From Academic Anthropology to Esoteric Religion

Carlos Castaneda is typically examined as a fraudulent anthropologist, novelist, philosopher, and contributor to neo-shamanism. This article instead analyzes his individual philosophy and religious system as presented in his written works, proposing a threefold classification—early, transitional, and late works—with distinct characteristics for each. The analysis shows Castaneda drifting from a scholarly style through narrative emphasis to fully religious texts, reflecting his personal trajectory from academic ambition through public scandal over his counterfeit works to founding a new religious movement as a charismatic leader. Unlike most scholarship focusing on early writings, this article emphasizes the late works, where Castaneda fully developed as a religious thinker and guru.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Carlos Castaneda has been studied mostly as a fraud anthropologist, novelist/philosopher and a contributor to the emerging phenomenon of neo-shamanism. Instead, this article focuses on Castaneda’s individual philosophy and religious system as developed in his written works. A threefold classification is proposed—early, transitional, and late works, complete with chief characteristics of each. The analysis shows how Castaneda slowly drifted from the scholarly style through stress on the narrative to full-fledged religious texts. These changes also reflect on Castaneda’s personal life; from academic ambition through public scandal ‘debunking’ his counterfeit works to the formation of a little new religious movement, of which Castaneda was a charismatic leader. Unlike most scholarly analyses of Castaneda that focus mainly on the early writings, this article takes into serious consideration his late works and shows that it was here that the author fully developed as a religious thinker and guru.