Carlos Castaneda. "The Art of Dreaming": How to Manage Your Dreams

Until now, many argue how to relate to the work of Carlos Castaneda: how to fiction or how to anthropological research? If we accept the idea that everything described in the books of the writer is true, and with the help of certain practices one can open one's consciousness for reaching a parallel reality, then the world becomes completely different. "The Art of Dreaming" is a very important work in the writer's work. It contains a description of some effective practices for understanding sleep.

The life path of Carlos Castaneda

Following the spiritual practice of "warrior spirit", which implies the complete erasure of personal history, Castaneda diligently veiled many parts of his biography. Even the year of his birth is not known exactly. Researchers creativity of the writer noted only the gap between 1925 and 1935, in which he supposedly could have been born. Castaneda was officially married for 15 years, however, after six months of living together, he left his wife on his esoteric expeditions. No one knew more about his specific whereabouts. Another known fact is the acquisition of a PhD in Anthropology from the University of California in the 1960s.

But is the path of his physical body so important, if the most important thing he left in the books?

The Teaching of Don Juan

Was there really a major character in Castaneda's works, it's difficult to know now, if not impossible. The writer's life is enveloped in many secrets. For many years he disappeared in the wilds of Mexico, studying the ancient shamanic rituals and closely associating with a group of magicians, chief among them was the famous Don Juan. Many researchers believe that this is a collective image of several sorcerers.

If we isolate the mystical component from the teachings of Don Juan, then we will have an excellent program for teaching whatsoever. The path to mastering knowledge is difficult, requiring total dedication and maximum immersion in the subject. Don Juan has many insightful statements about how to overcome the fear of knowledge, how to learn how to dispose of it and how to take obstacles on his way to his comprehension.

Immersion in this art is reflected in the books "Teaching of Don Juan", "Tales of Power" Castaneda. "The Art of Dreaming" is devoted to ways of controlling consciousness during sleep. This is an unusual book.

Carlos Castaneda "The Art of Dreaming"

The book is devoted to a detailed description of the practice of entering consciousness into other areas of perception with the help of dreams. Don Juan called the dream door into a parallel world, so different from ours and at the same time very similar to it. In this universe, a person can live peacefully and even die. When studying the art of dreaming, an important task is mastering the ability to control one's attention. Just like in everyday life, we involuntarily capture various events and objects, putting them back in our memory, and during the dream, we must notice everything that the subconscious is giving us. But the main thing is to learn to do it consciously.

Can an ordinary person comprehend the art of dreaming?

This, perhaps, is the most burning issue, which occupies everyone who is interested in the esoteric philosophy of Mexican shamans. Despite the rather detailed descriptions of the practice of controlled sleep, mention of the magical passages needed for management is given in a very veiled form. The book "The Art of Dreaming" is little like a purely practical guide, it would be a clear contradiction of the philosophy of Don Juan. After all, according to his statements, direct answers give nothing until a person becomes open to understanding. And the one who has reached this point does not need any guidebooks. For knowledge within us, it is necessary only to let it open to us.