Carlos Castaneda’s Don Juan’s Teachings

B: Can you see the lines of force … can you see the luminous egg.

M: Yes, and yes. Of myself, of others, organic or of pure being – inorganic.

B: I find no reference to this anywhere but in CC’s writings, because I do not think he is talking about the aura. I think what he is talking about runs MUCH deeper.

M: There are references, however I don’t remember exactly where and in what book. You are correct, though, it is more advanced than simply seeing aura.

B: It reminds me of MATRIX.

M: Many elements of “Matrix” seemed to draw on the concepts noted by Juan Matus as reported by Carlos. The essential point of “Matrix” is that realities can be manipulated.

M: Every human being that exists in the human form, exists in their own version of reality. From this it is simple to conclude that every human forms an alternate reality to every other human. For those as seekers, recognition of this conclusion is a gateway to understand that other realities can be constructed both in parallel and as alternate states of being.

B: I wanted to write you back, and I apologize for rambling. Your help is appreciated … MUCH. Bob

M: You’re welcome.

Next e/mail follows.

B: One other thing. It was months ago I started studying CC again. It was then that I came up with a method using perception and extreme attention to what I was perceiving to shut off my inner voice.

M: Great! On the right track!

B: A few months into it … It was as if a new part of myself , my subconscious ( or right side of the brain started taking an active part in running my life.

M: It’s probably more accurate to say that it started “contributing” to your life, and it’s decision processes. This is also seen as a contribution of what you call “spirit”!

B: I had been dating an alcoholic for 10 years, and though I had broken up with her twice, it had not taken. Then out of the blue I knew what to say to make her leave … and I couldn’t help doing it, it was like a compulsion. One other time, a month ago, I was looking at a sculpture ( 40 pounds of wood) hanging on the wall … then I was standing there and my hands hurt like hell and the sculpture was on the floor. The sculpture had fallen off the wall and somehow without even knowing it I hit it with my hands and kept it from smashing into my face and onto my feet. I have never had reactions like that.

M: These are common, and frequently found, when one crosses through the evolutionary process that you had at the time. If you can not regress, they will continue to contribute to your existence and accordingly, form a more solid foundation for your continued evolution. (Congratulations: one more path was crossed.)

B: I think the inner voice keeps the right side of the brain from being able to take part in our lives very much. Bob

M: Certainly the rattle does. Please don’t simply assume, though, that this is limited to the left or right side of the brain. Fully integrated, it is formed as whole “knowledge” throughout “being”, all of it.

Next e/mail follows.

B: Michael, you said, “Be very careful in “shutting off the ego” because “the ego” forms such a huge base within the human form, that simply “shutting it off” can lead to a void, and voids can lead to dependencies that reinforce, not vacate, the human form. If you are not ego-based, who/what are you?” ……. I have discovered, quit a long time ago, but even more so lately, that I am more of a quiet presence that WATCHES my ego. I had an experience a few months ago where I was meditating and it came to me, that I was not my body. I know that should sound obvious but I really hadn’t thought about it.

M: It’s fascinating that it takes most so very long to discover this. Most humans look at their bodies, or any segment of it, and rather than conclude “this is only an artifact and utility, not me”, they somehow assume that the body IS themselves. Fascinating. Most don’t seem to discover this reality – ever – Eagle food!

B: I also went through the fact that I wasn’t my brain, that I wasn’t even my Mind, and that I wasn’t the voice playing inside my head. I was left with a sort of nothingness that was basically aware of all of this but not ” active”. It was later that night that I was actually conscious all night, even when my body was asleep. I wasn’t aware of this phenomena until the next day when I realized my consciousness had not lost its continuity through the night, though I had been totally asleep and my inner voice asleep as well. I have not been able to duplicate that experience. The sleeping and being conscious I mean … or rather aware. I’m getting bogged down in words.

M: It’s okay as stated. Simply put, you came to the realization that you were more than any of these limiting terms: congratulations.

B: I have always been a pack rat and collected things. August 98, suddenly things did not matter to me. They became a sort of burden. I didn’t want them any more. I had also collected a huge debt, so I started ( and am in the process of selling all of my possessions, and paying off the debt. This was my first impulse to be “free”.

M: Money, per se, and “possessions” don’t really enter profoundly into the “way of freedom/knowledge” – PROVIDED – that they are not significant distractions. There is a shallow statement in the bible that a rich man cannot enter heaven. What this should really say, that a person dependent on the gathering of wealth, will be obsessed and controlled by that obsession, and accordingly as like with any dependency, cannot evolve into a state of “free being” as energy in the third attention.

B: For one thing I wanted to leave where I am now. I wanted to quit my job ( my petty tyrant) but with the money I owed the only way was to go chapter 13 which I do not accept as an option at this time) This desire to be “free” started spreading though into my spiritual life.

M: It’s difficult, as a matter of expression, to truly engage the way of knowledge to freedom, with dependencies and distractions that are large enough to divert most of one’s energy. In my case, petty tyrants were welcomed because they gave me impetus of how to loose the human form. Now these can be faced without energy diversion.

B: I have wanted also to be psychic since I was 12. So I have worked towards that goal, however along the way, it stopped being a goal, and of course, then things started happening. I work for the department of Human services ( welfare office ) and they stationed me at a clinic. I found myself with a TON of free time because there really was no one to interview there, so I started reading … I was looking at some books and ran across CC and he seemed appropriate. This was last may. Like I told you before I have been working on metaphysics and meditation for 28 years, but this time there was greater meaning that when I had read Castaneda’s when I was 21. And I have always been pragmatic so I read him to DO what he instructed, not just for the narrative. And my desire for freedom grew.

M: It would be reasonable to conclude that ‘you are on your way’ in your own evolutionary path. You might enjoy Depak Chopra’s book “The Way of the Wizard”, and Taisha Abelar’s book, “The Sorcerer’s Crossing”.

B: I know I am not a victim, that I have chosen every element in my life … and I stay at this job because at the moment it serves its purpose, and it also tempers my spirit. Bob

M: Excellent. This can all be used as a tool for evolution. All “structure” of first-attention life can become “petty tyrants” in various forms. As noted, evidence of progress in loosing the human form can be yielded by the reactions caused when dealing with petty tyrants. ————

B: This morning before I got out of bed I knew your letter would be on my computer, however my “common sense” convinced me it wouldnt be there because you’d said you would be out of town. So I was half surprised and half not surprised to find an E-mail from you when I turned on my machine.

M: Someday, although it’s certain that you understand this now, your “perceptional sense” will be “at one and at peace” with your “common human-form sense,” fully integrated.