a separate reality: further conversations with don juan

    A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan, takes two worlds and attempts to combine them. The world of a Yaqui Indian's "non-ordinary reality" vs. a "straight edge" realty. The author, Carlos Castaneda, attempts to describe the "sorcery" solely as "phenomena". 

    The story of the main characters, Carlos Castaneda and Don Juan are told through the note taking of Carlos during his experience of his return to Mexico, and to don Juan and his hallucinogenic drugs. Carlos is also the author of the book. Don Juan is known as a "sorcerer" or brujo. 

    Carlos returns to Mexico to ask more about his experience with the hallucinogenic drug, Peyote. He also stresses to don Juan that he is too fatigued from his previous experience and only wishes to observe the peyote ceremonies, which don Juan agrees to. 

    Carlos finds himself apart of a 4-day peyote ceremony. He describes nothing of importance other than his role in delivering water to the participants once the ceremony was over for the first three days. On the fourth day he describes a pink floating "iridescence" over the participants which then propels him intro a introspective loop that caused him to weep involuntarily. Carlos tells that Don Juan describes the experience as, "Mescalito had been very gentle with me, had engulfed me with his light and had given me a lesson with no other effort on my part than being around". 

    The conversation follows Carlos in-between his home in the U.S and don Juan's home in Mexico. Carlos experiences remarkable "phenomena" in which only reading can one try and grasp the meaning of the authors sentiments. 

    Carlos Castaneda bravely enters the unknown and leaves behind a great recollection of what a dangerous road a man must travel to become a "man of knowledge".