Posted by In Carlos Castaneda’s final book, The Active Side of Infinity (1998), written just before he died, he focused on what he called the preparation to face the “definitive journey”.
This is the journey that every human being has to take at the end of their life. Castaneda used the device of a ‘shaman’ called Don Juan who revealed “teachings” about non-physicality.
Quarter of a century on since this final book in Castaneda’s series of teachings, the lessons set down in The Active Side of Infinity are even more important now, as the simulacrum we live within (“the Matrix”) is breaking down before the coming re-set of this world.
Careful preparation now for death (which is coming for many in the next few years), may give us the chance to leave this contained prison world we are trapped in.
Don Juan’s primary method for pre-death preparation was the use of what he called a “recapitulation” or “re-cap”, a writing-down of the key memorable events of a person’s life. By looking back on these events and our interaction with the people involved, we can discover events that were perhaps buried in our minds but were significant.
In particular, it may reveal the true story of our life, rather than the story we have constructed in our minds over the years. This may show ways that we were hurt, or ways that we hurt others.
Either way, we need to know, as this information will be significant at the time of death and the so-called life review that appears to take place if we have not found the ‘exit door’.
By understanding the key events of our life, and understanding how programmed and conditioned our minds have been, and the wrong turns we likely made as a result of this mind-programming, we can resolve and dissolve any unnecessary regret, remorse or even shame which we may be erroneously carrying.
Events are never the way we thought they were, and the one thing we do not want to do is get tricked into returning to this world, memory-wiped and recycled, when there is an option to leave and find another world, our real ‘home’.
It is also an opportunity to discard memories, attachments, and say goodbye properly. The past is of no use where we are going anyway, our personal history cannot come with us. By carrying the weight of the past with us, we cannot move to new worlds when the end of the era of this life arrives. We simply return to this world trapped inside a new body, with new memories, new identity. Much better if we can do what Don Juan advises, which is crossing a threshold into “infinity”.
To do this we need to be “empty”, emotionally neutral, free and calm, having uncovered every feature of our lives that had been buried. Our self-image, our ego, will have been left behind, and no remorse or grievance will remain.
As Bunyan said:
Die while you are alive, and be absolutely dead. Then do whatever you want, it’s all good”.
The process of recapitulation is a release from the suffering of this life. It is a difficult task to accomplish, but worth the effort. We will know when we have ‘died in this life’ – it will be the moment we no longer need to use others as a shield.
23 September 2024
[Book review: Carlos Castaneda – “The Active Side of Infinity”]
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