Customer Reviews

Twilight Language of the Nagual: The Spiritual Power of Shamanic Dreaming

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For those people who've read and enjoyed Casteneda's books from the beginning, and learnt much from them - how many of us still wonder that there must have been 1 or more of Don Juan's apprentices who weren't (as Carlos honestly admitted he was) slow learners at this craft? There's no reason to think that there's not an accelerated version of shamanic tutelage; in fact it's rather unthinkable there wouldn't be, as one's own capabilities and proclivities would conspire to lead one to the holy of holies, or not.

Merilyn Tunneshende's depictions thru her 3 books invite us to see what it's like for one of the quick learners - not that there weren't occasional (and sometimes horrendous) setbacks and recapitulations for her. But she isn't forced to grind on seemingly endlessly the way poor Carlos often had to do. [As such her books are shorter.]

Her 3 books, each full of passion, beauty, enigma, and at times displaying thunderous courage, are not chronological sequels to each other - I sensed by the middle of this 3rd one that each was focused on one layer of the story/experience she was having/telling. She validated my perception nearer the end of this book.

Book the first (variously titled 'Medicine Dream' or 'Don Juan & the Power of Medicine Dreaming', depending on the edition/publisher) goes into her experiences related to UNDERWORLD dreaming/archetypes, seamlessly and passionately woven with the biography of various aspects of her history which dovetail into that archetypal world.

Book the second ('Rainbow Serpent' or in the newer edition 'Don Juan & the Art of Sexual Energy: the Rainbow Serpent of the Toltecs') depicts and tells of her dreaming relationship to energies of the EARTH. That volume introduces an intensely involving, stunning array of exercises after each chapter, by which a daring reader may attempt to suddenly, gradually, or by fits and starts - trace the pathways, map the worlds Merilyn has laid out for us.

The third volume continues with this format - here is where the incipient dreamer/seer begins to touch and enter into varieties of communion with energies/lifeforms/archetypes of a CELESTIAL nature. Though at the beginning of this one she uncharacteristically falls into the trap of speaking with too many abstractions, that minor failing does carry on all that long.

The 3-book tutelage profoundly fleshes out one person's mythological and energetic/visionary map of the THREE WORLDS. Following her lead is in no way akin to idolatry - she is too skilled to entrap the reader in overly-personalized modalities - there are checks and balances all through this work as she presents it.

Ms. Tunneshende answers questions which may linger from Casteneda's work as well as other shamanic modalities. I was incessantly reminded of numerous moments I wasn't "getting it" while involved in long-term studies with Alberto Villoldo, as well as remote times in my youth when magic would occasionally rear its bounteous head and/or open a wisdom eye.

So if you barely remember this or that glimmer - these passageways and exercises may help those worlds of vision and initiation to begin to unfold for you/us once again.

Hardly anyone writes about this stuff so skillfully as does this woman. Hardly anyone! Check out the lengthy passages of sometimes exquisite beauty and sublime power where she goes off with "Carlo Castana" for various purposes of initiation and healing in various locations in Mexico and the Southwest. The pair are twin souls - at times wondrous in their intent and realization.

This person's writing didn't grab me the first time I picked it up - in fact I was, in my mind, criticising right and left, even cursing under my breath. Two days or so later that all changed.

Now, to me, the two differing versions/visions (M's and C's) of Don Juan and company seem to fulfill one another. That's just the opposite 'affect' those mind-numbing criticisers tend to inflict on Merilyn's potential readers. Pay them little, or no mind . . .

[Note that some of her 'critical' reviewers call her a liar and a thief of other's ideas - none of them offering any examples for potential rebuttal. They claim to have read everything pertinent, though still not backing up any of their accusations. One of the more humorous comments starts out with the fellow complaining that he is dealing with two different individuals. I would imagine so, since Casteneda didn't ghost-write Tunneshende's books.]

What a self-righteous sham this book this appears to be. This is nothing like the deep and profound writings of Carlos Castaneda and even his other protégés Florinda Donner and Taisha Abelar. The book even starts out by saying that she has been given blessings from guides from every culture around the globe regarding these `teachings' and that everything in the book has been `thoroughly tested in collaboration with medical doctors, psychiatrists & psychologists and is totally sound and credible', among many other exclamations of unwarranted arrogance and impossibility. Yet she never even gives any reference, indication or proof of this ridiculous claim. Anyone could say this about their beliefs, but then again they really wouldn't have to if the experiences were real and true. It is the plain offensiveness of her proclamations at work here, for I believe that any spiritual master or teacher would never present supposed knowledge in this flagrant, self-important & non-humble manner.

Here in her writings (and I have read another of her books to compare), every recollection of an interaction with a shaman or `Dreamer' guide/teacher is always extremely superficial - she only portrays herself as an already-knowing-everything being, with the teacher/master always exclaiming how great and wonderful her and her already intact/evolved knowledge is. There are no descriptions as to how she is actually achieving anything, she just already has. She reacts and acts perfectly in every situation - it is almost comical at times, and comic book-ish as well when reading how Don Juan gushes over her and seemingly has to teach her nothing. This is pure nonsense on one hand - everyone has somewhere to grow, and her presenting this way also gives no realistic opening for people to connect with and learn from.

In addition, the writing style she employs is inelegant and shallow. Her words and sentences are very simply strung together in a mediocre way (not beautifully simple as in, say, Don Miguel Ruiz' books) but in a cheap romance novel kind of way. So many sentences or paragraphs start off with `I' or `me' that it clearly became obvious in the first few chapters what this book really was about: spiritual egotism. I tried to suspend my own ego and judgements as I continued on with the book but it became very disappointing that any of the beauty, timeless truth and reality of instruction/learning that could have been presented and that she associates with the Castaneda tradition was sharply cut away by the machete of her thumbnail logic and lack of emotional range (if any of these things really happened to her apart from her own imagination in the first place).

Unfortunately, the book also abounds with many pseudo-Christian, simplified versions of predictable stories and `visions' or poorly rehashed imitations of shamanic tales. The only worthwhile sections were of Doña Celestina's statements on marriage and the feminine disillusionment, of which you can also find in Donner and Abelar's books in deeper detail. If you're looking for a female point of view/teaching on the shamanic ways and dreaming, Florinda Donner and Taisha Abelar have much higher and more dynamic offerings than this. For a better book on spiritual egotism, I would suggest any of L. Ron Hubbard's writings. At least they are more imaginative with their self-obsessed proclamations and insanities.

Merlina is awesome ,is a must read book .I will read all her books because they have the information on how to lucid dream .breathing,rituals and how to work with your light body .all her books .Ken Feather books Carlos Castaneda .Victor Sanches are books that tells you how to reach your won light .
.They say that the people who make the ascencion are the ones closest to mother Earth.
all this writters warriors know what they are talking about.and I thank them for keeping this knowlage alive .and taking the time to share this knowlage with the rest of us,your books are my most precious collection I read and re read them for as long as can.
Thank you

I liked this book a lot. Tunneshende feels more balanced than the shaman maverick Carlos Castaneda. The shamanic work seem to come naturally to her and her stories complement Castanedas work nicely. It's also good to hear the stories of a western shaman woman.

Would you like a book that explains you simple exercises so you can go beyond your death? Dont be scared this book is full of beauty!

This is a disturbing, storybook with way too many adjectives ! Merilyn the author claims, her "hard earned title as a nagual". If you look up "nagual" in the online dictionary (Wikipedia), it says ,"In English the word is OFTEN translated as a transforming WITCH". The author also claims that she learned all this stuff from two "naguals", Don Juan, and Dona Celestina.

The author mentions God, but she always seems to skip over that part. However, she does claim in this book that, she "really knows what happened in Genesis" ! Yeah right. The author also claims in this book that and I quote, "I have witnessed the resurrection ITSELF before my eyes, perhaps for my eyes only". Yeah Right ! Maybe Merilyn did see all this while ingesting psychotropic mushrooms. In this book she claims to have ingested psychotropic mushrooms. Merilyn also claims to have also attended peyote ceremonies. I am NOT knocking Indian's Sacred religion. Merilyn mentions in the book and I quote, "gratitude to all beings of the LOWER realms. Does this sound SACRED to you ? It gives me the creeps just thinking about it.

In this book Merilyn casually mentions September 11 as a "misunderstanding" ! Most of us call it an ACT OF WAR ! It was a TERRORIST ATTACK Merilyn ! NO MISUNDERSTANDING, over 3,000 people died on that horrible day ! Have some respect ! I should also mention all the military men and women that died while fighting TERRORISM ! Also firefighters, and police !

In the book she mentions "sexually mounting a dying man, and beheading another man" in one of her dreams. Does this also sound SACRED to you ? She also mentions consulting a priest. She doesn't say if this priest is of GOD, or an evil PRIEST. He HAS to be one or the other RIGHT ! She also uses another name for the author Carlos Casteneda, "Carlo Castano". He is another "nagual", and he mentions the "nagual" woman. I can't remember if Carlos mentions Merilyn by name. I think so. Carlos claims his mentor is also Don Juan. Don Juan freely admits to being a sorcerer in Carlos Casteneda's books. They both write about a "nagual" named Dona Celestina.

In Merilyn's book, she always claims Love, Light, Sacred this, and Sacred that. In her book, you never see GOD, and SACRED in the same sentence. Merilyn claims that "Yuma is Sacred". I've lived in Yuma 4 and one half years and have gone to the churches. See for yourself if they are Sacred, or are some EVIL ? Merilyn claims that "GOD and satan are both at home in the dessert". Yuma is in the dessert, so draw your own conclusions. I've met "naguals" at parties in Yuma, and I mentioned moving to Maine, one "nagual" said, "we have a chapter in Maine" !

Merilyn claims, "Our quest for human perfection has turned US into a machine of ethnic and genetic cleansing, into a mechanism of SEXUAL ANGER, and into a mere factory of human reproduction. So where are our true human values" ? I say, seek the truth Merilyn and an answer MIGHT come to you IF, you calm down from your "SEXUAL ANGER". YOU WILL ALSO HAVE TO WAKE UP from your "dreaming", AND LOOK FOR THE TRUTH !
Mark Dufour