New Age Alternative Belief Books

Often, personal stories of discovery in books on physics/healing/cosmology, etc, tend to be tedious and self-indulgent. Not so with Bruce Lipton's work, "The Biology of Belief". Not only are his descriptions and analogies for his discoveries and insights into cell biology and consciusness clear and concise, but one finds oneself swept along through the book by Lipton's own great enthusiasm for his subject.

This is a ground-breaking book based on ground-breaking, risk-taking science. I congratulate Lipton on a wonderful work that is intellectually stimulating, enjoyable, and thought-provoking. Lipton is bringing biology into the new spiritual era of quantum theory, and placing the power for our own healing of life and body squarely onto ourselves. A must-read!

I have referenced this book to so many people I cannot count. When I encounter people who do not understand the actual biology and physics of the "attraction principles", I send them to Lipton who does a superb job. He is able to clearly describe what a non-scientist can understand, while using scientific backbone to support his views. I am glad this one is on my shelf.

If you really want to understand what is going on inside out of you, please read this book. Excellent reading.

The BIOLOGY OF BELIEF is well written in simple language that I could easily understand. It kept my interest, and I am pleased that I purchased the book. I have bought one for my physician as well as members of my family. His explanation of how our subconscious perceptions, changed, can alter our DNA and our futures is dynamic.

This is a must-read book for people like me, non-scientists who might hope there is something more to life than the material world but are baffled (if not downright disheartened) by the atheistic assertions espoused by people like Richard Dawkins. The problem with issues like the existence of the soul beyond the chemical functions of the brain, or of mankind having a purpose on earth, is that while these are fascinating topics to discuss, you can never really get anywhere as they inevitably end up being purely philosophical. No matter how eloquently one might speak on man's higher consciousness, the proofs of Aquinas blah blah blah, there will always be a Richard Dawkins in the room sniggering at you and saying "Prove it". This book really does change that. In easy, clear, but evidential science, Bruce Lipton takes you with contagious enthusiasm through his own discoveries as a PhD researching in cell biology -- which unexpectedly for him, resulted in his discovery of the energy field holding us all in being. We don't exist; we are 'existed'. Furthermore, Lipton proposes that the survival-of-the-fittest model of evolution is, on evidence, flawed; that life evolved because of cooperation between cells, not as a battle for dominance, and that these same principles of cooperation between cells and communities of cells are vital for the health of each individual body.

This is a book I plan to read again, because it has given me enormous confidence to know that there is more and more evidence in science that reveals what I always hoped was not just a silly emotional instinct - that there is a God, even if we don't quite know what that means, and that we are all part of a universal spirit. In fact, after reading this book, the rantings of the scientific materialists seem silly and old-fashioned. They won't be able to dishearten me any more.

An excellent confirmation, well-presented, of eternal life and love! The case studies are presented with such depth and engagement, that I did find it necessary to limit reading to one study a day/time. A worthwhile read!

Nothing new in this book. Skip it if you are wanting to learn new information about the other side. Goodbye to this book! I did not even get half way and I was bored.

I read this in 1997 after I lost a very close loved one. I have received numerous contacts from him since he passed. Mostly in dreams. A few times - his presence. (And even something surreal.) My real life experiences match the book in the sense that they are unexpected (they come when they want to come ... not necessarily when we call them) and they are short. You HAVE to open your mind and your heart. If you keep it closed, you will not experience these wonderful gifts from God. I believe everyone can. This book helped me through my deepest moments of grief. So for that, I am grateful to the authors for compiling these stories. To the naysayers, I say ... fine. Don't read it or recommend. For those who believe ... this will help in your healing. (And it's just fascinating. I'm fascinated by every experience I've had personally. I know for a fact my loved one is around ... and still with me from his own dimension. It's not anything I need to convince anyone of or to prove to anyone. These are personal moments that God has allowed my loved one and I to share. By his good graces! God is so giving ... it His gift to the grieving.)

I found much comfort in this book, after the death of my children. It gave me a feeling of peace, and hope for the future.

My wife passed away almost a year ago, and a friend gave me Hello from Heaven. The book helped me a lot, and I wanted to share it with my sons and a few friends. So thats why I bought several copies of it from you. The book gave me hope, at an extremely hopeless time of my life. Sincerely, Gary M. Rembold Sr.

One of the most real and grounding books I have ever read. It can quiet any raging storm. It certainly quieted mine. I have owned this book for years, and everytime that I read it, it's like reading it for the very first time. It is always new. And I am one to rarely read the same book over and over and over. You really do get it when you read this book. Every word resonates with my soul. I am at a point in my life, and am having experiences that are making me really assimilate the truths presented in the book as the way to do this life while on earth. So simple, yet power beyond any earthly measure that I've come across. It has replaced my need for a therapist and other things recommended for controlling anxiety and depression. I am now able to let go and trust in what I've always known to be true. If you purchase the book, you are giving yourself and the planet, because we will all benefit, a great gift.

Keep it with me all the time. Helps me to realign into balance and impeccability when the kindness and compassion within me gets challenged, inert or thoughtless. Pocket sized.

This little book can bring you peace. My wife turned me on to White Eagle and his book "The quiet mind." Keep it in your pocket or backpack and just read it when you get upset. It works.

This is one of my favorite daily books. It has the most wonderful quotations to soothe and inspire you, whether you're sad, depressed, stressed, angry, frustrated, worried, irritated, fearful, or upset in any way. The words of wisdom ring true to me on every level and, its gentle teaching makes me feel deeply loved and attended by loving spiritual beings.

The Quiet Mind is a book for those looking for spiritual support and for those genuinely interested in the progress of the soul and the realization of its true identity. This 'little' book never fails to inspire me and has advice for virtually every situation in life.

I'm about halfway through this book. It contains good information about the four paths and their shadow sides, but I'm having a hard time getting past the fact that this author continuously quotes other authors instead of taking their information and putting it into her own words.

It gives the feeling of a collection of tidbits that will encourage further research.

I will revise this review once I have completed the book.

I got this book as recommended reading for a workshop I took on the heart. It contains a wealth of information presented in a warm, stratighforward way. There's so much in it to help guide you to opening yourself up where you need it and to expanding your knowledge of yourself. I practice some of the exrciese and meditations daily and refer to it often.

The exploration of archetypes and symbols within one's life is a powerful tool for self understanding, healing and growth. And so, this is a significant book in my life at least.

This book took a while to be effective in my case. It has become well-worn from being opened to certain pages over and over again. It is marked, folded, penned and penciled in many spots.

I had to go through just one part at a time, and then take time--- to think about the words and their meanings, meditate upon how it applied in my life. Thus, I was able to experience difficult but valuable lessons when taking on the roles of Warrior, Healer, Visionary and Teacher while living through my own self-disassembly and dissection.

I know some reviewers didnt like them, considering them hodgepodge puzzles of various religions... but I particularly liked the tables and charts that illustrate the symbols and things to contemplate upon and process for a particular archetype or power role. For example, I was drawn first to "The Way of The Healer" and Arrien presents the following ideas, symbols and actions: Direction: South/ Element: Earth/ Human Resource: Love/ Kind of Meditation: Lying/ Way of Living: Right Speech/ Four-Fold Way: Pay Attention/ Season: Spring... to just name a few. Trying out the ideas on for size, the suggested practices, the skills... takes a lot of time! I can read a cliffhanger novel in one night, but I couldn't do that with the stuff in this book. LOL.

And so, I read this book for 1 year for self-healing and gained some inner strengthening. I also began to recognize my boundaries and the circle of power that I would have to be willing to stand in. During this time I also began to see patterns of these archetypes in leadership roles within communities and societies and thus continued discerning and observing the qualities of Warrior, Healer, Visionary and Teacher in the admirable men and women leaders I have met personally.

Bottom line, the ideas and symbols associated with Warrior, Healer, Visionary and Teacher needed time and again, contemplation, trial and error, before it really opened up for clearer understanding on the levels of mind and heart for me. Maybe this book can work for you too if you give it some time and your self some patience.

Fare thee well, book lover and fellow Seeker!

I like the book better than the CDs. There is a nice breakdown of information and a simple to understand text.

This book is a New Age muddle of incorrect assumptions about buddhism and various aboriginal belief systems. This author doesn't get ANY of it quite right. She takes bits and pieces from different religious or philisophical traditions and sticks them together with bits of cellophane tape. I've seen collages made by kindergardeners that made more philisophical sense.

NOT recommended.

This is a very nice and gentle set of Faery Cards. I bought it after having owned the Froud-MacBeth set, which is magnificent, but stronger, deeper, profund and sometimes a little bit scary at first.

Doreen's card set however, is a soft and reassuring way to start the day. But do yourselves a favour, buy Doreen's 'Healing with the Fairies' book. They sell separately, but you will see lots more sense in the cards, and if you are a believer you won't be able to put it down. If you are not, this book may just change your mind. They both go definitely together.

Better still, do as I did, use this card set together with the Froud/Macbeth FaeryOracle cards. Doreen Virtue teaches how to do a two or multiple deck reading, and you'll be surprised at how the Faeries on both decks work together.

Highly recommended.

Nicely worded and inspirational booklet, but many of the cards are very dark in color. These cards aren't nearly as nice as Virtue's Archangel Oracle Cards or her Messages from Your Angels cards.

I bought these because I love fairies. I did not expect much from the cards though. It was an impulse buy. Years ago I once listened to some audio tapes by Doreen Virtue and was not especially impressed with what she had to say. I don't recall exactly which of her many products it was but it seemed rather fluffy.

I have been pleasantly surprised by this particular Virtue product. I have really enjoyed the art and the messages. The cards have a lot of wisdom and each has a positive affirmation to go along with it. You really can't go wrong with whatever card you choose. The box says "There are no negative or frightening cards or images". I appreciate this as I have been cautious when it comes to Tarot cards which I believe might be dangerous--although I really know little about them.

I have been quite amazed by the Fairy cards. I have used them many times now--yet I haven't even viewed all 44 cards. I have seen only the back design of many of them. I am literally choosing the same cards over and over again while at least half the cards I have yet to come across. This is synchronicity! It is no accident. It just can't mathematically be possible with the number of times I have used them. There is something guiding me in what I choose. I do hope it's the fae. These cards work, are helpful and lots of fun.

I have been an ardent fan of Doreen Virtue's Oracle Decks and have almost all of her decks in my collection. I have had the Healing with the Faeries Oracle Cards with me for some time now but only recently have started using them. As is always the case with Doreen's Oracle decks, the cards are beautifully illustrated, here you are treated to beautiful illustrations of faeries...some are illustrated in the classical tradition, and others are more abstract, but they are all beautiful! The The messages are uplifting and enlightening and I have always found an insightful message with every reading. Some critics complain that her decks tend to have the same repetitive message, I choose to see it more as emphasising some important points over and over again so that we may reap the most benefits out of the readings.I can't wait for Virtue's newest deck!

I own three decks of fairy oracle cards, this one being one of them.

This is probably the most lighthearted of the three. There are many pictures that are sugary sweet and really show the lighter side of fairies. For those who are a fan of fairies like Tinkerbell, this is the deck for you. The majority of the pictures are beautiful and the decks works very effectively in readings.

Now as I just said, this deck is very light-oriented. If you are looking for something that shows more of a variety of fairies, I would highly recommend Brian Froud's, "The Faeries' Oracle," which is also an excellent deck to work with. Also, both Doreen Virtue's and Brian Froud's cards work well with each other as they are both fairy oriented.

This deck is much like the Healing With the Angels Oracle Cards, only it is much more polished in the book and the picture selections are nicer.

I would reccomend these cards to anyone who likes fairies or Doreen Virtue's cards. This is also one of her easier decks to read in my opinion, so if you are a beginner, this deck is very good.

A little book like this is certainly not going to attempt an exhaustive study of the feminine aspect of God, so what is beng offered here (to the Western civilization) is a chance to examine your inner longing for a Mother God and a method to test your faith on the subject. Of the Christian churches, only the Catholics come close to acknowledging the divine feminine in the Virgin Mary, calling her the Mother of God. Jews and Muslims worship only the masculine authoritarian God. Hindus, Buddhists, and Wiccans have an awareness...of the yin yang thing. This book is a bedside or coffee table book, but it is much more than that too. Read it and test your faith. Ask for the flowers to appear. I did, and I recieved an amazing bouquet completely out of the blue (I never get flowers) that just happened to match the odd combination of colors I was wearing that day. There is a Mother God. Ask and you shall receive. I am writing this review today even though I read this book more than a year ago, because today is the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, spiritual Mother to all of Mexico.

I was left with a very comforted feeling of approachability to the Mother God, which is far better than the "fear God" message that too many evangelistic preachers teach. A religion of love, comfort, and help from an unconditionally loving and accepting Father and Mother God - why wouldn't more people want to accept and embrace a religion like that? That is the message that Sylvia brings us. <3

Not at all what I expected in a book about the Goddess, who is the Mother of the God. Too much traditional orthodox religion.

Having studied all aspects of all spiritual paths,religions,dogmas,etc..I found it to be a great refresher!This book should be titled for beginners seeking truth in an all loving God/Goddess-FEMALE/MALE.For God/Goddess is all loving.
Once again the incomparable controversial Sylvia Browne shares her light with the uninformed-I LOVE IT!You will learn many paths & Traditions that you may never have heard of,if your new to seeking truth in God/Goddess.I especially love how Sylvia shoots straight from the hip and offers such wonderful insights with references/weblinks to seek out what she puts forth.A really great read and an easy one to understand.I Love you Sylvia.
Stay the way you are and keep sharing your knowledge and wisdom with the world for you are an emmisary of Love,Light and Truth.

I loved this book. We are Gnostic Christians and this was a very spiritual, revealing book. It expands your love for God and makes perfect sense. Sylvia Browne has opened my life up and given me a loving God in my life with no dogma and sin and all the other negatives some beliefs want you to have. He walks beside me and does not think I'm a "sinner" who needs to be "saved" or that I need to think less of myself in order to love Him. Mother God is equal with God but different. He's the intellectual side and she's the emotional side. Together they are one. It just enhances your feelings of love and protection and the belief in miracles. Thank you Sylvia!

One of the best books I've ever read. One can always return to and learn from. I highly recommend this and Villoldo's other books.

I absolutely loved reading this story, and haven't read any story as stimulating since The Celestine Prophesy.... the difference, of course being - that this book recounts true life experiences. This was an engaging, enjoyable read with many eye opening insights into other ways and worlds. I have vivid memories of the images and experiences described in this book. Fascinating!

a great and by-now classic book on the theme of shamanism by an anthopologist and psychologist. I LIKE THIS BOOK BECAUSE HE TRIES IN IT TO DECRIBE HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES IN COMMON WORDS

In this book Villoldo, perhaps one of the most well known teachers of Inca shamanism in the West, describes his initial encounters with the shamanic world. The book is devoted to Villoldo's experiences with two Peruvian healers - don Ramon Silva (an ayahuascero from the Peruvian Amazon) and don Antonio Morales, (a Qero style healer and philosophy professor!). Villoldo's recounting of Peruvian healing practices is gripping and the final chapter, in which he describes the death of his teacher's teacher in a little cottage on the Peruvian altiplano, is simply breath-taking. I also quite liked the description of the "operation" which allowed V. to see energy patterns and his animal allies.

If V. only recounted his experiences with the old shamans, the book would have been superb. Unfortunately, he decided to insert into the book his own personal issues and musings on the nature of reality (which tend to go on and on) and which to me seem to be rather cliche-y. this guy is a doer, not a thinker and all the theory just detracted me from the magic of his experiences. V. also seems to be unduly impressed by his newly acquired Ph.D. in psychology (from a little known local college) as if a degree means anything these days.

Still, I find Villoldo's accounts to be trustworthy and in my opinion this book is a useful read for people interested in Peruvian healing practices and in energy work in general.

For those seeking more info about Dr. Villoldo's lack of detail and other concerns regarding truthfulness in contemporary shamanism, please see "The Selling of the Shaman and the Problem of Informant Legitimacy" which appears in the Summer 1990 issue of 'Anthropological Research', Volume 46, Number 2. Dr. Villoldo is prominently featured.

Interesting book...everyone has the right to express themselves, and fiction/storytelling is a traditional art form. She seems to want to be of help to others. I admit I was turned off when I saw Sams peddling the Medicine Cards on an infomercial...some things just do not translate well through that medium, in my opinion. Point of FACTUAL Clarification: Amylee has never been a member of the Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge. not ever. Twy, its founder, made it clear she (Twy) was doing the Wolf Clan club for those who weren't Native, or who were 'lost' Natives. Amylee IS Native, and I rather doubt she has ever been lost - she is firmly grounded in her Native identity and teachings, from which I have benefitted.

I enjoyed reading and learning from this book and also have the cards and I enjoy them as well. Very good author....read and enjoy and best of all--learn.

What an enlightening read for those who seek to understand better and heal within themselves all parts of ourselves. People of Peace and Love feel the truth working within themselves as the stories of these Clan Mothers are shared.
An awesome spiritual book does not give us all the answers, it shares some knowledge, and then we have to work it and walk it daily in our lives. I am thankful that Jamie shared this knowledge, it has enriched my life. And, will work its own medicine here. Pilamiya!

I've enjoyed this book although, at times, the writing is dry and uneventful. It is sometimes hard to follow but the information and experience it contains makes up for those slight downfalls.

I have personally benefited from Jamie's book by being a part of a circle of women who use this book as a guide to gain a greater understanding of ourselves and those around us.
It doesn't matter what color we are, we all come from the same rainbow with the same lessons to learn. The 13 original clan mothers gives us very clear, detailed wisdom of what it is to be a whole, complete woman. It is written in a simple, accessible way. Myself as well as many women I know, have experienced the magic of the clan mothers cycles as a part of our lives, with each mother presenting herself to us personally with her teachings and love. Try incorporating it into your daily life, and see how the lessons and wisdom come to you from moon to moon! It is powerful, if you choose to use it. Ofcourse,each to her/his own.
I believe Jamie to be a beautiful Spirit, and it comes through her words in the 13 Original Clan Mothers.

That might not come from reading this book alone, as it is the fourth most believable of the series. When I was a student, I like many others I know who will confess to having read a Castaneda book or two when pressed, went through a couple of years of Castanedism, reading the 8 classics 2 - 3 times each, and even the later four, quite different books a couple of times. Being someone who likes to give the benefit of the doubt until conclusive evidence proves otherwise, I must admit to only getting suspicious by Journey To Ixtlan, the third book. The second book, A Separate Reality, picks up on the supernormal happenings, but still these are within the realms of possibility, when one considers Spiritualist literature. By Tales of Power, when at the end Carlos throws himself off a cliff and only survives by becoming pure perception, bouncing elastically back and forth between the two inherent realms of all creation, the tonal and the nagual, the game was up. In Carlos' terms, my assemblage point had just experienced a considerable shift into the realms of disbelief. The cocoon had burst. I read the remaining books still interested, but with the growing realization that I'd been had. Bizarre ideas not found in any other spiritual traditions, such as the necessity for people on the path of knowledge to kill their children to reclaim the power they'd lost to them, plus fill in the holes in their cocoons the children had caused, made me wary. This was surely not a philosophy the whole world should turn to, or else we'd be living in a fearful, lonely world with every man for himself.

However, this would be fine if the books weren't made out to be non-fiction. While I have seen these books placed with science fiction books in many libraries, in most European bookshops they're still sold with real, non-fiction 'Mind, Body, Spirit' books. The reason I give this book such a low rating is that an intensive study of his works, the books by his various colleagues, plus Richard De Mille's intelligent criticisms, can only lead to the conclusion that Castaneda, the writer, used Don Juan and Carlos, two fantasy characters, to verbalize his own beliefs, which were culled from his own spiritual and academic experience. That there are not some useful nuggets of wisdom, or advice in these books I do not deny. That is their very attraction, plus the belief that it all really happened, and is a new spiritual revelation. But as these are mixed up with increasingly bizarre assertions and beliefs (by the Art of Dreaming it seems all pretence at non-fiction had been given up), it is doubtful whether a lifetime devoted to these practices (as opposed to say, real shamanic practices) would lead to spiritual improvement. If you must have a Castaneda book in your library, rather get The Wheel of Time, a selection of the spiritual highlights of the first eight books, but consider it rather 'The best of the personal philosophy of Carlos Castaneda' than anything to do with Don Juan or Shamanism. This understanding may not have the romantic mix of wild Mexican deserts, ancient wisdom, wise old men and naive westerners which captures the hearts of so many, but it is a lot closer to the truth.

The anonymous ghost-writer at Schuster and Schuster who corrected Peruvian immigrant Castaneda's English for at least all of his earlier works (a sample of his writing from 1969 reveals it was still far from perfect, not like what is in books), giving the books their special character, certainly deserves more credit than he or she gets. But they are not written well enough to succeed as fiction, hence their continued classification as non-fiction, besides the intense academic embarrassment it would cause copyright holders UCLA to have to admit such a dramatic change in classification, from fact to fantasy, after having previously given the author a doctorate for his work! I give this book one star on the basis that any book claiming to represent the truth which is later found to be fraudulent deserves no stars by definition, so I must give the minimum rating allowed. The day this book is reclassified as Fiction, I will up my rating to 3 stars though, as it is a quite entertaining and authentic piece of fiction-posing-as-non-fiction.

I haven't read all his things but I read his mind unless it's he reading mine! You either have a head for this stuff or you do not. I really enjoyed the few books of his I have read.

This book is too complicated and not for everyone. It dables too much with drug references that are quite disturbing. Stay away from this and pick up Dr. Phil's autobiography. Thanks. :)

Carlos Castaneda was one of the most controversial writers of the twentieth century. Some in academia branded him a fraud for claiming his stories were biographical rather than fiction, while lauding him as a great novelist for exposing a mass audience to otherwise inaccessible philosophical abstractions they claimed were largely plagiarized. Each of his works is a piece of a larger puzzle, which makes it impossible to critique any one book without addressing the larger context into which it fits.

His first two books, "Teachings of Don Juan" and "A Separate Reality" describe experiences induced by ingesting psychotropic hallucinogenics prepared by a Yaqui Indian shaman from Sonora, Mexico he called don Juan Matus, and accounted for his becoming a guru to a generation seeking short cuts to spiritual enlightenment, as well as his lifelong interest in the relationship between perception and reality, a theme now explored in many popular books on consciousness and quantum physics. Unfortunately, these books remain his best selling works, in spite of Castaneda refuting their importance in his later works. Readers would be best served to skip these and avoid the risk of being turned off to Castaneda and missing the more stimulating works that followed.

His third and fourth works were "Journey to Ixtlan" and "Tales of Power." In Ixtlan he admits to over-estimating the value of his drug experiences, which caused him to overlook the more profound teachings of don Juan which became the focus of future writings. What emerges is a spiritual discipline dating back to the Pre-Colombian Toltec sorcerers of Latin America, culminating with don Juan's departure from our world, effectively ending Castaneda's direct affiliation.

In his fifth and sixth works "Second Ring of Power" and "Eagles Gift" Castaneda suffers strange flashbacks of what seem to be memory fragments of events he is unable to fit into any logical time sequence. In his seventh and eighth works, "Fire From Within" and "Power of Silence," Castaneda succeeds in reconstructing his lost memories, which derive from teachings previously administered by don Juan while Castaneda was in a "heightened" state of awareness.

In books nine and ten, "Art of Dreaming" and "Active Side of Infinity," Castaneda focuses on what he describes as inorganic predators from another dimension, some having the power to imprison humanity in "ordinary reality" so they can feed on the dark emotional energies we produce when succumbing to the negative thoughts they insert into our minds.

In later years several seemingly substantiating works appeared by two of Castaneda's female apprentices, Taisha Abelar and Florinda Donner-Grau. In addition, two scathing exposés were also published by two of his ex-wives. The first, "Magical Journey with Carlos Castaneda" by first wife, Margaret Runyon, offers little corroboration, since her marriage pre-dates the time when the bulk of Castaneda's adventures were claimed to have occurred. While steadfast that Castaneda was a sorcerer, she doubts the existence of don Juan, even claiming authorship of many of the concepts Castaneda ascribed to him.

The second, and more credible work, is "Sorcerer's Apprentice," by well-known writer Amy Wallace, daughter of the late best selling novelist Irving Wallace. Here again, we find little corroboration since the time of the events she describes is well after the period when Castaneda's relationship with don Juan is alleged to occur. What the book does provide is a troubling look inside Castaneda's final years, a picture of descent into what seems sexual addiction and possibly madness, leaving one to wonder if Castaneda was just one cup of cool-aid short of a Jonestown.

Many have asked why I put any stock whatsoever in Castaneda. A story from my autobiography, "The Vortex" may shed some light. A year before Castaneda published his first book I had an experience that would remain a mystery until Castaneda published "Power of Silence" twenty years later.

For a brief time, in my youth, I became a practicing Muslim, meticulously performing the complex prayer ritual five times a day. Then one night, sitting in my car, frustrated and complaining at not being able to find the address of my next sales appointment, something inside me snapped. It was as if some part of me had disconnected from my body and assumed control, lecturing me about my lack of discipline. A profound calm settled over me, rendering me simultaneously detached and engaged. For two days my sales figures soared. It was as if no one could say no to me. On the evening of the second day I decided to put my new state of being to the acid test by visiting my parents. Their behavior was so uncharacteristically supportive I hardly recognized them. It was enough to convince me that I was now living in an altered reality. But by the following morning I had returned to "normal." So distracting had this event been that I completely forgot to perform my Muslim prayers, and in fact, never did so again.

Twenty years later, in a chapter of "Power of Silence" entitled "Place of No Pity" Castaneda describes a very similar experience. In the aftermath of the event don Juan explains that humans are like televisions stuck on a channel called "self-preoccupation," lacking the energy to tune into any of the vast array of other channels available to us. To change channels, he explains, we first need to accumulate energy, by practicing rituals that are deliberate, precise and repetitious. Do this long enough and eventually our stored energy precipitates a shift to a channel where self-importance and self pity become impossible. Once this happens we connect with the force that controls the entire universe, a force don Juan called "intent," and everything can be bent to our will and even more channels can be opened, assuming we remember to keep practicing the rituals that save our energy.

This one realization alone was enough to inspire me to dedicate my autobiography "To Carlos, with gratitude."

Maxwell Austin van Lack, Author of The Vortex: A True Story of Passion and Karma

If you could only choose to read one of Carlos' books, this has to be the one. For those who aren't familiar with the books, this is the sixth. The first three, expected by most readers at the time of publication to be a "trilogy", describe the first several years of Castaneda's apprenticeship to a native nagual, or shaman in Sonora and other parts of Mexico.

In the first volume Carlos describes the weird rituals and exercises that his teacher puts him through as he trains him in the ways of his line of sorcerers. It concludes with a quasi-scholarly analysis, really nothing more than an outline of the concepts of his teacher's world-view. This book focuses on the concept of living like a warrior and the book is structured as a question and answer sequence between student and teacher.

In the second book, whose time frame has a good deal of overlap with the first book, carlos' activites center around coming to believe that the world is an artifical construction of the human ego, a fantasy that we all choose to agree on. Don Juan batters Carlos with psychotropic drugs to break down his ego and force his consciousness over to the other side of awareness, beyond normal human perception.

The trilogy concludes with Carlos pursuing "stopping the world". This offering portrays the final challenge along the path to becoming a sorcerer. The apprentice will be faced with his own imminent death, and either stop the world, disassembling and reassembling "reality" in a way that ensures his survival, or accept death and enter the eternal realm. Obviously Carlos survives, as he wrote a book about it, and in the process spawned an immense controversy. What was all this bizarre stuff? Was it real? Was there a real Don Juan? A Don Genaro? The debate went on and still goes on, in a greatly diminished form, to this day.

The sixth book continues into the time after the cliff jump in book three, but it does a lot more than that. In this book, Don Juan explains to Carlos how it all works, why he was selected for this task, and what he's supposed to do from this point on. In typical thick-headed fashion, Carlos stumbles on, writing it all down, and seeming to still miss the real essential points that the teacher is making. What's good about this book is that it explains all of the goings on in the first three books, as well as how the sorcerers structure their view of reality. Very powerful stuff.

The remainder of Carlos' writings are very obscure, fastastical, and just downright strange, except for "The Active Side of Infinity", written towards the end of his life.

Don't get me wrong, I love CC, I've been reading him since 1971. I've read every book, multiple times, as well as his wife's book, and books by detractors and debunkers, and a great many articles and papers on him and his work. If you like it, read them all, it's great literature if nothing else. But if I could only have one. This is it.

I bought this book for my nephew and it met all my expectations and I am sure he will be quite pleased with it.

Excellent reading. Michael Garrett has become a fine teacher like his father before him. A true student of life Michael takes the Cherokee ancestral stories, mixes in some modern day experiences and relays a wonderful message. If harmony and balance are traits you would like to have within your own life I highly recommend this selection.

If you want to find balance in your life, this book is an excellent way to start on that pathway.

Michael continues his journey of a Helper in the truest form of "being Cherokee". I am amazed at how simple God our Creator is revealed in our self induced complexity of life. Thank you Michael for helping to remove the scales of our heart and spirit. For those of you who are Christians, I would encourage you to use Michael's book as a help in your journey through the Bible.

Blessings

I came across this book while exploring my recently discovered Native heritage. It fit the bill perfectly, helping me learn about universal Native traditions, practices, and thinking. I could go on and on, but it's enough to say that this book is well written, informative, and enjoyable. Michael Garrett has a lot to offer.