Carlos Castaneda Quotes

The spiritual reality of the Indian world is very evident, very highly developed. I think it affects the life of every Indian person in one way or another.

There is a very intimate connection between hypnotic phenomena and religion.

I love mysticism - it's such fun.

In my research, what I found most interesting was how common and ordinary magic was to people in the past.

Man has not really vanquished Shamanism and its spooks till he possesses the strength to lay aside not only the belief in ghosts or in spirits, but also the belief in the spirit.

I was raised in a heavily Catholic family. Early and consistent encounters with mysticism.

I know the difference between black magic and white magic.

Demonic figures and occult themes have disappeared from modern magic.

My mother taught me to believe in ghosts: to use a Ouija board, have seances, and leave little offerings out for those who have passed.

Witchcraft and priestcraft, were introduced into this world together, … and has gone on, hand in hand together

The occult stuff, I grew up having a fascination about world religion and that fascination grew into other religions and other things and I kind of dabbled my way into the occult and started reading about the occult.

I dream like a shaman.

Exorcism is a subject that interests me, and books on shamanism, I've read through.

What happens is that people who are very religious but who are not in touch with reality, cannot be spiritual.

Many people who no longer go to church end up falling prey to superstition.

I don't really believe in palm readers and crystal balls and tarot cards, but I respond to the need for them.

I can read the Tarot cards and believe in ghosts.

I think there's been a big problem between religion, or organized religion, and spirituality.

Hardest of all for Europeans to negotiate are traditional African religions, whose transactions with unseen powers are central to the running of life in many areas, the main weapon in the struggle against the forces of evil.

Magic is the mysteries into which not everyone is so lucky, or unlucky, as to be initiated. It can be affected by belief, the whims of the unseen, harsh language. And it is not. Supposed. To make. Sense. In fact, I think it's coolest when it doesn't.

I'm not religious, but by nature I am spiritual. I'm an artist, and creativity seems to go hand in hand with spirituality. But I have a knee-jerk reaction against organized religions. Actually, I have knee-jerk reactions against anything that's organized.

My daddy was a minister, my grandfather was a voodoo priest, my uncle was a mason; I was raised with a lot of studies.

Religion is an irrational construct.

Magic has been around forever, and it's also been in trouble forever. I'm not suggesting that there was ever a time when the practice of magic was celebrated by those in power. Actually, such practices were routinely demonized by monarchs and organized religions precisely because magic is inherently democratic.

I think it's nice to let people know that there is an invisible part of the world. I think there are many people now who are interested in the invisible world.