Blog 8

After reading the final three chapters of The Teachings of Don Juan I can’t say that I was disappointed with the ending, but I definitely wasn’t pleased. I was hoping that Castaneda would let himself fully into don Juan’s world and quit trying to question everything. I stared at the final line of chapter eleven, “I do believe that I have succumbed to the first enemy of a man of knowledge”, for awhile trying to figure out what it meant. I guess what I got out of it was that Castaneda got in over his head with don Juan and he didn’t feel comfortable experimenting with don Juan anymore. I think Castaneda’s scientific mind couldn’t handle the hallucinations anymore, because don Juan said that they were a reality, but Castaneda couldn’t accept them as reality. Maybe later in his old age Castaneda will be able to truly take in all the lessons don Juan taught him.
In chapter ten Castaneda experiments with the smoke several times and on the final attempt he is able to turn into a crow and his vision is affected. “Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the images were a conglomerate of unbelievably sharp details set inside fields of different light; the light in the fields moved, creating an effect of rotation”(p.139). This reminded me of The Field as soon as I read it and I also thought back to the movie Other Worlds, that we watched in class. Under the effects of the smoke Castaneda seemed to be able to see the energy or light that make up the field. I also found it interesting how they said that the crow could tell if something was dead by the amount of light it gave off. Since Castaneda has a science background I wonder if he would have kept experimenting with don Juan’s potions that maybe he could have made some discoveries much like the scientist in Other Worlds who took LSD and was able to use the insight he gained from the drug to help earn himself a Nobel Prize. I guess we’ll never know since Castaneda chose not seek lessons from don Juan anymore. I just don’t think Castaneda was ever able to totally let go of his world and immerse himself in don Juan’s and if he would have been able to let go of the baggage of the outside world I think Castaneda would have gained much more through his experiences.