After the death of spiritual guru Carlos Castaneda, six of his most loyal followers disappeared. Some believe they died in a suicide pact, others suspect at least some of these believers might still be alive. In his latest investigative piece for Alta Journal, “The Case of the Missing Chacmools,” Geoffrey Gray investigates the writer’s bizarre cult and finds himself entangled in a web of murky financial dealings, sex, possible foul play—and one death-defying supernatural being. Gray, direct from Mexico City, sits down with Alta Live to explain the complex cult of Castaneda, detail what he discovered throughout his exhaustive 14 months of research and reporting, and reveal what he thinks happened to Castaneda’s missing chacmools. You won’t want to miss this deep dive into one of Alta’s biggest (and most mysterious) stories.
About the guest:
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 cocreator 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.•
