Survivalism 101: A beginner's guide!

Joseph Bailey41 said:Yeah, well, being "skillful" doesn't mean much when you're stuck in a corner with no way out. 😁

That isn't spiritual! 😲

I believe the best approach is to first connect with a religious organization (like a church) that welcomes laypeople to stay for a while in exchange for help (working in the kitchen, the garden, etc.). Even living in a monastery, which requires communal life, isn't for everyone. It is better to start with the most low-pressure option. 🙂

I once read a blog by a woman who spent several years at ashrams in India. She mentioned there are ashrams that are free for anyone wishing to join (providing basic lodging and food) and are supported entirely by charity and donations. Participants spend most of their time focused on meditation and spirituality, while everyone helps out during their free time—some in the kitchen, others cleaning, and so on. Some of these ashrams even welcome foreigners. Anyone is free to come and go as they please. It isn't about joining a monastery or a cult. I read about her experiences with meditation sessions that lasted 20 hours straight! Truly incredible. 🙂 If I find the link, I will post it. 🙂

In India, everything is basically a sect.

Then again, any religion could be called a sect once it gets big enough to outgrow the label.
[Though "cult" might be more accurate depending on how you look at it]

So yeah, calling them sects is pretty much unavoidable.

Amanda Ortiz45 said:That isn't quite what I had in mind... He’s becoming a priest here and entering an order that actually lives that way.

Hermit life—people often think of it as wandering into a literal desert, don't they? But it doesn't have to be that extreme. They sustain themselves—at least, that's how Edith used to explain it—through their own labor, whether that's tending a garden to sell produce or crafting items to sell... and things like that. They live quite simply; the whole point is to dedicate oneself to God in solitude, through prayer...

You're thinking along the lines of this guy: https://www.nytimes.com/news/living-simply...ahovice-984253

Or maybe these ladies: http://theatlantic.com/lifestyle/women-of-solitude

mistybison said:That isn't spiritual! 😲

I believe the best approach is to first connect with a religious organization (like a church) that welcomes laypeople to stay for a while in exchange for help (working in the kitchen, the garden, etc.). Even living in a monastery, which requires communal life, isn't for everyone. It is better to start with the most low-pressure option. 🙂

I once read a blog by a woman who spent several years at ashrams in India. She mentioned there are ashrams that are free for anyone wishing to join (providing basic lodging and food) and are supported entirely by charity and donations. Participants spend most of their time focused on meditation and spirituality, while everyone helps out during their free time—some in the kitchen, others cleaning, and so on. Some of these ashrams even welcome foreigners. Anyone is free to come and go as they please. It isn't about joining a monastery or a cult. I read about her experiences with meditation sessions that lasted 20 hours straight! Truly incredible. 🙂 If I find the link, I will post it. 🙂

It's true, the option of monastic life exists for laypeople too. Elizabeth Gaskell (Eat, Pray, Love) used to scrub floors at an ashram frequented by travelers, and Leonard Cohen stayed at a Zen monastery until he had to head back because his accountant cleaned him out (or something along those lines, I don't recall the specifics), and he said it helped free him from depression. As far as Christians go, I know the Carmelites have their secular orders for both men and women, but I'm not sure if there's an option for short-term stays in a monastery.

But, the person who started this thread is interested in the desert hermit lifestyle, which is something else entirely. There are people living out in the woods, almost completely isolated from society, though usually not for religious reasons. The main issue is that in that situation, nobody is coming to feed you or check to see if you've been eaten by coyotes. You have to be totally self-sufficient, so you won't actually have much time left over for prayer and meditation. Even if some of those folks claim they hardly need food, I wouldn't count on that.

What seems like a reasonable middle ground to me would be lighthouses. Some of them are rented out much like apartments (though the price tag is definitely steeper), so if you can afford it, you could rent one for a few months and just be alone with God, the ocean, the fish, or whatever else is out there.

True solitude is only possible when you can maintain constant awareness—meaning you aren't clinging to passing thoughts, future fantasies, or old sentiments. That’s real innocence. Otherwise, we just carry the entire weight of our world wherever we go, and then "solitude" becomes nothing more than a desperate attempt at an escape.
When you actually achieve that 24/7 state of awareness, being alone becomes a natural impulse rather than a conscious choice. You can't force isolation through sheer willpower; true solitude has nothing to do with hiding out in forests, caves, deserts, or monasteries.
It isn't for amateurs.

Paul Rogers94 said:True solitude is only possible when you can maintain constant awareness—meaning you aren't clinging to passing thoughts, future fantasies, or old sentiments. That’s real innocence. Otherwise, we just carry the entire weight of our world wherever we go, and then "solitude" becomes nothing more than a desperate attempt at an escape.
When you actually achieve that 24/7 state of awareness, being alone becomes a natural impulse rather than a conscious choice. You can't force isolation through sheer willpower; true solitude has nothing to do with hiding out in forests, caves, deserts, or monasteries.
It isn't for amateurs.

Eventually, that noise dies down. Just try to distance yourself from the media hype, the internet, and those people who basically drain your battery.

Sure, certain remnants of your past will stay tucked away in your psyche, but they aren't repressed anymore—you're just evolving into a new version of yourself. Honestly, it's a better way to handle things than traditional therapy.
At its core, it's all about becoming aware.

There’s no point in even trying—you either possess that innate drive for solitude, or you flee toward some imaginary sense of safety and salvation. You aren't reinventing yourself; you're simply uncovering who you actually are...

Drop the act and stop playing roles.
Of course, that implies making a radical change or some kind of sacrifice—people are gonna be skeptical because, let's face it, most people are just playing it safe.

When it comes to living a solitary life, it’s not even about making some grand sacrifice—for people like them, the "sacrifice" only happens when they're forced to interact with total morons.

Thomas Nelson25 said:You should try moving out to the Midwest. It’s getting more rundown by the day.

Total chaos.

Just you wait. Once those massive corporations swoop in after 2019, they'll be snatching up all that fertile Midwestern soil for pennies on the dollar. Seriously, like two bucks an acre!

It’s a joke. There aren't enough people left, and there won't be any land either; everything will be sold off and everyone displaced—but hey, America is leading the way, right? Absolute champions!🙂

Paul Rogers94 said:When it comes to living a solitary life, it’s not even about making some grand sacrifice—for people like them, the "sacrifice" only happens when they're forced to interact with total morons.

Look, let's say there actually are anarchists out there who never bothered integrating into society.
Most people end up hitting a wall later on, realizing they totally blew it, and then trying to fix things—which isn't always easy.

doubt and sacrifice are definitely part of the equation—everyone deals with it... otherwise, you wouldn't really be a human being, spiritually speaking or whatever you want to call it.

wearyowl29 said:Just you wait. Once those massive corporations swoop in after 2019, they'll be snatching up all that fertile Midwestern soil for pennies on the dollar. Seriously, like two bucks an acre!

It’s a joke. There aren't enough people left, and there won't be any land either; everything will be sold off and everyone displaced—but hey, America is leading the way, right? Absolute champions!🙂

First they need to consolidate the plots, which hasn't happened yet. Maybe that'll save them.
Obviously, the big continuous stretches—those are going to get snatched up regardless.

Personally, I'm more gutted about the forests being clear-cut just to export raw timber... I don't really care if small towns die out and disappear—if anything, let's just have more desert. ☕

Forests vs. desertification.

Thomas Nelson25 said:Look, let's say there actually are anarchists out there who never bothered integrating into society.
Most people end up hitting a wall later on, realizing they totally blew it, and then trying to fix things—which isn't always easy.

doubt and sacrifice are definitely part of the equation—everyone deals with it... otherwise, you wouldn't really be a human being, spiritually speaking or whatever you want to call it.

The core of asceticism is detachment from mental constructs... and it doesn't even have to involve physical isolation.

These desert dwellers are absolute gems of society. We need to protect them because forcing everyone to conform is a threat coming from both sides, even if they look like opposites.

Paul Rogers94 said:True solitude is only possible when you can maintain constant awareness—meaning you aren't clinging to passing thoughts, future fantasies, or old sentiments. That’s real innocence. Otherwise, we just carry the entire weight of our world wherever we go, and then "solitude" becomes nothing more than a desperate attempt at an escape.
When you actually achieve that 24/7 state of awareness, being alone becomes a natural impulse rather than a conscious choice. You can't force isolation through sheer willpower; true solitude has nothing to do with hiding out in forests, caves, deserts, or monasteries.
It isn't for amateurs.

Perhaps it would make sense to move this discussion to a different subforum, but as it stands, we are currently in the Spirituality section...

The true purpose of asceticism is to withdraw from the world so that one might develop their relationship with God—which, mind you, must also serve as a response to God's call. The desert is a spiritual battlefield. St. John of the Cross describes this struggle as a dark night, a path the soul must traverse to find and unite itself with eternal love, which is God.

Whatever we attempt on our own—whether it is trying to distance ourselves from the wounds of the past or attempting to transform ourselves into heroes who face the future without fear—we will ultimately fail by ourselves. We live through God; all strength, every single instance of healing, can only come from Him.

I highly recommend the book "Letter from the Desert" by Carl Carret... If anyone has other books to suggest, a link, or some kind of text on this topic, please, do share...

As for all those answers that lean toward mere provocation and senseless babbling about nothing—honestly, I just don't have the energy for it...

wearyowl29 said:Just you wait. Once those massive corporations swoop in after 2019, they'll be snatching up all that fertile Midwestern soil for pennies on the dollar. Seriously, like two bucks an acre!

It’s a joke. There aren't enough people left, and there won't be any land either; everything will be sold off and everyone displaced—but hey, America is leading the way, right? Absolute champions!🙂

There is absolutely no danger here!
I’ve been sitting here staring at my screen for the last hour—just nursing this lukewarm coffee and thinking about how much things have changed—and I can't help but feel like we're all just circling the drain of some massive cultural shift that nobody wants to admit is happening. It’s funny, really. You look at the way people interact online, the way they argue, the way they retreat into these little silos of thought, and you realize we aren't even speaking the same language anymore. Not literally, of course, but socially? We're lost. I was reading through some old discussions recently—you know, those deep dives where everyone actually had something substantial to say—and it struck me how much more "weight" those conversations used to have. Now, it feels like everything is just... noise. Just endless, shallow static. Take the recent debates regarding the economy—it's the same thing every single time. People get so caught up in their own ideological corners that they lose sight of the actual mechanics of what's happening to the middle class. I remember back when I lived in Chicago, working that dead-end job near the Loop, there was this sense of shared struggle. You could walk into any diner and feel that collective tension. Nowadays? Everyone is just shouting into their own private void, convinced they’re the only ones who see the truth. And don't even get me started on the media. It’s become this performative circus. It isn't about information anymore; it's about identity. If you don't align perfectly with the prevailing sentiment of your specific digital tribe, you're an outcast. It’s exhausting. I find myself wanting to just unplug entirely, though I know I won't—I'm too addicted to the chaos, I suppose. There's a certain grim satisfaction in watching the train wreck unfold, even if you're standing right on the tracks. Anyway, I'm rambling. My coffee is cold, and I've clearly spent too much time overthinking things that probably don't matter in the grand scheme of things. But then again, maybe that's exactly why they matter. Everything feels fragile right now—the institutions, the social contracts, the very idea of objective truth. We’re navigating a fog without a compass, and half the people are busy arguing about the color of the fog instead of looking for a way out.

Amanda Ortiz45 said:Perhaps it would make sense to move this discussion to a different subforum, but as it stands, we are currently in the Spirituality section...

The true purpose of asceticism is to withdraw from the world so that one might develop their relationship with God—which, mind you, must also serve as a response to God's call. The desert is a spiritual battlefield. St. John of the Cross describes this struggle as a dark night, a path the soul must traverse to find and unite itself with eternal love, which is God.

Whatever we attempt on our own—whether it is trying to distance ourselves from the wounds of the past or attempting to transform ourselves into heroes who face the future without fear—we will ultimately fail by ourselves. We live through God; all strength, every single instance of healing, can only come from Him.

I highly recommend the book "Letter from the Desert" by Carl Carret... If anyone has other books to suggest, a link, or some kind of text on this topic, please, do share...

As for all those answers that lean toward mere provocation and senseless babbling about nothing—honestly, I just don't have the energy for it...

Spirituality is a much broader concept than just stories about God. To be fair, if we were over in the Religion section, your point would hold water, but here? Not really.

Paul Rogers94 said:The core of asceticism is detachment from mental constructs... and it doesn't even have to involve physical isolation.

post > #26 ☕

it's all about the environment... basically.

Thomas Nelson25 said:post > #26 ☕

it's all about the environment... basically.

Physical withdrawal doesn't mean much if you aren't pulling your mind along with you—it’s all hollow. And honestly, being "socially functional" is irrelevant if you aren't actually connecting with your own mind. Whether you physically isolate yourself or stay out in the world just comes down to what's practical for you... whether you're mature enough for it. Everything else is just myth.

Paul Rogers94 said:Physical withdrawal doesn't mean much if you aren't pulling your mind along with you—it’s all hollow. And honestly, being "socially functional" is irrelevant if you aren't actually connecting with your own mind. Whether you physically isolate yourself or stay out in the world just comes down to what's practical for you... whether you're mature enough for it. Everything else is just myth.

That's exactly why monks head out to the middle of nowhere or stay on the fringes.
Sure, the whole mental connection thing makes sense—you just won't get that hermit-style living makes the whole process way easier.
Leave the Zen stuff to me—I know all about those mental loops.