blog 6

Its nice to read literature about some life experiences with the altered states of consciousness. In the Field, we talked so much about facts based on science & research. Its nice to hear some real stories. I wonder what hits people harder, which has a stronger impact...someones life experiences or someones reasearch and study about a topic. I wonder if anyone considers life experience a form of research...?
I like the relationship between don Juan & Castaneda. The teacher & the student...living the class. I find it amusing at times.
Pg. 24 says " Power rests on the kind of knowledge one holds. Whats the sense of knowing things that are useless?" I wonder is considered useful to some & useless to others...is what we consider useful really all that useful? Who told us to think this way....? is it effective?
it also say here that don Juan's believed that the "acquisition of an ally meant exclusively the exploitation of the states of nonordinary reality." There is something positive to be gained out accepting & exploring different realities.
I found it interesting that after Castaneda's experience with Mescalito, he still could not understand what he found & what had happened to him. on pg 50, don Juan tells him that b/c he is not used to that kind of life, that the signs bypass him. He goes on to tell him that he dwells too much upon himself & that his seriousness is attached to what he does, not to what happens outside him. I wonder if these same things keep us from connecting with the Field. This is some of the noise that overtakes our minds.
I find it interesting that while talking to Mescalito each person see's different things. don Juan says that he is not the same for everybody. The experience of an altered state is something within a person, or based on outer things? if it is based on outer things, then why dont more people see it the same way. I mean we all agree on what other things are in our world. When in an altered state though, things arent what they seem and they all different for everybody.
Throughout the book, so far you can see the power of intention which was also mentioned in the Field. From the way the pipe is handled, to the woman who had tried to kill don Juan, to the rituals of finding, planting and picking plants....everything is taken on with great respect & treated as though it were alive. Like all things have an awareness that if you pass positive energy onto them, they will in turn pass good onto you. It kind of lends itself to a constant awareness of others & other beings. It takes one outside of themselves & maybe keeps people from dwelling too much on themselves, like don Juan says Castaneda did too much of....