Frank G.
Ripel : Nagualism
Foreword
This book is the result of the secret knowledge I’ve been
transmitted by a modern Mexican shaman and by an ancient
sorcerer of Mexico, don Juan and the death opponent,
knowledge that allowed me to follow the magical way of
Nagualism.
All the topics I deal with in this book is the organic and
systematic reconsideration of the subjects discussed by Carlos
Castaneda, such as the perception’s widening, the art of stalking,
the practice of dreaming and the control of the intent.
With this work I did not confine myself to re-present the
teachings already developed in Castaneda’s books but, thanks to
the teaching I have been given, I could bridge the gaps left by
the well-known anthropologist. So I’ve been able to reveal all
the gates of dreaming, all the abstract cores and all those
knowledge concerning shamans’ world, a separate reality.
6
Frank G. Ripel : Nagualism
Introduction
In the early 60s, Carlos Castaneda, a young anthropologist of
California University, gets in touch with an old shaman, don
Juan, a northern Mexico Yaqui Indio. Between the old shaman
and the young anthropologist was born a new good friendship,
an extraordinary mentor -disciple relationship that calls the
“classic” one to the mind, such as that one between Socrates and
Platone.
In those years Castaneda begins recording his training as an
“apprentice sorcerer” and the partnership with his master will
produce his books in which he describes his amazing
apprenticeship.
Later, in the 70s, Carlos Castaneda is charged to have
falsified data and reports contained in his books and to have
provided a very different biography of himself, in contrast with
document data and testimonies. But, in his second book – A
Separate Reality – the well-known anthropologist reports,
without making any mystery, what don Juan told him: “…a
shaman’s real name and the place where he lives must not be
revealed”. Therefore, there is nothing to be surprised if he
falsified dates, places and names of his books’ characters.
Then, in the 80s, Carlos Castaneda writes more and more
accurate and detailed reports and other characters, besides don
Juan and don Genaro, come on the scene, other Mexican modern
shamans and an ancient sorcerer of Mexico, the death opponent.
Finally, in the 90s, Carlos Castaneda develops a system of
Frank G. Ripel : Nagualism
movements of the body that he calls Tensegrity and states: “To
create those ‘movements’ I got inspiration from the magical
passes found out by the sorcerers of ancient Mexico”.
On April 27th 1998 Carlos Castaneda dies, as a man, about
ten o’clock in the morning and his body is cremated in Los
Angeles. And it is undoubtedly interesting to notice what is
written in his fifth book – The Second Ring of Power – in which
la Gorda, a don Juan’s apprentice, reveals to Castaneda that ten
o’clock a.m. would have been his new hour: “If you remain a
man you will die around that time. If you become a sorcerer you
will leave this world around that time”.
In Carlos Castaneda’s sixth book – The Eagle’s Gift – Silvio
Manuel, a member of don Juan’s group, reveals to Castaneda
that he was not the right Nagual – four-forked Nagual – to lead
the group of apprentices. His bubble’s configuration had three
compartments – three-forked Nagual – instead of four. There
was another rule for him, that one of the three-forked Nagual.
As a Nagual, I decided to present this book in order that the
secret teaching of Nagualism may be transmitted in its totality,
as I received it – silent knowledge – by don Juan, my teacher,
and by the death opponent, my benefactor. I can’t provide any
evidence of my good faith, but this book provides the reader
with the power to value the work I’ve done and to draw the
proper conclusions.
The modern shamans, like in don Juan’s case, and the
ancient sorcerers, like in the case of the death opponent, have
three cycles. In the first and second cycle they are human beings,
that is to say they have an organic body. The first cycle is when
they are disciples, while in the second one they are teachers.
Instead, in the third cycle they are no longer human, that is to
say they haven’t a biological body anymore but they own an
inorganic body. They come to give Nagualism’s secret
teachings.
The teachers, in their second cycle, give the teaching to their
disciples on two levels.
8
Frank G. Ripel : Nagualism
The first level comprises the lessons for the right side, the
state of normal perception that is the state of awareness needed
to deal with every day life. In this condition – state of normal
perception – the disciples receive the teachings that comprise
basic concepts and procedures.
The second level, instead, comprises the lessons for the left
side, the state of altered perception that is the state of awareness
needed to receive the most significant part of the teachings. In
this condition – state of intense perception – the disciples receive
the teachings that comprise high concepts and particular
procedures.
The advantage of the intense perception state lies in the fact
that the mind is focused on any thing with extreme strength and
perceptive clarity – tremendous concentration and acuteness of
perception – out of the ordinary. Furthermore, the mind is able to
grasp precisely the meaning of things with immediacy –
acuteness of thought and increased comprehension – and the
disciple’s acting will be told by certain firmness. The
disadvantage of this state lies in the fact that, when one comes
back to the state of normal awareness, the mind is incapable of
remembering what has happened. Only later, with a huge effort,
the “task of remembering” can be carried out, the transformation
from intense awareness to simple memory. Moreover, the
disciple, when he is in the intense perception state, cannot be
alone and must be looked after by the teacher who knows how to
behave in that circumstance.
The teachers, during their third cycle, give the teaching to
their disciples on a third level.
The third level comprises the lessons for the central part,
state of silent perception that is the state of awareness needed to
receive the most occult part of the teachings. In this state – state
of silent perception – the disciples receive the teachings
comprising concepts that derive from the silent knowledge –
devoid of the annoying presence of spoken language – and
procedures told directly by the intent, the power that rules
universe’s destiny.
Frank G. Ripel : Nagualism
Don Juan and the death opponent came to me, with their
inorganic bodies, to give me Nagualism’s secret teachings,
essentially based on the knowledge of the Six Attentions (First,
Second and Third Attention, Attention Zero, Fourth and Fifth
Attention). Their knowledge and their power, directly related to
intent’s silent knowledge, allowed me to write this book.
10
