 |
|
You are not logged in! F.A.Q Log in Register |
 |
|
 |
 Now online (3)recycle belb big ...and 254 guests Last 5 registered Oplandisks nothingstar N_loop yipe foxtrotromeo Browse members... |
 |
Members 8025Messages 2614083 Today 3 Topics 127542 |
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
Anyone here read his books? I've read a few and this is my conclusion, it's probably already widely concluded too, I just haven't looked into it much. My theory is that don juan never existed. Castaneda never even had proof to shut up the sceptics. I think he was just an anthropologist in the hippy era, did some peyote, had a vivid religious experience melded with his knowledge of early mexican shamanism, and concocted his theory of living beyond death as an inorganic being. I think alot of the stuff he says could be true, but I don't think it came from some psychic shaman that always reads his thoughts and speaks perfectly about stuff, I think that was him. Even though I doubt the existence of don juan, I don't disclaim the teachings, i just think its from Castaneda himself, and the only way to get people to believe or read it, is to usher in a confabulated shaman to verify his own words, which wouldn't be credited if not for a mystical fictional character like don juan. Besides, it all boils down to the teachings and findings of this theory, it never really mattered if don juan existed or not. We're still left with Castaneda's intriguing theories on the dark sea of awareness, infinity, inorganic beings, and the sorcerers way of cheating death (apparently only something sorcerers can do), which therefore adds a religious cult aspect to his teachings, the fact that you have to follow his words and teachings to basically become a drug induced meditating monk, experience the other fabric of our twin world through inner silence, and then to implement his teachings to live on after death. |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
good gwely,excelent. i read a lot of books,if not all... and the idea of a non-existing Don Juan is fine,all coming from a writer that goes beyond the invisible(?). i like how he talks about the mass energies and how can we deal with this on a simple actitude of no fear and pure intention. lots of laughs when Genaro and Don Juan laugh about his early fucking logic time. |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
apparently he is quite controversial in the anthropological world. most dismiss him as being a crazy guru. but there are those who appreciate his presence because he did much to popularise the field by romanticising it like he did in his books. he turned me onto anthropology. my favourite was Journey to Ixtlan, I found it to be the most practical and he didn't even ingest or smoke anything in that one. as far as i can remember genaro makes many appearances. he is a cool character :) |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
i read the teachings of don juan, was profoundly affected by it and subsequently gutted to hear it's mostly fiction. Still, i bought 2 of his other books for future reading. |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
maybe don juan would suggest that our past, present and future realities are pictures that we paint of reality, and not reality itself. for this reason, we can learn from legends of teachers who did not exist as "real" people, but rather as aggregates of collective understanding. after all, isn't it the ideas that are important? maybe castaneda was wise, or maybe he was shrewd in recognizing that western people needed a mythical, avuncular character to entertain the ideas. not that the ideas are entirely castaneda's... unfortunately i read the first book so long ago i don't have anything else to contribute. |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
thanks for reminding me to reread castaneda's books i used to own and love them but i guess i sold 'em off |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
Castaneda blended fiction, religion, fantasy and facts in a way not dissimilar to L. Ron Hubbard, although, at least in the beginning, not as cynically or in a calculating manner as that albino dwarf. Actually I kind of like Castaneda's books, especially the ones where it's not about convincing the reader and more about wild out there speculations of the living universe. |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Messageboard index
|
|||||||||
