“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.”
–Leo Tolstoy
Explorations
Extended think pieces summarizing avenues, analyses and practices former Castaneda followers have been exploring for understanding Castaneda and/or experiencing expanded perception:
I. Bibliography of Castaneda Criticism and Exclusive Author Interviews
• A Critical Bibliography of Carlos Castaneda, by SM
• Castaneda Book Timelines & Inconsistencies, by DW
• Margaret Runyan Castaneda, A Magical Journey With Carlos Castaneda, book review by SM
• Critique of Phenomenology and Castaneda’s ‘anthropology’ as Obscurantism, by Professor Marvin Harris; and a response by SM
• Daniel C. Noel, Seeing Castaneda: Reactions to the “Don Juan” Writings of Carlos Castaneda, by RS
• Daniel Noel interviewed by Sandy McIntosh
• Episode of the Two Lizards (an excerpt from de Mille)
• Jay C. Fikes interviewed by Sandy McIntosh
• Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D. Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice, a book review by SM
• Richard de Mille, Castaneda’s Journey, Capra Press (1976), by SM
II. Castaneda and Florinda’s Source Material – Likely Candidates
• A Brief History of the Yaqui and their Land, by LZ
• Academic Overview of Concepts of Tonal and Nagual Prior to ‘don Juan’, Intro by CD
• Book of the Hopi, by Frank Waters, summary by DW
• B.A. Mystery School? Oscar Ichazo and Castaneda, by CD
• Conjuring Brujos: Did don Juan and Genaro really Exist?, by SM & RS
• Florinda’s UCLA Doctoral Committee Blows the Whistle on Her
• Gurdjieff and Castaneda: An Introduction, by CD
• Howard Y. Lee – Castaneda’s Martial Arts Teacher, by DL
• Real Ethnography vs. Anthropologically Inspired Fiction: Shabono and Yanoáma Compared, by CD
• Tensegrity’s Similarity to Other Movement Systems, by EB
• The Cahuilla Connection, by DW
• The Gnat and the Sphinx: Just Literary Cousins?, by RS
III. Castaneda Litigation and Cleargreen Updates
• A Conversation with Cleargreen, by VS
• Castaneda’s Eagle’s Trust Agreement Summarized, by CD
• Cleargreen’s October 21, 1999, statement ‘responding’ to SA material on Carol Tiggs
• Controversy in Mexico: Questions Asked and Unanswered. and Response by JD
• Response to Cleargreen’s Dreaming Workshops Annoucement, by JD
• Response to Cleargreen’s July 2, 1999, Bulletin, by DW
• Summary of Castaneda’s Lawsuit Against Victor Sanchez, by CD
• Statement by Victor Sanchez regarding Castaneda’s lawsuit, by VS
IV. Critiques of Castaneda’s Philosophy
• A Menagerie of Points: Alleged Energy Structures, by DW
• Assemblage Point and Flyers: A Critical Analysis, by DW
• Assemblage Point, Dreaming and Memories, by DW
• Carlos Castaneda and the Border Between Literature and Life, by SM
• Castaneda and Psychic Research
• Castaneda Meets Muktananda . . . and generates a whole lot of questions about don Juan’s ‘departure’ and the ‘apprenticeships’ of Florinda, et al., by CD
• Castaneda’s ‘Specialness Disease’, by DW
• Celibacy: Comparing Castaneda and Gurdjieff, by CD
• Compassion for the Remaining Staff at Cleargreen: The Difficulties of Emerging from a Cult, by CD
• Early Book Inconsistencies, by JD
• Erasing Personal Integrity and other ‘Sorceric Techniques’, by DW
• Metafiction? Castaneda maintained ‘I invented Nothing’, by CD
• Native American Elders’ Reactions to Castaneda and ‘don Juan’, by LZ & SM
• Nogales Bus Depot Encounter, by GC
• Ode to an Artist, by RS
• One Man’s Guru is Another Man’s Fraud, or Worse, by SM
• On the need to explore new avenues, by DW
• Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny, by DW
• Recapitulation Reappraised: A conversation from the Sustained Action Mailing List
• Science and Sorcery, by DW
• Story Inconsistencies, by DW
• Syntax of the Mother Tongue, by JD
• The Best Explanations Available? by DW
• The Core Myths are Intertwined with the Practices, by DW
• The Gnat and the Sphinx: Just Literary Cousins?, by RS
• The Non-Guru of the Non-Cult, by DW
• The Placebo Effect: Why Various Techniques ‘Work’, by DW
• ‘There Will be No Scandals,’ by DW
• Too Many Lies, by DW
• True Believers believe in ‘Energy’, by DL
• When Myths Break Down: An Observation on Language, by LB
• Yaqui Women Excerpt re Castaneda, by LZ
V. Cults, Charisma and Narcissism
• Compassion for the Remaining Staff at Cleargreen: The Difficulties of Emerging from a Cult, by CD
• Cults and Authoritarian Control: Insights from The Guru Papers, by CD
• Charisma, Detachment and Metanormal Abilities: Another Excerpt from Prophetic Charisma
• How to Become a Modern Guru by Norman D. Livergood
• How to Handle Snakes, by CD
• Narcissism and “narcissistic wounds”, intro by CD
• Prophetic Charisma: A Psychological Explanation for the ‘Castaneda Phenomenon,’ by CD
• Sex, Lies and Guru Ploys: Insights from The Guru Papers, by CD
• The Followers and Their Quest: Another Excerpt from Prophetic Charisma
• The Non-Guru of the Non-Cult, by DW
• True Believers believe in ‘Energy’, by DL
VI. ‘Dreaming’ and ‘Seeing’ Techniques
• A Dream without A Dream Within: A Poetic Turn for Carlos Castaneda’s Lessons in Dreaming, by SD
• Adventures in Listening: Applying Castanedan Techniques on a Business Trip, by CD
• Another Technique: Follow the Voice, by DL
• Being Critical of OBE and Dreaming, by DW
• ‘Dreaming’ vs. Dreaming, by CD
• Expecting Rewards; Getting Silent, by DL
• Five Types of Dreaming, by DL
• Navigating with a Stick, by DL
• Night Cycles: The Rollercoaster of Dreaming, by JD
• Reading the Wall, by DL
• Refocusing and Changing Dreams, by DL
• Sleep and Dreaming Fundamentals, by DW
• Tibetan Sound Meditation, by DW
VII. Eastern Meditation, Movement and Spirituality Topics
• Celibacy: Comparing Castaneda and Gurdjieff, by CD
• Chinese ‘Magical Passes’: Three Book Summaries, by EB
• Gurdjieff and Castaneda: An Introduction, by CD
• Howard Y. Lee – Castaneda’s Martial Arts Teacher, by DL
• Krishnamurti on ‘Nonordinary Consciousness’, by CD
• Tibetan Sound Meditation, by DW
VIII. Miscellaneous Topics
• Castaneda and Psychic Research
• Castaneda’s Doctor Confirms His Normal Death
• Castaneda Meets Jodorowsky, by DM
• Castaneda Meets Muktananda . . . and generates a whole lot of questions about don Juan’s ‘departure’ and the ‘apprenticeships’ of Florinda, et al., by CD
• Castaneda’s Natal Chart, by DW
• Castaneda’s Story Telling in the Pre-Don Juan Years: Bruce Bebb’s Recollections, by CD
• Conversations with Carol & Florinda, by CD
• Corona Borealis: Assertedly the Most Important Constellation to Castaneda’s Lineage, by CD
• Michael Korda reminisces about Castaneda
• Jacobo Grinberg’s Involvement with Castaneda (in his own words)
• Professor Jacobo Grinberg’s Relationship with Castaneda
• Sleep and Dreaming Fundamentals, by DW
• They Are What We Know, by SM
IX. Native American and Indigenous Spirituality Topics
• A Brief History of the Yaqui and their Land, by LZ
• Academic Overview of Concepts of Tonal and Nagual Prior to ‘don Juan’, Intro by CD
• A Night with ‘the real don Juan’, by CD
• A War of Witches: A Journey into the Underworld of the Contemporary Aztecs by Timothy J. Knab, review by CD
• Book of the Hopi, by Frank Waters, summary by DW
• Conjuring Brujos: Did don Juan and Genaro really Exist?, by SM & RS
• Jay C. Fikes interviewed by Sandy McIntosh
• Native American Elders’ Reactions to Castaneda and ‘don Juan’, by LZ & SM
• Real Ethnography vs. Anthropologically Inspired Fiction: Shabono and Yanoáma Compared, by CD
• The Cahuilla Connection, by DW
• Yaqui Women Excerpt re Castaneda, by LZ
Explorations’ Author Key:
CD = Corey Donovan
DL = Daniel Lawton
DM = Danio Monti
DW = David Worrell
EB = Ewald Berkers
GC = Gina Celiko
JD = Jeremy Donovan
LB = Lonnie Brown
LZ = Linda Zoontjens
RS = Randy Stark
SM = Sandy McIntosh
VS = Victor Sanchez or Vincent Sargenti |
