09-17-2011, 12:02 AM
Don Jaun was probably ficticious since Castaneda actually spent heaps of time in the Arizona desert with a white stoner guy tripping on acid. It is likely that Don Juan was fashioned after the white stoner guy in Arizona. However, that does not negate what Castaneda gleaned.
While I am not sure where the rumor came from that Castaneda was given a Phd for writing a book, it is unlikely to be the case. Castaneda got his PhD in the same way all people get them...by writing a dissertation (not a book). The dissertation is to show that you have mastered knowledge in a specific subject. You need to present it and argue it orally before being given your PhD. As far as I know, no one at SR has come up with a copy of that paper...much less know what subject he wrote on. My guess would be he wrote on hallucingenics (of which he did a lot) and hence would be something he could easily demonstrate master knowledge of.
You say "supposedly" there is a purpose to life...are you indicating that you believe that there is or merely indicating that you are agreeing to the theory?
While I am not sure where the rumor came from that Castaneda was given a Phd for writing a book, it is unlikely to be the case. Castaneda got his PhD in the same way all people get them...by writing a dissertation (not a book). The dissertation is to show that you have mastered knowledge in a specific subject. You need to present it and argue it orally before being given your PhD. As far as I know, no one at SR has come up with a copy of that paper...much less know what subject he wrote on. My guess would be he wrote on hallucingenics (of which he did a lot) and hence would be something he could easily demonstrate master knowledge of.
You say "supposedly" there is a purpose to life...are you indicating that you believe that there is or merely indicating that you are agreeing to the theory?