Obituaries: Carlos Castaneda 1931-1998

Carlos Castaneda was a pioneer of the consciousness movement that began with people like Dr. Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. He died in 1998 of liver cancer there was hardly a ripple in the press.

His work may seem somewhat tame today, but he created a stir back in 1969 with the publication of his first book, The Teachings of Don Juan, A Yaqui Way of Knowledge. The book, supposedly true, was written like a novel and told the story of Castaneda’s trek south of the border to apprentice under Don Juan, an old Yaqui Indian shaman or “brujo,” who was said to possess the powers of a sorcerer. Many hippies and communal types of the day found this approach to expanded consciousness more appealing than eastern meditation, for Don Juan didn’t require a vegetarian diet. He also knew about the peyote cactus and how to use it.

The story, a compelling read, is sort of a Huckleberry Finn for the Woodstock generation. The author leads the reader into a world where Disney-like magic could become a day to day reality. The books that followed continued the saga, delving deeper into the subject of Mayan and Incan mystical practices, prompting Claudia Madsen to write in Natural History that Castaneda “draws you into the weird world of witches - a world you will never be able to explain or forget. Castaneda’s work is unique because it reveals an inside view of how witchcraft works.”

This young sorcerer-in-training’s writing was also endearing for its honesty. Castaneda often came across as somewhat of a bumbling student, and the reader got the point before Castanada’s character. He attempted to make the stories so interesting that the reader could not help but learn something while engrossed with the plot.

The first books were truly pioneering., being written at a time when Americans were just beginning to study the hidden secrets of Tibet and India. Castaneda helped to open many eyes to the vast spiritual heritage that was native to this continent and, in many ways, he is responsible for the rise of some common New Age practices.

Like many of the pioneers in the consciousness movement, he is somewhat of an enigma. The questions begin with his birth. He claimed that he was born in Brazil in 1931, but his immigration records show him as a native of Peru, born in 1925. Other questions surrounded his work as well. Although at first he was pretty much taken at face value, the novelization approach he used eventually led to detractors. Many critics began to believe that there was no Don Juan and that these writings were actually fiction.

Even so, it was generally agreed that this “fiction” made impressive reading. Most people familiar with alternative spirituality believe that Don Juan probably does exists and that Castaneda’s stories are likely more true than not. Although it’s difficult, teacher’s with the depth of knowledge of a Don Juan can be found. That means that Castaneda only got there first, which is what made him a pioneer. In other words, if Columbus hadn’t discovered America, the continent would’ve been discovered by somebody else.

Others have questioned whether this story teller lived up to his teacher’s standards, many believing that he did not become a “man of power” as his stories suggest. They are probably right, since a C student is awarded a diploma in the spiritual world just like in mundane reality. In the end, it doesn’t matter. His works are primarily meant to introduce westerners to these concepts. For further study, the student needs to find a teacher.

Since his death, there have been articles appearing that ponder whether he used a technique called the “fire within” at the time that he died. If he used this technique, which is evidently similar to practices used in tantric yoga, he would supposedly enter into an “energy state” that would allow him to be in control of himself after death. The practice is considered very dangerous to the uninitiated. They say that a healthy body could go up in flames, as in spontaneous combustion.

“Did he perform the Fire Within?” asks Merilyn Tunneshende in the October issue of Magical Blend magazine. “No, he did not, because the man who would have taught him, the man who was also my teacher, withheld the practice from him.”

We cannot judge our pioneers by modern standards. Carlos Castedada should be honored for the information he uncovered about the uncharted worlds of consciousness. In Star Trek terms, he “boldly went where no one had gone before.” Remember, the maps made of America by the early explorers were far from accurate, but they were usable.