Carlos Castaneda

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – The Force that Holds Us Together as Fields of Energy

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 4 minutes of reading

In this entry, Castaneda explores a concept from ancient sorcerers: a vibratory, “agglutinating force” that holds humans together as a unit of energy fields. Don Juan taught that practicing the magical passes is the key to becoming conscious of this force. Castaneda recounts that while ancient sorcerers learned to use this force to dissolve their physical mass, they became obsessed with controlling it after finding they could not act in that state. He explains that modern practitioners, in contrast, seek only to become aware of this force for the sake of knowledge and well-being. According to don Juan, its only permissible use is for a sorcerer to employ it to burn from within at the moment of death.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – A New Area for Philosophical Inquiry

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 7 minutes of reading

Castaneda proposes a new area for philosophical inquiry based on two core concepts from ancient Mexican sorcerers: “seeing” and “intent”. He defines “seeing” as the human capacity to directly perceive energy as it flows in the universe, using the entire organism. “Intent” is described as a conscious, universal force that sorcerers can engage with through the act of “intending”. Castaneda argues that the direct perception of energy can create a new form of subjectivity, free from the limits of language, allowing for a pragmatic and active intentionality that could transform philosophy into a practical discipline.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – How to do Tensegrity

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 9 minutes of reading

Castaneda explains that the magical passes, the foundation of Tensegrity, should be practiced not as exercise but as a way of “beckoning power”. Don Juan taught that their “magic” is a “touch of the spirit” that connects one to the life force. Castaneda notes that the confusion felt by new practitioners from the sheer number of movements is a deliberate sorcerers’ device to “saturate” the mind and induce “inner silence”. From this state, a practitioner gains clarity and knows instinctively how to use the movements to continue what don Juan called humanity’s interrupted “journey of awareness”.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – What is Hermeneutics?

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 1 minute of reading

In this section, Castaneda introduces the concept of hermeneutics, tracing its evolution from a method for interpreting sacred texts to a broader philosophical discipline concerned with interpreting the world. He then states the purpose of the journal: to apply these principles to the teachings of don Juan Matus, a Yaqui sorcerer. Castaneda’s aim is to focus on the practical application of don Juan’s interpretive framework, hence the name “applied hermeneutics,” which emphasizes a sorcerer’s practicality over abstract philosophical reflection.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – The First Principle of the Warrior’s Way: We Are Perceptors

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 2 minutes of reading

Here, Castaneda introduces the first premise of the warriors’ way as taught by don Juan Matus: “We Are Perceptors”. He explains that while this seems obvious, it is a profound statement for sorcerers, highlighting that humanity’s basic orientation is perceiving. According to don Juan, humans interpret a minimal influx of energy through a system called the “human form,” creating a world that is mostly interpretation rather than direct perception. The premise is thus a call from sorcerers to return to humanity’s original state of direct perceiving.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – Who are the Chacmools?

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 2 minutes of reading

In this query section, Castaneda addresses the question about the “chacmools,” a name given to instructors Kylie Lundahl, Reni Murez, and Nyei Murez. He explains the term’s origin, which don Juan Matus associated with warrior guardians protecting sacred sites. Castaneda clarifies that the title is not exclusive; anyone who accepts the responsibility of guarding, including himself and Carol Tiggs, becomes a chacmool. He notes that these three women were the first to bring the magical passes to the public and are now moving to a new phase on the warrior’s path.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – What is Tensegrity?

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 5 minutes of reading

Castaneda explains Tensegrity’s origins as a modernized version of “magical passes” from don Juan Matus’s lineage. He recounts don Juan’s teachings about ancient sorcerers who could perceive energy directly (‘seeing’), which revealed the human ‘assemblage point’ where perception is assembled. By studying this point’s movement, they developed the ‘art of dreaming’ and the magical passes. Castaneda notes that after learning these passes in secret, he and his fellow disciples decided to make them public as Tensegrity, a name signifying the tension and integrity that are the driving forces of the movements.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – Announcements

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 2 minutes of reading

This section details Cleargreen’s 1996 event schedule. It announces a San Francisco seminar on “Intentionality” with new instructors called the Pathfinders , and a Los Angeles seminar on “The Female Energy Body” featuring lectures by Castaneda, Carol Tiggs, and others. The release of new Tensegrity videos (“Redistributing Dispersed Energy” and “Twelve Basic Movements”) is also announced , along with the Spanish edition of Castaneda’s book, “The Art of Dreaming”. Subscription and contact details for the journal are provided.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – What is Intentionality?

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 3 minutes of reading

Castaneda begins with a note on his use of language before exploring “intentionality,” seeking to move beyond standard philosophy. He traces the term from the medieval Scholastics to the 19th-century philosopher Franz Brentano, who defined it as the unique characteristic of mental phenomena to be directed toward an object. Castaneda then connects this to the sorcery concept of “calling intent”. From a sorcerer’s perspective, he explains, intent is not a mental product but a tangible, energetic force that exists outside the physical body and can be engaged with.

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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – Queries about the Warriors’ Way: When am I going to see? Are you doing something to me?

A Journal of Applied Hermeneutics, Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda / By / 4 minutes of reading

In this section, Castaneda addresses two common questions. The first concerns when a practitioner will achieve “seeing,” the direct perception of energy. He explains that while practices are important, the crucial element is to “intend” the outcome—the state sorcerers call “stopping the world,” which is achieved by obliterating self-importance. The second question is about fear over strange physical sensations during Tensegrity. Castaneda recounts how don Juan Matus explained such feelings not as external manipulation, but as natural physiological responses or a product of one’s own victim mentality. Don Juan’s advice was to counter fear by being “impeccable”.

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