The 20th century witnessed a literary figure who remains a subject of intense debate: Carlos Castaneda. Was he the most successful literary trickster of the era, or perhaps even the mastermind behind the largest literary and academic fraud in history?

Is Castaneda simply a nut job, and is his entire story nothing but a work of fiction? Did he truly hallucinate the extraordinary experiences he described? Or was he, as some claim, the shaman per-excellence?

It's important to note that his works were written during the drug-positive times of 1968. The stories are bizarre, yet undeniably well-written, lucid, and believable. The turgid "structural analysis" adds an air of legitimacy, making it seem like a genuine work of scholarship.

Unsurprisingly, his books became best-sellers, with a total of 12 titles, as they hit home for most readers and still do today. Even the academics took him seriously, awarding him a PhD.

However, there are numerous疑点. Yaqui Indian religious beliefs have little to do with what he described. Hallucinogenic mushrooms didn't grow in the Sonoran Desert, and walking for hours in the desert at the hottest time of the day is highly improbable. Moreover, there is no proof that Don Juan ever existed. Castaneda's PhD thesis lacked essential field notes, and to top it off, the author himself is a self-claimed bull-shitter.

Richard de Mille, who wrote two books debunking Castaneda's work and prepared timelines using research, objective methodology, intelligence, and diligence, is not even famous for it. When Castaneda turned to the occult in his later work, with nonsensical concepts like "Tensegrity" and "600 locations in the luminous egg of man," some followers were still surprised.

Despite all this, defenders of Castaneda still claim that there are deep truths in his books, as evidenced by their sales. His books continued to sell well even after he was exposed as a fraud and plagiarist. Castaneda, who died in 1998, was one of the best-selling nonfiction authors in the USA from 1971 to 1982, with his books selling at least 10 million copies and none of his titles ever going out of print!

This begs the question: Is our comfort with fantasy so deep that reality doesn't matter? Or does the fact that a book can affect so many people deeply mean that reality really doesn't count?

Most rational people should conclude that Castaneda's works are fiction, combining personal experiences with readings. Yet, today, his books are still classified as nonfiction. Who cares what the publishing companies say? We all know it's fiction, don't we?

Clearly, Castaneda has been discredited in academia, but his books have been profitable for Simon and Schuster. So why couldn't he have presented his works as allegorical fiction, like James Redfield's "Celestine Prophecy"?

...actually, that's where the real dark side of the story begins...

"If he hadn’t presented his stories as fact,” said Amy Wallace, an inner circle Castaneda sex cult member, “it’s unlikely the cult would exist. As nonfiction, it became impossibly more dangerous.”

One could also read 'Sorcerer's Apprentice - My Life with Carlos Castaneda' to see that he was not only a fraud but also a perversely sexist, bitter, raging, power-addictive personality. Would this change the way people saw him and his works? It's hard to say.

...as Castaneda himself would say: follow your heart....

Background: I am delving into this for research purposes. It's not for a spiritual journey I'm on but for a novel I'm penning. One of the central characters is an aging shaman named Hector Arroyo, who owns a collective farm in southern California. His mentor in Toltec shamanism is a wise old hippie he refers to as El Cabra – the goat.

Fair enough. As I perused "The Teachings of Don Juan," I started to question Castaneda's authenticity. Don Juan seemed a touch too perfect. And the way life's "answers" miraculously presented themselves to Castaneda through hallucinogenic plants – mysteries only comprehensible by a sage old man with extensive experience tripping – made me ponder.

It appeared to be fiction rather than the non-fiction anthropological research the book is purported to be. So, as is my custom, I fact-checked. Based on my investigations, the likelihood is that Castaneda fabricated don Juan. There are certain aspects that suggest this. Firstly, the Yaqui Indian don Juan teaches Castaneda using peyote, yet the Yaqui do not utilize peyote. And then there's the fact that he employs common American names for the other plants he uses for tripping – devil's weed (also known as jimsonweed) and mushrooms – and never mentions the Indian names. Even worse, his "field notes" do the same.

Other elements were also inconsistent. Having resided in southern California, I'm aware that venturing into the desert during sunlight is a foolish endeavor. I'm in extremely good shape (I can run 8-minute miles over five miles without straining... and pushing myself, I can achieve 7-minute miles). And yet, the hundred-plus degree heat rapidly exhausts you. And yet, Castaneda and don Juan traipse through the scorching desert in full daylight for hours.

I cry foul.

As one skeptic in the 1980s quipped, it seemed as if Castaneda gleaned his "Yaqui way of knowledge" not from an old Indian but from the UCLA library. For a comprehensive report, check out this excellent Salon article titled "The dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda."

And it turns out that Castaneda's most significant character defect was that he believed his own lies. He deceived both others and himself into thinking he was a sorcerer with strange, mystical, magical powers. It was rather sad, actually.

This is your brain on drugs...

Rather than being disappointed, however, Castaneda's lies provided the main theme for my book. As Picasso said, "Art is a lie through which I tell the truth." So I have Hector's tutor, El Cabra, as an aging hippie from New Jersey named Saul Rubinstein. And Hector, instead of being Mexican as the setting might suggest, is a Cleveland native of Puerto Rican descent. He worked as an engineer at Los Alamos before becoming disillusioned and purchasing the land he farms. And rather than a classic hippie-dippy commune, the community is run like a trailer park, with discounts offered for work in the fields.

That being said, I'm unsure how to rate Castaneda's "Don Juan" books. As fantasies, they're passable. In fact, they read like a lesser Ursula K. Le Guin. Moreover, the "wisdom" is often quite good and more grounded than the "think and grow rich" drivel that the New Age has devolved into, like "The Secret."

So I choose to view these books as cultural artifacts. But since many people will read these books and think "I'll take mescaline and find the truth," which is dangerous. Yet, despite decades of debunking, the publishing industry still classifies them as anthropological non-fiction.

I can fathom Castaneda's delusions. He was, from all appearances, a seeker who created a powerful "imaginary friend" who was an ally in his maturation. He fell victim to one of the seven deadly sins – pride. He had used his don Juan material to obtain his PhD in anthropology at UCLA. To admit the truth – that don Juan was imaginary – would have made Castaneda confess that he was a fraud. So he doubled down on the lies, and his pride made him believe his fiction. Even worse, he destroyed other lives in the process.

So I cannot understand the publisher. By now, they know that Castaneda's fieldwork was fraudulent. And yet they market it as non-fiction. All things considered, I can only award the book two stars.

2 Stars for The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge (audiobook) by Carlos Castaneda read by Luis Moreno.

This was the thirtieth anniversary addition. The author, Carlos Castaneda, talked at the end of the book and explained about the inspiration for this story.

However, his explanation still didn't help me like it more. I found that this book didn't quite resonate with me.

I'm sure I'm not the target audience for this tale. It seems that I should have done more research before choosing to listen to this audiobook.

Maybe for those who are interested in Yaqui culture and spiritual teachings, this book might hold more value and appeal.

But for me, it just didn't click. Nevertheless, I can appreciate the effort that went into creating this work and the significance it may have for others.

Back in college, my visual arts teacher referenced this book while discussing the significance of space and our 'intuitive understanding' of the spaces we inhabit in our daily lives, as well as how and why we occupy them.

I immediately looked up this book. However, it took me a full 10 years to finally finish it. There's no beating around the bush; it's not an easy read.

Nonetheless, within the midst of that tiresome prose and detailed descriptions of Castenada's encounters with Yaqui ways, I did discover something of great value.

Even though our Nike-ized, hipster-filtered, love-with-capsulized-feel-good-stories world would have us believe that learning, or the pursuit of learning, is an entirely noble and romantic endeavor, the truth is that it's the toughest and loneliest journey one can undertake.

As Milton Glaser states, it's a journey where '...the possibility for learning never disappears, where you basically have to admit you never learn 'it'.'

Our current world is so enamored with talking, with language, with conversations that it made me laugh out loud when Don Juan tells Castenada very early in the book that attempting to learn through talking about it is not only a huge waste of time but also extremely stupid!

To be a man of knowledge is to embark on an endless quest. Endless because one will constantly have to combat the four enemies - fear, clarity, power, and finally the invincible one, time or old age.

To be a man of knowledge perhaps means realizing that one will never know everything and that what one knows owns one, not the other way around. It will teach one humility, the hardest and truest way of life. Because to be humble is to admit that there are things more important than oneself... something we always forget in our daily, single-minded struggle to be happy.

I'm not entirely sure if this book delves into the realm of drugs or mysticism. What are our thoughts on drug-induced mysticism?

Anyway, it presents a far superior fantasy compared to what we commonly encounter in the market these days, and it actually occurred to Castaneda.

I simply couldn't put this book down. As I read on, I found all my previous readings to be rather dull in comparison. This one, however, is different. It means that it possesses something unique that I haven't come across in other books recently.

The concept of drug-induced mysticism is a complex and controversial one. On one hand, it may offer experiences that seem otherworldly and profound. On the other hand, the use of drugs to achieve such states can have serious negative consequences for one's physical and mental health.

Regardless of our stance on this issue, it's clear that this book has managed to capture my attention and hold it firmly. It has a certain charm and allure that sets it apart from the rest.

Perhaps it's the vivid descriptions, the engaging narrative, or the thought-provoking ideas that make it so captivating. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I discovered this book and look forward to exploring more of its pages.

Yea,

so that was a truly trippy book. Literally speaking,

half of the book is Carlos vividly describing his mind-bending psychedelic trips on various plants that Juan instructed him to ingest.

However, for some rather strange reason,

it was extremely interesting to me.

It is probably a good thing that some of these ancient Yaqui ways are documented in this book.

It is truly sad to think about how much valuable information we have lost regarding different cultures of the American continent.

We should cherish and preserve such knowledge before it is completely forgotten.

Perhaps this book can serve as a reminder of the rich and diverse history that exists within these cultures.

Hopefully, more people will become interested in learning about and protecting these unique ways of life.

This book is all about experience. It details the experiences that Castaneda had during his apprenticeship with Don Juan.

Whether Don Juan truly existed or not is of little concern to me; that's not the main focus here. What matters more are Don Juan's teachings. His teachings center around a way to become "a man of knowledge," and he firmly believes that knowledge can only be gained through direct experience of things.

I'll conclude here. If someone is foolish enough to have read everything I've written up to this point and has become interested, then let him/her read the entire book on their own. Oops, sorry, experience the entire book on their own. I believe this was the ideal time in my life to read this book. Now, all I need to do is ensure that I don't yield to the first enemy of the "man of knowledge" and constantly ask myself, "Does this path have a heart?"

This book has truly opened my eyes and made me reflect on my own journey towards knowledge and self-discovery.

I truly loved this book. However, once I delved a little deeper into researching the author, I was shocked to discover his cult-like theories, which I found to be extremely weird and creepy.

I own 3 of his books and wouldn't have any qualms about parting with them. These books mainly focus on student anthropologists who study the Native American usage of substances such as peyote, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), saliva, and mushrooms. The author meets a shaman who teaches him the method of using peyote and he discovers the powers of shamanism.

The first half of this book details the efforts of trust and the steps he has to take to prove his worthiness and trust before he is shown and given peyote. His first peyote trip experience is quite elaborate.

These books are indeed great and are supposed to be somewhat true accounts of the author's younger years. But in real life, he portrayed himself as a very powerful shaman, which was pretty scary. After the books were written, it became clear how disillusioned he was until the time of his death.

If you search for him on Google, you will find a cult following, with site after site dedicated to him. It's just really weird and kind of witchcrafty. So, make sure that if you read these books, you don't let it go to your head and you clearly understand the difference between reality and fantasy.

I am going to bestow the same review upon all the Carlos Castaneda books that I perused within that series. This is simply because they are all truly outstanding.

I was extremely fortunate to have encountered Castaneda at a very early stage of my magickal journey. My spells and rituals have always hinged upon the power of intent, and I have discovered no superior education regarding how to focus one's intent than what is presented in this series of books.

Back in 1994, they were classified as nonfiction. However, lately, it is being claimed that they are fiction. All that I know is that a great deal of what is contained within these books actually works.

And having been a Wiccan Faery Witch for 13 years now, I am well aware that much of what is real to us is regarded as fiction by those who are not traversing a magickal path.

These are life-altering books that you will never forget, and their teachings continue to exert an influence on my life to this very day. It simply couldn't be any better than that!

When I had read that book, I knew that not one person had written it.

The description of the magic experiences and the intellectual analysis about those experiences didn't seem to come from one and the same person. I thought, "When one day it should happen that I have to know about the truth of the writing of this book, the information will come to me."

About 20 years later, I was working every winter in the town of Puebla in Mexico. A so-called coincidence introduced me to the real author of all the books published under the name of Carlos Castaneda. The man had once been in need of getting material for his theses as a student of Anthropology in southern California. He stole and let others steal the material written by an adolescent who had been dictated most of the material by Don Juan, whose real name is and will stay hidden.

This discovery shed new light on the works that I had previously thought were the result of one person's imagination. It made me question the authenticity and integrity of the entire body of work. I wonder how many other books out there have similar secrets hidden within their pages.

I came across this book in a rather strange way. I was reading an old interview with Joni Mitchell from the 70's era. She had mentioned it in a somewhat oblique manner, but there was just enough information for me to search it out.

When I finally got my hands on the book, I was completely amazed. I then delved deeper into finding out who this Castaneda guy was. However, I soon wished I hadn't. What I initially thought was an honest first-hand experience turned out to be a (possibly) fantastical fictional story. Or at least, there were some skeptics who made a good case against Ol' Carlos.

Nevertheless, the book was still a great leap into a culture that I knew absolutely nothing about. It was a very articulate and fascinating story about the Yaqui Indian shamanic tradition. It also explored the effects on Mr. Castaneda of the naturally found Peyote plant and the teachings of Don Juan, a Yaqui shaman.

I can't quite put my finger on why, but Castaneda's critics somehow managed to shake my belief that this was a true story. I just couldn't seem to suspend my disbelief as I had when I first read it. Afterward, I read another of his books, but it got a little too dark for my taste, so I never finished it. Still, I do highly recommend this particular book as a wonderful story that will transport you to places you've never been before!

This statement implies that there is something extremely profound or complex that requires a particular state of mind to fully understand or engage with. It suggests that one cannot simply approach it casually or without the appropriate mental preparation.

Perhaps it is a philosophical concept, a piece of art, or a difficult task that demands concentration, openness, and a willingness to explore. To be in the right frame of mind might involve clearing distractions, calming the mind, and being receptive to new ideas and perspectives.

It could also mean having the courage to face the challenges and uncertainties that come with delving into the unknown. Only by being in this optimal state can one truly appreciate the depth and significance of what lies before them.