Talk:Carlos Castaneda

Basic content
I'm a little disappointed that the text about his books is mostly about whether it can be believed as factual (or fictional). What about its spiritual value, metaphorical or not? The works have value and guided many people to a greater understanding of the world around us, and of ourselves. Sonofmagni (talk) 19:39, 31 December 2021 (UTC)
 * There are some books about that. Unfortunately the one I'd like to use as a reference is self-published so can't be used. It showed that the whole chronology, when put together, is consistent and that the system of practice, once you pull it out and organize it, is also consistent. Alas. IIRC I found a similar book by another author, also self-published. In any case, I also find this interesting, if only there were sources. Perhaps in time... Skyerise (talk) 20:54, 31 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Whoever wrote his books are now generally considered to be fictional has not read the books, several times, and has not done the research on how spiritual teachers responded to what Castaneda was writing at that time.
 * Shame. 2001:569:7337:6600:BC4C:86C4:8AF8:1E44 (talk) 08:45, 3 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Further to the above, Castaneda did NOT go into ANY of his experiences with Don Juan with a title for his books in mind. These are an afterthought by his publishers.  It took 8 years to publish book 1, in which time notes and memories required organization and deep meditation, respectively.  It is shocking to read that Wikipedia states these works as fiction.
 * Im not done with this… ElNuevoSol (talk) 09:08, 3 February 2024 (UTC)

New sources of info on Carlos Castaneda and Nagualism
I think it would be expedient to add a new source on Carlos Castaneda and Nagualism to the External Links list (downloadable PDF, public domain):

https://archive.org/details/nagualism-volume-1-4th-ed-2022-the-teachings-of-don-juan-eng-esp-ukr-rus/mode/1up

also referred to at:

https://www.reddit.com/r/castaneda/comments/rkuqn2/nagualism_volume_1_of_20_the_teachings_of_don/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Media66 (talk • contribs) 06:36, 11 March 2022 (UTC)


 * Disagree. The source is not in English and it appears to be self-published. Please provide an ISBN if you disagree. Skyerise (talk) 12:09, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Most source texts are in English and there are only 3 source materials in Spanish with parallel English translation. As I see, this is the most comprehensive collection of materials relating to Castaneda's "The Teachings of Don Juan" many of which are not known to the general public. They certainly will be of interest to those who want to know more about Castaneda and nagualism. I didn't find ISBN, however I think that for such a creative research publication this should not be a major issue. Media66 (talk) 13:59, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Besides, archive.org is a legal library, what's the problem with linking to it? Media66 (talk) 14:10, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
 * We don't link to self-published material. The links are usually added by someone with a conflict of interest for promotional purposes. And you appear to be a promoter. Also, the work appears violate the copyrights of the translators of Castaneda's works and Wikipedia may not link to copyright-violating works. Again, if you believe this book is legitimately published, please provide the ISBN. Skyerise (talk) 16:23, 11 March 2022 (UTC)

Early life
Why should the naturalization record not be a valid source? By the way, I do think it is relevant that Castaneda claimed to be born at a different time and place, and the sources are mentioned in note 1 and footnotes 1-3. --Kuhni74 (talk) 11:53, 21 July 2022 (UTC)

Cavrdg (talk) 19:52, 21 July 2022 (UTC)
 * I could find no path to validate the number. I searched the US government archives and couldn't find it. If a source can't be validated - it's not usable. If you can point me to where I can see the record online - at a reliable source - please let me know. Anastrophe (talk) 17:59, 21 July 2022 (UTC)
 * There's an image on Ancestry, under
 * U.S., Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project) for Carlos Arana Castaneda
 * California
 * Naturalization Index Cards of the U.S. District Court For the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1915-1976 (M1525)
 * Carrafa, Rocco - Chamberlin, Rose Marie (1930-1976)
 * The text reads:
 * No. 7957695
 * Name CASTENEDA, Carlos Arana
 * Calif.
 * residing at 1128 N. New Hampshire, Apt 4, L. A. 29/
 * Date of birth 12/25/1925
 * Date of order of admission Jun 21 1957
 * Date certificate issued Jun 21 1957
 * by the U.S. District Court at Los Angeles, California
 * Petition No. 199531
 * Alien Registration No. 8 108 676
 * Thank you very much Cavrdg! I have restored the content with a proper source, and from the info in that I was able to dig deeper and found another source with an excellent image of his petition for naturalization. I appreciate the help! Anastrophe (talk) 21:31, 21 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Thank you both very much for your work! Would you agree that these better sources should also be added to "note 1" (nb)? And what about mentioning that Castaneda claimed different dates / places of birth? There are several other texts to be found via google that use this (wrong) information, and I think that the article should point out what is true and what was made up by him. Or is "note 1" sufficient? --Kuhni74 (talk) 08:42, 22 July 2022 (UTC)
 * I see your point re Note 1. I also see it as somewhat problematic - it contains much more info than the existing 'early life' section, and some of the sources are questionable - the Time magazine source has 'subscriber' in the link, and no byline, for example. I think most of the info and sourcing should be folded into the 'early life' section and then we drop note 1, since it's redundant after a fashion. But there's a lot to go through in all that, and it's more work than I'm willing to devote to it at the moment... Anastrophe (talk) 20:29, 22 July 2022 (UTC)

Neoshamanism : can we add his role in the emergence of this New Age spiritual movement ?
In the article on neoshamanism, Carlos Castaneda is cited as one of the writers who influenced the emergence of this New Age spiritual movement.

Here is the quote : "Three writers in particular are seen as promoting and spreading ideas related to shamanism and neoshamanism: Mircea Eliade, Carlos Castaneda, and Michael Harner."

Here is the reference : Scuro, Juan & Rodd, Robin (2015). "Neo-Shamanism". Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions. Springer International Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_49-1

If there is no objections, I will add his role in the emergence of neoshamanism in the lead section.

Sincerely, Xavharel (talk) 14:10, 21 October 2022 (UTC)

A Certificate of Baptism shows his birthdate as December 26, 1925
A certificate of baptism from his hometown of Cajamarca dated December 26, 1926 shows his birthdate being December 26, 1925. The actual month is covered in the scan by the picture, but it shows his birthday as being the 26th and birthyear as being 1925. It also shows his name at that point in time as "Carlos César Arana Castañeda" and not the birthname shown on the article. Any thoughts?

Picture: https://a.thumbs.redditmedia.com/LWaofZtkJdEdYDoiMj-xbX86tDq99zjDhBDWeBJqow0.png Cypher056E (talk) 05:42, 19 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Would need something far more reliable than this to make a change. cheers. anastrophe, an editor he is. 20:25, 19 April 2023 (UTC)

Error in citation
Footnote has 'Donald Wieve'; it should be 'Donald Wiebe.' 195.252.220.199 (talk) 02:08, 6 July 2023 (UTC)


 * Fixed. Thannks! Skyerise (talk) 11:41, 6 July 2023 (UTC)

Uncited death claims
This uncited claim has been removed from the article for discussion and to allow for editors to provide citations. It appears to be original research based on primary sources. We'd need a reliable secondary source for this. Also, assuming C. J. Castaneda is a living person, our WP:BLP policy applies here, especially as this is about a purported but unsubstantiated legal action. It can't be in the article uncited for that reason. Skyerise (talk) 21:48, 13 July 2023 (UTC)

"Redacted" Skyerise (talk) 21:48, 13 July 2023 (UTC)
 * I've removed the content entirely as a blatant WP:BLP violation. Each individual statement would need a reliable source for any of the above to be restored to the article. -- Ponyo bons mots 22:29, 13 July 2023 (UTC)

Who is David Silverman?
The "Modern perspectives" part mentions a "David Silverman" who seems to have written a book on Castaneda, but that's about all the information I found. I'd have added a template but he page is protected.


 * The ISBN is provided, which means you can find the book on Google Books, where you'll find he is Professor Emeritus, Sociology Department, Goldsmiths College and Visiting Professor, Management Department, King's College, University of London. Google is your friend. Skyerise (talk) 11:06, 22 July 2023 (UTC)

Initial response section
The general initial response by reviewers was positive; this should certainly be covered by the article along with the critics. I'd say it would be most illuminating to present the major responses chronologically. For example, the New York Times review mentioned but not cited was clearly a response that preceded the then-as-yet-unpublished criticism by Weston La Barre. When and where was La Barre's criticism published? The books were an initially considered factual and phenomenal—and this lasted for some years before the view that the material is fictional became predominant, but the article gives no clue that this was the case, making it a much less interesting read. Skyerise (talk) 21:56, 19 August 2023 (UTC)

For the convenience of those who may not have lived through this period, here's a summary:


 * 1) 1960s - Early 1970s: Castaneda's early books, starting with "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" (1968), gain popularity among counterculture and spiritual communities. Readers are intrigued by the vivid descriptions of shamanic experiences and alternative perspectives on reality.
 * 2) Late 1970s - 1980s: As Castaneda publishes more books, skepticism about the authenticity of his experiences and the accuracy of his accounts grows. Critics from both academic and spiritual circles question the validity of his claims and the lack of verifiable evidence.
 * 3) 1980s - 1990s: Despite the controversies, Castaneda's books continue to have a significant impact on New Age spirituality and alternative thought. Some readers consider them as sources of inspiration and insight into alternative ways of understanding reality.
 * 4) 1990s - 2000s: Scholars, anthropologists, and experts in indigenous cultures continue to scrutinize Castaneda's works. Many point out inconsistencies, contradictions, and inaccuracies in his descriptions of Yaqui culture and shamanic practices. Debates arise about whether Castaneda's writings can be considered legitimate academic or anthropological works.
 * 5) 2000s - Present: Carlos Castaneda passes away in 1998, leaving behind a legacy that continues to divide opinions. Some view his books as valuable contributions to spiritual literature, focusing on their philosophical and experiential aspects rather than their literal truth. Others criticize the lack of concrete evidence supporting his claims and question the ethics of his interactions with the Yaqui people.

Until the 1990s, the critics were a minority view; during the 90s they became the majority view. Hope this helps. Skyerise (talk) 22:19, 19 August 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 February 2024
In the section titled "Related writers and influence," please add the following item to the list:

• Oliver Stone named his production company Ixtlan after Castaneda's book Journey to Ixtlan.

source: https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/oliver-stone-1

Thanks. Elsa &#34;Rosalie&#34; Bannister (talk) 13:57, 24 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: We have an article on the book, Journey to Ixtlan which would be a more appropriate place for the suggested content. Skyerise (talk) 14:20, 24 February 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on the Ides of March 2024
The last line in the "Reception" section "Later responses" sub-section should be removed: "The fact that his twelve titles have sold over twenty-eight million copies, and still sell tens of thousands of copies a year, would indicate that those interested in the perspective of the world that Castaneda's books present find his reporting of value."

That's blatant weasel wording of no value to the encyclopedia. It's akin to saying, "Sure, he's a fraud, but he sold well, so who cares?" At the very least, calling it "reporting" and not "writing" or even "fiction" is biased. "Reporting" suggests it is true and objective. "Writing" just acknowledges it is words, one way or the other. "Fiction" would be justifiable based upon the previous information. The existence of this sentence is trying to snobbishly dismiss the entire section for no sensible reason. 2601:840:8080:4B10:C8EB:2D27:E2CB:1EB0 (talk) 11:36, 15 March 2024 (UTC)


 * I removed the entire last paragraph, as it was completely unsourced. Skyerise (talk) 11:42, 15 March 2024 (UTC)