Blog 6

Alex Dreibelbis
Blog 6
Introduction, Chapters 1-4

The teachings of don Juan; what did this mean to me? Well, I was always under the impression that don Juan was a famous, Spanish womanizer, from way back in the day. I remember watching a movie about the stud, starring Johnny Depp, hence the connection I made between the names. However, I decided to first look up the don Juan the text was really enlightening audiences about. According to Wikipedia, author Carlos Castaneda uses a Don Juan Matus as the main character in a series of books on Native shamanism.
Even as a college student I am still surprised when illegal drugs are brought up and discussed in class or something of that nature. For example, the reference to peyote in the beginning of the book is just a little strange. Granted, we are discussing Indians here and peyote is an organic psychedelic used in many of their rituals. I guess I am trying to say that as children we were conditioned that speaking and doing such things were taboo. Therefore, openly reading and discussing the topic still feel a bit naughty.
On the other hand, this shows the open-mindedness of these particular audiences (e.g. the class), who are comfortable enough to soak in it all.
I do like that the book is dated. I always enjoyed reading diaries when I was younger, so I get that sense. It also allows one to see the time gaps in between excerpts. These aren’t day after day experiences; definitely weeks and months.