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

Hi,

Well, I have been toying with this idea in my mind for quite some time now, I wanted to make a hypothetical suggestion and see how many of you have a similar idea..

I have allways wanted to live close to nature, it has allways been my dream, to have my small shack in some beautiful forest, living of the land, and staying off the grid.

During my six-monthes travel to India, I have found many amazing places suitable for such dreams, and it has become my genuine plan to move out the sometime soon, before the global S*** storms hits my shores as they say.

The problem is, that every time I think about doing this (And I have my life savings ready for this) I have several issues which I cannot seem to find a solution to:

- Being alone is tough, mentally, and physically, maintining yourself.
- I might loose my mind.
- I might be occupied all day just by getting food.
- I might be eaten by a wild animal.

So I had the thought of starting a small commune, of about 20 people to start off (a larger commune is even better).

We dont need alot of money to live of the land in India. even if we buy the land it will cost like $2k for 100 acres of land.

Basically we'll need a small starting investment to equip ourselves with the proper survival gear, tanduri heating ovens for winter, cooking equipment and such.
If we are 15-20 people its nothing....

My question is:
Hypothetically!
How many of you, are fond of this idea of living of the land in a small commune?
How many of you are willing to invest the little money they have in to making this dream a reality? I personally have what I saved for the last two years, like almost $8k (Which is a lot for a21 yr old Israeli) and I am willing to invest my last penny in this.

Do you guys think this dream can actually be a reallity?


Why India??

- Here are some pictures I've taken in Parvatti valley- where I intend to live.














- India is cheap!!!!!!!!!!!! a kg of rice costs about 20 cents for example.

- You can work everything out with a good bribe! yes - this is the way india works, you can get away with anything as long as you got the doe. example - I want to extend my visa for an additional 6 monthes, just pay this guy 500 bucks.

(by the way, about visas, it wont be nescerry, when you buy a piece of land, not matter how large or small you get papers as if you are a local resident for the 99 years leasing of the land - you cannot purchase the land, you can lease it for 99 years because you are a forigner)


This seems the only sane place to ask these questions.
In "Real-Life" people tend to call these ideas crazy and say stuff like
"What about a diploma??" or "This is all you want from your life??"
To answer shortly - Yes, I could not care less about diplomas, and this is what I want from my life, to live happily in peace close to nature. I cannot imagine any thing better to do with my life then being free.

Looking forward to see your responses!!

(btw I might not be around in the next few hours to respond to posts, going to work)


[edit on 17-3-2010 by freebourn]

[edit on 17-3-2010 by freebourn]

It would be my dream to live in a commune with like minded people like yourself.

Searching for food would be so much fun for me, especially with the people we are living with. I feel we would develop such a deep friendship and brotherhood, that even if we were starving, we would be happy just to be with each other.

What we would have would be a small step to what mankind was meant to be, a brotherhood. My friend, you and I share the same dream, and I am not afraid to throw off the shackles of society to live the way you present.

Originally posted by LeTan
It would be my dream to live in a commune with like minded people like yourself.

Searching for food would be so much fun for me, especially with the people we are living with. I feel we would develop such a deep friendship and brotherhood, that even if we were starving, we would be happy just to be with each other.

What we would have would be a small step to what mankind was meant to be, a brotherhood. My friend, you and I share the same dream, and I am not afraid to throw off the shackles of society to live the way you present.

Thanks!
I'd really like to see it happen one day.
Perhaps if we are many like-minded people here we actually make this happen with a bit of carefull planning.

My wife and I have been considering exactly this for a long time now. The only things that have prevented us from doing anything to this point is :

1) HARD to find like-minded folks who would actually be willing to put in the work in the community. i.e. not just there for the freeloading ride, but active participants all around

and

2) We both have heavy internet addictions, and it would be hard to have that in that kind of situation. However, if things were to come down to a real option being there for us to do it, you bet we'd drop the net in a heartbeat to do it all lol

Originally posted by Jomina
My wife and I have been considering exactly this for a long time now. The only things that have prevented us from doing anything to this point is :

1) HARD to find like-minded folks who would actually be willing to put in the work in the community. i.e. not just there for the freeloading ride, but active participants all around

and

2) We both have heavy internet addictions, and it would be hard to have that in that kind of situation. However, if things were to come down to a real option being there for us to do it, you bet we'd drop the net in a heartbeat to do it all lol

1) I have encountered the same problem, what better place to look for those people then here??? 5 minutes past posting already two like minded people...

2) Basically it depends on how much off the grid you want to live.
There are interenet connections in small villages everywhere, you can climb your horse and ride for two hours and find a connection.

- We can also invest some on solar pannels and have electricity.
This will have to be discussed with a group of people who are willing to make this move.

I forgot to put in another prevention to us doing it... I am legally blind and can't see much past my face, which would make living "in the wilds" so to speak, a little difficult (but not impossible. I think it'd actually be beneficial).


Another prevention to us is our son. He's a young guy (will be 8 soon) and has severe autism. Personally, I think being in an optimal situation "in the wild" would benefit him greatly (I know him well). However, a lot of people find it hard to "deal with him", because they don't understand him.


Anyhow.. there you go lol

Btw just to give you a small prespective on how cheap is india.
Building a proper stone 1.5 rooms home including the land costs about 5 grand including everything.

Imagine if we are 20 people who come with 5 grand each.
Thats 80 grand.
You can build an empire with that in india.

Each person will have to lease a small piece of land to get his 99 year visa, and then we are set.

reply to post by freebourn


Maybe you would be interested in moving to Auroville?

I've been thinking about it from time to time...
Been working out just fine for over 40 years now

Originally posted by Jomina
I forgot to put in another prevention to us doing it... I am legally blind and can't see much past my face, which would make living "in the wilds" so to speak, a little difficult (but not impossible. I think it'd actually be beneficial).


Another prevention to us is our son. He's a young guy (will be 8 soon) and has severe autism. Personally, I think being in an optimal situation "in the wild" would benefit him greatly (I know him well). However, a lot of people find it hard to "deal with him", because they don't understand him.


Anyhow.. there you go lol

All these problems will be eased for you and your family when living in nature.
Life is much less stressfull, and such issues that may look very problematic when living in westren cities, may not look so troubling when living in nature with a group of brothers.
Atleast so I think.

Originally posted by Raud
reply to post by freebourn

 

Maybe you would be interested in moving to Auroville?

I've been thinking about it from time to time...
Been working out just fine for over 40 years now

I've been to auroville.

Dont like it.
To much culty for me...
Its really wierd out there.

I really felt as if I was in a cult of some sort.

I got out of there after a week.
(nature isnt as beautifull in Tamil Nadu ) )

-raises hand-

i don't need to expand on what letan said. i just want to share my feelings and sentiment, except to add that i love indian food.

i would adore hunting and growing food and cooking together and staying strong and growing together safely.

I could ask 90% of people I know, most of them will laugh at this idea.

5 minutes on ATS, already 3 people who likes the idea.

Amazing. this is what I love about this place.

Excellent idea. Ive been planning this type of thing for a while now, the only community I could find in australia doesnt look like its happening although it had such a great founding ethic, peacfull awake people enjoying basic living together. The benefits compared to urban city dwelling are so numerous I cant list them all here. My only hesitation would be that I dont want to leave people behind but rather stay with my people when TSHTF becasue they will need knowledgeable folk around to help them and calm them, go down with the ship so to speak I am one of them and must help even though I could just save myself. I was however thinking of having a remote set-up somewhere so I dont have to be in the city now, then return to help when they need it, but I would have a good place to bail to whenever it gets too much for me.

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.

ALOHA

Good call brother!

The pictures of India are beautiful~

One of the most inspiring compilations of nature and our connection to it, may be found in the book:
ANASTASIA and The Ringing Cedars of Russia.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d3385a6d38d0.jpg[/atsimg]

This series of 8 books has sparked international intention to co-create conscious loving communities of families and persons living in harmony with creation - the land, the people, and the flora and fauna...
For example, the wonderful Shambala-Shasta nature preserve in california.
Anastasia Eco-community
There one can actually settle available land with others living the dream!

This book will inspire any who read


LOVE

reply to post by polarwarrior


If we are a group of 20 people.
Living of the land will be very easy!

5 people goes hunting
5 people goes fishing
3 people work a small field
2 people make improvments to our habitat
5 people help around, cooking and making tools

We can find more food then we need.
Clean sources of water everywhere in parvatti.

Around 800 waterfalls lol.

Not to mention the massive Parvatti river.

That place has enough to go around

Not to mention if we come with an investment we can make sweet homes for ourselves.
Water purification systems and all that stuff.

reply to post by awake1234


Thankyou! I was trying to remember the name of that the exact moment your post popped up lol the matrix is getting responsive Im getting tripped out by all the syncronicites ive been having

reply to post by polarwarrior


Excellent~

Glad our vibrations resonated through time-space...

LOVE

This all sounds like my dream life. I just wish I had the courage to go through with it but, like a previous poster menioned, there is the issue of friends and family who I don't think I could leave

Out of interest though, how far from civilization would this place be?

As much as I like the idea it does sound a bit Jim Jone's like to me. Oh well good luck to ya. Hope you find peace out there.

reply to post by freebourn


Ok ... I hate to play devils advocate hear ... but once you build that empire ... how will you hold onto it?

India is a very dangerous place for the unprepared.

Take, for example, The Parvati Valley, where you would like to set up your commune.

Not all Indians are pacifists, not all Indians like foreigners and these same Indians are willing to take things by force. Mix that with the corrupt and incompetent security forces and you are faced with a much greater challenge than growing your own food.

How would you protect your commune, your crops and your people?

[edit on 17/3/10 by Horza]