How many of you are truly willing to live in nature? The Commune Experience

Other posters have given information in this thread that indicates a number of disappearances from the very area you mention. They have also pointed out that there is an illegal drug trade ongoing in the area, an occupation that typically wishes to remain hidden and undisturbed. While your intention may be to stay out of their way, it is their view of your intention that will determine their actions, not your intentions themselves.



Parvati is a huge valley. most of drug making goes on in a few villages.
If you stay on the other side of the river you are wayyyy out of their way.
As I said, I've lived there, and I have friends who still live there.

I know the way things work there.
I can only share my experience as proof for it.

If you stay out of their way, you will not see those things.

The people who "disappear" are not so smart (excuse me) people.
Because they mess with things they should not mess with.

Many of them are in a drug frenzy of some sort, doing stuff they really should not do and talking to people they should not.

You can get in to trouble in new york just as fast I imagine if you hang with the wrong crowd.


My initial concern was actually the wildlife in the area. India does have undeveloped, uncivilized areas that contain many species known to be dangerous to humans.


Parvati valley is reletivly safe wild-animal-wise.
Its quite habitated already. Unlike Kullu valley which is a bit more stranded.
Its not a place you will run into a tiger....
Tops.. a snake.


I thought your experiences were on an island? Am I confused?

Also, how long were you there, and did you give an impression that you might be staying? There can be a world of difference in the way a temporary visitor is treated and the way a 'settler' is treated.

TheRedneck


I was only two monthes on the deserted cove in Karnataka, the rest of my trip was in Himachel pradesh - northren india and parvati, and a bit of time in Rajastan.
Also a month and a half in Nepal.


I agree about being a huge difference between being a tourist there then being a resident there.
But knowing many people who live there.
Its not as scary and crazy as some posters make it sound like

[edit on 17-3-2010 by freebourn]

reply to post by freebourn

I love the idea of living off the land with like-minded people! Have since I was a little girl. And I might even be willing to move to India (encouraging my children to come along). The price is certainly right.

But Parvati is really close to the coast. Are the more interior sections of India as inexpensive to live as Parvati? Places that are farther from the water and at high elevations - like in the mountains in northern India?

Originally posted by polarwarrior


I think living off the land is much easier than Ive been led to beleive through city media, Ive done it for short periods over the holidays and have held an interest in survival skills and scavaging food so having crops makes it easier, other people to help, easier again, a shed for shelter, hunting dog, water tanks the more basics one can get it the easier it will become no fancy hiking gear needed.

www.dailymail.co.uk... .html
So Shankara became one of an estimated 125,000 farmers to take their own life as a result of the ruthless drive to use India as a testing ground for genetically modified crops.

The crisis, branded the 'GM Genocide' by campaigners, was highlighted recently when Prince Charles claimed that the issue of GM had become a 'global moral question' - and the time had come to end its unstoppable march.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk... .html#ixzz0iUh4D7cS

Hello everyone. Yeah, I'm a lurker, but I finally have something worthy to contribute. Here it goes.
I actually grew up on a commune. The commune was called Earth People's Park and it was located in Norton, VT. It was forest land (I believe 2000 acres) leased for 25 years in the middle of nowhere. Anyone could go and live there, all you had to do was build your own "shack" and that was it. No running water, no electricity. Unfortunately, it didn't workout and after I believe 17 years, the feds seized the land. I'm sorry I'm very tired right now, but if you google Earth People's Park, or check it out on facebook, you'll get a good idea of what it was about. I'll be back tomorrow to try and answer any questions anyone might have. Good night.

Hey man, your idea is great and God Bless You for it. HOWEVER, I suggest you read up on some of the communes from the 60s and 70s.... as hard as growing food is and survival, the hardest part is managing the people.

Inevitably, you have to deal with the unpredictable nature of 20+ people living and depending on each other. For instance, everyone has to contribute...what happens to those that don't contribute equally? How do you react when others may say you are not pulling your fair share?

How do you deal with theft or lack of morals. How about an extra-relationship affair in the commune...and they both stay? How about a vital member/members that decide halfway through putting up for winter that this just isn't their cup of tea, or that manual labor( and lots of it) is not for them...and they suddenly leave?

Nature and the wilds are the least of your worries...the work is hard and always thinking of the next season. How do I know, we currently live in primitive fashion on our farm...not a commune but a farm.

Don't get me wrong, the rewards are great, the simple life is great, but it is hard living... when the fire goes out...it is you that has to get up out of a warm bed and rebuild the fire. You have to make sure you have enough wood for winter, and even though you are tired, you still have to pick those beans because if you don't...they go bad and dry out in the summer sun, or they rot from too much rain.

Not trying to poo-poo on your parade, but people are so darn unpredictable. How about you try homesteading near a small rural town, all the rewards, you manage you, and still get the social life you desire...thats what we did...it is great.

God Bless

I strongly suggest you read up on it and talk to someone that tried this over a period of time... ever wondered what happened to all of those communes from the 60s and 70s.

Yeah, I've spent weeks at a time living in the woods. But when you have an HDTV and a PS3 and blu rays, why would you strike out and make that your new life? Yes, the system is #, the government is corrupt and we're slaves for money we never see. But after slaving, I get to play Modern Warfare 2.

Man that is the thing! We are sellouts to our material possessions. Not so say that living in a commune requires the relinquishment of everything, but what we own in part has made us become so complacent. Consider that day in and day out, the majority of us are well trained in dealing with other people in a 'professional' manner, and certainly know how to consume, but none of us are taught how to create or sustain ourselves, by ourselves.

Take a bank teller and stick em in the woods for a few days and see what I mean.

For the most part, these kinds of ideas are not promoted and are considered 'far out' or something.

Sign me up! I would appreciate being apart of a community that requires the kinship of every member to be prosperous. It sure beats the hell out of a society where competition is law of the land.

I would prefer to choose to live among nature and organically too, but I agree that it's only better if it's done as a community not as a hermit or something. I couldn't handle being a hermit.

Originally posted by freebourn
Kailassa.

Should I hide the fact that I currently reside in Israel for people to stop using that as an excuse to bash me for thing I have nothing to do with?

What do I have to do with Mossad's S*** storms?
What do I care about that?
I dont....

What on Earth are you talking about?
I have not criticised you for anything to do with Israel or you being Israeli.
Besides, I've known lots of Israelis and they have always been well educated, writing better English than most Americans I know. But I guess I shouldn't expect them all to be like that.

As for "Mossad's S*** storms", I was clarifying and expanding upon a point brought up by another poster, who mentioned Israeli Mothers trying to do something to stop the drug trade in the area you're discussing. That post was not addressed to you and was not motivated by your putative nationality.

Are you familiar with the song: "You're so vain"?

Count me in, specially if going to India, I always wanted to do something like this, and it is my long term plan, so yeah.
I have experience with farming, not hunting/fishing, at one time we had literally no money, and had to live off the land, a few hours a day was enough (more than enough) to provide for a family of three. and the work was actually easier than what I do now, not to mention infinitely less stressfull.

Some people said "what if a tornado ripped through the place?", to those I ask, what if a tornado ripped through your home tomorrow? what would you do? If you don't worry about that? why should you worry about it in a different place.

reply to post by freebourn


Hey dude,

Nice idea. I looked into this and found a number of sites, both pre-existing and vacant. But the one that impressed me most, and that hasn't been mentioned here is The Federation of Damanhur, based in Italy.

www.damanhur.org...

They really look like they know what they are doing, would recommend a stay/visit before you strike out on your own.

Peace

reply to post by stumch


Here's some good dirt on Damanhur:

damanhurinsideout.wordpress.com...

I lived in a Madison WI cooperative -- which some jokingly called a commune -- what bought bulk organic, had consensus house management meetings, shared work jobs, and were part of a 10 house collective with equity to buy more houses -- we also invested in community supported agriculture -- Organic Valley, now the largest organic dairy cooperative....

www.madisoncommunity.coop...

I lived there several years and it was an awesome experience. But it definitely wasn't living off the land -- although one of the members did help form one of the "intentional communities" in Wisconsin -- listed in that link given: Dreamtime village. I've never been there but it's been around at least 10 years.

directory.ic.org...

[edit on 18-3-2010 by drew hempel]

reply to post by drew hempel


Hey Drew

LMAO!!! Thx for the heads-up. Never even considered that angle, I guess they have allowed their original ideals to slip. Or maybe some people just can't accept the way they do things.

Whatever, where there's smoke there's fire I guess. As ever, it's what you do with information that makes it good or bad.

Peace

reply to post by stumch


Here's the NYC exhibit on "Visions of Utopia"

www.youtube.com...

I'm curious as to how many of your "count me in" posters have ever lived off the land. I grew up in the county. We raised our own fruits, veggies, and meat. Skinning rabbit and plucking turkey and chicken isn't a lot of fun. How many of you know how to can, cold pack, or even dig a respectable outhouse and keep it from smelling really bad?
Now for the BIG problem. Getting 20 people to stay in accord when things aren't going so good. If you don't have a leader that's bad. If you do have leader, he gets all the flack...
I grow a little food, have some extra food if it gets tough, but as honest, sincere and ready for anything as ya all sound, I would NOT bet my life on you. I'd rather be ready, have some survival skills and a place to "hunker down" with one or two people than try to drop out of society altogether. If things went south on you, you wouldn't be very mobile and with 20+ folks, fleeing or defending would be hard.

[edit on 3/18/2010 by zachi]

Originally posted by AlreadyGone
Hey man, your idea is great and God Bless You for it. HOWEVER, I suggest you read up on some of the communes from the 60s and 70s.... as hard as growing food is and survival, the hardest part is managing the people.
[...]

I strongly suggest you read up on it and talk to someone that tried this over a period of time... ever wondered what happened to all of those communes from the 60s and 70s.

amen to that...

i/we went to a dude called 'Mad John's place up in the sticks in W.V.
for a couple 3-5 day try-outs (late '60's time frame), about all the hangers-on were interested in was skinny-dipping ---to scope out the other sexes bods is what i deduced.

then there was a dude who was so attached to his 'Beatles White Album' that his fixation was totally negating anything most-of-us were trying to lay the groundwork for.... in the old Lingo: 'bummer'

from experience, your dreams are going to conflict with anothers' easy-way living standard.... and result in the equivelent of a hot-smelly-cow patty , for all your efforts

reply to post by zachi


I must agree, small units are best.
My big challenge is hot water. Then again, I can make fire, and I am very patient. Once every few weeks would be a decent treat.
Thank God I do not care for ice, lol.
How will I carry a thousand books, tho?
Guess I will write them, not read them...

Want a taste of Indian culture?

www.megavideo.com...

i got some land not to much justenough to settle with say three famliys likeminded ppl looking to go off the grid.evry season me my wife mom friends in laws all plant very diverse gardens. and me and my girl plan to build log cabbin/s live there for the warm months and move back in with famaly for 4 winter months.us nothing like sleeping out side in a tent.fresh air waking up with a couple of friends makeing breakfast over a fire then choping wood takeing down a tree for tarpstands ,geting on the lake fishing then cooking over fire again. raping the evning up with somthing to smoke ,drink. fire a few acoustic guitars harmonicas and some toasty blues music.thats my life.icant wait for the thaw! we are gonna party hard.... thats how to live my friends.its like a good drug being alive and liveing off yourself and land

Comunes in the past were not supposed to work. We were not yet at a level of consciousness where utopian, no ownership, type comunites could work. However by the end of 2011 we will be at a stage of conscious development that will for the first time in thousands of years allow for a peacefull comunity to operate. Psycic abilities will be at an all time high, we will sense danger before it even comes, defense will not be needed, attack will not have the motivations it had before. If the group is meant to be then we will be fine. We will be more in controll of our own reality, even if members are not spiritual when planning to go to this type of comune the energy changes will ensure that their old material ways will not last. I have no fear of death so if I were to be attacked for my food I wouldnt care I would give it away to them if they asked anyway.

The people here acting defensive are going to find their fears come to fruition. If they stockpile guns and constantly worry about how they might get killed then thats exactly what will happen to them, they are in full controll of the reality matrix they experience for the first time in their lives. I would not reccomend any fear based defensive actions at all. Even if you die, the important thing will be when you look back on your life to see where you chose love or fear. If you were to give away your shelter and food stockpile to someone trying to get it, it may alleviate a lifetime of Karma in that one noble loving move, you may have lost your life but you will have gained more than you could ever understand from within an incarnation. So spiritual deveopment is the best approach for the lead up to these cataclysm, it is after all the only thing your here to do, saving one easily creatable flesh suit is not the creators wish for you,like the fool on the tarot, trust that all is perfect, you will be fine no matter.