Encounters
There comes a moment on the warrior’s path when attention begins to turn inward. The world ceases to be merely what strikes us through the senses — it starts to be perceived as a hall of mirrors, where outer reflections […]
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Daydreaming –When the Intent Speaks in Images
On the Toltec path, what we call devaneio in Portuguese corresponds exactly to what Don Juan called ensueño in Spanish and to what Castaneda’s books translate in some passages into English as daydreaming. Although, in everyday usage, these terms might
Delia talks about women’s silent slavery
An intense dialogue between Delia and Florinda takes place as they travel by car. The conversation begins with Delia’s admiration for the Yaqui warriors, quickly evolving into a philosophical discussion about the different types of war and freedom. Delia then expounds on the idea that women are, because of their feminine condition and sexuality, slaves to men, even in modern society.
The beginning of the loss of the human form
The beginning of “losing the human form” is the attention of the perfect tonal: being able to capture with one’s attention the entire worldview that presents itself in the present moment—the totality of sensory information. This type of attention in
Controlled folly
Controlled folly isn’t something a person can practice and learn progressively. In the challenge of learning to control folly, the key point is to understand what folly is, and to discover what controls it. Naturally, it’s not the tonal that
Taisha Abelar – exclusive interview with Keith Nichols
“Reflections on don Juan by Carlos Castaneda”by Keith Nichols Real root expansion of thought is one that causes us to reevaluate the way that we interpret our reality. Although at first it may only affect our intellectual perspectives, its repercussions
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Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – Queries about the Warriors’ Way: The path without a teacher, Carlos’ plan, and Tensegrity
Carlos Castaneda addresses common inquiries about his role and the nature of Tensegrity and the warriors’ way. He clarifies that he sees himself as a counselor, aiming to guide others towards freedom from a “sight from the bridge” — a state of total silence where one perceives the present without the biases of the past or future. He emphasizes that the path is not about following a personal guru, as don Juan himself was a sorcerer perpetuating a lineage, not a teacher in the conventional sense. Instead, the true guide is the impersonal spirit or life force, accessible through inner silence. Castaneda explains that Tensegrity is a modernized system of “magical passes” — movements developed by ancient Mexican shamans to directly perceive energy — which were kept secret until now, as don Juan’s lineage concludes with his four disciples, freeing them to share this knowledge for the benefit of all, promoting well-being and breaking free from the constraints of everyday perception and self-importance.
Journal of Applied Hermeneutics – Queries about the Warriors’ Way: What is the point of doing all those Practices?
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”.
Examining the enemies on the path to knowledge – Part 1: Fear
The path of knowledge IS the path of awareness. Before entering the path, we live in a kind of automatism. And when we choose to take the first conscious step toward knowledge, the first adversary of the path appears: Fear.
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The tonal island cleansing
A complete tonal is one that can maintain its attention on its entire island. But as long as there is an obsessive aversion or an exclusive focus on one or more items on the island, the tonal‘s attention becomes fragmented,