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Q: Who read Carlos Castaneda? Any thoughts about his books?
Who is familiar with Carlos Castaneda and his books about teachings of Don Juan? Interesting what people think about his works and him itself.
7 years 28 weeks ago in Arts & Entertainment - China
Yes, I read quite a few of his years ago. I think I stopped at The Art of Dreaming or something.
You know he was called out as being a fraud, and that Don Juan doesn't exist? I'm not sure if that is necessarily true, but that's what I read...
Anyway, I do know that there are certainly 'sorcerers' who would practice things like that. The question is - how 'real' is it? I'm sure the experience is real... but that doesn't mean the magic or the beings encountered are. (NB: I\m not saying they're not real either... I'm just posing the question).
(actually, I will put into this... yes - those beings are real... but may not be exactly what people think they are. We have a soul. We have a spirit. So do dogs, cats, trees, etc. The physical manifestation of us (the body) is just something we inhabit. So too is the 'body' of a spirit you can meet on such journeys).
aang:
I believe what he wrote in his books is close to truth. Because there are many other sources which are telling about same things but in a different way and words. For example, in Buddhism they have similar concept.
Lophophore 
Williamsii i.e. peyote is full of psychoactive alkaloids especially mescaline ..... Carlos was familiar and experimenting with ....
Admin is really desperate.
and further S to Mexico....ScotsAlan:
Have an upvote Engteach. Staff spamming is counterproductive. It pushes active threads down, so posters can't find them. The posts we want to comment on, fight over, insult each other over are on page 2, and vanish into the ether under this constant barrage of non questions. Forums have quiet days. We are not logging in 24-7.
Englteachted:
And then they wonder why site traffic is down, the front page becomes loaded with ancient no longer relevant posts and these stupid mindless questions.
The idea of the book is not about peyote and mescaline... Why people remembers only this?
icnif77:
'cause Gov's prohibition ... of plant used 5000 years or so....
icnif77:
No, I didn't read any of his books. I came across Castaneda while researching 'psychotropic's' LTA.
I am downloading 'Don Juan', but I won't really read it. Sometimes, I like 'photocopy' or fast review instead 'reading and thinking about'.
Shining's and Diver's reply satisfied me.
Yes, I read quite a few of his years ago. I think I stopped at The Art of Dreaming or something.
You know he was called out as being a fraud, and that Don Juan doesn't exist? I'm not sure if that is necessarily true, but that's what I read...
Anyway, I do know that there are certainly 'sorcerers' who would practice things like that. The question is - how 'real' is it? I'm sure the experience is real... but that doesn't mean the magic or the beings encountered are. (NB: I\m not saying they're not real either... I'm just posing the question).
(actually, I will put into this... yes - those beings are real... but may not be exactly what people think they are. We have a soul. We have a spirit. So do dogs, cats, trees, etc. The physical manifestation of us (the body) is just something we inhabit. So too is the 'body' of a spirit you can meet on such journeys).
aang:
I believe what he wrote in his books is close to truth. Because there are many other sources which are telling about same things but in a different way and words. For example, in Buddhism they have similar concept.
I struggled through one of his many years ago. I couldn't get into it. Seemed he was just going on and on about how it felt to get toasted on some mescaline or something. I grew up near Mexico, I have done psychedelics, wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Same as people loved reading Hunter Thompson,, well, just not for me. I was a Hemingway dude, or maybe struggling w/ Tolstoi or Dostoyevsky was fun. Or just regular accounts of Napoleonic history,,, well, to each his/her own.
Shining_brow:
I'm dragging my way through Anna Karenina at the moment.... relatively easy read... but it really is a bit of a drag! (only 20% of the way through... not sure I want to do the rest of the 80%...)
diverdude1:
I hear you. made my way through War & Peace twice just because I felt like I had to and I was kind of interested in that period of history for awhile. I did feel it was worth it afterwards; took some time to sink in fully.
