Books that have been most influential on you
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@nderabloodredsky said
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Lately I have been immersed into the Carlos Castaneda's, don Juan books. I am finding much value there now."As have I! How co-incidental.
I read his first book a few times this summer, as a supplement to my experimentations. I find his naivete strickingly familiar: how many a young soul has entered realms so far beyond there ken, and emerged transformed? It's an interesting archetype: the initiation of a "normal" soul into the wierd realm of psychedelic madness.
I find it of note that he took potentially fatal doses of Jimson Weed. It's no wonder he ended up with a psychic schism. I think his attitude towards psychedelics could use a bit more Scientific Illuminism, and less "Because."
As far as the massive doses of datura as a road to enlightenment: I'd rather stick to methods with a wee bit more...predictability.
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So many books have influenced me so much :
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
Ecstacy- Irvine Welsh
TImequake and Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut
Myths to Live By - Joseph Campbell
Twilight of the Idols- Nietzsche
A Man in Full and Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe
The Works of Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein
On the Road and Desolation Angels - Jack Kerouac
Junky, Queer, Wild Boys, Naked Lunch and selected correspondence w/ Allen Ginsberg - William S. Burroughs
Tales of Ordinary Madness - Charles Bukowkski
Fight Club, Survivor, and Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
The Bible- Various
The Koran
Open Heart, Clear Mind- Thubten Chodron.
The Book of the Law, Konx Om Pax, MITP, Magick Without Tears, and The Law is for All -Aleister Crowley
Norse Magic- Conway
The Dark Tower Series, The Stand (everything else) - Stephen King -
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@JPF said
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@nderabloodredsky said
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Lately I have been immersed into the Carlos Castaneda's, don Juan books. I am finding much value there now."As have I! How co-incidental.
I read his first book a few times this summer, as a supplement to my experimentations. I find his naivete strickingly familiar: how many a young soul has entered realms so far beyond there ken, and emerged transformed? It's an interesting archetype: the initiation of a "normal" soul into the wierd realm of psychedelic madness.
I find it of note that he took potentially fatal doses of Jimson Weed. It's no wonder he ended up with a psychic schism. I think his attitude towards psychedelics could use a bit more Scientific Illuminism, and less "Because."
As far as the massive doses of datura as a road to enlightenment: I'd rather stick to methods with a wee bit more...predictability.
"Definitely!
I have really think there is some thing to his descriptions of things-I find a lot of hints and occult parallels, but from a different perspective and tradition, which I think is beneficial. For example, the descriptions of the nagual and tonal in "The Fire Withing" and "Tales of Power" correspond with some Qabalistic theories, and even some Thelemic theories with regard to the infinite and unkowable, yet ever present. It is not overt, by any means, and could probably be interpreted many different ways, but I think that is a good thing.
My attitude toward drugs as a spiritual and psychological tool has changed a lot, from the argument that it's all bad or all good, to one of balanced respect, pretty much like any other potent tool- it must be respected, but also, *perhaps *a very necessary part of the path.
I have been very frustrated with the situation here in AZ and in the USA in general. I don't trust street stuff anymore: I had some really bad experiences and I cut myself off from all the people I knew involved in that scene, and so I am pretty much NOT high, but very dry. And it would be nice, for a change....
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@nderabloodredsky said
"I have really think there is some thing to his descriptions of things-I find a lot of hints and occult parallels, but from a different perspective and tradition, which I think is beneficial. For example, the descriptions of the nagual and tonal in "The Fire Withing" and "Tales of Power" correspond with some Qabalistic theories, and even some Thelemic theories with regard to the infinite and unkowable, yet ever present. It is not overt, by any means, and could probably be interpreted many different ways, but I think that is a good thing."
I found a great deal of correspondences between the two approaches as well. Though, at times, Castaneda strikes me as a buffoon, I still applaud him for his documentation of his experiences. It is his documentation, not his analysis, that I value. He failed to understand that it is of paramount danger to "make any difference between one thing and any other,"--especially in the realm of psychedelics. As soon as one thinks "Oh, this is happening to me," the experience is thwarted. In other terms: the more we identify our ego to any perception, the more it diminishes in value.
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My attitude toward drugs as a spiritual and psychological tool has changed a lot, from the argument that it's all bad or all good, to one of balanced respect, pretty much like any other potent tool- it must be respected, but also, *perhaps *a very necessary part of the path.
I have been very frustrated with the situation here in AZ and in the USA in general. I don't trust street stuff anymore: I had some really bad experiences and I cut myself off from all the people I knew involved in that scene, and so I am pretty much NOT high, but very dry. And it would be nice, for a change...."
Ditto. Having visited Arizona, I feel qualified to extend to you my utmost sympathy.
I myself came to much the same conclusions as regards the "drug scene". I restrict my drug use to cannabis these days (cannabis is all but legal here), and psychedelic mushrooms on occasion. It's just impossible to gauge the purity of street drugs these days.
On the subject of books, I think you might enjoy "The Peyote Cult," which is a scientific examination of the Peyote Rituals of the Southwest Indians. I found it an excellent supplement to my experimentations.
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@JPF said
"On the subject of books, I think you might enjoy "The Peyote Cult," which is a scientific examination of the Peyote Rituals of the Southwest Indians. I found it an excellent supplement to my experimentations."
Thanks! I was going to ask that question from the other related post!
BTW, if your ever in AZ, feel free to look me up!
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"American comics were very influential on me as a child, and I still retain something of their sunny spirit and wild, liberal imagination."
Amen.
and the Childcraft books... the olde ones, published back in the 1950's
(what do kids these days know of fairies and gnomes?...)Bradford Angiers "How to Live in the Woods" was quite the inspiration. I spent many week-long and longer backpacking trips in the mountains and books like that really got me going.
Tolkien
...and then I grew up....
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Tolkien, was influential on me too, The hobbit was the first full length novel i ever read when i was six years old [and i think it may have had deep subconscious effects on me] i voraciously read "sword & sorcerer' books as a youth including the whole Narnia series by the time i was twelve
MVT[median vision theory] by Steve Nichols was very important in my understanding of consciousness and hence Magick.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NtuiZCn83s&feature=related
Magick in Theory and Practice
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If only someone had introduced the Narnia Chronicles to me earlier... maybe elementary school ?...I might have seen something in them. But after Tolkien ... they didn't even hold a candle...
A friend saw that I was reading Lord of the Rings and forced me to stop midstream when he discovered I had not read The Hobbit already. He insisted I read that one first.
...?!... I was reluctant, but relented, and was glad I did.ahhh, good times....
