Carlos Castaneda: Godfather of the New Age Movement
Carlos Castaneda was an American New Age author and a scholar of anthropology — the study of human behaviour and societies. He wrote a series of popular books that described his training and magical experiences in Toltec Shamanism under the guidance of Don Juan Matus, a native Yaqui shaman who lived in Mexico.
Castaneda’s writings brought him fame as well as controversy. His proponents and critics would debate as to whether his writings were the results of authentic experiences or an overactive imagination. Yet, despite the controversy, his expressive and evocative writing as well as the mysticism that surrounded his persona inspired widespread appreciation for Native American culture and earned him the title of “Godfather of the New Age Movement.”
Early Life
Carlos Castaneda’s life story is shrouded in mystery and marked by conflicting information. According to Castaneda, he was born on 25th December 1931 in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to a prominent Italian family. He claimed that his father was a professor of literature and that his mother died when he was a child. Castaneda also claimed that he attended a boarding school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, served in the US army in Spain, and studied sculpture in Milan, Italy.
United States immigration records show that Castaneda was born in Cajamarca, Peru.
Subsequent research by TIME magazine clarified some facts about Castaneda’s life. American immigration records show that Castaneda was born on 25th December 1925 in Cajamarca, Peru. His father was a goldsmith named Cesar Arana Burugaray and his mother was Susan Castaneda Navoa. He started using his mother’s maiden name in 1951.
It seems that Castaneda attended high school in Cajamarca and only moved to Lima, the capital of Peru, with his family in 1948. In Lima, Castaneda furthered his education at the Colegio Nacional de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, and later attended the National School of Fine Arts to study sculpture and painting. The immigration records also show that Castaneda married an unknown woman in Peru, with whom he fathered a child.
Colegio Nacional de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
In 1951, Castaneda emigrated to the United States with the intention of becoming a sculptor, leaving his wife and child behind. He first stayed in San Francisco and later moved to Los Angeles where he began a new chapter of his life. He attended Los Angeles City College between 1955 and 1959 where he studied journalism and creative writing. On 21st June 1957, Castaneda became a naturalised citizen of the United States.
After graduating from Los Angeles City College, Castaneda entered the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he received his Bachelor degree in Anthropology in 1962 and his doctorate (PhD) in 1973. It was during his time at UCLA that he travelled to Mexico and met his teacher, Don Juan.
The University of California, Los Angeles
In 1960, Castaneda married Margaret Runyan, a divorcee from West Virginia who was 14 years his senior, in Mexico. According to Margaret Runyan, she and Castaneda were attracted to each other because they were kindred spirits.
Margaret Runyan was Carlos Castaneda’s second wife
The couple separated after only six months of marriage but did not officially divorce until 1973. During their separation, Margaret Runyan had a relationship with a businessman named Adrian Gerritsen and had a child with him. When the child, C.J. Castaneda, was born, Castaneda consented to have his name stated as the boy’s father in the birth certificate. He also helped pay for the boy’s education and sent many affectionate letters to him.
Years later, Richard de Mille, who wrote two critical books about Castaneda, questioned the legality of Castaneda’s marriage with Runyan. Richard de Mille claimed that Castaneda and his first Peruvian wife were never divorced, which meant that the Peruvian lady was his only legal wife.
The Don Juan Effect
Carlos Castaneda during his younger days
While at UCLA, one of Carlos Castaneda’s lecturers, Professor Clement Meighan, got him interested in the world of Shamanism. Castaneda also decided to study ethnobotany, the classification of psychotropic plants. This new-found interest took him to the southern United States to collect plant specimens.
During one of these trips in the summer of 1960, Castaneda met Don Juan Matus (not his real name), a native American Yaqui Shaman who would later become his teacher. The fateful encounter occurred at a bus station in Nogales, Arizona. Castaneda was attracted to Don Juan’s particular way of speaking so he decided to visit him at his house in the Mexican desert. After several meetings, Don Juan revealed his true identity as a sorcerer. He is said to have had extraordinary powers and could manipulate time and space.
Castaneda’s depiction of Don Juan was that of an old, unmarried man, an indigenous Yaqui/Yuma who could speak both English and Spanish. One year later, Castaneda became Don Juan’s apprentice. Don Juan introduced Castaneda to the ritual use of hallucinogens such as peyote, and to other Shamans including Genaro Flores, a Mazatec Indian who would also become Castaneda’s teacher.
Jimson weed
The sessions with Don Juan usually started with drugs such as jimson weed, hallucinogenic mushrooms and peyote. The objective of using such psychotropic drugs was to teach students about alternate reality. Castaneda also wrote about Don Juan’s ability to manipulate his existence. He said that at one point, Don Juan transformed him into a crow and he gained the ability to fly. Castaneda also mentioned how he communicated with wild animals and transformed himself into one.
An artist’s illustration of Don Juan Matus
According to Castaneda, Don Juan identified Castaneda as a nagual or a spiritual leader of his lineage, a party of seers. Many anthropologists define the term nagual as a sorcerer or a shaman who claims to have the ability to transform himself into an animal or other form through magical rituals or the use of psychotropic drugs.
Castaneda used the knowledge that he gained from his shamanistic apprenticeship in his master’s thesis. His first book, “The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge”, was published in 1968 by the University of California Press. The book was critically acclaimed and the paperback version became an instant bestseller when it was published. Castaneda’s book was appealing because he did not emphasise the superiority of his power. Instead, he positioned himself as someone who was in need of guidance. His beautiful descriptions of the Mexican desert environment also helped.
Later, Simon & Schuster, a mainstream publisher, acquired the rights to publish “The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge” and his two subsequent books.
Between 1968 and 1971, Castaneda commenced his second learning period under Don Juan in Mexico. After completing his second training session, Castaneda wrote another book titled “Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan” in 1971. Ted Hughes, an English author and poet, wrote a review of the book:
“Castaneda becomes the guinea-pig hero of a modern quest as the weird glamor of the hypnotic, manipulating, profound, foxy old Indian carries him, with his notebooks and tape recorder, into regions where the words “rational” and “scientific” are violently redefined.”
Source: New World Encyclopedia, 2017
Castaneda’s third book, “Journey to Ixtlan”, chronicles his experiences with Don Juan. He used the material in this book for his PhD thesis and, in 1973, he obtained his doctorate degree. In this book, Castaneda decided to stop the use of drugs as a method of understanding alternate reality. He explained,
“My perception of the world through the effects of those psychotropics had been so bizarre and impressive that I was forced to assume that such states were the only avenue to communicating and learning what Don Juan was attempting to teach me. That assumption was erroneous.”
Source: New World Encyclopedia, 2017
Castaneda had the following to say on his writings about Don Juan:
“My effort to make sense of Don [sic] Juan’s world is my own way of paying back to him for this grand opportunity. If [sic] I don’t make an effort to render his world as a coherent phenomenon it’ll go by the way it has for hundreds of years, as a nonsensical activity when it is not nonsensical; it’s not fraudulent — it’s a very serious endeavour.”
Source: primagems.com
Taisha Abelar and Florinda Donner-Grau also attended UCLA and majored in Anthropology, and Castaneda endorsed both as legitimate students of Don Juan. There were other authors who wrote about Don Juan and claimed to be members of Don Juan’s Toltec warriors; however, they did not receive Castaneda’s endorsement and were instead dismissed as pretenders.
The Cultural Phenomenon and His Critics
Carlos Castaneda was one of the best-selling authors in the United States. His audience was particularly attracted by the mysticism in his writings. His use of hallucinogenic drugs to understand an alternate reality was in sync with the counterculture of the 1960s. Not only did Castaneda become the most celebrated anthropologist between 1968 and 1976, but he was also considered a cultural phenomenon and a New Age icon.
In 1969, well-known anthropologists such as Edward Spicer and Paul Riesman praised Castaneda. In the New York Times Book Review, Paul Riesman wrote:
“Castaneda makes it clear that the teachings of Don Juan do tell us something of how the world really is.”
Source: Biblio.com
Castaneda’s popularity made him the subject of a TIME magazine cover story, published on 5th March 1973 (Vol. 101 No. 10). In her article “Don Juan and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, TIME correspondent Sandra Burton described Castaneda as “an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in tortilla.”
During her investigations for this feature, Burton found discrepancies in Castaneda’s story such as his birthplace, family background and age. When Burton confronted Castaneda about these discrepancies, he made the following statement:
“To ask me to verify my life by giving you my statistics … is like using science to validate sorcery. It robs the world of its magic and makes milestones out of us all.”
Source: New World Encyclopedia, 2017
With the publication of the TIME magazine article, Castaneda’s background came under greater scrutiny and this led him to withdraw from public life. After an interview for the Brazilian magazine “Revista Veja”, Castaneda stopped giving interviews for the next ten years.
As Castaneda’s fame continued to grow, so did his critics. Writers such as Richard de Mille and Joyce Carol Oates questioned the authenticity of Castaneda’s writings, characters and experiences. In 1976, Richard de Mille, the son of the famous movie producer Cecil B. de Mille, wrote a book titled “Castaneda’s Journey: The Power and the Allegory”. In this book, Richard de Mille claimed that Castaneda’s writings contained elements of plagiarism while novelist Joyce Carol Oates mentioned that Castaneda’s work “bore the mark of pure fiction.”
Richard de Mille wrote the book “Castaneda’s Journey: The Power and the Allegory”
Despite such criticism, Castaneda’s supporters continued to maintain that his writings are either valuable works of philosophy or representations of his real-life experiences. An on-going debate as to whether Castaneda’s works should be classified as fiction or non-fiction remains to this day.
Over the course of his life, Castaneda wrote a total of 12 books and released three videos. His work continued to be popular among his readers and his influence proved to be long-lasting. His books have remained in print for decades, have been translated into 17 languages and have sold more than 28 million copies.
VIDEO: Carlos Castaneda Interview 1969
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/CarlosCastanedaInterview1969.mp4
Was Don Juan Matus a Real Person?
Professor Clement Meighan
Ever since the publication of Richard de Mille’s book, which highlighted conflicting information and inconsistencies in Don Juan’s personality and the sequence of events in Carlos Castaneda’s books, many critics have questioned the existence of Don Juan.
Dr Clement Meighan, Castaneda’s professor and mentor at UCLA who was known for his expertise in native North American culture, believed that Castaneda’s writings were based on real contacts and scholarly observations of native culture. Don Miquel Ruiz, a Mexican author specialising in Toltec spiritualism and neo-shamanism, has also come to Castaneda’s defence and has verified that there were “Brujos in Mexico with native teachings much like Don Juan”. The word brujo means sorcerer.
Retirement from Public Life
From left to right: Florinda Donner-Grau, Taisha Abelar, Carol Tiggs, and Blue Scout
After he decided to retire from public life, Carlos Castaneda lived in secrecy. He used numerous aliases and minimised contact with his family, which included his former wife, Margaret Runyan, and her son, C.J. Castaneda.
In 1973, Castaneda purchased an estate in Westwood, California, where he stayed with female companions whom he called “Fellow Travellers of Awareness”. His female companions followed the concept of “erasing personal history” and adopted new names:
- Regina Thal changed her name to Florinda Donner-Grau.
- Maryann Simko changed her name to Taisha Abelar.
- Kathleen Pohlman changed her name to Carol Tiggs.
- Patricia Partin changed her name to Blue Scout.
Despite his self-imposed exile, Castaneda continued to be a prolific writer. His subsequent writings focused less on Don Juan Matus but continued to touch on subjects such as shamanism, magical experiences, and Toltec magic rituals. “Tales of Power”, Castaneda’s fourth book, was published in 1974. It contained the conclusion of Castaneda’s training under Don Juan Matus and how he officially became a man of knowledge.
His subsequent books, “The Second Ring of Power” and “The Fire From Within”, were published in 1977 and 1984 respectively. Even though Castaneda mentioned in the 1970s that he would not write about Don Juan anymore, he revisited the subject once again in another book titled “The Power of Silence: Further Lessons of Don Juan”.
The Emergence of Tensegrity
An older Carlos Castaneda
In the 1990s, Carlos Castaneda founded Cleargreen, Inc. to promote the concept of Tensional Integrity (Tensegrity). He went on to write about Tensegrity in his tenth book, “Magical Passes”, and defined it as a series of bodily movements that originated in the dream state by Don Juan’s lineage of shamans to expand their power of perception.
Tensegrity movements contain the elements of tai chi and martial arts to create, as promised by Castaneda, “the optimal conditions for the realisation of Don Juan’s insights.” Castaneda conducted some of the Tensegrity workshops himself to introduce and educate participants in the shamanistic movements to help them improve their freedom of perception and physical health.
During Castaneda’s lifetime, Cleargreen, Inc. published three videos about Tensegrity. Today, Cleargreen Inc. runs various workshops, sells materials related to Castaneda, and trains and certifies Tensegrity instructors.
VIDEO: Tensegrity – The Wheel of Time
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TensegrityTheWheelOfTime2.mp4
The Mysterious Death of Carlos Castaneda
The popularity of Carlos Castaneda’s books made him a wealthy man. His estate was valued at US$20 million. In 1993, Castaneda was married for the third time to Florinda Donner-Grau. He continued to write prolifically and published a series of books – “The Art of Dreaming”, “Magical Passes”, and “The Active Side of Infinity.”
In 1997, Castaneda’s former wife, Margaret Runyan, published a book titled “A Magical Journey with Carlos Castaneda.” Unhappy with the contents of the book, Castaneda sued Ms Runyan. The lawsuit was dropped after Castaneda’s death.
Towards the end of his life, as Castaneda battled liver cancer, he wrote his 12th and final book, “The Active Side of Infinity”, in which he seemed to predict his own passing.
An artist’s illustration of Carlos Castaneda
On 27th April 1998, Castaneda passed away in Los Angeles from complications of his illness at the age of 72. His body was cremated shortly after his death at a Culver City mortuary, and his ashes were taken to Mexico where he received his shamanic training. His passing was shrouded in secrecy and was only announced several weeks later. According to Castaneda’s representatives, the delayed announcement of Castaneda’s death was in accordance with “Castaneda’s lifelong pursuit of privacy”.
On 19th June 1998, J. R. Moehringer, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote an obituary for Castaneda titled “A Hushed Death for Mystic Author Carlos Castaneda”. Other newspapers and periodicals also published Castaneda’s obituary around this time. Castaneda’s final book, “The Active Side of Infinity”, was published posthumously in 1999.
Just like the story of his life, Castaneda’s death was not free of contradictions. His death certificate states that Castaneda was a school teacher in Beverly Hills, California, despite the absence of evidence that he had ever been employed by the school.
Four months after Castaneda’s passing, his adopted son C.J. Castaneda, a self-proclaimed powerful brujo, challenged his father’s will which was signed four days before his death. The will stated that Castaneda’s assets, valued at US$1 million at the time of his death, were endowed to Eagle’s Trust, which was established at the same time that the will was written. There were bitter exchanges during the court hearing, with C.J. stating, “Those people latched onto him, stuck their claws in him and rode him for all he was worth.” He further mentioned, “I don’t believe the will has my father’s signature, and I don’t believe he was competent to sign it three days before he died”.
C.J.’s allegations were denied by Castaneda’s lawyer, Deborah Drooz, who testified that she was present during the signing of the will together with another lawyer and a public notary. She further mentioned that Carlos Castaneda was of sound mind during the signing and that “… one thing that was very clear for years was that Dr Castaneda had not had a relationship with C.J. Castaneda or Adrian Vashon for years, and he was very clear he should not benefit from Dr Castaneda’s death.” C.J. was ultimately unsuccessful in challenging his father’s will.
VIDEO: Carlos Castaneda Documentary
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/CarlosCastanedaDocumentary.mp4
Castaneda’s Close Followers
Carol Tiggs
Carol Tiggs was Carlos Castaneda’s colleague and a fellow student of Don Juan. After Castaneda’s death, she continued to hold workshops around the world including:
- Ontario, Canada in 1998
- Sochi, Russia in 2015
- Merida, Yucatan in 2016
Currently, Carol Tiggs serves as a consultant for Cleargreen, Inc.
Donner-Grau, Abelar, and Scout
Not long after Castaneda’s passing in April 1998, Florinda Donner-Grau, Taisha Abelar and Blue Scout informed their friends and families that they were leaving on a long journey. Several weeks later, Blue Scout’s car, a red Ford Escort, was found abandoned in Death Valley.
In 2006, a pair of hikers found a skeleton in Death Valley in the Panamint Dunes area. DNA testing confirmed that the remains belonged to Blue Scout aka Patricia Partin. The police ruled her cause of death as undetermined.
Recommended Reading (Free Download)
The texts above were sourced from legitimate book-hosting services offering these texts for free download. They are made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.
Sources:
- ‘Carlos Castaneda,’ Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, 2 April 2018, [website], https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Castaneda (accessed 29 May 2018)
- Mace, Rick, ‘Carlos Castaneda’s Don Juan’s Teachings,’ [website] http://www.prismagems.com/castaneda/ (accessed 29 May 2018).
- Dr Bii, The Cosmic, ‘Carlos Casteneda and the Second Attention,’ Conversations with Don Machinga and Other Beings, 25 July 2013, [website], https://conversationswithdonmachingaandotherbeings.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/carlos-casteneda-and-the-second-attention/ (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlos Castaneda: American Anthropologist and Author,’ Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 April 2018, [website], https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carlos-Castaneda (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlos Castaneda: Biography,’ [website], https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1563273/bio (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Castaneda, Carlos,’ encyclopedia.com, https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-biographies/carlos-castaneda (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlos Castaneda: 1925 – 1998,’ [website], https://www.biblio.com/carlos-castaneda/author/243, (accessed 29 May 2018).
- Woolcott, Ina, ‘Carlos Castaneda A Short Biography,’ 8 February 2015, [website], http://www.shamanicjourney.com/carlos-castaneda-a-short-biography (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlos Castaneda Biography,’ The Famous People, 2 November 2017, [website], https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/carlos-csar-salvador-arana-castaeda-962.php (accessed 29 May 2018).
- Applebome, Peter, ‘Mystery Man’s Death Can’t End the Mystery; Fighting Over Carlos Castaneda’s Legacy,’ The New York Times, 19 August 1998, https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/19/arts/mystery-man-s-death-can-t-end-mystery-fighting-over-carlos-castaneda-s-legacy.html (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlos Castaneda,’ [website], http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Carlos_Castaneda, (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlos Castaneda Biography,’ Who2 Biographies, [website], http://www.who2.com/bio/carlos-castaneda/ (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlo Castaneda Biography,’ enotes, [website], https://www.enotes.com/topics/carlos-castaneda (accessed 29 May 2018).
- ‘Carlo Castaneda,’ Goodreads, [website], https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8088.Carlos_Castaneda (accessed 29 May 2018).
- Wepman, Dennis, ‘Castaneda, Carlos,’ American National Biography, [website], http://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1401118 (accessed 29 May 2018).
- Woo, Elaine, ‘Margaret Runyan Castaneda, Ex-Wife of Mystic Author, Dies at 90,’ The Los Angeles Times, 30 January 2012, https://www.sott.net/article/240913-Margaret-Runyan-Castaneda-Ex-Wife-of-Mystic-Author-Dies-at-90 (accessed 29 May 2018).
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You’re way out of date. We blow the Buddha away these days, hands down. In hte only real magical community on the internet. There’s none for Buddhists, because Buddhism is a money making con. That picture is just from a day or two ago, there are hundreds like it, of stuff no Buddhist even dreams of doing for real.
I’m Dan, one of the original students of Carlos.
Only the people who are unable to understand it, think it isn’t true.
Nice short video of a new LED signage reminding us of who we can go to for blessings in case of need: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwrkaKUoH0
Listening to the chanting of sacred words, melodies, mantras, sutras and prayers has a very powerful healing effect on our outer and inner environments. It clears the chakras, spiritual toxins, the paths where our ‘chi’ travels within our bodies for health as well as for clearing the mind. It is soothing and relaxing but at the same time invigorates us with positive energy. The sacred sounds invite positive beings to inhabit our environment, expels negative beings and brings the sound of growth to the land, animals, water and plants. Sacred chants bless all living beings on our land as well as inanimate objects. Do download and play while in traffic to relax, when you are about to sleep, during meditation, during stress or just anytime. Great to play for animals and children. Share with friends the blessing of a full Dorje Shugden puja performed at Kechara Forest Retreat by our puja department for the benefit of others. Tsem Rinpoche
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbzgskLKxT8&t=5821s
Carlos Castenada was a prolific writer and one who have a lot of vision about sharing the truths that he has discovered. What is also interesting is that he also had a teacher who guided him when he first traversed the spiritual path which is quite synonymous to Tibetan buddhist concepts.
This is an interesting article. Through the lens of Carlos Castaneda, we are introduced to the Yaqui Indian’s sorcery and the uses of drugs and herbs that are associated with it. The acute description of Carlos’ teacher, Don Juan and the landscape of Mexico in his books made him popular and rich. Allowing him to crystallise Don Juan’s shamanistic concepts into a modern teaching, i..e the Tensegrity. Carlos’ life was not short of entanglements; his background had 2 versions, he had several marriages but ended up only the first on was valid and legal, and more critically, the authenticity of his works came under question. Despite strangled marriage and hearth issue, Carlos lived till the age of 72, left behind sizeable wealth as well as a legacy of New Age Movement.
Carlos Castaneda,a Peruvian-born was an anthropologist and writer. He wrote a controversial series of books that claimed to describe his training and magical experiences in traditional shamanism. He did used psychoactive drugs in his training, and many were attracted by the mysticism. Interesting biography of Carlos Castaneda who lived a life with mysteries by many as for his birth and mysterious death. It does not matter as he has help many individual to improve their freedom of perception and physical health. Towards the end of his life he managed to write his final book and he seemed to predict his own passing. Incredible he knew it.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this interesting mystical and mysterious writer.