Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda is an American writer, anthropologist, ethnographer, a thinker and a mystic. He is the author of several bestselling books dealing with shamanism.
The essence of Castaneda’s teaching (The Way of the Warrior) is distilled from ancient and modern Toltec “seers.”
The unique indigenous magic of Castaneda does not involve tricks, producing something out of nothing, but, rather, a painstaking energetic and meditative practice. Its goal is the achievement of a particular spiritual perfection and a knowledge which differs from the European cognitive system of describing the world.
In the course of 13 years Carlos Castaneda was a student of Juan Matus, a Yaqui who transmitted to him his tribe’s sacred knowledge. On the basis of this experience Carlos Castaneda published 11 books, dedicated to Don Juan’s teachings, which became bestsellers in many countries. Castaneda’s works are hard to define in terms of their genre: they are a synthesis of fiction, philosophy, mysticism, ethnography and psychology.
It is worth emphasizing that some of the terms which Castaneda was the first to introduce (like “man of knowledge”, “assemblage point”, “place of strength,” etc.) have lastingly entered the language and the life of many contemporary people who are concerned with their development.
Castaneda’s personality has always been shrouded in mystery. Practically, he never gave interviews and always adamantly refused to be photographed. As Toltec shamans put it, a shaman warrior is duty bound to “erase his personal story.” This is a principle which Castaneda successfully put to practice in his own life.
The INBI club was in contact with Carlos Castaneda in 1986-1996.
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