At the end of The Teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda described how, after a terrible night he had experienced, he gave up his struggle to become a "man of knowledge." However, three years later he returned to continue his apprenticeship with the Indian brujo or sorcerer Don Juan.

This continuation consists of a series of conversations enriched by the fascinating experiences provided by the psychoactive plants peyote, datura, as well as certain mushrooms, and aims to give Castaneda the ability to see beyond the superficial reality of life.

The hallucinogenic plants, however, are part of the endeavor, because in order to see this other, distinct reality, one needs willpower, freedom from prejudices and habits, as well as great courage.

A Separate Reality is a rare glimpse into a philosophy foreign to the Western man.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]