Carlos Castaneda – A Mystical Journey

Castaneda was born in 1925 at Cajarnarca, Peru, and is best known as the author of “The Teachings of Don Juan.” He was, in fact, an enigmatic author of several best-selling books about mystical teachings of Don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian shaman from Sonora, Mexico. Carlos Castenada happened to pass away on the 27th of April, 1998 leaving behind a number of books that caught the imagination of a generation of spiritual seekers who were using various mind-altering drugs and the attention of social scientists who, were opting for new theories about the subjective nature of reality.
His 12 books have sold more than 8 million copies in 17 languages. Castaneda rarely spoke about his work in public, and along with his books has been controversial for many years. His supporters claim that his books are either true, or at least valuable works of philosophy, with descriptions of practices that enable an increased awareness. Academic critics, however, claim that the books are works of fiction, citing internal contradictions and discrepancies between the books and anthropological data, and lack of corroborating data.
However, more than a generation was raised reading and benefiting from his works. The subject of mysticism itself being enough to raise controversies, these writings could generate some kind of momentum in an individual’s journey, and hence should be regarded positively for contributing.
He first moved into the United States in the early 1950s, and became a naturalized citizen in 1957. His first three books were written while he was an anthropology student at UCLA as his research log describing the Yaqui Indian from northern Mexico. He was awarded the bachelor’s and doctoral degrees based on the work described in these books.
He was the subject of a cover article in The Time issue of 5th March 1973 (Vol 101 No.10), describing him as “an enigma wrapped in a mystery.” Following this interview to the 1990s Castaneda disappeared from public view. However, his books kept rolling, the last two being published posthumously.