Carlos Castanedea

[somnium]

I wanted to post a quick reference to some of the most enlightening works I have ever seen. If you are looking for a path that enrichens awareness, and takes you outside of the world to other realities than you should check out Carlos Castaneda. He offers a journey into shamanism, and sorcery that dates back thousands of years. I took on his beliefs and knowledges and explored the realms offered from his insight and was left exeriencing miracles in daily life. His books are available on the net pretty easily, and are also available in torrents.

[AllanBeveridge]

I read them when they came out and learned a great deal from them (at the time there was very little available), notably the first three, though one must realize that most of the stories in his books are fiction.

[somnium]

Carlos tells the story that he lived as a true tale, though difficult to believe for some. If ones takes on the awareness that he offers in his books the same experiences can be had. I have done so myself.

[AllanBeveridge]

I am not disagreeing with you only stating that much of the story is pure fiction and many of the events he described never occurred. That doesn't mean there isn't something we can learn from it as I mentioned.

[somnium]

I am not disagreeing with you only stating that much of the story is pure fiction and many of the events he described never occurred. That doesn't mean there isn't something we can learn from it as I mentioned.

So you call Carlos Castaneda a liar and a fraud and at the same time you recommend him as a teacher? I am confused.

[Pockshimmo]

I am not disagreeing with you only stating that much of the story is pure fiction and many of the events he described never occurred. That doesn't mean there isn't something we can learn from it as I mentioned.

I found his writings rather fanciful, but somewhat entertaining. Castaneda more or less pioneered the way for other questionable new age writers/charlatans like Lynn Andrews.

[somnium]

I found his writings rather fanciful, but somewhat entertaining. Castaneda more or less pioneered the way for other questionable new age writers/charlatans like Lynn Andrews.

For myself he paved the way to alternate realities, and free-thought.


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[Light.]

Excellent choice I cant tell you guyz how enlightening it waz to read his books ... I read all of them and learned quite a bit ...

I believe I made a thread about it on the site as well ...

I cant believe how much geometricz were in the bookz


The bookz open the mind to new wayz of seeing and thinking...

[Psychic Child]

I am not disagreeing with you only stating that much of the story is pure fiction and many of the events he described never occurred. That doesn't mean there isn't something we can learn from it as I mentioned.

Allan, interesting that you know
which events of experience never occurred.
You would put them in the parable [?] category . . .
lesson teaching stories?

Is what reality they are in, really important?
Trying to discredit the messenger
doesn't change the messages.

Be in harmony,
be in beauty.
roger

note:
I do find the messages in tune within
the 6 dimensional realities that I was
taught to use as a child.
I laughed out loud, picturing people
high-stepping as they entered a reality
that was different from the one before.
Their heads turned so they could march
toward the reality they saw in the corner
of their eye.
When you enter the realities within the books,
and touch the intentions of Carlos, you will
laugh in delight with him too.
Beauty.
pc.

[AllanBeveridge]

Psychic Child, if you do some research you can find this out for yourself. Nor do I say this to disparage Carlos, but the facts speak for themselves. And there is great value in some of what he wrote about, whether it is fiction or not does not detract from or reduce their value.

You state:
"Is what reality they are in, really important?
Trying to discredit the messenger
doesn't change the messages."

I am not trying to discredit him, he did that on his own. Perhaps you may not have read my comment without reacting first? I say this as I clearly stated:

"That doesn't mean there isn't something we can learn from it as I mentioned."

And which I have repeated in this post. I have put some of what he wrote about to good use, and have quoted his writings in my own on several occasions.

Cheers

[AllanBeveridge]

Don't be, one can write a work of pure fiction that can also be enlightening. Somnium, have you ever read a book of fiction and learned from it? I am sure you have. In modern times Star Wars was fiction but there is some fine wisdom in the words of Yoda and others. Dune by Mr. Herbert is also a work of fiction but there is also some great wisdom woven into it.

[Clear Blue Sky]

After reading that and other things, I had a brilliant vision. Two glorious sheen-scaled lizards. And they blinked and freely opened and shut their cheery little mouths, and all was joy and freedom. and the white crow sang above the beating path.

[somnium]

I find it interesting that some people discredit his works. They have no actual way of knowing if the events took place or not and yet they call him a fraud. And when asked "someone else told me it was fake". lololol.. He had many cohorts too in his travels and they all seemed to agree with Carlos and don Juan. I take Carlos' word for it, the events happened and he described them to his readers. If you are closed to his experiences you simply will deny yourself to have the same or similar ones. I took his readings as a true story and was open to the possibilities in them and as such I have received amazing experiences. I owe a great deal of gratitude to Carlos for opening my eyes to the unknown.

[AllanBeveridge]

I am not closed to it, I took them as true stories (well, mostly true) when I read them as they came out. Nor do I see it as entirely a work of fiction. I was a teenager and had my own "gifts" and found great value in the first two books. I put a number of the techniques in them to good use and still do today. I did some research when some things didn't quite add up (what they were escapes me now as that was 40 years ago) starting with the fifth book "The Second Ring of Power". And there are a number of discrepancies in his history and when confronted his rebuttal was weak. I don't believe it was all fiction, he was a smart man and he was a cultural anthropologist, getting his education at UCLA.

[Light.]

Itz funny how many people cut themselvez off with "iz it true nahhh cant be" Everything iz untrue until some one doez it ... lol



muhahahahaha


Thatz why I believe everything iz untrue and true all at the same time ...



One day when a man levitatez then every one will be able to do it .... or it will be capable of being done ... but until then itz untrue ... lol


So who will be the first person to see humanz in geometrical form while in meditation??? Well many people have already done that so itz acceptable ...


Who will be able to remote view ??? Well that haz been done so itz true ...



I believe every thing iz true ... it haz been forgotten about or will happen in the future ...



Now iz that to hard to believe ???


There iz so much to take from bookz itz the possibility that you might be able to see what otherz talked about ... or so forth ... while all the people are doubting and forgetting ... I will be trying and thinking ....


Enjoy yourselvez psychonautz .... muahahaha

[Clear Blue Sky]

Psychonautz, I luvz tzat

I believe his Muskeleto protector character corresponds to encoutners i have had, but that being did not manifest in that fashion because mine was a different mileu. I don't like doing drugs and I believe its cruel and without a heart to stitch and eat beautiful lizards. I feel the narrator of those books was often blunderingly missing the point of what Don Juan was trying to teach him. This is a revelation and a learning to me, even thought what I feel the lesson is may have just been my own heart perceiving something that neither the narrator nor D.J. had ever intended. Such is eXistenZ. oh yeah I don't believe in vivisecting mutant frogs and turning them into game machines either ;P

[somnium]

Somnium, have you ever read a book of fiction and learned from it?

That is not the point here Allan, the point is that Carlos didn't write a book about fiction, he wrote one of non-fiction. He clearly states this in his forward.

[rabana]

reading good fiction by a decent author who has done careful research is the pleasantest way of learning about history, cultures, etc..

what bothered me about the Don Juan stories is that Don Juan and his buddies were totally self-serving assholes out to save their own skins from ordinary death which they viewed as total horror (an eagle eternally picking out your guts). plus they were screw-ups. before leaving this realm they were supposed to pass their tradition on to someone who repeat it correctly and they admitted that Castaneda was a mistake and could not pull it off. admittedly there is some mystery surrounding his death and the disappearances of his lady friends afterwards (look it up).

at some point Don Juan admits that the Seers of his tradition didn't 'see' beforehand the arrival of the Europeans in their world. i also wonder about that because all other native groups had recorded prophecies about it. these guys must of had their heads up their evil asses not to have known ahead of time what was coming.

[somnium]

what bothered me about the Don Juan stories is that Don Juan and his buddies were totally self-serving assholes out to save their own skins from ordinary death which they viewed as total horror (an eagle eternally picking out your guts).

That's not what he said at all. First of all the view the eagle as abstract and difficult and dangerous to 'see'. However it was described as being an black eagle that bestowed awareness to all living things and spanned different worlds. They 'saw' that this eagle collected the awareness of all living things at the end of its life. And that some, the impeccable souls that lived correctly got to go free. They said this eagle did not let everyone go, and that it made the awareness of the person total and pure before it would extinguish the awareness. The eagle was described even as being the totality of will. There was no such mention of eternal life or torment. Just the possibility of being bestowed the totality of our being and freedom, or, nothing.

[rabana]

impeccable implying personal power, rather than love and compassion for all.