This work investigates the potential for human consciousness to access alternate realities through the disciplined practice of dreaming. Carlos Castaneda, drawing upon his long-term apprenticeship with the Yaqui sorcerer don Juan Matus, presents a structured methodology for navigating these non-ordinary states of awareness. The text functions as a guide to the techniques of 'dreaming' as defined within the Toltec tradition, emphasizing the shift from ordinary perception to a heightened state of energetic awareness.

The text is widely regarded as a foundational, albeit controversial, document within the New Age and occult literature of the late 20th century. Its dense, esoteric framing suggests a specialized interest for readers already familiar with Castaneda's previous accounts of his apprenticeship.