English Professor on UCLA Alum Carlos Castaneda

[canopyfields]

Carlos' book journey to Ixtlan changed my life in 1998. I was shy, cautious, quiet, and that book awakened me to train myself to take risks, take massive action, disregard failures, quiet my doubts, and erase my past.

[shelleyisom]

I read his books many times, learned to "dream" from his books, had many experiences on my own and then took 38 of his workshops and became a warrior following intent. Castaneda was no phony. In my opinion, he's the most influential, paradigm breaking person of the 20th century. Bravo, Carlos!

[pauleckert]

I had an experience when I was in high school in a small village in North West Texas. Myself and two friends were hanging out late one evening just before dark. We began to hear noises starting with crying, then crazy laughter, then a shrill whistle. We actually saw a large bird in a tree with very human features in its face. We split up and went home quickly. We all knew it was a "lechusa" a Spanish term for a witch. The next morning at school a young woman in our first class began telling about one outside their home that terrified them all night. Us three just looked at each other because we hadn't said a word about our experience the previous night. That was 50 years ago and I can still the noises this thing made. About a year later, around 1976 I read The Teachings of Don Juan. The things he described I lived through. He was right about the twilight being the time of power when things easily go between the two worlds. I've only spoken about this a few times in my life and never told my family. I think it appeared as a warning to us teenage boys. Most of the people I grew up with have since passed

[dalehodges]

I started reading A Separate Reality while living in Laguna Beach about 1971. Payote came in potato sacks and Orange Sunshine was still available. Walked down a waterfall one night for a lifetime. Light coming from my fingers just as described ... travel light

[carlito]

Anyone who reads Carlos Castaneda's books changes for the better because our body knows that everything written is as true as death.

[-Greetings-Earthlings-]

✨Listening to this man speak makes me miss lectures every week. It feels like soul food ✨

[Gammadian]

Carlos never tried to represent the Yacqui Indians in any way, yet alone misrepresent them. He says clearly that though don Juan was a  Yaqui, his teachings were not a Yaqui tradition but from a lineage of men of knowledge.

[snapfinger]

Reading those books were as obligatory as turquoise jewelry & vacations in Jamaica, back in the day.

[thomridgeway]

The people on here who state blatantly and confidently scream that Castaneda is fake never do one single thing that would show an iota of enlightenment. They never ask the question - is there more to us as Man? Look into your spirit deep inside and ask that question, and it will find a way to answer you! It doesn't matter how it answers - the universe will answer a yearning heart. Those who never seek that question are too empty, too closed and full of self importance to ever try to ask; nor would they care, and nor should we care either.

[deepsupport]

Calling it a "Castaneda fad" seems to be an attempt by UCLA to distance itself from Castaneda, and ally itself, instead, with this politically correct view (which is quintessential academia) that 'there are all these tribes and all this variety and it's very complicated.' Yes... and... there's this amazing philosophy/teaching in Castaneda's work that doesn't get mentioned at all. But for academics to acknowledge that is conflictual, I would think, because Don Juan's teachings are pointing to experiences of consciousness that transcend the intellect (and expose it from a new point of view).

[davidreay]

Who cares whether it's fact or fiction, it works for me. In any 'Spiritual Tradition', there will always be naysayers.

[jaramyjohnson]

All time is but a memory to reflect on the eternal self


Dear friend you will be missed

[chadkline]

I think its a mix of experiences and Buddhism. Most everything is derived from an eastern teaching. Eg, stalking is maintaining mindfulness, self-awareness. Various ways of meditating or using intent or awareness as a tool. His Toltec movements were based upon tai chi. Can't remember all of it, it's been decades 😊 despite how good his books were, there isn't any evidence to support anything in them as non fictional accounts. I think certainly, there would be such evidence if the books were non fiction. There would be tape recordings, or samples of substances, or photographs, or govt records, or some other materials.

[Kosovar_Chicken]

The work of a true academic is saying nothing of substance yet sounding smart in the process

[orindae]

volume to low, turned up my speaker to max and youtube to max and still cannot hear anything they are saying

[samshuijzen]

There is an unbelievable amount of bickering in the so- called castaneda " community", which seems to be dictated by a few people who claim to be the only ones on the planet to have any idea of what the books were about. It' s sad to see the overwhelming arrogance which dominates them but hopefully that will burn up someday.

[Alex-nrrb]

I've spoken to some Yaqui and they HATE Casteneda. They see him as misrepresenting and exploiting Yaqui culture for his own monetary gain.

[Borismuch]

Why is it that common sense and the kind of intelligence Albert Einstein spoke of go out the window with so many who hold advanced degrees?

[thedriftmc]

Why do they call Castaneda's works NOVELS???

[spactick]

His last statement "white america doesn't rule the world" kinda contradicts his whole speech about the variety of cultures that exist in America. You can't generalize by calling a group of people "white america", because there's simply no such thing in the first place.