Castaneda and His Followers’ Cracked Universe of Books
A primer of the titles that emerged from living in—and escaping—Carlos Castaneda's cult.
Beginning with The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge in 1968 and ending with The Active Side of Infinity (published posthumously) some three decades later, Carlos Castaneda produced a dozen books that had a profound impact on the New Age movement and cultural perceptions of shamanism and mysticism. Claiming to be an apprentice to a Yaqui sorcerer, Don Juan Matus, Castaneda introduced readers to a world of psychotropic plants, spiritual trips, and the pursuit of enlightenment. He blended anthropology with a narrative style that captivated a generation seeking spiritual alternatives. Scholars and critics have debated whether Don Juan existed or was a fabrication of Castaneda’s imagination, named for Mateus, an inexpensive Portuguese rosé favored by the writer during his time at UCLA. Millions of his books have been sold, and they remain in print.
This list appears in Issue 28 of Alta Journal. SUBSCRIBE
Sorcerer’s Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda (2003)
By Amy Wallace
The only published insider’s account of life inside the cult. Former lover and follower Wallace exposes Castaneda’s manipulative tactics and dubious spiritual practices. She also reveals the turbulent dynamics among the chacmools.
A Magical Journey with Carlos Castaneda (1996)
By Margaret Runyan Castaneda
A rich account of his early, pre-cult years, this memoir from Castaneda’s wife documents his time as a broke and flailing student, searching for identity and struggling to produce a thesis that would impress his teachers at UCLA, and his subsequent rise to fame.
The Sorcerers’ Crossing: A Woman’s Journey (1992)
By Taisha Abelar
Abelar alleges that after Don Juan and his followers took her under their wing, she stuffed a sock in her pants and pretended to be a man named Ricky. Doubts about the work’s authenticity linger.
Shabono: A Visit to a Remote and Magical World in the South American Rainforest (1982)
By Florinda Donner
Based on the author’s contention to have lived among the Yanomami people in the Venezuelan Amazon rainforest, this account from one of Castaneda’s chacmools was debunked by scholars as a patchwork of previous ethnographic studies.
Geoffrey Gray is a New York Times bestselling author, longtime investigative reporter, and the current founder and publisher of True Mastery, which specializes in adventure tales and interactive, real-life games. Known for his eclectic range of subjects and gonzo spirit, Gray started his writing career covering boxing for the New York Times and later specialized in unsolved crime, travel, food writing, and more as a contributing editor at New York magazine. He has also produced two feature documentary films, Patrolman P. and GORED, the latter of which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and debuted on Netflix. He is the co-creator of 9 Arches, an adventure card game, lives (most of the time) in the colonial highlands outside Mexico City, and once drove an ice cream truck.
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