Books - Carlos Castenada's Books about Don Juan & Peyote

[brainlessjon]

Has anyone read the don juan books? They explain peyote VERY well.

[mandy]

No, but wasn't that a cool scene in the Doorsmovie when they all tripped on it in the desert? Oh, by the way I think you should change your signature for the sake of your emotional well-being. It's not good for dopers to get anymore down on themselves than they can be already.Even if it's a joke, it's mean to you. Other people are jerks sometimes, don't be a jerk to yourself.(I am working on not going the I SUCK route myself)

[Alfa]

Please explain the context of your signature.

[miranda]

If you're talking about loving life, Georgia and pie come to mind. Rock on.

[teterev]

Carlos Castaneda' books are of my favourite ones,and Don Juan's approach to life is so deeply spiritual and philosophic...

[searcher]

I've read them, to me, they were difficult to understand. I guess I'll never be a magician or hypnotist. I see there is a following in the "yoga" or exersizes that are described. I can see how perception of reality can cultural.

[PenguinPhreak]

I don't mean to burst anyones bubble, but from what I hear it is
commonly accepted that Carlos Castenada's books are purely fiction.
While they are fun to read, they are quite inacurate to the practices
of Yaqui Indian Shamans(from what I have read at least)

[transit]

Castaneda's books were an important step for me in my teens in
expanding my concept of reality from the small box that I had been
brought up with, to a much broader, more plastic, more fantastic
vision. There was always the question as to whether he had
"actually" done all of the things described or whether he had "just
imagined" them.



I recall feeling somewhat of a sense of loss when I began to hear and
read that he likely wasn't all that he had presented himself to
be. I am left with an understanding of him that includes a mix of
teacher and trickster -- a lower-grade version of the crazy wisdom
teaching of Chogyam Trungpa, Da Free John, Osho Rajneesh, Georgei
Gurdjiieff, and Aleister Crowley.



While his stories may not be "true," they can still be useful, as well as being entertaining.

[42itis]

I think they are writtings that have done more good than harm. It is fiction based on factual experiences and has various levels of comprehension. If one has no experience with certain aspects of the book they are indeed incomprehensible and I admit that I too failed to understand certain parts of all that I read. That doesnt mean Im about to make a pilgramageto mexico, although its not out of the question. I believe Don Juan Mateus was a real person.

[indjuwandjuwa]

Castaneda's books rock!

[sterling77]

I was walking through my school last week, and I saw a stack of books with a disclaimer that read: "Free Books". I looked through them and saw a Castaneda book which looked interesting (I had never heard of him before) and took it home. I have to say it was the best free book I have ever read, even if it wasn't entirely factual it's still awesome.

[The_Great_Sage]

I have read waht I believe to be the first book in the Teachings of Don Jaun series and loved it. I did find some of the trips and experiances to be to tied to what Don Jaun said they would be to be all that true. But besides my little doubts I do enjoy reading of the use of such strong drugs with such guidance and insightful results. What is disconcerting to me is the thought that with the potentially false or exagerated experiances comes the curiosity that some (including myself) may have with the drugs they use. for example the datura use interested me due to the fact that it was used with a goal and it wasnt entirely horriable like all other reports say datura has been. So if it is falsified, then should one be careless to use the techniques as guidance?

[seechao]

Castaneda DESCRIBES the book as fiction, on the first page, I simply think he did a great job at hiding the identity of his teachers, as well as any secret knowlege or teachings that he was not moraly allowed to put in the books, writing a work of pure fiction, while incorporating as much real experiance and teachings as he could. I think he did a great job, and the historical accuracy point is moot, as even the author never made a claim to accuracy, but the validity of his teaching cannot be argued by anyone who's eaten the plants described, or tried the exercises he teaches. Carlos was a great shaman/sorcerer who wrote some great fiction, strongly influenced by his experiance, I love Carlos Castaneda...

[Tales of Power]

Hey Hey..This is where my name comes from. "Tales of Power", his books on Sorcery are Prime.

[xctico]

I read "El Arte de Ensoñar" [roughly translated: the art of 'dreaming'] A few years ago... The problem was that I kept falling asleep as I read the books... and I actually tried several of the things described in the books - like focusing your attention to a single object during a dream... looking at your own hands... paying attention to detail, remembering the dream [keeping a dream journal helps a lot]; waking up into another dream... and even seen myself face to face [the last one wasn't during an actual dream - I was not sleeping - but at a party]...

Subject Q says... if you're on psychedelics beware of combining with Don Juan's arts... it might take you a while to find your body again...

[D.U.M.B]

SWIM has read a few of the books and has enjoyed them regardless if it is truth or not.

SWIM still thinks that the books were a big part of opening his eyes to more things.

Good read and might help you in a way regardless of if it is true or not.

To SWIM it is like the bible, to SWIM it doesn't matter if the bible is truth or fiction because the central message is a good one regardless