The Psychological Autopsy of Elvis by William J. Ronan

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In "A Psychological Autopsy of Elvis Presley," Bill Ronan has created a fascinating vortex of ideas and theories, all of which swirl around the ever-engaging life and death of Elvis Aron Presley. Ronan posits a set of psychological circumstances as the cause of Presley's death, including issues around self-image, his relationships with others, the death of his mother and twin brother, and his own feelings of detachment and "death" prior to mortality. The author then connects these circumstances to several specific case studies, suggesting ways in which the "deaths of Elvis" can be used to bring the psychological distress of others into focus.

Reviews

"In "A Psychological Autopsy of Elvis Presley," Bill Ronan has created a fascinating vortex of ideas and theories, all of which swirl around the ever-engaging life and death of Elvis Aron Presley.  Ronan posits a set of psychological circumstances as the cause of Presley's death, including issues around self-image, his relationships with others, the death of his mother and twin brother, and his own feelings of detachment and "death" prior to mortality.  The author then connects these circumstances to several specific case studies, suggesting ways in which the "deaths of Elvis" can be used to bring the psychological distress of others into focus.

Ronan does not shy away from any rhetorical device or from leaps over the intellectual chasms that typically divide fields of inquiry.  Hypnotherapy, traditional psychology, social science research techniques, biomedical ethics, and several other disciplines and avocations collide in his work, all casting light on the strange but hardly unique life of Elvis Presley. The book is a journey through original thoughts in original combinations, a journey on which neither the faint of heart nor the hidebound need embark. Even if every hypothesis ends up dismissed, the journey itself is well worth the effort."
--Dale Alan McGowan, PhD - Associate Professor of Music, College of Saint Catherine

"Observing this “documentary” does add to my understanding of Medical Hypnoanalysis and informs me about how MH can be used in the trreatment of every person out there who has any kind of problem. It makes you wonder how this therapy could have helped Elvis at any and all levels of chronological growth and development as he progressed throughout hislife. MH has a place to changing the world one person at a time."
--Tom Zurkowski, MD - Psychiatrist, Batesville, AR

"The Elvis “hypothesis” analysis seems applicable on a nember of levels and toward other theories.  It is a very convincing argument for what we now know the nature of trauma – how the psychological affects the physiological, how the body then “remembers’ even if the brain and heart do not and then how these “memories” continue to “act themselves out” in behaviors – so seemingly bizarre and unexplaoinable to those atching."

"The power of an idea to change one’s heart, mind, body and behavior.  Bill’s work underlines how unawareness of this emotional numbness principle can lead to a low level of self directiedness and in Elvis’ case, a wasteful tragic death.  Excellent teaching tool."
--Kade Haviland, MA, CACII - Arapaho House, Inc, Denver Outpatient Cllinic, Denver, CO

"It was useful in understanding lots of thigs – Relatiohsips between his mother and his needs to be with her – which triggered the dead part of self.  The alive part of Elvis was seen through his miusic.  Temporarily his wife and daughter filled a need but finally his death wish to be with his mother resulted in his death."
--Marge Harmon, MSW - Private Practice, Naperville, Lombard, IL

"This was an in depth analysis of Elvis and his  PROBLEM, how he dealt with it.  It was a great demonstrastion of the Ponce de leon Syndrome and tthe Walking Zombie Syndrome as represented by Elvis’ public and private life.  It helped me understand these two diagnoses."
--Marge Bauman, RN, MS, LPC - Institute for Motivational Development, Lombard, IL

"I feel your study was very indepth.  As a documentary it could be a valuable tool for learning and understanding of the need for Medical Hypnoanalysis.  He clearly had many issues recognizable to us and could have benefited from Medical Hypnoanalysis."
--Betsy Zurkowski, RNC, Office of Tom Zurkowski, MD - Psychiatrist, Batesville, Arkansas

"I was impressed by the clarity of the diagnosis and the rich evidence carefully compiled to support the Medical Hypnoanalytic diagnosis."
-- John B Hart, DMin- Private Practice, Bristol, IN

"This was a phenomenal observation.  Accumulated over a period of years.  Bill has done an outstanding job of matching the Medical Hypnoanalytic process to a reqaal and very public figure.  One wishes if only Elvis could have been introduced to this modality he might still be with us sharing the gift of his music.  Therapy under Medical hypnoanalysis is an art.  It produces a deep statement from the client with profound change in a short period of time."
--Sanded Hobsm, MS - Counseling (in process), Memphis, TN

“Ronan’s work is appropriate for a variety of audiences, as he assumes the double role of teacher and colleague. He begins his book by breaking down the process of hypnosis, with particular emphasis on emotional regression technique. He goes on to describe two syndromes: Walking Zombie syndrome and Ponce de Leon syndrome. After examining the symptoms of each, he includes a variety of case studies in order to familiarize his readers with the disorders.  
 
Through a comprehensive timeline of Presley’s life, Ronan builds a case indicating the possibility of diagnosing Presley with both Walking Zombie syndrome and Ponce de Leon syndrome. Ronan examines the circumstances surrounding Elvis’s birth, including the still birth of his twin brother and his relationship with his parents – particularly his relationship with his mother – in light of the guilt he apparently felt for living while his twin died. In this context, the author discusses Elvis’s habitual giving, the care he lavished on his mother, and his childlike dependence on his parents that continued well into adulthood, fame, and fortune.  
 
This book is not limited only to those who have an in-depth of understanding of psychology, but it is also accessible to those with an interest in psychological syndromes, those with an interest in the application of hypnotherapy, and of course, those with an interest in the life of Elvis Presley.”
--Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association



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