Carlos Castaneda :
Academic Opportunism and the Psychedelic Sixties
by Jay Courtney Fikes
Hardcover December 1, 1996
Published by Millenia Pr ISBN: 0969696000
Reviews:
A reader from California, USA , 02/10/98,
Debunker debunk thyself
The author fails miserably to understand that it does not matter at all
what is true and authentic and what is not. Who cares if Shakespeare, or
Goethe, or the bible are all authentic ? That's for stamp collectors. It's
all been written, true or false is only a nicompoops' charade, a papparazzi's
come on stunt often overly used only to make a quick buck, a car saleman's
cheap trick, seemingly western man's inteligence limit. Is there anything
of value in what anyone has written ? That is the simple most important
question. And in his writtings the author writes nothing of value. He sets
off on a senseless, inquisition style, idiotic drive to debunk something
that cannot possibly be debunked. How can you debunk 'death is an adviser,
always sitting to your left, at an arm's length' ? How can anyone debunk
'nothing that humans can possibly do has any importance, we are beings that
are going to die' ? How can anyone debunk 'the world is not the actions
of man' ? How can you debunk 'in a world where death is the hunter, you
must follow the path with a heart' ? It's the ages old question of finding
the easy flaw with your neighbour, other than to admit to your very own
faked orgasms. In a final analysis, the author is only struggling, venting
off his own frustration of complete and utter impotence, ignorance. Don't
quit your day job as yet. Don't expect me to buy any of his books either.
Completely worthless prose, not worth the beautiful trees that died. As
of this day, Castaneda has unveiled the most important writtings ever in
the history of mankind. How does anyone debunk that ? Not likely, you'd
need to challenge death herself. Not recommended, unless you're really craving
for a few sick laughs.
A Reader, 01/22/97, Truth takes longer
to disseminate than fiction.
As an undergraduate I was heavily influenced by the books of Carlos Castaneda.
After I began learning first-hand from Huichol healers and singers, the
problems with Castaneda's version of American Indian spirituality became
evident. I was amazed at the amount of indifference and hostility I encountered
among academic anthropologists as I did my investigative research. Some
professors threatened me with lawsuits. My first publisher, Madison Books,
abandoned publication of this book because of threats of litigation. When
I and two other Huichol scholars sent complaints about the professor who
made those threats the Ethics Committee of the American Anthropological
Association did nothing. In fact, the Ethics Committee is now defunct and
there are no professional standards enforced among American anthropologists.
I guess that means academic freedom is unlimited. Although I did more than
20 radio interviews nationwide, Carlos Castaneda, Academic Opportunism and
the Psychedelic Sixties has been curiously neglected by the mainstream print
journalists. I deduce from this that debunking sensational and misleading
accounts of American Indian shamans and ceremonies is less "sexy"
than publishing them was almost 30 years ago. I am convinced that eventually
the truth about authentic Indian shamans will be more widely disseminated.
The net is a great way to bypass the academic censors and official reviewers.
I apologize to readers for the technical elements in my book. I look forward
to doing another edition of this book.It will include the failure to deal
with ethical issues within the profession of anthropology. This must be
seen as an important public issue. My ability to write clearly for a general
audience has improved since I wrote Carlos Castaneda, Academic Opportunism
and the Psychedelic Sixties. My latest book, Reuben Snake, Your Humble Serpent,
is written for a non-academic audience. It is the biography of one of America's
greatest contemporary spiritual and political leaders.
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