The Teachings of Don Juan; A Separate Reality; Journey to Ixtlan

I chose 4 star because it was written very smoothly and was enjoyable to consistently read through. It was also an original score and something that was new to me in terms of the story and the way it was told. I will probably look into other Castaneda books as this was my first. The kind of people I would recommend this book to would be people that enjoy insight and a sort of adventurous outdoorsy hike.

As someone deeply interested in spirituality and altered states of consciousness, I thought this book would have some kind of great insights or at least entertain me.

Instead, what we get is a lot of two dudes hiking around in the desert punctuated by completely unexplained and unexplainable magical phenomena that lead you to believe that either 1) Don Juan was some kind of actual wizard, or 2) Carlos Castaneda is completely full of bullsh*t.

Hey, maybe the deep powerful insights just went way over my head and I need to read it a few more times. But honestly, this book was so anticlimactic, and quite frankly boring, that I barely made it through the first time.

I was a follower of Castaneda for nearly 2 decades, until I realized--stupid me--that the books, though labeled as Nonfiction, are the craziest Fiction ever written. He was deluded, his followers--including myself--were deluded. The whole thing is deluded and filled with evil, relativity, and black magic. STAY AWAY.

Carlos, an Anthropology student at UCLA, traveled to the Southwests' Sonora Desert in order to collect information for his dissertation on the use of the Peyote plant in Yaqui Indian ceremonies. While there he met an elderly Yaqui Indian man who lived alone in the vast emptiness of the desert.

Intrigued by this man and what he had to say, Carlos begin a series of visits there, spending months at a time with him. He kept meticulous notes on the events and conversations that transpired,turning them into a half dozen or so books upon his return to the big city.

Castaneda was convinced that this man, Don Juan Matus, was a storehouse of wisdom and knowledge and through their time together, became the student or receptacle of that wisdom with Don Juan his mentor and teacher.

In my estimation, this book was his best and the one most instructive to the reader. It lays out Don Juans' view of life--of both the worlds of reality and non-reality--and lays down, a set of rules or instructions on the proper way to understand and live it.

Many people, having read this book, attempt to live their lives according to these precepts and Lord knows I am one.

(1) Loose your personal history (2) Loose your self-importance (3) Use Death as your advisor (4) Assume personal responsibility (5) Become a hunter (6) Become inaccesible (7) Disrupt the routines of life (8) Become a warrior (9) Learn not-doing (10) Find your sacred spot and prepare for the warriors' last dance.

The story of this amazing journey will provide you with lessons aplenty of life which will guide your future years as they have mine. It was one of the first books I gave my daughter.

DH Koester--"And There I Was" And There I Was, Volume I: A Backpacking Adventure In Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia

I find all of Castaneda’s books unique, fascinating and engrossing, and this one is no exception,

We are told about how Carlos met Juan Matus in a bus station in Arizona, and that this was the start of a ten-year apprenticeship.

Carlos first learns about the importance of erasing one’s personal history since this makes us free from the encumbering thoughts of other people. One can erase personal history by not revealing what one really does, and by leaving everyone who knows one well. A fog will thus be built up around oneself.

It is also important to lose self-importance. In another book it is explained that in order to “dream” we need energy, and self-importance uses much energy, so therefore it is best to rid ourselves of it in order to preserve as much energy as possible.

Carlos also learns that death is our eternal companion and our most important adviser, and is always to our left, at an arm’s length away. Awareness of our impending death helps us to “drop the cursed pettiness that belongs to men that live their lives as if death will never tap them.”

We must take responsibility for all that we do, we must know why we are doing things, no matter what, and then must proceed with our actions without having doubts or remorse about them.

Don Juan seems to be able to read Carlos’s mind and knows about things that happened in his childhood and youth without having been told of them.

Carlos tells Don Juan that they are equals, while in actual fact he feels that as a sophisticated university student he is superior to him, who is an Indian. He is dumbfounded when the latter informs him that they are not equals - “I am a hunter and a warrior, and you are a pimp.”

The world is a mysterious place, especially in the twilight. The wind can follow one, make one tired or even kill one. It is looking for Carlos. Carlos learns about being inaccessible. He has previously made himself too available, especially in his relationship with a particular “blond girl”. One must make sure not to squeeze one’s world out of shape, but instead tap lightly, stay for as long as one needs to, and then swiftly move away leaving hardly a mark.

A hunter should know the routines of his prey and, most importantly, have no routines oneself. Carlos himself eats lunch every single day at twelve o’clock, as Don Juan keeps pointing out.

These are but a few of the topics that Don Juan teaches Carlos about. He also learns about becoming accessible to power, experiences a battle of power and learns about a warrior’s last stand. He learns the gait of power and the tricky art of not-doing.

Finally, he learns about the ring of power and meets a dangerous, “worthy” opponent, a sorceress going by the name of La Catalina.

Towards the end Carlos meets Don Genaro, another powerful sorcerer, and he and Don Juan make Carlos’s car disappear into thin air.

Carlos is sent out into the mountains by himself and “stops the world”. He has a conversation with a coyote who speaks both English and Spanish (!). Carlos sees “the lines of the world”.

We understand that Carlos’ time with Don Juan has come to an end, since it is time for the latter to leave this world. Carlos’ sadness is overwhelming, and so is that of the reader.

This is an amazing book. The information/knowledge presented is fascinating and absorbing. Castaneda presents the information in great, satisfying detail. The book is well-expressed, though the content is difficult to grasp. (Carlos himself makes no secret of the fact that he finds it nigh impossible to understand Don Juan’s “concepts and methods” since “the units of his description were alien and incompatible with those of my own”.)

I am really going to miss reading this author’s works when I’ve got through them all, but luckily I still have many left to read. The “separate reality” portrayed in these books is quite different from our daily reality, so it is an amazing journey for the reader to delve into these books and access this other reality, or world.

I strongly recommend that you read this mind-expanding book!

In order to make the Journey to Ixtlan, Carlos must learn to live as a warrior. Being naïve and stern-headed, Carlos cannot accept the world as Don Juan wants him to. Carlos was attending a university in Los Angeles for anthropology, and in doing so he became very logical and needed to find reasoning for everything. But in order to accept the techniques and outlook that is needed to “stop the world” and truly “see”, Carlos would need to abandon his old way of life.

Fortunately, through intense persistence and patience, Don Juan is able to change Carlos’ perception. Through a series of lessons, Don Juan carefully and strategically instructs Carlos how to live his life. Each lesson breaks Carlos, but then in return builds this impeccable and inaccessible being, that is slowly gaining “personal power.”

When reading this book, I found the desire to apply the lessons of Don Juan to my own life. Don Juan tells Carlos that when you are being impatient, look over your left shoulder and see your death, for when you do, you will regain your patience. Death is extremely personified throughout the book, so metaphorically you can “see” your death. How I interpreted this was that, if death can “tap my left shoulder” at any time, and I can die at any moment, why would I spend my last moment being impatient. Since reading that chapter of the book, patience comes easier to me. Don Juan also teaches Carlos that he is no better that a plant in the ground. It sounds harsh, but it really is only a lesson of true equality. By realizing that I am not entitled to any thing, and that I and all life (not only people) are equal, it is easier to accept everything for the way it is. Many of the other lessons have changed how I act toward the world, and many were hard to understand, but the beautiful thing about this book is that it is open to interpretation.

I highly recommend this eye-opening book to anyone and everyone. To realize that this is a nonfiction book, and the events that occur throughout it actually happened, is quite mind-blowing. I hope that it will spark something inside the readers, like it has for me, and help them take that first step on the journey to their own Ixtlan.

This book was originally read when it was released in 1991. It was so captivating, that I went back and studied it a second time around. Yes, eventually I went on to read the entire series and came to one main conclusion: Castaneda is correct, the world that we normally perceive is significantly flawed, biased, and phenomenological mystery. I do think any serious reader of this series needs to read Richard de Mille's published criticisms of the Castaneda works. Yes, the evidence appears strong that large stretches of the narratives are relatively fictitious--however, there are great truths in these accounts--as in all profound literature. I am purchasing a new copy of this book for two main reasons: it is very inspiring and a great pleasure to read.

I recently reread Journey to Ixtalan. There are some powerful principles provided: taking responsibility (provided in many books) and treating death as an advisor. The idea that Death can tap you on the shoulder at any time will drive time wasting activities from our current habits; a very powerful concept.

The first reading was when I was in my late-20s and am now in my mid-50s. Now, with a family, I cannot conceive of eliminating my past. As a single 28-year-old, such a concept is a viable choice to the Future. Yet, this choice of paths is exactly why I enjoy the book’s ending. I enjoy the characters, Don Juan and Genero, and can feel the Loneliness in their lives from choosing their path within our world and could not conceive of vanishing from my family to attain the potential power they espouse to have tapped.

To those who scoff at this series, I often think of the first of the four enemies encountered on the path of becoming a Man of Knowledge, as explained by Don Juan in the first book: FEAR. Many learned-people reject these “teachings” because they are foreign to what they know, or can prove. They are afraid of the possibility the presented forces are REAL. Yet, the more we know, the more conscious of our ignorance to universal forces we become. A recommended book; not riveting, but unique.

i have just finished reading this book and after i was done i felt like i lost a best friend or something, it is hard to explain but it is like i got to know these two people (carlos and don juan). i have been in karate for over twenty yaers and have study different styles and believes and there is just so many un-answered quetions out there that when i read this book it left me with more. it is like the movie billy jack and his conections to the indian spirits as a kid i watched this movie over and over because he was what i wished i could be. i have been to arizona many times and wish to move to superstious mountain area withing the next couple of years. i have been practicing meditation-yoga and have read several books on the subject and they to point to the teachings and studies being more profound in the desert area of new mexico-arizona. as a catholic raised we are taught not to experiment with other believes but having been with several other indian persons from northern ontario canada, and also talking with native arizonian indians i know htere is more to life then what we are told to believe. i whould only recommend this book to people who have an open mind other wise they may think you are on the verge of total colapse if you were to tell them, "yes i do believe this to be non-fiction"
peter dunn [email protected]

I recently struck up a conversation with a stranger at a local book store, and he handed me a copy of this book and told me it was life-changing and that I had to "trust him" and read it. Never the one to shy away from "fate" (or whatever you want to call it), especially when it comes to someone physically handing me a book that is considered "life-changing," I knew I had to read it and set out to do so the next day. And simply put, I thought it was insightful but I was somewhat disappointed and don't really get all the hype.

Perhaps I had extremely high expectations (as one would when the book recommender tells you it was life-changing); perhaps its a generational thing; or perhaps I read too quickly, as I read the book in one day. I am planning on re-reading it again more slowly. I have a feeling I might get more out of it the second or third time around, as other reviewers have suggested. However, it just wasn't as mind-blowing as I thought it would be and can't understand how others loved it so much, as to consider it life-changing?

I definitely have my share of underlined passages that I thought were very important and insightful, and will take away with me after reading this book, however I thought it was a little corny at times, for lack of a better word. I hated how don Juan kept testing him and while I understand it was so he could come to his own realizations, it just frustrated me as a reader. I felt there was just too much written about how he wanted answers to all his questions and was disappointed when they weren't forthcoming.

In addition, the book presupposes that attaining this type of power, "stopping the world," and becoming a sorcerer like don Juan is something one should want to attain, but why is that necessarily so? Without contact with others (except it seems his other sorcerer friend), and without any personal history, which he simply gave up, what exactly are the benefits that don Juan experiences? Why should anyone want to become a sorcerer like him?

I am sure those who love this book are going to consider my thoughts naieve and comment that I'm ingnorantly stuck in a world where things are what they seem, but I am truly happy in this world where I have a personal history, connections to others and a clear sense of my life and place in the world. Perhaps having a strong religious identity prevented me from buying into these assumptions as well? Or perhaps having read only one of Carlos Castenedas books, I am missing the complete picture that would make this more interesting or relatable?

Despite my somewhat-negative comments, I do recommend this book, as I found it thought-provoking and interesting. It would make an interesting book-club selection, because it provides wonderful fodder for discussions and opinions. However, I wouldn't recommend this book as "life-changing."

One of my favorite books of all time. Deeply influential on my world-view, and makes me cry every time. Carlos Castaneda's work is such a gift, and Journey to Ixtlan is my favorite in the series, although I do think it's important to read "The Teachings of Don Juan" first. The truth of our wild relationship to nature is in these pages.

This is in response to other reviews claiming Castaneda books are not of anthropology nature.
For Years I have heard the Field of Anthropology Scorn Castaneda for Not Providing "Evidence" of his findings, and in response to that what evidence could he provide? A few signed contracts a few pictures of don Juan maybe a film? How easy could it be to go down to Mexico and take any old Indian and Take a photograph of him? Or forge a few contracts and teachings ect...
People should just accept it! The tremendous ego of the human Nation want's to hold every ounce of power! That's how we all are brought up, When we are threatened even if we are wrong we must fight back,
The Hunters Way is gone, the warriors way has vanished, ever since the conquering of west civilization, If You think about it were all about selfdoubt, pity, hate, love, if you think really hard you'll find out your life isn't all great, while we make excuses "that's life" claiming its not fantasy, well what this book made me realize that may be life but it isn't all that the Real world is,
This Book its quite extraordinary,
But I suggest reading the first 2 books, they're a little slow not quite as "fun" as this book but its a necessity if you want to comprehend it fully,
a lot of mistakes people make with Castaneda books is that they should be read from first book to last, not just picking out any of which seems interesting...
If you read the first two i suggest reading this one, out of all of them this one still remains as my favorite

In this book, Castaneda tries to instill in the reader the components of personal power. A person of personal power can be summed up as someone who chooses to live as a victor rather than a victim. And to break away from the conditioning and habits of society and the norm.
Don Juan tries to impart to Castaneda some empowering mindframes and attitudes, such as by Erasing Personal History, one is able to break away from the excuses most people make in their life, and start to take Responsibility and action to change it, rather than blaming and getting stuck. Also the part about losing one's self-importance is extremely powerful wisdom, as he teaches that self-importance is one's own illusion. Only a person with self-importance easily feels hurt by the remarks of others.
It is interesting to note that this one of the Castaneda books that really sticks in people's mind, and has influenced a whole generation of spiritual and motivational thinkers, such as Wayne Dywer, Richard Bandler, Anthony Robbins among others.

The question with regard to Carlos Casteneda is this: If we accept the premise that this book is largely fiction, does that in turn trivialize the message he is trying to impart? Just what is his message? If the message is that the world is full of witches, sorcerers, irridescent coyotes, allies, and phantoms, then the answer must be an unqualfied "yes". These entities are no more real, and have no more importance than angels and miracles, zombies, ghosts, or anything else whose existence cannot be objectively observed. However, despite the cult that has grown up around these writings, I don't think this is what Casteneda had in mind. Don Juan warned against being trapped in the world of sorcery, just as he did against getting trapped in the world of everyday concerns. It was when Carlos, the character, realized that he and the dung beetle were on even terms, even though their sensory worlds were profoundly different, that he was finally able to "stop the world". The warrior, says don Juan, takes responsibility for his life, and interacts with every event as if it is his last. Moreover, once one makes the transition to the path of knowledge, one can never go back. "Ixtlan" is by definition childhood's home that one can never return to. These are timeless and profound concepts, that transcend the venue of leaping shadows and bridges in the fog.
Casteneda is an unusual writer, and his insistence on portraying his character as an annoying whiner gets a little wearing after a while. The two messages I found in this work - that the world is much more than appears, and that it is important not to sleepwalk through our lives - these concepts never wear thin for me. And the observation that our modern man can learn these lessons from a superstitious old Yaqui is endlessly gratifying to me.
There are many ways to get to the place that Casteneda is trying to show us, and therefore I can't place this volume in the "must read" category. But the concepts have value, and you won't regret the effort in getting to the last page.

Castaneda did the world a favor when he began chronicling his apprenticeship with Don Juan Matus. Whether or not Don Juan was one or three real people is irrelevant since what Castaneda learns is highly relevant to all of us. Learning to "stalk" the self, learning to achieve equilibrium in a world full of petty tyrants (including the petty tyrant of the "self") are among the most trenchant lessons Castaneda provides us. This book is the place to start with Castaneda and you'll even find within it Don Juan doing magical passes 25 years before Castaneda finally admitted there were such things. The books by Castaneda are the most important books in my life and I highly recommend them to anyone who's after an alternative way of looking at life and the human condition.

What a disappointment this book was. I decided to read it based off of my interest in altered states of consciousness. I thought the true story of a student learning from a master would be culturally and intellectually interesting.

Unfortunately, Journey to Ixtlan is terribly written. The dialogues are artificial and Carlos himself is impossible to take seriously. Throughout the entire book, he is incredulous at what is happening around him and asks pointless questions. I can only attribute Carlos’s portrayal of himself as naive and weak to bad writing, because I can guarantee you that someone with the will to try mescaline and study under a sorcerer would not behave in the scared and ultra-rational manner that Carlos does in this book.

The fact that the book touches on a number of fascinating subjects - the forces of nature, alternate realities, synchronicity - is all the more frustrating. Carlos the author and Carlos the student never delve into the subjects with any depth, instead leading us into a disconnected series of forays into the desert.

The greatest book I have ever read! Without a doubt Carlos Castaneda's best. This book made me SO sad it is unbelievable. Once you understand everything that is involved in becoming a man of knowledge you have to ask yourself 'am I willing to give up EVERYTHING?' After reading this book I have made loads of progress in my own spiritual quest, no, I haven't stopped the world, yet. But at least I know now which way I am heading. If your leaning is towards sorcery and the revelation of it's secrets, you simply MUST read this. I have read everything on the occult (I kid you not) and I have to say that this was the one book that 'did it for me.' God (or nagual ) bless C.C.

Journey to Ixtlan was first published in 1972 and had an edge to edge (no border) illustration featuring the "as fast as light," white falcon on its cover.

In 1991 all eight original titles - The Teachings of Don Juan, A Separate Reality, Journey to Ixtlan, Tales of Power, The Second Ring of Power, The Eagle's Gift, The Fire from Within, and The Power of Silence - were all given new, unimproved, artwork.

Having somehow lost my copy of Journey to Ixtlan, I ordered from the store hoping that the copy I'd receive would really have the original cover - as was shown (and still is?) on this page at the time. It did not. I got the newer version. Not even the one that still shows the original white falcon, within a green border, but the one that features a crow!

Yes. It turns out there are two versions of the unimproved cover available! One retains the white falcon, the other a not-so-well-drawn crow. Unless I can find an original copy somewhere my set no longer matches. Not the end of the world, I know, but disappointing nonetheless.

So be forewarned, if you too need to replace an old copy, you'll need to buy used.

Castenada dazzels the mind with his reiteration of the teachings of don Juan Matus, the master sorcerer. After Reading this and other books in his series I underwent a change in life. One could only hope to attain part of the mastery of don Juans journey into the realm of Power. Casteneda studied for over 10 years, with don Juan to become a man of Power. I highly recomend this book and all other in the series to all those who would like to find the true meaning of the description of the world that they call reality, as well as, those searching for the true meaning of Power

Forget the debate as to whether Castaneda's writings were a hoax or that his books became important reading for the drug culture. Although I suggest you read his first two books before reading this one but if you read only one book by Carlos Castaneda this is the book to read. Be his books accurate reporting by a cultural anthropologist (which is becoming increasingly more and more  doubtful), mysticism or hokum, this particular book is quite moving and lyrical. And whether his stories are real or imagined and whether the teaching he transmutes came from Don Juan or from his own mind by his knowledge as a trained anthropologist the underlying mystical principles of these stories cannot be dismissed out of hand.
  Shaman, poet and perhaps an academic scoundrel it is Castaneda's poetry and story telling that comes shining through in this book.
  If Castaneda's books were a hoax and were represented as cultural anthropology as a better hook to sell books it is a shame because he did a disservice to science and to his legacy. Still I myself, as a former researcher in Harvard University's anthropology department and a student of human ethology, can forgive this sin on one level and enjoy this book as a powerful work of liturature.
For if there has been a wrong that has been committed against anthropology it is one that was done by the way the books were marketed and perhaps by the author's personality itself. The works themselves should not suffer and be shunned for this.
His legacy would have been better served if he wrote these same works as a writer of fiction.
I believe the author would have been wiser to present his works the way Gurdjieff presented "Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson" rather than obstinately insisting there really was such a person as Don Juan (even if in the off chance that his teacher did exist).
Despite the controversy his writing stands on its own and Journey to Ixtlan is a powerful, touching, enchanting and beautiful book.

I first read this book, and subsequently the rest of the series, ~30 years ago. As many of the other reviewers describe, Casteneda's words changed my life. If your looking for something like it, that points to tools we all posses right now and doesn't require you to find a Don Juan, check out The Last Letter by Andy Chaleff.

This is a life-changing book and a spiritual classic (I rarely give ANYTHING 5 stars) but someone ought to mention that there is a certain amount of controversy about the accuracy of Castaneda's Don Juan series. Researcher Richard de Mille is probably the most even-handed of the critics and The_Don_Juan_Papers is worth a read, though some of the criticisms are merely carping small-mindedness.
Regardless of your attitude toward Castaneda's (or Don Juan's!)literal accuracy the series, of which Journey_to_Ixtlan is the best, presents a coherent and engaging spiritual existentialism. A Must Read!!!

I just finished re-reading Journey to Ixtlan for the sixth time, and each time I read the book I find new wisdom and a new lesson I can relate to in my own life. There are crucial lessons here, whether or not you believe the actual experiences that happen. Through his relationship with Don Juan, Carlos Castenada reminds us of how truly mysterious the world is, and how much awe and wonder there is in ourselves, if we are brave enough to be willing to see it.
The book really has very little to do with peyote or drug usage persay, it has much more to do with questioning the very foundations on which we base the world to become aware of reality. Not one that has been dumbed down by definition and categorization but experienced as it is. I see a direct link here with "I Am That" (a book of talks/interviews with an Indian Guru), and even The Matrix.
But the sense of power in nature and the drawn out detailed depictions in nature are like very few books I've ever read.
This is a great book for an English Class, Existential Philosophy, or Cultural Anthropology, and I do not see this is as a work of fiction. At the very least it is an invitation or reminder for us to rediscover the magic in our own lives again.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable read - suspend your analytical mind for two hundred sixty pages and enjoy.

"Journey to Ixtlan" is a long and unbalanced (sometimes repetitive) dialogue between Don Juan, the sorcerer, and his apprentice. Unbalanced to the extent that the apprentice is humble, naive, easily taken by Don Juan's views, unable to effectively counter-argue the teachings of the sorcerer. The reader is taken into a long and fantastic journey through the desert, where he is slowly introduced into the teachings of Don Juan. For him, the world of everyday life is not real as we believe it to be. Reality if merely one of various descriptions, therefore we have to learn how to "see" as opposed to merely "looking," and "stopping the world" is the first step to "seeing." Once the apprenticeship is finished we have learned a new description of the world and are able to elicit a new perception, one has gained "membership." We must break the dogmatic certainty, which we all share, that the validity of our perceptions is not to be questioned. In the long process we must learn to erase personal history, remodel most of our behavior, self-importance must be dropped, we must take full responsibility for our actions, and accept death as the only wise adviser. You become a hunter once you learn to separate the images and see two of everything, you become accessible to power and learn how to tackle your dreams. You become a man of knowledge because you have unravelled the secrets of personal power. A man is only the sum of his personal power, and that sum determines how he lives and how he dies.
Carlos Castaneda, an active member of the New Age Movement, had millions of followers around the world. His writings are supposedly based on personal experience, on his studies on the effects of certain medicinal plants and the teachings of a shaman who used hallucinogens to initiate his students into an occult world. His personal life has remained a mystery, as much as his cult, and his literary success is not actually based on quality but rather on being appealing to human thrist for myth, magic, self-improvement, and the imaginary.

This 3rd book of Castaneda`s is an essential part for every person sincerely interested in being impeccable and preserving his/her own energy for dreaming,recapitulating etc. Without observing strictly the premises of the warrior`s way stated in this book there is no need to read more of Carlos - one will never reach the state of awareness and the level of energy of "los nueves videntes". To stop the world is very difficult and responsible task(the most difficult we take on in our life, that is for sure.) And last of all I must state people`s way of regarding the books of Castaneda as an intriguing works on anthropology and nothing more is terrible. But I think it was the Spirit`s will writing those books and the Spirit`s will is only for a few chosen people to understand and make use of them - for the others they are just meaningless scribbles as it must be.

I first read the book, while backpacking at the age of sixteen in the Porcupine Mountains in northern Michigan; I found it an appropriate choice in camping literature.
Carlos Casteneda writes that he was looking for someone who could teach him about pychotropic plants, and that he meets a man (sorceror) named don Juan, who has experience with psychotropic plants like Jimson Weed, Peyote, and a kind of halluigenic Psilocybe mushroom, and who can do just that. Carlos asks don Juan if he can apprentice him and he eventually complies, and they come to a sort of agreement. The two of them begin taking daily walks through the forest together, and talk about pychotropics, philosophies and other concerns. Don Juan begins training Carlos to become a sort of spiritual "warrior", and he begins to consume peyote.
Don Juan's little dialouges are interesting but extreamly strange. He describes to Carlos that he will become a warrioir by "stopping the world" and by then "looking" and "seeing". The ideas don Juan suggests are difficult to interprit and understand. (I recomend a little bit of psychotropic influence to help the 'ol head to process the wilds concepts, haha!) I always liked what he said about walking through the woods with your arms spread open to touch the vegitation around you, and I find myself doing it when I hike. The book is interesting but it doesn't have a lot of substance. I give it a solid - good, but its a good that I find myself picking up again and again.

Probably the most significant book I have ever read. That doesn't say a lot but hey I never like the bible. For some its almost petty to the number of polished novels and books already on the market and waiting for you pocket book. I must say though, this is quite the exquisite example of whats possible in our world or reality to get metaphyiscal. Many of the writes or teachings of castaneda are just that but this book to some is a starting point from which to begin the journey. The not-doings and small samples are just a small example for what in it. I highly recommend this book for anybody. Maybe you'll get hooked maybe not. Either way, some may care to read it.

Castaneda's first three books constitute some of the best fiction of the 20th century. Yes I know, I know, many folks think these books are fact as did I when I first started reading them many years ago. I believe it is a testament to Castaneda's gift as a writer that events that objectively appear impossible nevertheless come across as plausible. To be honest I think it is a greater honor to Castaneda to approach these as fiction because the world he has created is so immersive that it has very few peers in literature: He's like the Tolkien of New Age (you cannot tell me Second Ring of Power is not fiction as he 'literally' abandons the diary format altogether for novel format). That said there are many impactful life lessons to draw from this particular title and it is my favorite of the series.

This book should be in the pseudoanthropology section and is a classic of the genre. My title above is a quote from Marcello Truzzi's evaluation. Journey to Ixtlan was the third in the series and formed the basis of a doctoral disertation that incredibly was awarded a degree by UCLA department of anthropology, thereby reclassifying that department as the school of literary fantasy studies. For a full evaluation of Carlos Cesar Arena Castaneda see Martin Gardner's notes of a fringe watcher 'Carlos Castaneda and New Age Anthropology' in Skeptical Enquirer Vol 23, No.5 pp13-15; 1999. Never the less read as fantasy/philosophy the book is good value. the fact that it virtually founded a New Age religion is evidence for Gordon Wasson's theory that drug induced hallucinations produced by what he called entheogens are at the basis of many religions ancient and modern.

In Castaneda's third book, Don Juan teaches him how to see with shamanic vision to perceive things as they really are rather than merely describing them with conventional language from preconceived ideas and memories.

Masterpiece ! Simply magic! Carlos Castaneda should be read in special moments of our lives, this is the kind of book that comes to your hands serendipitously! Enjoy a different way of seeing reality....

I wish this book was something better than it is. In the end, the concepts in this book are insubstantial and poorly explained because the author himself obviously did not understand them. Sentences like, "Doing makes a tree a tree and a rock a rock," are common in explaining pivotal concepts such as "doing," but are no more than pseudo-koans. Castaneda asks for further explanation but Don Juan is unable or unwilling to truly explicate these concepts in a comprehensive manner that does them justice. They are hinted at in unsatisfactory and ambiguous terms-- never nailed down because even after all of his apprenticeship, it's obvious Castaneda truly does not understand anything that he was taught and actually gained very little from the teachings. He goes through all the motions and somehow sees what he is supposed to see and somehow even feels what he is supposed to feel, but understands none of it and cannot give it significance or grounding. Castaneda's work has largely been discredited as fraud at this point, and from the writing you can tell that he really only had superficial knowledge of the topics he wrote about because he plagiarized most of his work. Books like Autobiography of a Yogi are much much better and more rewarding.

When I read this novel I was constantly entertained and on the edge of my seat at all times. It also brought new ideas of spirituality to my mind. I hope that other people have, and possibly will, read this story and like it just as much as I have.

This is the 3rd installment of the Castaneda Books. I believe this one to be the best one, because Castaneda goes in depth with his conversations and teachings with Don Juan Mateus. Many useful quotes are here on Castaneda's path to enlightment.

These books are great stories. I don't know whether Carlos Castaneda went through any of the experiences he writes about or if he was just a great story teller but they do have a ring of truth to them. I was heavily influenced by these books when I first read them, much, much less so now. Journey to Ixtlan is a metaphor for how your life will look as you abandon your old patterns and take on a new way of living.

I also enjoyed Positive Energy by Judith Orloff and Energetic Anatomy by Mark Rich. Rich's book actually talks about some of the same ideas Castaneda does but in more concrete detail. Both are enjoyable and informative.

Journey to Ixtlan is a spiritual story unlike any I've ever read. Castaneda makes no notion of trying to comfort the reader with what fluffy tales of love and kindness. Aside from all the goodness and love that naturally ensues in one's spiritual quest there is a factor of aloneness and detachment that only a few "warriors" out there are equipped to handle.
This is a mind opening book, a candid story of Carlos Castenada, a brave man who found his leader, but not his time.

I was recommended this book by a few family members. I have had my share of experiences and consider myself a spiritual, if not "mystical" person. I approached reading this book as something of a zen guide like the books I read in my late teens like Dan Millman's "The way of the Peaceful Warrior," among others. I was deeply, deeply disappointed.

Where do I start. Well, let me begin by saying that Castaneda cannot write. The literary content of this book deserves one star, and that's only because it is written in [mostly] complete English sentences. Second, it has no sense of narrative. It is neither driven by a plot or by an overarching concept, unless the vague and amorphous "search for power" amounts to something of a plotline. Third, I was not engaged by Castaneda, and I could care less for his search for power; nor does don Juan provide us with any information regarding the search for power. Merely a series of random and incoherent acts that supposedly help one attune themselves to their inner power. Rather, we're taken along for the ride - poorly - as Castaneda and don Juan take endless hikes in the desert and meander along various hilltops and describe hallucinations of bushes. I'm just not sure what that is supposed to convey to the reader. He doesn't give any tangible or practical advice, and for someone who does not have access to don Juan, the journey seems moot. Don Juan is constantly and annoyingly laughing and "cackling" away at questions posed to him, and condescendingly dismisses questions. He may be an all powerful warrior, but he seems quite simple to someone that only knows him through Castaneda's portrait. The message, whatever it is, was completely lost on me. I found reading it all the way to the end to be my ultimate sacrifice and eventually, the mission that would bring me power. I told myself that if I could finish it, then I am the ultimate warrior...

I tried to take away one positive thing from the book, if only to be able to share it with the family members that recommended it (so I don't completely hurt their feelings). I salvaged this quote: "A warrior on the other hand is a hunter. He calculates everything. That's control. But once his calculations are over, he acts. He lets go. That's abandon. A warrior is not a leaf at the mercy of the wind. No one can push him; no one can make him do things against himself or against his better judgment." Wow, that's deep.

If you're interested in Castaneda, this is the book you should read first. It covers the same time period as the previous two, but Carlos is no longer as dense as when he wrote them. This book opens the doors to a whole new way to view the world.

I have just a couple of quick comments but mostly just encouraging others to really attempt to absorb the contents of this book. I once heard CC called a literary shaman...maybe I read that somewhere. That is very true to the word and those who have pondered this book in a deep and thoughtful way know what I'm talking about. The other quick point I wanted to make is how ridiculous the pop cultural, ego dominated, western definition of a warrior is. Put succintly...the real war is won when we cultivate higher levels of awareness.