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In my experience, Castaneda cult members or even admirers tend to be well read or even educated people who think that somehow because they've read a lot or been well educated, they're immune from ever becoming victims of a cult.
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In my experience also, which is extensive. I am a sociologist and a philosopher from a Marxist/structurlaist background, specialising in ideological structres - all ideological structures, not just cult ones, but even down to the sub-conceptual level of why we see cause and effect as related.
I am not a member of any cult, although I have experience of them.
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It just doesn't work like that. People become victims of a cult because of either a) being emotionally vulnerable, lonely, or isolated or b) because cult leaders are damned good at what they do, conning people by winning their CONfidence.
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Well, I agree - and part of my interest is also why we see cults as cults, and other groups not as cults, and also the percieved differences between cult thinking and mass thinking.
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Castaneda's sole "genius" was in figuring out cult techniques that don't require the victims to be physically isolated from family and friends like most cults practice. And he also built a very convincing racist fantasy about Indians for people who needed a substitute for the more blatant racism that the civil rights movement had discredited.
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Well, I am not overly bothered by any of that, to be honest. I'm fascinated by how all charismatic figures attract the attention that they do, though.
As for Castaneda's cult, I know a great deal about Castaneda, and the people involved with him, and the inter personal dynamics are fascinating.
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His "wisdom"? Stolen and plagiarized from dozens of philosophers, mostly from India. Hindus, not American Indian.
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Anyway, if you actually want real, solid sources that could be ascribed to Castaneda, try Nietzsche especially, but also Husserl, Spinoza, Heidegger, possibly some Taoist stuff, and possibly Brinton's work on Nagual groups in central America.
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But then you'd know that, Lord, if you hadn't been too lazy to actually read the other threads instead of prejudging this group of NDN activists for daring to criticize your cult.
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In fact, I'm not part of any cult or group, I just enjoy Castaneda as a thinker, and I should imagine I know a great deal more about him than you, what with me being specifically interested in his thinking. But, that's an assumpiton.
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It takes quite a bit of absolutist thinking to say that Your Great Leader just "cant ever be wrong" no matter what.
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Castaneda is not my leader.
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No matter what includes him openly admitting being a fraud and laughing for the last two decades of his life at the gullibility of people who believed in him.
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Yes, but I never actually said otherwise.
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Like the others say, I refuse to be drawn into a long pointless debate, esp when the person is too lazy to read what's in front of them or even consider evidence.
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I enjoyed his work and thought him a brilliant thinker.
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If you want to talk more about your experience with the cult you were part of, you're welcome to. If you don't, I won't be surprised since denial is common for most cult victims.
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Well, I was in a cultish group once.
Castaneda never limited my thoughts, that I'm aware of, so I have nothing against him personally.
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Just so you know, so is being victimized by a second or even third cult, even after finally leaving the first one. I strongly urge you to look into counseling, or get online help from cult survivors' groups like Freedom of Mind.
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Well, I already am a specialist.
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Or if you want to find out about the issue of this forum instead of giving us shrill patronizing lectures, you're also welcome to stay too.
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all ideological structures, and I mean ALL, are formed in the same way, and use similar techniques.
Now, I won't patronise you, but I won't pretend I'm not smart as hell and razor sharp because I am. I am a different proposition all together.
[Most of his childish insults were removed, though his pompous notions about himself were left up, just so it'll be obvious to anyone why it's a waste of time to talk to him.]
