between opposites.
"We have to make choices, and ideally balance," Rosen said. "Tragically, I think Elvis lost that battle."
Rosen's book plots out how Taoist concepts apply to Presley's life before and after his death. It also illustrates how spiritual he was, revealing that Presley himself read Tao.
"When I found out that Elvis liked and read the Tao Te Ching, I was amazed," Rosen said. "I started reading about him, and doing research, and he struggled with opposites his whole life."
Over a span of 12 years, Rosen researched Presley by reading books and interviewing people who knew him best, includingPresley's spiritual adviser, Larry Geller. Rosen also spent time with Presley's dentist and his wife, Lester and Sterling Hofman, both of which Presley considered to be like family. Rosen said that Presley had "sort of adopted them as surrogate parents."
He also sought out Ann Finch, an old girlfriend of Presley's whom had never been interviewed before. All described Presley as a very spiritual man.
"She said he didn't drink alcohol or take drugs at that time, and liked to play spiritual songs," Rosen said, in regard to comments made by Finch. "He'd sit down at the piano and play". Finch said that Presley's mother liked spiritual music.
Presley was close to his mother, and Rosen said that after she died, he never stopped missing her.
"I think he, in many ways, saw going to heaven as being close to his mother, and with his twin brother that died at birth," Rosen said. "When his mother was alive, she always told him that he would live for both of them, and he may have. He accomplished so much."
Despite Presley's fame and achievements, he was often described as sad. In Rosen's book, he explains that Presley knew that very few saw past his public persona as "The King."
"People put this kind of archetype onto him, which I think is in a way unfair," Rosen said. "In a way, we had a hand in his death by increasing the pain that he felt, because he was very isolated."
Rosen does not describe himself as a Presley fanatic. He does not collect memorabilia associated with Presley, but has an appreciation for the man and his talents that has spanned many years.
"As a boy, like many other young people, I remember going to see him in 1956," Rosen said. "He came along at a time when we were a very conformist society. Post-war. Mid-50s. Segregated. You could say an arid culture."
Rosen described Presley as bringing water to the culture by breaking down barriers in music as well as in society.
"Elvis came along and seemed good, but people said he was bad," Rosen said. "And as a boy I didn't think he was bad. He initiated all these movements, because he broke racial barriers through music."
Presley, best known for his rock and roll hits, such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Teddy Bear" and "Hound Dog","only won Grammy's for his recordings of Gospel music. Rosen's book focuses on this spiritual passion.
"He felt God gave him his voice," Rosen said. "And God spoke through him with his voice. He meditated for 30 minutes before he recorded "How Great Thou Art" in order to get his ego out of the way so that God could come through him."
Stories like that fill Rosen's new book. It is his seventh published book, and was a long process that he worked on as a side project.
"I didn't do this as a primary activity," Rosen said. "It's just sort of something I've worked on in addition to everything else."
He feels his book is a one of a kind amid all the other books written by Presley and the Tao religion. "I don't think anyone has every suggested that he had the propensity to balance his religion of origin with Eastern religion," Rosen said. "I think he spent his whole life doing it. And people don't know that."
Rosen will be giving a presentation and signing copies of his book, The Tao of Elvis, on Friday, June 14, from 7 - 9 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in College Station.
Also Found Here
