A Questionnaire from an Intentional Community

Recently, I applied for membership to an Intentional Community (IC) here in Texas. An IC is a group of people who share similar ethical values who live together on a plot of land. After writing a letter of intent, I was given a Questionnaire to fill out. I found the Questionnaire very engaging. I was able to learn more about myself and also more about what is important to the people at this particular IC. I thought I would post the Questionnaire and my own responses here for those who may be interested in ICs and my current worldview.

I made a few visits to the IC. I enjoyed my time there, learned a lot, and came away feeling lifted up in my heart. Despite these facts, I decided not to pursue a membership as other plans began to take shape in my life.

The Lightning Ranch IC, located in Merkel, Texas, is currently looking for members. Please check out their website for more information: https://lightningranchhealing.weebly.com/

Or take a look at their Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lightningranch

Lightning Ranch Intentional Community New Member Questionnaire

Newly important:
What is your take on the global covid pandemic and the response by main stream civilization to solve this situation?

I believe there was no covid pandemic. One doctor I have been following noted the drop in pneumonia rates. I believe reports of Covid was just pneumonia. I believe the long 2 years of hysteria was caused by a mix of people's fear of illness, a desire in people to have a new way to judge and gain power over others, and the interests of people in elite circles to capitalize on people's fear.

And what is your personal response or actions taken because of this situation?

My personal response to the covid narrative was to educate whoever I could that was open to it and refuse to wear a mask whenever I felt it was ethical to do so.

What do you think about the political scene in America and what is your political affiliation?

The current political scene in America is and always has been a reflection of the views, opinions, and desires of everyone in the country. We don't like to take initiative or responsibility in our own lives so we try to pass off responsibility to those in power, then scapegoat political leaders in an effort to hide our own lack of ethics or morality. I do not have a political affiliation currently. I do not vote although I consider every action I take as a vote in one way or another.

Do you see any issues occurring with free speech or censorship in America? What is your stance on that?

I am concerned with the rise of censorship online and in woke politics which is much less inclusive than they suggest. However, I feel that people need to understand that it's important to speak the truth even in the face of an immediate threat. The power of speaking truth cannot be underestimated. I believe that if everyone told the truth at all times, we would not see the need for guns because of how powerful honesty is. That being said, I find it difficult to be 100% truthful.

What is your view of personal freedom and human sovereignty?
I believe that we are already free. I believe God is sovereign and we were given co-creative powers and Free Will in His/Her universe. The idea that my freedoms are diminished is true only to the extent that I believe that in my heart and mind.

General:
How did you hear about Lightning Ranch?

I heard about Lightning Ranch after delivering a package to one of your neighbors.

How long have you been interested in community living? Why?

I have been interested in community living for about 15 years - ever since I got interested in environmental topics.

What do you expect from our community?

I don't have many expectations of Lightning Ranch. I try to think in the following terms. Tomorrow I could have my entire world ripped from under me... and that's probably a good thing.

Have you lived in an intentional community before, which one? Length of your stay? Do you have reference contacts?

I have not lived in an intentional community before. The closest thing to it was dorm life. Most people who look at the amount of things I possess would consider me a minimalist. I believe this attribute will help me to put up with less in the future when things are scarce.

If you could live in and be a part of your dream and ideal community, please describe what that would like to you, what you envision, what your day to day might be, etc.
An ideal community for me would have many people loving each other. I believe everyone would be personally responsible for their own food, shelter, and clothing although there would be much sharing based on the yield and personal abilities of each individual in that society. Everyone has something unique to bring to the table. A community that I would like to be a part of has very loving people who look for opportunities to share and don't charge for products and services. Meanwhile, gifts are not given to those who refuse to take personal responsibility over their own lives so dependency is not inculcated in the person you give to. Loving people are honest all the time, meaning they do not tell lies, white lies, are not hypocritical, and do not withhold their voice when they have something loving on their heart to share. Loving people feel genuine love for themselves and others. I personally would like to live in a community that is aware that we have a loving Creator. I feel much happier around people who make their relationship with God their number 1 priority. For myself, I would make my relationship with God my number 1 endeavor, pursue my passions always, do what I desire always and never do anything I don't desire. As you can see, my idea for a more loving community has more to do with spiritual concerns than physical ones.

Private Persona:
How old are you and what is your DOB?

I consider myself to be 38 years old as that is the number of years I have been on the earth since the time I was conceived somewhere in the beginning of October in 1984. However, my birthdate is July 22, 1985 and it has been 37 years and 8 months since that day.

Do you have a drivers license? A vehicle?

I have a Texas Driver's License and a 2007 Toyota Yaris with 135k miles on it.

Are you employed or do you have a source of income?

I currently am employed by FedEx. I make roughly 1600 a month.

Have you ever had a felony or other trouble with law?

I have not had a felony or other troubles with the law other than some speeding tickets.

Are you self motivated?

Based on my life, many people would consider me self-motivated. However, when I compare myself to the person I would like to become, I consider myself very insufficient in this regard. I believe I procrastinate too much, and engage too many addictions.

Do you act like a victim or do you address your problems even if you have been victimized? Are you flexible? If priorities change can you adapt easily?

I would say I do often act like a victim. My usual response to difficulties in life is with anger and judgment. This is something I want to take steps to address by spending time alone getting into my rage. I believe that the best way to deal with rage is to go somewhere alone where you cannot disturb others and scream, cuss, and hit non-living things to get out your frustration. 10% of the time, I notice myself getting into underlying feelings of fear and grief and then I attempt to feel those by shaking or crying. After I am through with that, I feel much lighter. I feel it is easier to get along with others then.

Are you prone to anger and how do you deal with it?
I don't consider myself very flexible. I am often appalled at my own behavior after I reflect on it later. But even now, I still see myself choosing anger instead of love. I believe I have a long way to go before I react with love in every situation.


Health & Fitness:
We aim to attract people who are self-responsible to our Community. Tell us about your wellness strategies.

My attitude to wellness is that most problems have to do with how I eat and how much sleep I get. However, I have heard that dark emotions of anger, fear, and sadness cause all our illnesses, injuries, and our aging. I am currently interested in proving the validity of that claim. I spend about 10 hours a week trying to get into my emotions in an attempt to release the dark ones.

Describe your typical diet?

My typical diet is vegetarian. I eat about 30% empty calories (like junk food), 20% vegetables, and 50% starches.

How is your strength and stamina?

My stamina is rather low. But I have worked 40 hour weeks in construction so I can go long periods doing hard work. I believe I am a little stronger than the average person.

Do you enjoy physical labor?

I enjoy physical labor when I believe I am doing the right thing and I don't judge myself too harshly.

Do you have health and/or accident insurance?

I do not have health insurance and will not get it as I believe insurance is fear-based and therefore not loving. I have accident insurance on my vehicle as required by law which covers expenses in an accident that is my fault.

Do you have any health problems?

I have several health problems. I am obese, arthritic, have trouble seeing out of one eye, experience lower back pain, have poor posture, and have heart issues.

Do you have depression, anxiety, or other mental illness? Are you on any medications or pharmaceuticals?

I do experience depression regularly which I believe is a state where you deny your anger. I have experienced mania many times. Others have suggested I have bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder. I do not and will not use medications or pharmaceuticals. I do take supplements sometimes.

Do you have a fitness routine? A meditation routine?

I do not currently have a fitness routine but enjoy occasional walks in nature. I do not do meditation as I do not believe in it.

Are you accident prone?

I have noticed that I have become more accident prone in the last 3 years or so.

Do you use street drugs or alcohol?
I do not use street drugs or alcohol.


Social Persona:
Do you work well by yourself?

I work well by myself when I feel motivated to do things. I have a Youtube channel where I share many of my thoughts and creative work. I just completed a story that I posted in a video format on my Youtube channel.

Do you work well in a group?

I work well in a group when I can speak honestly and openly about problems that I see in myself or others and when I give myself or others time to deal with problems that come up.

Do you have “Nonviolent communication” or mediation skills or training?

I guess you could say I engage in nonviolent communication. I try to notice when my motivations are not very good although sometimes I don't notice until later the problems underlying certain interactions. I believe that communication which includes judgment, anger, manipulation, force, fear, or sadness is unloving although it is the norm to engage in this way for most people. I believe people should engage with each other based in mutual interest. If I lose interest in a conversation or I notice the other person losing interest in what I have to say, I attempt to disengage for the time being.

What schooling have you had? High school? College?

I have a high school degree and spent 2 years in college although I don't have a college degree.

Do you have children? What are their ages and gender? What are their needs and can you manage them? Do you have pets? (Because of our farm animals, free roaming pets must be carefully managed.)

I have no children or pets.

Do you have a religious affiliation or are you spiritual?

I don't consider myself having a religious affiliation. I do, however, have many beliefs, some of which are based in truth and others are unfounded.

What is your knowledge of Astrology/Numerology/Reiki and others?

I have limited knowledge in Astrology, Numerology, Reiki, and other similar practices although I am aware of the basic principles involved with each.

Describe in your own words what level of responsibility we have to everything that happens in our life, both good and bad. For example, I own a car that just broke down. What level of responsibility do I have in the occurrence of this event beyond simple maintenance?

This is an amazing question. According to the Divine Truth teachings, we have complete responsibility for everything that happens to us in our lives. Whether it's a news program we watch about a tsunami in another country, our car breaks down, or an illness is visited on our child or friend, we have an important part to play in all of these events. In the car example, there may be a difference between whether we own the car or not. But all of these things have to do with the Law of Attraction. There are thousands of factors that go into the events, things, and people we attract into our lives. For myself, like the idea that we cause all our own illnesses, this is yet an unproven theory that I am attempting to understand in my personal life.

What talents and skills do you bring to our community? For example, artist, musician, dancer, yoga, massage, doctor, building skills, farming skills, accounting, legal, etc?

I am a decent writer and singer, have some construction ability and knowledge, am good with massage, and I believe I help people by talking to them and sharing my life experience. My biggest passion in life is sharing God's Truth whether through art or counseling.

Do you have social media, advertising, marketing or website experience/skills?

I would say my skills in social media, advertising, marketing, and website development are very limited.

Additional:
How would your closest friends describe you?

My closest friend would describe me by saying that I am contemplative, moral, harsh on myself, conflicted, a good artist, and rather fearless in public speaking and meeting new people.

What is something that people would be surprised to find out about you?

One thing most people would be surprised to learn about me is that I have been attracted to prepubescent girls. While that is not my primary attraction towards members of the opposite sex, it is concerning enough to me and others to note. I believe my closeness with my mother growing up and sexual shame issues have guided me to gain this attraction which I first noticed when I was 22 years old. Although I am working on this issue, I understand that it may preclude me from joining the Lightning Ranch community or any other community until it is fully resolved. That being said, I have not physically molested any prepubescent girls. I spoke to authorities in Hawaii and Illinois on the topic and they determined that I am not a risk to my community nor have they seen it fit to include me on a sex offenders list.

What is your favorite food, animal or place to visit?

My favorite food is ripe fruit off the tree. My favorite animals are cats. I would like to visit Mongolia one day but I enjoyed visiting Boston more than most places in America.

What character could you be and why?

I don't think I understand this question. I could tell you that my heroes are Jesus and Mohandas Gandhi.

What is your perspective of death? After-life?

My perspective on death is that it is a doorway to the spirit life. When our physical body can no longer maintain its bond to the spirit body, the silver cord that connects the two is severed. At that moment, we experience life primarily through our spirit body and our true selves which is called the soul. We are able then to visit any place on earth or the spirit world according to our condition in love. I believe there are 35 dimensions to the spirit world. Hell is a small part of the spirit world in the bottom of the first dimension. Every dimension thereafter is successively better. Those who preach about hellfire are sorely mistaken and have large penalties to pay off. The truth is we can repent our way out of hell the moment we want to. God loves us very much and is always wanting us to experience the exponentially greater joys that come with rising to higher levels or "heavens" in the spirit world.

What is your perspective on money? Regret?

My current perspective on money is quite bad. I have been able to point out 4 major fears I have with money that inhibits me from getting it. As an example, I believe that people will say that any wealth I experience in my life has to do with my skin color. This discourages me from becoming too wealthy for fear of accusation from others. I have heard that money is just another resource that we can attract by freeing ourselves of our fears associated with it.

What is your view of forgiveness?

I have heard that forgiveness is a process whereby you emotionally experience and process out the pain others have caused you. I have a hard time forgiving because I am normally interested in revenge towards those (such as my parents) who have harmed me. Therefore this process has been largely elusive to me at the present moment.

What is one thing you can’t live without?

I do not believe I can live without God. The idea of life without a God is the idea of a life without oxygen. Just thinking about it makes me feel horrible.

Do you have any superstitions?

I think of superstitions as fears and I have many fears. One major fear I have is fear of the dark. I believe spirits will manifest themselves into monsters and attack me.

What is a burning question you’ve always desired to know?

Oh my God, I have so many burning questions. You have no idea. One is, if God really exists, does he really love me? Or is he like the Wizard of Oz - a feeble man behind a curtain? I also want to know what part of the spirit world I would end up in if I died today. I also want to know, when am I judging myself and when am I encouraging myself to do better?

What accomplishment are you most proud of in your life? How did you achieve it? What did you learn?

One of my greatest accomplishments in my life is the video I completed today. I've worked on it for about 5 months off and on and put about $260 into it. It's the story about a young Indian woman who desires to have a dress for a local festival. I have often thought I could die happy if I could just complete it. Here I am with it finished and I am still alive so that means there is more that I want to do on this earth plane. Besides that I also made a short movie I'm proud of. Some of my greatest accomplishments were quiet moments I shared between myself and God. I once gave a ride to someone who had a hard day. After he got on, he asked me to tell him something good. I told him, "God loves you more than you know." That's probably one of my finest moments. We always have the opportunity to make the loving choice. As Abraham Maslow said, at any given moment you have the choice to step forward into growth or backward into safety.

What do you do for fun? What brings you the most joy in life?

For fun, I like to listen to spiritual material, go for walks, meet new people, or watch birds and other wildlife. I used to love sports but haven't done much of that lately. What brings me the most joy in life? I think the times I've connected with God and felt His/Her love for me.

When was the last time you cried?

The last time I cried was an hour ago.

Which is more important, being right or doing your best to evolve a well functioning community?
Wow, what a question. I would attempt to break that question down. "Being right" can be an arrogant stance. If by "being right" one is to mean that someone is upholding love in a given situation, then it is a good thing. However, if you insist on your position with someone else, you can often be wrong in carrying out what you believe is right. For example, if my friend Chris attacks my friend Josh by telling him to "Fuck off," I would attempt to address Chris's unloving attitude with Josh. However, if I insist that he apologizes to Josh and gave him a penalty of he didn't, I would be adding to the wrong that already occurred. If I was a member of Lightning Ranch community and I saw certain unloving things taking place, I would want to address them. If nothing changes and I stay in the community, I would consider myself as partially accountable for the bad behavior taking place. I would be less concerned with reaching an end goal of size or output of the community than with how morality is upheld. Of course, if the community that I am a part of is "well-functioning" I would attempt to learn the lessons I can from the community. I think it's important to notice when you are not as developed in love as others. I have judged people and communities without doing anything close to what they did in terms of developing an organization. Like Richard said in a recent visit to Lightning Ranch, "I felt it was improper to tell others what to do with the environment until I did something about it." So exercising restraint instead of judgment is a good thing when I have no history of doing the loving thing in the given situation.

Financial:
Please describe your financial situation. (Although living in community can greatly lower your monthly expenses you must be able to cover your basic needs such as food, housing expenses, utilities, insurance, etc. We hope to provide income earning operations in the future including retreats but we only have airbnb and hipcamp currently.) Do you have debt? Student Loans?

Currently, I guess you could say I live paycheck to paycheck. My assets are a car valued at roughly $3000 and a $900 plot of land in Taos, New Mexico. I have no debt currently. After I do my taxes I believe I will have about $2000 in debt to pay the IRS. I believe I will be able to cover my own expenses going forward.

Interests:
Are you interested in our sustainable building program to help build member houses with utilities? Are you interested in gardening and food forest regenerative agricultural operations? Are you interested in regenerative pasture restoration projects?

I am interested in helping to build sustainable shelters, gardening, and food forest restoration. Because I believe it is wrong to eat animals, I am generally against animal husbandry. I would limit myself in those operations. If I ever felt I could not support the grazing operations I would decline helping altogether in that respect, even at the cost of losing my place in the community.

Are you interested in animal operations including chickens for eggs and meat, dairy goats and cows for meat?

I am against slaughtering animals for food.

Are you interested in cooking and cleaning in our communal house? (We share at least one communal meal per day, 5 days per week.)

I am a good cleaner and would like to help maintain the cleanliness of the communal house.

Are you interested in helping with our educational (building and farming) or wellness retreats?

I would have to look at the curriculum of any future educational seminars or wellness retreats before I am able to participate in them fully. However, generally helping to advance the goals of Lightning Ranch and ensuring that when people visit, they have a meaningful experience is definitely something I want to be a part of. I believe people can learn a lot from a community such as yours.