A Separate Reality; More Crap on Castaneda
posted by Benjamin Bongstein | August 16, 2010
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IcerocketA Separate Reality does what it says. It makes you doubt reality in the face of cosmic clowns, who bend science with disturbing jests that defy reason. It's fucking fantastic.
Again, not recommended to those unfamiliar with aghori mindsets. I mean to say post-conventional morality only, check your humanity at the door. If that idea scares you, ask yourself why.
I'm going on another pilgrimage to the bookstore to get a few more books in the series. So far I see *nothing* in the technology that would explain Castaneda's controversy post-fame. I'm reading to learn, compelled by inspiring characters, and to discover my own idea of the 'truth' behind Castaneda.
My guess is still that he attained some form of liberation, leaving his actions to be inexplicable or condemnable by those still looking through lenses. He's definitely not a role model, he had a hard apprenticeship, but he's the perfect student to study. He screwed up royally so many times, and yet he had the luck of the fool that he was. Even don Juan was baffled by his continual good fortune.
I also picked up a book titled 'The Art of Dreaming' also by Castaneda. This has been a great read so far but I'm only reading it as far as I can accomplish the tasks it sets out. So far I'm still on the first chapter until I see my hands in a dream.
However, on reading this book, I discovered that LOADS and LOADS and LOADS of it were featured in the first volume of THE INVISIBLES by Grant Morrison. I am floored by how everything keeps leading me back to the Invisibles and BARBELiTH.
Anyways, he's to Shiva's form of the Simple Toker Lord. Bholenath!
On to the pilgrimage.
Comments
One thing that bothered me
— Aug 17, 2010
One thing that bothered me in the castenada books, as well as in michael harners book the way of the shaman was that both of these mens careers where sparked in the 60-70s due to the interest in psychedelic spirituality among indigenous peoples. As soon as the public opinion on entheogens in spiritual practice began to wane and it became unwise to publish articles or books on the subject, because it was begining to be an unsellable perspective. Both authors/spiritual leaders/teachers after words backed out of their original positions very carefully as to not draw away from the forbiden psychedlic allure that drew so many to their owrk int he first place, but set up their own invented practices as superior to non-socially sanctioned practice of working with entheogens. This to me was always highly suspect. As I grew up with these books I watched them take on the subjects of what was vougue in the new age field day of the 80's and 90's, lucid dreaming being one of the subjects that was a big seller in the books stores.
I was always disapointed that they did not hold their position that entheogens where very helpful still, or honor the traditions that work with them continuously through out life times traditionally. Alberto Villodolo is another example of an author who has followed the same example. His work was wonderful, following the entheogenic pathways of fairly amazing pracitioners, then to denounce that work placing their own invented practices on a step above.
