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34th out of 158 books
—
24 voters
Journey to Ixtlan
Originally drawn to Yaqui Indian spiritual leader don Juan Matus for his knowledge of psychotropic plants, bestselling author Carlos Castaneda immersed himself in the sorcerer’s magical world. Ten years after his first encounter with the shaman, Castaneda examines his field notes and comes to understand what don Juan knew all along—psychotropic plants are merely a means to...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
February 1st 1991
by Washington Square Press
(first published 1972)
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"When one does not have a person history," he explained, "nothing that one says can be taken for a lie. Your trouble is that you have to explain everything to everybody, compulsively, and at the same time you want to keep the fresh newness of what you do. Well, since you can't be excited after explaining everything you have done, you lie in order to keep going."
"From now on," he said," you must simply show people whatever you care to show them, but without ever telling exactly how you've done it...more
"From now on," he said," you must simply show people whatever you care to show them, but without ever telling exactly how you've done it...more
Jul 01, 2008
Lauren
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in more than just surface reality
This is the first in a series of books which Castaneda wrote after he realized that his prior emphasis on psychotropic drugs was a misleading and "erroneous" means of conveying the lessons he gained from his apprenticeship with don Juan.
I began reading with few expectations and progressed with delight at how engrossed I became. I felt and absorbed don Juan's teachings in a very heavy way. I also found myself laughing out loud at various times throughout this book. This for me is always a good si...more
I began reading with few expectations and progressed with delight at how engrossed I became. I felt and absorbed don Juan's teachings in a very heavy way. I also found myself laughing out loud at various times throughout this book. This for me is always a good si...more
Sep 12, 2012
Sarah
marked it as unfinished
Hm. This is a tough one for me!
A friend of mine, someone I've always admired, recently recommended this book along with several others. I wrote them all down and immediately went to look for them at my local library.
Upon arriving, I discovered that, not only had I forgotten the list of books, I had no idea how to navigate the nonfiction section. For a minute or so, I wandered aimlessly with nothing but the name "Carlos" in my head. I started back towards the doorway but paused, reluctant to leav...more
A friend of mine, someone I've always admired, recently recommended this book along with several others. I wrote them all down and immediately went to look for them at my local library.
Upon arriving, I discovered that, not only had I forgotten the list of books, I had no idea how to navigate the nonfiction section. For a minute or so, I wandered aimlessly with nothing but the name "Carlos" in my head. I started back towards the doorway but paused, reluctant to leav...more
Journey to Ixtlan is presented as though it's a factual work, when it is a fictional one. Furthermore, Carlos Castaneda consistently claimed this set of books to be true. That dishonesty, and the consequent inaccuracies added to the body of anthropological work, and to the subject of metaphysics, has to be considered when reviewing Journey to Ixtlan (or Castaenda's other works in the series).
If you are looking for anthropology about Yaqui indians, Toltec shamans, Mexican brujos, etc., then reje...more
If you are looking for anthropology about Yaqui indians, Toltec shamans, Mexican brujos, etc., then reje...more
June 2011
Another box of books has been reopened for cleaning, sorting, and reevaluation and lo and behold, many of the collected works of Carlos Castaneda are part of the contents.
Many years have gone but I remember this author and his works vividly. [Now don't get any ideas as to an allusion I may or may not be making] At some point I stopped purchasing more in the series and put them away. There's a 'blur' factor as I recall that happens with these stories of the metaphysical and magical journ...more
Another box of books has been reopened for cleaning, sorting, and reevaluation and lo and behold, many of the collected works of Carlos Castaneda are part of the contents.
Many years have gone but I remember this author and his works vividly. [Now don't get any ideas as to an allusion I may or may not be making] At some point I stopped purchasing more in the series and put them away. There's a 'blur' factor as I recall that happens with these stories of the metaphysical and magical journ...more
سرگذشت واقعی یک دانشجوی مردمشناسی است که با یک جادوگر مکزیکی روبرو می شه و تمام کارهای عجیب و غریب جادوگر را در کتابش منتشر می کنه و بخاطر این کتاب دکترای دانشگاه لوس آنجلس را هم می گیره
سفر به دیگر سو سومین کتاب کارلوس آراندا کاستاندا در حکم پایان نامه مقطع دکتری مردم شناسی او به شمار می رود.پیش از آن در 1973 ، این جوان جستجوگر در پی جستجو برای تاثیر داروهای گیاهی در نظام درمان سنتی سرخپوستان به سونورای مرکزی می رود و حاصل ملاقات او با «دون خوان ماتوس»سرخپوست پیر و مرموز ، نگارش کتابی است که «آ...more
سفر به دیگر سو سومین کتاب کارلوس آراندا کاستاندا در حکم پایان نامه مقطع دکتری مردم شناسی او به شمار می رود.پیش از آن در 1973 ، این جوان جستجوگر در پی جستجو برای تاثیر داروهای گیاهی در نظام درمان سنتی سرخپوستان به سونورای مرکزی می رود و حاصل ملاقات او با «دون خوان ماتوس»سرخپوست پیر و مرموز ، نگارش کتابی است که «آ...more
This book moved me. Much rather, I should say, the very last chapter moved me and nearly had me expressing tears.
This is my first book of the Don Juan series of philosophy and shaman ways, but I am told it is the most accessible, which I would agree with so far: the book was very engaging, and did not seem bogged down with philosophy.
Although, I was, as I am sure many readers would be, torn as to how much of this story to believe actually happened. It is classified as a book of nonfiction, and...more
This is my first book of the Don Juan series of philosophy and shaman ways, but I am told it is the most accessible, which I would agree with so far: the book was very engaging, and did not seem bogged down with philosophy.
Although, I was, as I am sure many readers would be, torn as to how much of this story to believe actually happened. It is classified as a book of nonfiction, and...more
These books are great. They demonstrate what a little character development can do as a pedagogical tool for making metaphysics accessible and light. Don Juan is compelling enough, as are the ideas peppered throughout the books, that it doesn't matter whether he was ever real or not. (Particularly given the primary theme of questioning reality and the "phantoms" that populate it.)
Also, these books are not about peyote or other drugs. One of the most creative things about Castenada is his abilit...more
Also, these books are not about peyote or other drugs. One of the most creative things about Castenada is his abilit...more
This third installment really filled in the gaps of the first two books with Don Juan. I really appreciated the fact that he disregarded his original emphasis on the significance of phsychotropic drugs in the teachings of Don Juan and really focused more on the changing of one's consciousness without using drugs.
Jul 15, 2011
Patrick
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone looking for answers to life's little mysteries
Recommended to Patrick by:
Friend
This is the second book in the series written by Carlos Castaneda. I started this book in 1983, I was 19 years old, out of high school with no direction. An older friend of mine recommended it to me. I was travelling to Brooklyn, by bus, one hour each way; so I needed a book to pass the time. Castaneda was a graduate student studying Anthropology and was doing his thesis on Mexican Shaman and their use of regional plants and herbs to induce psychotropic effects in an attempt to cure people of va...more
Well, almost 10 years has it been now, since I read this book.
There have been odd discussions about the truthfulness of of Castanedas books, about Don Juan and the experiences Castaneda describes.
In my opinion I don't care wether the stories are bogus or true.
Castaneda describes his journey as an average guy through different spiritual rituals and experiences, as he is taught by Don Juan about the shamanistic view of life.
I was 16, when I read the book and I loved the way Don Juan perceives the...more
There have been odd discussions about the truthfulness of of Castanedas books, about Don Juan and the experiences Castaneda describes.
In my opinion I don't care wether the stories are bogus or true.
Castaneda describes his journey as an average guy through different spiritual rituals and experiences, as he is taught by Don Juan about the shamanistic view of life.
I was 16, when I read the book and I loved the way Don Juan perceives the...more
In this work, Carlos Casteneda revisits many of the events he discussed in his previous two books, concerning his apprenticeship with Don Juan Matus. He said he felt the first two were heavily focused on the excessively weird and psychedelic experiences and perhaps made those experiences seem inaccessible. In this work he really doesn't deal with the psychedelic aspects of his anthropological study of the Yaqui Indians and instead focuses on the personal psychological and emotional development h...more
After the second book this one starts slow, returning to the beginning pace of the teachings of don juan, carlos goes back and includes all the experiences that were not drug-based from the first book, by doing tthat he collects a great amount of writings with very important value that clarify his experience, the book itself is not as good as the second one but a lot better than the first one, because he doesn't see things as an anthropologist anymore, he sees them as a person and by thhe lastt...more
These books are essentially a series of journals of Carlos Castaneda`s account of his studying under Don Juan - A Yacqui Indian Shaman.For anyone ever into Psychedelics or Native American Spiritualism ; Carlos Castaneda is undeniably one of the most captivating writers from the 70`s to capture the Imagination of the Dreamquest.These are engrossing reading at their finest.Some have speculated that this was nothing more then a Fictitious account used as a thesis for his Harvard Graduate doctorate....more
As a metaphor, all three volumes on Don Juan are infused with lyrical insight.
This book is one of the most influential books that i've ever read. I read it in my late teens/early 20's and no other book has had a greater influence on my life. This is the book where Don Juan says, "The art of a warrior is to balance the terror of being a man with the wonder of being a man." He also talks about living with death at your side, which is another way to say, "Live every moment as if it were your last." I'm about to suggest this for my son, and I suggest it for anyone who hasn't...more
If I were Carlos Castaneda I would be don Juan’s successor. I would be the Nagual. I would be with my party of warriors. I would spend my time not-doing. I would practice the magical passes as he taught them to me. I would recapitulate and then I would recapitulate again. I would spend my days and nights in the second attention. I would dream and stalk. I would be making car engines stop dead at my will. I would be weeping with joy every second. I would be awe-struck. I would be a man with no pe...more
My interest in horror fiction came late in life - in my very late twenties. So I read Lovecraft and Blackwood over a decade after going through the Castaneda books, and The Willows and the Wendigo by Alrgernon Blackwood look like blueprints for many of the Castaneda events, from the twilight forces slithering around, to weird creatures moving with leaps and bounds, to yet other weird creatures immitating the voices of out of sight companions.
Perhaps similar Native American magic heritage intere...more
Perhaps similar Native American magic heritage intere...more
I read this book because it had a big influence on my dad.
There were a lot of parts that made a big impression on me, particularly the idea that your death is always just over your left shoulder, available to give you perspective.
p. 34
"'The thing to do when you're impatient,' he proceeded, 'is to turn to your left and ask advice from your death. An immense amount of pettiness is dropped if your death makes a gesture to you, or if you catch a glimpse of it, or if you just have the feeling that...more
There were a lot of parts that made a big impression on me, particularly the idea that your death is always just over your left shoulder, available to give you perspective.
p. 34
"'The thing to do when you're impatient,' he proceeded, 'is to turn to your left and ask advice from your death. An immense amount of pettiness is dropped if your death makes a gesture to you, or if you catch a glimpse of it, or if you just have the feeling that...more
This is a very strange left turn in the series. Castaneda says in the intro that he previously thought the only way to understand Don Juan's teaching was throught the use of psychotropic plants "but I now know that assumption was wrong". Why the TOTAL shift away from plant use? There's some kind of motive but I just don't get what it is. At one point when he's not understanding the teachings (as usual) Don Juan tells him "maybe you need to use Mescalito again". I read this and the first two book...more
Jan 12, 2011
Erik Graff
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
psychonauts
Recommended to Erik by:
Michael Miley
Shelves:
psychology
This is the third volume of the trilogy including The Teachings of Don Juan and A Separate Reality. I read all three, one after the other, while working at the Chicago Womens' Athletic Club during the summer between college and seminary.
Although it appears to be the case that Castaneda, the author, fabricated some of the material appearing in his accounts, including that of his doctoral dissertation which begins the series, it also appears to be the case that he knows a good deal about altered s...more
Although it appears to be the case that Castaneda, the author, fabricated some of the material appearing in his accounts, including that of his doctoral dissertation which begins the series, it also appears to be the case that he knows a good deal about altered s...more
I read the this book and the previous one, Seperate Reality, simultaneously with Autobiography of a Yogi (I read the first- Yaqui way of Knowledge- just prior"), and while there are many differences in the wordings of the teachings I was amazed to find so many similarities between the practices and the messages described in theses books, as well as the magic and miracles. In both we find highly disciplined men of extraordinary characters, some able to be in 2 places at once, healing, understandi...more
Este trabajo de Carlos Castaneda es una buena experiencia para quienes estén interesados en emprender, innovar y adaptarse al mundo profesional y de negocio que vivimos en estos tiempos. En espacial, será de ayuda para quienes tuvimos una formación basada en el pensamiento racional, científico y lógico. Esta lectura -como emocionaes destructivas- nos trae la experiencia viva emocional de un modo de vivir, pensar, diseñar y reaccionar diverso al de la cultura moderna, científica y cartesiana. En...more
I've read too many Castaneda books to review each individually, other than to say "I'm sorry I found this so compelling." I have to admit, I was conned.
Also of note, is that outside of all the magical ubermensch stuff, the stable human themes are sterility, futility, failure, and survival through blind, dumb luck.
Anyone with at least a passing interest in Castaneda's books should read this disillusioning Salon article.
Also of note, is that outside of all the magical ubermensch stuff, the stable human themes are sterility, futility, failure, and survival through blind, dumb luck.
Anyone with at least a passing interest in Castaneda's books should read this disillusioning Salon article.
I have read all of Castenedas books and this is the one you should start with. The first three books tell the same story, but Ixtlan gets it right and you miss little of importance from the first two books. From Tales of Power on, I give the books five stars. To those who say it's fiction, I say so what? The wisdom and knowledge of Don Juan is a priceless gift to all of us warriors on the path of knowledge and the books are page turners of the first order.
This is my favorite book by Carlos Castaneda. It deals with stories particular to his learning from Don Juan Matus under the skepticism and sometimes insight of his scientific training as an anthropologist. I think this book is a priceless tale, inspired by insight and profound knowledge at the borders of what is considered the known world. It is more than just fringeware, it is beyond what you can expect to learn otherwise.
De la serie de libros de Carlos Castaneda, en este libro llegamos a la tercera (y podriamos decir, ultima) parte de su entrenamiento con el nagual Don Juan Matus.
Los siguientes libros cambian bastante el estilo, dejando atras las fechas, y en cierto modo el estilo minimalista (pero directo) de sus enseñanzas. Las mejores enseñanzas de su mentor nagual definitivamente estan en este libro. Altamente recomendable :)
Los siguientes libros cambian bastante el estilo, dejando atras las fechas, y en cierto modo el estilo minimalista (pero directo) de sus enseñanzas. Las mejores enseñanzas de su mentor nagual definitivamente estan en este libro. Altamente recomendable :)
Everyone and anyone should read this book. I read this book while i was working box office in a movie theater. Several times I would get so consumed into the book, I would forget I was working and people knocked on my window to get their movie tickets.
Its those books that will make an impact in your life. You will want to slow your life down after reading this book. We are always in such a rush and want to do everything and want to do it quickly. This book teaches patience (not directly).
This...more
Its those books that will make an impact in your life. You will want to slow your life down after reading this book. We are always in such a rush and want to do everything and want to do it quickly. This book teaches patience (not directly).
This...more
In "Journey to Ixtlan," Carlos Castaneda brings to a triumphant conclusion his account of the teachings of Don Juan.
"If anything, it is more strangely beautiful and provocative than his first two books. It is truly another world, foreign enough to make us suspend judgment, and Castaneda's achievement is that he makes it tangible for us." - Saturday Review
A near-classic. What Castaneda found a way to do here was re-write his earlier work, The Teachings of Don Juan, and make more cogent the literary experience of spiritual awakening that apparently occurred for him out in the New Mexican desert. At times the prose bogs down in description, but this got me fixated on Castaneda for several weeks --
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| Keep going? Or stop? | 4 | 15 | Feb 11, 2013 04:27pm |
Carlos Castaneda (December 25, 1925 – April 27, 1998) was a Peruvian-born American author. Immigration records for Carlos Cesar Arana Castaneda indicate that he was born on December 25, 1925 in Cajamarca, Perú. Records show that his surname was given by his mother Susana Castañeda Navoa. His father was Cesar Arana Burungaray. His surname appears with the ñ in many Hispanic dictionaries, even thoug...more
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“In a world where death is the hunter, my friend, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decisions.”
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