I've read other Castaneda books, which I find far better than this. Although it was adequately read, I found the narrator's voice to be rather too forceful, lecturing and hard.
Perhaps those interested in experimenting with these plants could find more value in it. Couldn't he just have written that, and saved us the punishment? Toltec wisdom can be rather difficult to grasp at times, but this book is an exercise in exasperation and futility. The only part which had any reasonable cognitive content was the Addendum. I have even less idea of what this book was trying to tell me. So what when he turned into a crow, or managed bodily to fly around? How very irritating. I have no idea what I was meant to have gleaned from these "trips" or how to make any sense of it. If I had access to these plants, I might conceivably find a Blou Koggelmander lizard and it might even dance for me, providing we have a good connection, and my cats don't eat it first. Of course, you have no hope of ever achieving enlightenment if you and this lizard dont click, or if you fail to inhale or imbible this specific plant. You must listen very carefully to what this lizard says and do exactly what it tells you. There are entities living in hallucinogenic plants. I am not, so I never made it to the end, although I found it amusing at times but not much more. Again, you may find the book fascinating if you are interested in the shamanic culture. I found the narrator talented and artistic, who used his quite voice skillfully to enhance the drama of the story. Instead it was a very detailed and meticulously transcribed personal encounter with shamanic culture and rituals. For some reason I expected it to be a story of an inspiring spiritual journey, self discovery and rising consciousness. Rather it was a case of misplaced expectations on my part. I can't quite blame it on the book, to be honest. If you could give The Teachings of Don Juan a new subtitle, what would it be? What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!) The world is a dark and frightening place that's out to get you unless you have a powerful ally or access to magic powers.
If you could sum up The Teachings of Don Juan in three words, what would they be?
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