religious studies

Carlos Castaneda is an anthropologist from UCLA who in the 70's decided to give up academic career to do field work on the native plans of central american indian tribes of mexico and discovered a way of knowledge open to only the initiated few, shamanistic tribes who carried on a legacy for millenia. He was essentially tricked into that way of life by a warrior-sage named Juan Matus who over a period of nearly 20 years, allegedly drafted him into service of becoming a sorcerer, a warrior, a seer, and a man of knowledge. The book lays out a description of a world of heightened awareness and perception which is both all around us and yet nowhere in particular.

carlos castaneda, in his work The TEachings of Don Juan, a Yaqui way of knowledge" did a very interesting field work study for UCLA it was widely criticized too, but a must read too. I think the essence of what he said was true, however, his work is certainly not the only source of information to corroborate the subject. He was criticized for not revealing sources, a fact that is inadmissable in the realm of academia and science, however, there is no way he made all that stuff up either. I think Juan Matus is a composite of many benefactors in Castaneda's life, and this should not detract from what he has to reveal about the paths in question. I would assume that he had to gain their trust in order to write that. If that's the case then he could never of revealed such info. This world is so messed up.. Instead of looking at the reality of it - so many have to question insignificant things.

This Book allow you to connect to an ancient Indian Shaman collection of 'extreme knowledge into nature'a captivating and enthraling reading. You will walk through the writer's experiences of altered realities, and other dimentions, a confrontational, sometimes frightful journey. Through The writer Carlos learns to be masterful and have "intention" in all he does in his life. When he comes back to California he cannot leave his Shaman life behind. I unintentionally found this book to be psycologically powerful for me. My life has changed by not acepting less than full intention in all that I do. I own a metaphysical healing store in La Habra and bring the power of Carlos Castanada writings here every day. The story goes something like this: A young student Carlos Costanada, goes to Mexico to meet an old Indian man who knows about medicinal & hallucinogenic plants. Carols doesen't really like him at first. Their relationship develops into Shaman and apprentice. Carlos doesn't choose to be Don Yuan's apprentice. He is there to take notes, and to study all he can for his degree. For aproximently 10 years Carlos unites with The Shaman and goes through intrepid and exhilarating experiences, beyond his scholarly responsibilities. A brimming study of What it means to be on the path of a Shamans apprentice. Is it true? Carlos says it is. First you must read all the books. The first one, is the only one where there are drug induced rituals. Don Yuan explains this is needed for Carlos because of his 'limited western mind's ability to see another reality'. This is one of the controversies about the book. Perfectly written.

I must admit that I read "The Teachings of Don Juan" many, many years after his succeeding books. While it was informative and his adventure interesting, there were times however, when it appeared rather "astral", although this is not a judgement. The astral element comes from his perceptions which are only natural on the path of enlightenment. It is merely a stage of transition from being restricted by mass beliefs, and the confronting of (because there is no way around it as we learn to create our reality) "in-organic beings". In-organic beings are no more than "thought constructions" or "thought forms", given life by those who fuel their existance by emotion... (please see "Seth Speaks - The Eternal Validity of the Soul" and note also, the emotional effects which such "beings" had on Carlos Castaneda, particularly in The Art of Dreaming or The Active Side of Infinity). But even Seth states that trips on drugs *could* be useful under supervision, although what often is in the subconscious can be frightening due to "thought-forms" of our own and the mass making. This is called "the dark side of the soul", and is a natrual phenomenon and a learning tool used by various teachers of many cultures (the great masters included), as we learn about objectification and the many identities that cover the essential spirit. It is a necessary step that one must experience as one is being liberated from mere concrete knoweledge into the higher intuitional knoweldge of the soul. Mr. Castaneda was no doubt being given this opportunity with his mentor,who suspended his first attention long enough to experience other (the second attention) perceptual realities. Having done it with drugs initially was not necessarily "necessary" though and this is where we part roads. Not because I judge such measures but because ultimately, drugs are not necessary to have experiences if we in fact do have a soul (which is multi-dimensional). The illuminative properties of the soul enhances perception and expands consciousness. This is often to the dismay of the neophyte however because they wonder how to have such experiences. That is a question noone can truly answer and the timing has to do the intent of the soul itself and it's purposes. Mr. C's books are insightful however because they propose certain disciplines having to do with how one uses their intent and how one perceives the world. His learning and the verbage used to explain such phenomenon are though unfamiliar to most and one must put two and two together which is difficult if new to the path of spiritual studies (it literally takes years). It is simply a different bent put on an old topic that is as ancient as time. One might be better off reading the fundementals of perception and how one creates their experience by studying books by Seth or the great Masters (although the Masters keep certain teachings obscured to the uninitiated and talk in symbols a great part of the time). Never the less, that Mr. C may have dissappeared upon his departing from the world instead of dying in the manner we are accustomed to in this reality, would mean of course that he had transmuted his physical body completely in order to dissappear (or ascend). We won't know the answer to that and meanwhile, I found the need to jump off a cliff in order to "die" or find "life after death", a most cumbersome proposition, unless it was not merely physical but a psychological process which in fact, all spirituality is deduced to. That Don Juan speaks of the light of the soul as some idealistic chimera that is merely there to appease human kind, (I forget which book and his words were quite different), I can assure those who read his books that the universe is not in fact, "out to get you" as it would seem due to his explanations, and we are not "on the way to dying" unless put in the context of the soul and a certain process in which our identity is "cruxified", meaning, expanded and wrent asunder due to the incredible pressure of the soul itself and a greater identity that longs to be housed in a body, thus illuminating it. While reading "A Fire From Within", Mr. C. no doubt has those illuminative moments that were given by the property of the soul. The drug part is inconsequential, but if one can get past the intricate and academic manner in which his message is presented, then one might have a chance to get beyond that to what is basically simple, because all truth, in the end, is always simple. Any complications are egoistic in source but necessary in the telling of a story in which others can relate.