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The Farm Spiritual Life Analysis

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Spiritual life and participation in various celebrations were the key elements for successful communal living. Each commune had their own distinctive traditions, beliefs, and practices: Christians studied the Bible and prayed, Hindus and Zennists meditated, members of the Farm attended weekly preaching of their leader; other communes experimented with various spiritual experiences combined with the use of psychedelic drugs. The hippies’ fascination with spiritual life could manifest itself through simple pre-meal rituals and blessings, or in the interest in more exotic ideas, such as sun yoga, astrology, or the use of Ouija boards. Additionally, important events, like weddings, or child-birth, were also richly celebrated, and included “chanting, …show more content…

Many communes had skilled musicians, painters, writers, sculptors, and other gifted artists in their ranks, and the process of creating or performing art was always a common experience. Musical concerts of rock and folk bands were common; amateur theatrical plays were also a very popular spectacle. John Coate shares an especially interesting account of his musical experience during his stay in The Farm – there was always the official “The Farm Band”, whose songs and lyrical message were strictly controlled by the leader, Stephen, who was in favor of folk music. Coate, on the other hand, preferred rock’n’roll and created his own band within the Farm – “The Wild Dogs,” which performed covers of The Rolling Stones, who were considered by some people as “uncool,” overly sexual, and violent. …show more content…

Marijuana was said to have a beneficial effect on its user and his relationship with other people. Furthermore, various psychedelics, such as LSD or psychoactive mushrooms, were used to alter and expand one’s mind in order to achieve ultimate wisdom and put oneself in a ecstatic, zen-like state. LSD, most notably, occupied a special place in the hippie’s hearts – it was considered to be a “sacred communion” which brought together everyone in the community. However, the popularity of drug use among hippies had serious drawbacks – the movement was perceived as degraded and immoral; additionally, police raids often went through the communes in search of illegal substances. The hippie movement’s rejection of mainstream values, firm support of naturalness, and its admiration for the human body, manifested itself strongly through frequent nudity existing within the borders of many communes, as it was promoted even by a number of religious movements. According to Gilbert Zicklin, hippies felt more comfortable with their bodies than their conformist counterparts; such things as communal bathrooms, nude swimming, outdoor

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