ABSTRACT
The movement can be characterized as messianic, with a following of fanatics, true believers worshipping a deity, spiritual and supernatural implications of conversion, resurrection, prophecy, and a second coming. Many observers have noted the religious aspect of Elvis Presley's so-called disappearance, followed by less spiritual explanations. In spite of the opposition, the campaign continued to attract followers who were convinced the world would end in 1843 as predicted by the prophet Miller. Propaganda such as that disseminated through mainstream culture plus the Elvis underground network is particularly effective with the frustrated as it taps into their blind devotion and sense of false consciousness. Among the Elvis true believers are those who might be considered "true disbelievers" who reject the religious rationale and reasoning regarding Elvis's life and death, arguing that the worship and adulation is nothing more than idolatry of a false god.
