This is a highly overrated piece of fiction that attempts to masquerade as a true story.

Despite Castaneda's rather insane approach, there are still some interesting bits and pieces within it.

However, it is important to note that it is far from worthy of the cult status that it has managed to attain.

The story may have some elements that catch the reader's attention, but overall, it lacks the authenticity and substance that one would expect from a truly great work.

Perhaps it is the allure of the unknown or the promise of a different perspective that has drawn people to this book.

But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that it is little more than a work of imagination.

In conclusion, while there may be some merit to certain aspects of this piece of fiction, it should not be held in the high regard that it currently enjoys.

Insightful practical guide on how to properly get high, fly and see the unseen.

This guide offers valuable insights and practical tips on achieving a state of elevation and perception that allows one to see beyond the ordinary. It delves into the various methods and techniques that can be employed to reach this heightened state.

From exploring different forms of meditation and mindfulness practices to engaging in activities that stimulate the senses and expand consciousness, the guide provides a comprehensive overview. It also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and mindset to support this journey of self-discovery and exploration.

Whether you are seeking to enhance your creativity, gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you, or simply experience a sense of wonder and awe, this practical guide has something to offer. So, embark on this adventure and discover the hidden realms that lie within and beyond your perception.

It is interesting to return to such books after a long break... The last time I read Castaneda was 15 years ago (sic!). I realize how many years have passed for me. To say that these books had a powerful influence on me is to say nothing. My first published story in an anthology was inspired by Castaneda and Lovecraft, just like once "The Cult" by Derecha.

And now, I decided to take a look again into that world, this time in Ukrainian. Surprisingly, I know some sentences almost by heart.

In conclusion - it is still interesting, but without that childish reverence. Only now do I realize that from reading this text, my love for such classic and much more powerful anthropologists than Castaneda, such as Frazer, Eliade, and Taylor, has grown.

"— 'Maize-pinto, crystals, feathers - all this is toys compared to the "companion",' he said. - They are needed only when there is no "companion". To look for them is a waste of time, especially for you. What you really need is to try to obtain the "companion". And when you succeed in this, then you will understand what I am saying now. Objects of power are children's amusements.

— Understand me correctly, don Juan, - I protested. - Of course, I am not against obtaining the "companion", but I would like to know more in general. After all, you yourself said that knowledge is power.

— No, - he interrupted. - Power depends on the knowledge you possess. What is the point of knowing what is useless?"

*

I did as he said. The paste was cold and had an extremely strong smell. After finishing applying it, I straightened up. The smell of the ointment hit my nose. It was suffocating and resembled some kind of gas. My head was dizzy from the sharp smell. I tried to breathe through my mouth and wanted to talk to don Juan, but I couldn't.

Don Juan looked at me intently. I took a step towards him. My legs were rubbery and long, incredibly long. I took another step. My knees were springy, as if on hinges; they contracted, twitched, and vibrated. I moved forward.

The movement of my body was slow and laborious, it was more like shoves in the direction forward and upward. I looked down at my feet and saw don Juan far, far below. Inertia carried me forward one more step, even more elastic and longer than the previous one. And then I took off.

I remember that once I descended, then, pushing off with both feet, I jumped back and landed on my back. I saw the dark sky and the clouds racing above me. I twisted my body so that I could look down. I saw the dark mass of the mountains. The speed at which I was moving was amazing. My hands were pressed to my body. My head served as something like a rudder. Throwing my head back, I described vertical circles: turning it sideways, I changed direction. I enjoyed the speed and freedom that were completely unknown to me before. The mysterious darkness evoked a feeling of an incomprehensible sum, or perhaps a passionate desire, as if I had found my homeland - the nocturnal darkness. I tried to look around as best I could, but I felt only the peace of the silent night, in which so much power was hidden.

*

— A special part of the teaching is how to find the crack between the worlds and how to enter another world. There is a crack between two worlds: the world of the devil and the world of the living. There is a place where both worlds intersect. There is the crack. It opens and closes, like a door in the wind. To get there, a person must develop and test their will, that is, this must become their insurmountable and all-consuming passion. But they must do it without any help - of strength or a person. A person must independently weigh everything and strive for the moment when their body will be ready to experience the journey. This moment is known by the continuous twitching of the whole body and a strong nausea. Usually, a person cannot sleep or eat, and becomes extremely weak. If the convulsions do not stop, the person is ready for the journey, and simply in front of their eyes, the crack between the worlds opens, similar to huge doors, the crack from top to bottom. When the crack opens, you have to penetrate through it. On the other side of the border, it is difficult to see. The wind is like in a sandstorm. Storms rage around. Having got there, a person can go in any direction. Whether the journey will be short or long depends only on their strength of will. For the one with a strong will, the journey is short; for a weak and indecisive person - long and dangerous. The journey ends near a kind of plateau. It is easy to recognize by several signs. It is a flat hill. One of the signs is the wind, which is especially fierce here, the blows of the wind knock you off your feet, and everything drowns in its fury. On the top of this plateau is the entrance to another world, and there is a skin stretched there that separates the worlds; the dead pass through it without a sound, and we must tear it with a cry. That wild wind that blows on the plateau sometimes intensifies, and when it gains enough strength, a person must shout, and the wind will push them through the skin. It is possible to overcome this wind only by having the same unwavering will - only it will the wind obey. All that is needed is a small push, not to be carried to the very edge of that world. Having found oneself on that side, one has to wander around. A great success is to find an assistant right away, not too far from the entrance. You have to ask him for help. A person must ask the assistant in their own words to teach them or make them a devil. If the assistant agrees, he kills the person on the spot and, when they are dead, teaches them. When you yourself make such a journey, then, if you are lucky, you can find a great devil as your assistant, who will kill you and teach you. But, as a rule, there are still smaller ones who can teach very little. However, neither you nor they have the strength to refuse. It is best to find a male assistant, otherwise you may become a victim of a devil who will force you to suffer incredibly. Women are always like that. But here it all depends on luck, unless a person has their own benefactor - a great devil, who has many assistants in the other world. Then he will direct the student so that they will meet with the assistant they need. Such was my benefactor. He directed me so that I met exactly with his own spirit-assistant. After returning, you will be a different person. You will be doomed to go there again and again to meet with the assistant, and you will wander further and further from the entrance until finally, one day, you will go too far and not be able to return. Sometimes a devil can catch someone's soul and throw it through the entrance, and there leave it in captivity to their assistant until he extracts the last remnants of will from it. But it happens, as, for example, with you, that the soul belongs to a person with a strong will, and then the devil will keep it in a bag, because it is not so easy to send it somewhere. In such cases, everything is decided by a battle - a battle in which the devil either wins everything or loses everything. This time, the one you fought with suffered a defeat and was forced to release your soul. If she had won, then she would have given it to her assistant, and there you would have disintegrated a little and gone out, and that would be the end.

You may find this book contains a great deal of chaff regarding how they prepare peyote and other drugs, along with mundane descriptions in a diary.

However, when you least expect it, they strike you with a boulder of wisdom that leaves you frozen.

There is ONE core idea in the book that makes the price tag seem insignificant. You simply cannot put a price on it. It goes as follows:

"Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, you must always bear in mind that a path is just a path. If you sense that you should not follow it, you must not remain on it under any circumstances. To achieve such clarity, you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you understand that any path is merely a path, and there is no offense, either to oneself or to others, in abandoning it if that is what your heart dictates. But your decision to continue on the path or to leave it must be devoid of fear or ambition. I caution you. Examine every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you deem necessary.

This question is one that only a very old man would pose. Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths that wind through the bush or into the bush. In my own life, I can say that I have traversed extremely long paths, yet I am nowhere. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere, but one has a heart, and the other doesn't. One makes for a joyous journey; as long as you follow it, you are in harmony with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.

Before you embark on any path, ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must select another path. The problem is that nobody asks this question, and when a man finally realizes that he has chosen a path without a heart, the path is ready to consume him. At that point, very few men can pause to deliberate and leave the path. A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to exert a great deal of effort just to take it. On the other hand, a path with a heart is effortless; it doesn't require you to work hard to like it."

Ever since I read this book, I have adhered to that advice. Life has flourished with a sense of authenticity.

Heheheh, yeah, go on and make fun.

But let me tell you, back in the 70s when I was 19 years old, I truly believed that it contained Deep Meaning.

I had this sense that there was something profound and significant within it.

Hopefully, I wasn't completely deluded and up my own ass about it.

Maybe, just maybe, it does contain some tiny bits of Deep Thought.

Looking back now, I can see that my perspective was influenced by the era and my own youthful naivety.

But still, there's a part of me that hopes there was some truth to my initial perception.

After all, those moments of believing in something greater can be quite powerful and formative.

Even if it turns out that the Deep Meaning I thought I saw wasn't as profound as I imagined, it still holds a special place in my memories.

And who knows, maybe upon further reflection or with a different lens, I might discover that there is indeed more to it than meets the eye.

I was delighted by the way in which he describes the non-ordinary states of consciousness that he had the opportunity to experience during the account.

It is a journey on a search embarked upon from the rational but which finally turns into a paradigm shift for the author.

In a personal search, I coincide with the author when I question myself: Why should the world be as we believe it to be? And precisely that was what led me to read and enjoy this book as a different vision of man, the Universe and knowledge. It coincides in some things and differs in many others from what I have had the opportunity to see, but when reading it, it nourishes my curiosity about the search for a different understanding and about the help that the different states of consciousness can have in said search. The possibilities seem infinite.

This particular edition begins with an extraordinary prologue by Octavio Paz.

I was reminded of this book by a recent article.

As I thought about it, I realized that I had never read it when it first came out.

I was filled with curiosity and eager to find out what all the fuss was about.

However, after reading it, I must say that I was sorely disappointed.

The writing in the book is clumsy and lacks finesse.

Moreover, the insights it offers are very sparing and not particularly profound.

It fails to provide any real enlightenment or even make for a good read.

In conclusion, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for intellectual stimulation or an enjoyable literary experience.

It simply does not live up to the hype that surrounded its initial release.

After a great deal of research and reading the documentation about the author and her book, my opinion is that not only does the book present a magical and very engaging story, but there are also elements of reality hidden within all this magic.

It's difficult to explain, but with a little study, you will realize that the book is not just a fictional or imaginary story, but something that has actually happened.

The author has managed to blend the world of magic and the real world in a seamless way, creating a narrative that is both captivating and thought-provoking.

The characters in the book are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Overall, I believe that this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story that combines magic and reality in a unique and interesting way.

The first half of the story was truly grand. It was filled with excitement, adventure, and a sense of wonder. The characters were engaging, and the plot was fast-paced, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

However, the second half was a bit of a letdown. It became pretty hard to follow and dry. The story seemed to lose its momentum, and the characters became less interesting. The plot became convoluted, and it was difficult to keep track of what was happening.

Despite this, the overall story had its moments. The grandeur of the first half was enough to keep the reader interested, and there were still some elements that were enjoyable. It just seemed that the second half could have been better developed and more engaging.

Perhaps with a bit more editing and refinement, the story could have been a real masterpiece. But as it stands, it is a bit of a mixed bag. The first half is definitely worth reading, but the second half may require a bit more effort on the part of the reader.

Overall, it was an okay read, but it had the potential to be so much more.

“I warn you: observe the road closely and without haste, try it as many times as you deem necessary and then pose to yourself, and to no one else, a question: does this road have a heart?”

(It was in the Seventies when we read the teachings of don Juan. Perhaps so many things have come into fashion or have been surpassed by other esotericisms and other schools of magical thought. But this question still makes sense and always will.)

Re-reading. This simple yet profound statement by don Juan encourages us to look beyond the surface of things. When we observe the road closely and without rush, we are able to notice the details that might otherwise escape our attention. By trying it multiple times, we gain a deeper understanding of its nature. And then, by asking ourselves that crucial question, we are forced to reflect on the essence of the road. Does it have a heart? This could mean many things. Maybe it refers to the character or spirit of the road, or perhaps it is a metaphor for the meaning and purpose that we can find in our journey through life. No matter how we interpret it, this question challenges us to look within and discover the hidden truths that lie beneath the surface.

When this book first came out, it was truly one of a kind.

It cast a spell on me with its fascinating blend of anthropology, magic, the adventure of peyote mushrooms, and the interaction between Indians and whites.

I recently picked it up again.

I hoped that it was I who had changed and not the book.

As I delved back into its pages, I was once again drawn into its captivating world.

The descriptions of the different cultures and their beliefs were vivid and engaging.

The magical elements added an air of mystery and excitement.

The adventures with the peyote mushrooms were both thrilling and thought-provoking.

It made me question my own perceptions and beliefs.

Despite my initial hope, I found that the book had not lost its charm.

It still had the power to transport me to another time and place.

It was a reminder of the importance of keeping an open mind and exploring new ideas.

This book will always hold a special place in my heart.

The original article seems to be a bit lacking in content. It simply states that something is "kinda boring." Let's expand on this thought.

Life can sometimes feel a bit dull and uninteresting. There are those moments when everything seems to blend together, and the days pass by without much excitement. It could be that we are stuck in a routine, doing the same things over and over again. Or perhaps we are lacking inspiration and motivation to try new things.

However, it's important to remember that boredom is not a permanent state. We have the power to change our circumstances and add some zest to our lives. We can break free from our routines and explore new hobbies or interests. We can seek out new experiences and meet new people. By doing so, we can discover new passions and bring a sense of excitement and fulfillment back into our lives.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling a bit bored, don't just sit there and complain. Take action and make a change. You might be surprised at how much more interesting and enjoyable life can be.