Letters to the Editor
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Castaneda a cult leader?! Say it ain't so!
As a young anthropology student who also practiced a form of kung-fu steeped in Buddhism, I was obsessed with otherworldly mysticism and Castaneda in particular. I played the role of apologist to those who attempted to debunk him and a pusher of his books to anyone I thought might be remotely receptive. Looking back now, I realise I was a complete cliché: the tortured young searcher looking to hide from real life pain with intellectualised ghost stories and woo-woo. The only thing missing was the beret.
Eventually, fortunately, my arguments and evasions ceased to persuade even myself, and I became a rationalist, sceptic, and a full-fledged atheist. I still enjoy reading Castaneda as modern folklore, but I no longer struggle to unlock the deep secret truths I used to think were hidden behind every anecdote.
Open-mindedness also means accepting that the things you wish were true sometimes aren’t.