To Everyone Who Read The Art of Dreaming

[Abdullio]

Hello everyone so I've been reading The Art of Dreaming and I'm now on chapter 3 haven't finished it yet but I just wanted to know if what the book say is true, I mean is there really inorganic creatures that we can't see, and lucid dreamers have you experienced anything from what the book says? just wondering waiting for your replies

[yost]

I haven't read the book, but the interpretation is up to you. I think it sounds stupid.

[lucidboy]

There is a lot of controversy over whether or not Castaneda truly experienced everything he wrote about. He claimed his book to be non-fiction, as he actually did study under Don Juan. Whether or not the things he writes about actually happened, is up to you to decide. I think this is part of what makes the book so fascinating.

[Voldmer]

Personally, I think the choice of the word "inorganics" is unfortunate. Partly because "inorganics" has a definite meaning in science already, and partly because - I believe - the characteristic aspect of these beings is not that they are inorganic, but that they are non-physical. There is clearly a similarity to the occult ideas of the astral plane and such, although "The Art of Dreaming" is quite distinct from occult theories. I also don't know, whether he was right about it, or whether he just made it all up. But it's a great read - and actually quite scary at times. Some of the things really make you wonder: for example the bit about these beings visiting our ordinary dreams, and more or less trying to hide in them, while in plain sight. Great book!

[Sageous]

I suggest you take everything in this book with a very large grain of salt. When I read the book I couldn't shake the impression that one day Castaneda was sitting in a bar with a friend who absently mentioned lucid dreaming and thought, "Hey; dreaming... yeah, I could write a book about that!" So, with a smudged note or two from his friend on a bar napkin as his full volume of research, Castaneda wrote a book about what he thought dreaming and lucid dreaming ought to be. It really is mostly wrong and misleading, I think, and, though certainly worth enjoying and perhaps using as a source for forming a dream or two, I don't think it ventures very close to reality. In other words, I suggest that you try not to take it too seriously. This is my opinion, of course; I could be wrong, and I'm certainly not interested in arguing it with the inevitable Castaneda apostles who will surely beat me up for having it...