Infamous Elvis Psychic's Story of Redemption Revealed in New Book
Family members of the 1980s famed “psychic to the stars” are ready to open up about the story behind the man who allegedly regularly contacted Elvis Presley from the dead – David “Jamil” Guardino.
Mother Harriet Smith Guardino and sister Barbara have co-authored a biography, titled My Son, My Son, Redemption of a Psychic, about their late son and brother who made a living swindling celebrities, businessmen and even politicians with his psychic abilities for more than 30 years.
Hoping to not only expose fraudulent occult practices, but also help heal from their wounds inflicted by David’s “bizarre lifestyle” – one filled with deception, flamboyance and hedonism – Barbara Guardino says the book serves to “tell the world of the Lord’s readiness to redeem the hopelessly lost” and “open some eyes to the power of Satan.”
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My Son, My Son is based on the mother’s personal journals documenting her spiritual battles over her son’s lifestyle, which eventually led him to prison – where he died of obesity and diabetes – and testimonies from other family members who sought to remember the strange life of their brother David.
The self-proclaimed “world’s greatest psychic,” once a Roman Catholic, eventually returned to his Christian roots and accepted Christ just before he died in prison in 2007, answering a three-decade prayer by his mother.
While most of the family avoided David as much as possible during his 35-year psychic career in Las Vegas and Graceland, Tenn. – where he rose to fame for his séances summoning stars like John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley – his mother kept close watch on him and continued to fight for her son.
“I never gave up seeking my son’s salvation,” she penned in an excerpt from the book.
“For three decades, I kept a journal that detailed the spiritual warfare that I, David’s sister Pat Cummings, and scores of other Christians fought on David’s behalf. In 1981, a prayer partner gave me the Scripture: ‘I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they will be my people and I will be their God. For they will return to me with all their heart.’ Jer. 24:7.”
“Mom believed this was God’s promise to her about David,” Barbara told The Christian Post in an email. “[She] never gave up on David. She prayed for him daily, kept a detailed journal, some of which is included in the book ... [She] was the spiritual anchor of our family, and through her faithfulness in praying for her prodigal son, she actually led others to the Lord, including my father.”
Writing the book has helped to accomplish much for the Guardinos, including outreach to those involved in the occult, whether personally or through another family member. It has also prompted Barbara to tap into prison ministries, since her brother spent much of his life in prison.
The book has allowed the family to heal from the pain caused by David’s choices.
“Writing it has already gone a long way in healing for our family. Mom feels her life is complete now that her eldest son is in heaven,” Barbara said.
David, who would have been 68 years old this year, was caught up in several troubles before he finally turned his life around. He faced numerous legal issues due to the nature of his career, with some clients complaining of his false predictions and promises.
He also dabbled in tax evasions, running from creditors and the Internal Revenue Service before he was caught and put into the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Worth, Texas.
What began as what many would call a normal life, after graduating from Southern Oregon University and entering into social work, turned to a life full of psychic endeavors and misdemeanors.
Though he called his psychic powers a gift from God, he described himself as an atheistic existentialist and hedonist.
When asked why David would tout his God-given powers while declaring himself an atheist, Barbara told CP, “He said a lot of things that were untrue.”
Still, David genuinely believed he had psychic powers that were connected to God.
“David and my mother had a supernatural encounter with each other while David was in the Navy,” Barbara explained. “He was in crisis praying in the naval chapel. Mom awoke that morning with a deep sadness, longing to cradle David in her arms. Both agree that this incident took place; although mom saw it as a gift from God, David interpreted it to mean that he had psychic powers.”
He used this experience for years to help explain his psychic abilities, she added. As David’s life became darker and darker, however, he no longer claimed to believe in God.
During his long career, many believed in his “powers,” with some clients even willing to pay $10,000 for psychic advice.
So what was it about David that made people want to listen and accept his predictions and clairvoyant teachings?
“David was a good talker,” his sister revealed. “He was charming, intelligent, handsome and athletic. He believed that people benefited just by being around him. He believed that if he could make people believe in him, they’d be more likely to believe in themselves, and would be more likely to achieve their goals.”
“It appears that people will believe in just about anything, as long as it’s not God,” Barbara wrote in her email to CP.
“Satan is a liar,” she said. “Satan masquerades as being good, even as being God. In this socio-political climate, people are taught from childhood to discount God and to take a secular view of the world.”
“Nevertheless, most individuals are searching for answers to their spiritual questions. Well, if they are allowed to believe that one religion is as good as another, or that religion and atheism are equal, that opens the door for people to believe anything they choose to believe. And unfortunately, many people look to the occult, the supernatural, the ‘spirit world’ to answer their questions,” she continued.
Exposing the falsehood of occults through their new book, the Guardinos hope to show how the practices brought their late brother and their family much confusion and unhappiness.
“... The Lord was instructing me to write David’s biography, in order to fulfill His promise to my mother, Harriet Guardino, that David would serve the Lord in a big way,” Barbara wrote to CP.
“You can’t make this stuff up!” she said, describing David’s story. She said she believes he is now in heaven, smiling down at her efforts to write his biography.
My Son, My Son: Redemption of a Psychic: Biography of David Marius Guardino is available on Amazon now in paperback and Kindle edition here.
