The D-Spot: FELIX WOLF-Carlos Castaneda's 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, in the summer of 1960, a young anthropology student named Carlos Castaneda set out to do field work with a Native American shaman, we came to know as don Juan Matus. His encounter stirred up the entire field of anthropology and profoundly affected an entire generation of spiritual seekers. The teachings of don Juan led to a series of bestselling books that were translated into 17 languages and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. None his 12 books ever went out of print in the 40 years since the first publication. Castaneda himself ended up on the cover of Time Magazine and was named ‘godfather of the new age movement’. Even the venerable New York Times wrote enthusiastically: “We are incredibly fortunate to have Carlos Castaneda’s books…One can’t exaggerate the significance of what he has done.” But what has he done? What is Carlos Castaneda’s legacy? Most of what has been written since his death in 1998 focused on controversial aspects of Castaneda’s personal life - as little as is reliably known - and on questions concerning the authenticity of his sources. A new book, written by Felix Wolf, one of Carlos Castaneda’s former apprentices, finally breaks the silence and attempts to present the subject matter in a more constructive manner, staying clear of the temptation to analyze and categorize Castaneda, while still providing rare insights into his enigmatic world.