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Carlos Castaneda (Don Juan)

farmaz

farmaz

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When I first came across the 3 book series I was blown away by them. Like most I took it at face value & I really throught it was a real story for ages but there ws 1 thing I had a issue with which was the use of Datura, they don't call it Jimson weed for no reason. If you don't know it is named after some army guys sent to fight in Bacon in 1676, ate some of the plant & went totally mad, several died after taking it.

Now for several years I read this book over & over thinking it was some like some 1960's Terence McKenna type book. When I found the truth about the book & the things Carlos Castaneda got up to I was shocked & felt like I had been ripped off.

Anyone think there is anything to be gained from reading his work even though it is total fiction & the guy was a fraud?............
 
I think there were more than 3 books, i seemed to read a fucking lot more than three anyway :(

No, not cheated, but maybe misled, if I'd have thought they were total fiction i probably wouldn't have spent so long on them or even read them at all..But good books for a time in your life....

I now think if I saw someone (a student, a fucking hippy, etc) reading them I probably wouldn't tell them what I now know, it'd be the same as telling my son there's no Santa Claus.
 
Mailmonkey said:
I think there were more than 3 books, i seemed to read a fucking lot more than three anyway :(

No, not cheated, but maybe misled, if I'd have thought they were total fiction i probably wouldn't have spent so long on them or even read them at all..But good books for a time in your life....

I now think if I saw someone (a student, a fucking hippy, etc) reading them I probably wouldn't tell them what I now know, it'd be the same as telling my son there's no Santa Claus.
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I had the same idea tbh, I can see some gap year idiots sitting on some beach in Goa or Thailand going "Wooooowwwwww man, you gotta read this book, it really helped me find myself. The guy is a genius & also found himself in Mexico like me & Tarquin did a few months ago"

I should tell them too eat some Datura seeds & watch them go totally fucking mad.

"Castaneda's first three books – The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge; A Separate Reality; and Journey to Ixtlan"
 
It's utter bollocks. He even claims people "smoked mushrooms" because he knew so little about them that he just assumed you smoked them like you did pot. What a cuntbubble. I think R Gordon Wasson called him out on it in a series of letters and he tried bluffing at first and then just stopped replying when he realised he'd been busted.
 
I remember walking into Foyles all Castenada innocent after just one Don Juan and seeing a whole section devoted entirely to his books.

Don't make a career out of it. Oh, you did.

Ever felt you've been cheated - Johnny Rotten
 
Ismene said:
It's utter bollocks. He even claims people "smoked mushrooms" because he knew so little about them that he just assumed you smoked them like you did pot. What a cuntbubble. I think R Gordon Wasson called him out on it in a series of letters and he tried bluffing at first and then just stopped replying when he realised he'd been busted.
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So you think there is nothing to be taken from his works?

I agree about the smoking part too, I found it weird on first reading as at the time I was well into huge liberty cap trips (5g-7g dried weight)
I used to think he may be trying to hide it was Salvia for some reason but that was in my stupid teenage mind.
 
Ever get the feeling you've been cheated.

He said later he was talking to himself rather than the crowd.
 
Nine books.

I don't feel cheated. There is actual useful information amongst the bullshit, I don't know how it got there but there is.

One thing I've found very useful is the "centre of personal power" situated at the solar plexus. Castaneda writes about sorcerers placing a pebble on it while they sleep to help focus on it.

I found if I focus on it, I get weird intense waves of relaxation passing through my body. It's odd but it's calmed me down in various situations.

He probably stole it from Eastern mysticism but fuck it, it works.
 
Hippily enough I got rid of headaches with the focusing on the central point of pain principle. But this was before I'd read Castenada. Thats just basic realisation and exercise of the power of the mind. No religion necessary.

But fuck, yes, it works.
 
Mailmonkey said:
i think i read all of them, got a bit samey tbh, remember skim reading a lot of the later ones.
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The last two were scraping the barrel but I thought the rest were pretty page turning. Don't know how you can call them samey, I mean, every two or three books he says, paraphrasing, everything I've written so far is just whitewash, here is the real deal. Then goes on to tell you that you're going to be eaten by a fuck off eagle. Definitely entertaining.


@farmaz yes I mentioned one thing above. It's probably the only thing I actually use on a regular basis. Well, that and having death on my left shoulder.

The blue scout and the sponge being are pretty fucking good.
 
I've never really gone in for this "guru" bollocks. We all scratch our bollocks and break wind. There's nobody has the unvarnished truth, you can find that in yourself.
 
Ismene said:
I've never really gone in for this "guru" bollocks. We all scratch our bollocks and break wind. There's nobody has the unvarnished truth, you can find that in yourself.
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Well, Castaneda and Don Juan make quite a big thing of everyone farting, pissing, shitting etc... joking about their cocks and such like.

I don't think you have to treat him/them as gurus to take something from the books.

Fuck, is this where I got my fascination with my bits from?
 
Ismene said:
I've never really gone in for this "guru" bollocks. We all scratch our bollocks and break wind. There's nobody has the unvarnished truth, you can find that in yourself.
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Mixed feelings on "gurus" me. Quite like the aesthetic of it all but considerably less fond of the utter arsewater most (all?) of 'em spout. Most have had a few good ideas in and amongst it all. Never swallow anyone's bullshit entirely. Not even your own. As I do believe one or t'other of them thar "guru" folk once said...

PS: Castaneda was always a tit tho.
 
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