Was don Juan real?
Of course! He was, in the end, perhaps more real than Castaneda himself, for it is The Teachings of don Juan that have inspired so many and which serve as validation for a portion of our own individual journeys. In a very short time, the world will not remember much about Carlos Castaneda, yet don Juan will live forever through his teachings. Carlos was “just” the guy asking the questions. And yet, without the question, the answer has little meaning, and so ultimately each persons journey is a yin/yang interaction between oneself and ones teachers, whether those teachers are old Yaqui Indian sorcerers, or the inner wisdom available to all true seekers through the gnosis of meditation-with-intent. Sadly, it is human nature to not only rebel against ideas that are in direct contradiction to our status quo reality, but to actively discredit the messenger in any way possible. If you choose to believe Orlando or don Juan are fictional characters, then you will undoubtedly see all of this as
