Carlos Castañeda, born Carlos César Salvador Arana on December 25, 1925, in Cajamarca, Peru, was a seminal figure in the realm of spiritual literature. Beginning in 1968, Castañeda captivated readers with a series of books narrating his apprenticeship in shamanism under the guidance of a Yaqui "Man of Knowledge" named don Juan Matus. His works, initially met with acceptance as factual accounts, have come to be viewed with skepticism, their veracity widely regarded as fictional.

The cornerstone of Castañeda's legacy is his first three books—The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, A Separate Reality, and Journey to Ixtlan. These texts were penned during his tenure as an anthropology student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His academic journey at UCLA culminated in the conferral of both bachelor's and doctoral degrees, acknowledgments of the work he chronicled in these publications.

At the time of his death on April 27, 1998, Castañeda's influence was undeniable, with his books having sold more than eight million copies worldwide and translated into 17 languages. His contributions to the genres of spiritual and anthropological literature continue to be celebrated and debated.