Great write up, Dharma. Succinct and incisive. Castaneda’s work is definitely inspired. Discussion about the man; faker, genuine or somewhere in between, seems of secondary concern. The body of his writing stands on its own merits. It is certainly a journey; But doesn’t appear to follow the usual ‘direction’. The first book feels almost like a rough sketch of the entire adventure with subsequent books delving further into that introduced framework; Fresh light is cast and new and unexpected vistas are opened up within the themes. There is no waffle here. Nothing is wasted and every twist and turn makes a precise point or evokes a powerful feeling. There’s almost too much in there. You have to put the book down every few pages to allow it to sink in a little. And just as you think you can start to predict where it’s going, the rug is pulled. A corner is turned and there is the feeling of ‘Wow, where did that come from?’
I still find ‘The Art of Dreaming’ one of the most frightening books. The underlying theme of being trapped is definitely a primal fear.
A trap for perception is much scarier than a trap for the physical body. (And that is bad enough)
