Zendik

Am considering moving to a commune, on a different thread, someone suggested looking into Zendik, specifically because I was suggesting my generation start the revolution. The person talked about how Zendik farm has a campaign about this very thing.

I get the feeling people act like Zendik is some kind of cult. Can someone point me in the direction of such critical comments? What aspects make it a cult? Sounds like its advertising itself as the exact thing I want, a place to escape modern society, and make a positive contribution and try and live off the land. Is this not an accurate description?

 

hmmm no actual experience, just knew some1 whod spent alittle time there and the women were 'expected' to be bi and there were some other weird things but dont remember
sorry not much help there

 

Go check out post-zendik.com I think. Stories of past members or something like that.

From what I've heard and read, the zendiks are a lot of talk but more concerned with money and themselves. It's more of a situation where it's like... give us all your money so you can stay with us and see how great we are, but don't plan on staying too long and getting out of really shitty chores.

I dunno though... go visit and let us know. I was really pumped about the zendiks in the same way you are, but then I started reading stuff that they didn't write, publish, and distribute themselves... kinda changed my mind.

-Mike

 

I've seen very little good press about Zendik. Actually, there were a lot of horror stories I've read about them taking peoples money and their belongings as well.

I spent hours digging around for info because I was curious to learn about the "freaky behavior" and other wierdness I heard about, and I just kept finding more and more dirt about them.

I can definitely say that there is no way in hell I would go to that place.

 

Yeah I was going to join Zendik for a while. I was communicating via e-mails and shit. I was considering moving there after graduating from High School, but I heard all kinds of shit about them. Mostly that it's like a tyranny with queen Arol at the top, while all her closest associates goof all day at the art studios and the new recruits work in the fields.

 

You can't "start your revolution" there-you'd have to learn "their" way of thinking, having sex, eating, sleeping, working, dressing, making art and music-"YOU" would have NOTHING to do with ANY aspect of your life-including anything you owned before you got there-
It's a bad place-
Please don't go...

 

One more thing that's VERY important to know about this place:

THEY DON'T BELIEVE AIDS EXISTS AND WILL NOT GET TESTED, OR ALLOW THIER "SHEEP" TO GET TESTED

 

I know there's an ex-member, Helen (I think her "zendik" name was "hellion") who has a blog where she wrote a lot about Zendik, but unfortunately I don't have the address saved. I actually met her once in DC at a protest. In reading what she wrote, it sounds more than anything like one family kind of lording it over a bunch of wayward teenagers, using them for money and cheap labor. Which I guess is similar to what cults do... And sounds like there is virtually no room for real discussion or questioning - again, like a cult.

I've never been there, to be clear, but in the past I'd read that they are a pretty controlling group. People have to get permission to schedule sex with each other, and can't sleep together without permission (except Arol and the family, who don't need permission for anything, apparently). Women have to have "spec checks" prior to sex, because they aren't allowed to have sex with birth control, and have to have permission to have children (you'll see few children on the zendik site - 2 of the 3, I think, are Arol's grandkids), so sex isn't allowed when women are fertile. I even read once that they have an aesthetics board or something that decides if people are too physically unattractive to walk around wearing certain things or to work without shirts on.

Like I say, I have no personal knowledge of whether any of this is true. I know when I met a bunch of 'em in DC, they were some of the nastiest community people I've met. Lots of glaring and bad vibes. JMO.

 

While reading this posting I came across
http://zendik.proboards52.com/index.cgi?board=enter

I have yet to read what they are about, dosen't really interest me.

 

I'm so glad I found this shit before hand. I was seriously set on moving there. You can't blame though, the place is beautiful and their descriptions and ideals were quite inviting. "All that glitters..." I guess.

 

I've heard some really bad stuff about them...

Never heard of 'em till my lady got herself a shirt that said "Stop bitching and start a Revolution" which was an amazingly great slogan...and on the bottom it had a zendik website addy.
Seemed cool till I researched on here.

 

I lived with the zendiks at Bastrop and in Florida and it seems LaughinWillow was there also, hit it right on the nail......
Just Say No to Zendik!

 

As tribes developed in ancient culture if you didnt like the way your tribe was run you'd get together with the other dissenters and go and start your own tribe. This made most tribes fairly reasonable because they realized if they acted like jerks or tried to control people everyone would just leave.
In Zendik tribe as classic cult groups do they set themselves up as the center of the universe surrounded by 'deathkultur'. They are trying to subvert the natural balance of things and use fear to attain power over their members.
Theres some young people who benefit from the structure and physical labor of Zendik farm, and as cults go its fairly harmless. But unless you want an experience similar to prison with a few perks I wouldnt recommend it.

 

I run into them all the time now that they are in West Virginia. They are at all the D.C and Baltimore street festivals selling their shirts. Of course most people who buy the shirts no nothing about who they actually are. They have this standard rap which I guess is adopted for the average American. They basically say they are an arts community. The D.C City Paper did a pretty extensive article about a year ago where a journalist went to live with them. The Washington Post also did a fluff piece in the Style section which didn't really say much.

 

I too bought a shirt from them at a demonstration I went to. The girl selling them of course seemed very nice.

I can't say anything definitively about Zendik except for my own personal experience with them which is quite limited. In fact it was only a few email exchanges I had with their "PR" person or whatever. I emailed her (it was a female who responded) asking about why all the negative press about them. I was polite in my inquiry. She replied to me in an accusatory tone, insulting me and telling me I'd never be welcome to "join" them. (as though her nastiness would compell me to desire to) I emailed her back explaining that I was merely posing questions, and she replied again calling me a "ninny" (she in fact taught me a new word that day, as I had no clue that the term "ninny" even existed) and that I was too weak to think myself, or something to that effect. All that because I was questioning them about their negative rumors. Even though she could have lied and said the rumors were untrue, she actually confirmed the rumors by virtue of her pathetic negativism, no doubt unwittingly (or at least uncaringly).

So needless to say I would advise people, unless you get off of masachism and humiliation, to stay away. Far far away from Zendik. They do nothing in terms of battling the powers-that-be. Quite the contrary, I'd argue...if you believe in the expression "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem". Believe me, I know first hand that t-shirts alone will not implement a revolutionary struggle into the forefront of our society.

Viva La Revolucion

 

To learn everything you wanted to know about Zendik, go to the old archived Hip Forums thread at

http://www.hipforums.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-4937-p-1.html

Of course everything said on that lengthy thread wasn't bonefide, but much of it was written by people who were there, some for a very long time.

It's worth reading, and then you can make your own, more informed choice

GH

 

BTW, I believe this is Hellion's Livejournal address

http://emeraldimajia.livejournal.com/

 

.

 

really how long were you there??? I was there for 2 1/2 years all told and in the archive that Greenhornet pointed you guys to you will find ex members that were there for even longer. You obviously do not know what you are talking about… (your account has one post, come on and have the spine to at least post under your real account).

I am not saying that anyone should not go and visit, and I am not saying that they are all bad, they do have many good aspects. I for one just want people to make an informed decisions before they burn their bridges and go to Zendik just to be surprised by some of the more unusual aspects of the community that I feel should be out front told to people before they get the idea that this is the utopia they have always been looking for. Oh and if you are thinking that just because their slogan is “Stop bitching start a revolution” that means that they are in any way starting a revolution you will be sadly disappointed. They have been saying that for over 15 years and as of yet they have done nothing to affect society as a whole except sell t-shirts and bumper stickers to drunken concert goers.

My advice would be to visit another community like Twin Oaks or East Wind and then arrange for a short 1 to 2 week visit at Zendik. You will not get the full picture, but it will give you more of an idea about what would be right for you.


Rasha
hi_rob@email.com
echowood.org

 

If you decide to visit, here's my advice:

1. Don't rely on them for a ride back to the bus station. Drive, know IF there's a cab to call (& phone access), or be willing to hitchhike if & when you are ready to leave. (If you bring a car & decide to stay long-term you'll probably have to sign it over to them.)

2. Be sure if you do donate something (money, supplies) you don't want it back even if you decide you don't like them OR they decide they don't like you & so kick you out--even as a visitor.

3. Be prepared to work hard & be hungry. They'll feed you, but it may be flavorless, low protein, & probably much less than you are accustom to eating now.

4. As a visitor don't be surprised if you find yourself surrounded by dozens of creative, interesting people but still feel lonely & jaded. Yes, some of them are ignoring you on purpose because of germs or you not being enlightened enough or you're just another of hundreds of visitors who pass through each year.

5. Be prepared to be confused a lot. Different Zendiks have different rules for visitors. There will probably be places where you aren't allowed to go, things you can't do, & questions you're expected to not ask. They--like all--communities have guidelines that outsiders are expected to follow...the trick is figuring out what those guidelines are.

Have fun. Short term I think they're relatively harmless, long term I think they can do a bit of a mind fuck on some people.