We need a "Phylosophy of Vanlife" discussion category

The video author ALSO sells a Udemy course on Van Conversion..............3.5 hr video for $29

Just a few thoughts on expounding on vanlife/vanliving philosophy and everyday magic here.

While there are folks on this forum who are living full or part time in vehicles by choice, have sufficient income and not spending a great deal of energy just trying to survive, I’m not sure that is the majority.

More likely the exception rather than the rule, I’m thinking.

And when one is in survival mode, scraping and scrimping and hoping there isn’t a breakdown, tire blowout, empty fuel tank before there is again money in the bank, philosophizing and looking for magic in everyday life isn’t what occupies one’s stressed-out mind.

These are two different lifestyles, born from different immediate needs.

Where an individual happens to be on the spectrum of surviving-thriving - will certainly contribute to one's perspective.

On my way back from Home Depot (in a far away town because I am in the Ozark boonies),
I stopped and watched the cows on a big pasture, grazing under a clear sky and a warm sun. They didn't smell bad like in Wisconsin.
Is that romantic and transcendental enough for y'all?

WanderingRose said:

Just a few thoughts on expounding on vanlife/vanliving philosophy and everyday magic here.

While there are folks on this forum who are living full or part time in vehicles by choice, have sufficient income and not spending a great deal of energy just trying to survive, I’m not sure that is the majority.

More likely the exception rather than the rule, I’m thinking.

And when one is in survival mode, scraping and scrimping and hoping there isn’t a breakdown, tire blowout, empty fuel tank before there is again money in the bank, philosophizing and looking for magic in everyday life isn’t what occupies one’s stressed-out mind.

These are two different lifestyles, born from different immediate needs.

Click to expand...

Agree, but my point is that no matter their circumstances, they are sill aware of, and in awe of, the planet. They are also aware that they can't fully immerse themselves in nature immediately. They still dream. And they are still aware of what they are missing. And sometimes they get pieces of that experience. If only for a moment, or a day. Like sofisintown said. She said it perfectly.

I used some chalkboard paint on the doors for my upper cabinets in my cargo van. This one is to the right of where I sleep so I can see it when I wake up in the morning. If I get tired of it, I can erase it and write another inspirational quote with the colored chalk.

Hear the circus was in town. Tick tock.

With apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the following works for me.

You, who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so, become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye
---
My code is to step as lightly on the land as I can,
To treat those I meet as I would like to be treated,
To accept you and your magical spiritualism,
Hoping you can accept me and the natural world I favor.

RonDean said:

. . . . To accept you and your magical spiritualism,
Hoping you can accept me and the natural world I favor.

Click to expand...

I like your phrase "Magical Spiritualism". I'd not heard that before but it certainly has "a nice ring to it." So I checked Google and sure enough, there are websites about "Magical Spiritualism". I'll be looking those over, hoping to learn something new. And yes, I certainly do accept you and the natural world you favor; to me, it's all part of the greater "natural world" we share together.

I have now registered the domain name MagicalSpiritualism.com thanks to you. It instantly redirects to my main website.

Just saw an advert for 'travel Alaska' from tourism. They state 'ALL THE MAGIC' is in their state. don't go there ya can't find the magic LOL

magic is what we make it for ourselves and IF ONE can ever get even close to some of what each of us desire deep deep down then we did well on this journey

Hey now … I’m born and breed Alaskan, the northern lights were out in all their glory 3 nights ago. Have you ever heard the Aurora Borealis .. the sound is definitely magic. . There’s tons of magic here, just maybe not your kind, haha.
But magic can be found anywhere… even in Alaska.

IDK. 'Magical spiritualism' seems like an oxymoron.

RoamerRV428 said:

magic is what we make it for ourselves and IF ONE can ever get even close to some of what each of us desire deep deep down then we did well on this journey

Click to expand...

Calypso said:

But magic can be found anywhere… even in Alaska.

Click to expand...

YOU'RE BOTH RIGHT! "magic can be found anywhere" because magic is everywhere. It's the electricity that lights the world and makes it turn, the hidden power behind everything we experience. And "magic is what we make it for ourselves" because on the deepest level -- below and beyond even quantum physics -- the physical world and consciousness are one and the same thing. They are the two sides of the same coin. They both grow from the same root. We see the physical world affecting our consciousness every day; but it works both ways and when it's the other direction -- consciousness directly influencing physics -- that's "magic", magic in action.

All religions work because magic is the blood flowing through their veins, bringing each religion to life. Because of magic, people see prayers answered and miracles happen. "Seeing is believing" so when they experience these things, they correctly assume their religion is right! But then they make a huge mistake by thinking "Since my religion is right, the other religions must be "wrong"; a fallacy that causes so many problems between individuals and nations. I don't belong to any religion for that reason; I'm not a Christian nor do I belong to any other brand. I'm glad forms now have a check box for "spiritual but not religious," because that's what I am.

And I use the word "magic" instead of "miracle" because "miracle" sounds far too religious, yet the meaning is the same. Life and everything in life is totally miraculous, totally "magical". Yet as Roamer said above, magic is indeed "what we make it for ourselves". Whatever we most deeply believe is brought to us as our outer reality by magic. This fact is sad for those who don't believe magic exists at all, for magic works even for them, again and again proving to them that there is no such thing as magic. Magic always gives us what we most deeply believe, good or bad. Believing there is no magic, brings proof there is no magic. (It's a vicious cycle almost impossible to escape because it continuously feeds on itself, never going hungry.)

Jesus was totally against all forms of hypocrisy, not other religions. He knew these things far better than others and correctly told people "Only believe!" That's the start; that's the secret behind the secret. Jesus certainly knew a heck of a lot about magic and made it his life. I wrote an article about the most fantastic thing He did, far beyond what anyone else could have done. (You'll find my article considerably different from what you'll read anywhere else.)

But my focus in this article should stay on how magic applies to Van Life. It's the "electricity" we all feel, that runs through all the beauty we see, and smell, and hear as we travel in our vans. It's all wonderful. I love it just like you do.

I think also there is 'timing in life' for many of us 'to see' ya know.
younger you are starting families and into your work career, fighting to pay for family and home and life, getting a foothold to be established.....one can't seek too much magic when one is so darn busy they can't even think straight Then ya got the years of coasting, raising the family and just living, and then ya got that 'older time' when one can FOCUS more on themselves. Focus on personal interests without many distractions, focus on life changes they require and more.......so never saying 'all people fit this state of life above' but many do ya know. I think with a bit more age people can focus more on them too and find personal strengths and 'magic' for themselves. A time when we can turn more toward personal reflection. A time to stop and smell the roses. There is a flow of life out there but when one can take the time to look will be personal on their own journey timeline.

I'm glad CosmickGold liked my term. I took a look at his site and liked it too. Reality is an interesting idea. First, we assume we know what it is, while only having our very limited senses through which everything is filtered and interpreted. I believe there is more going on outside my head and body that I have no clue about.

I see little distinction between magic and miracles. Are they real? I can't prove it either way. But, I am comfortable with my reality, which says most of what we see is actually empty space. My atoms can never really touch another before they are repelled. And on and on, as our current science explains.

I am sure many would laugh at my concept of reality, so why should I laugh at theirs? Least I get off-topic, I think having some kind of philosophy, or religion if you prefer, makes the miles and the years pass much more pleasantly.

slow2day said:

IDK. 'Magical spiritualism' seems like an oxymoron.

Click to expand...

That's an interesting view, slow2day. I hadn't imagined anyone might think of it that way. Being unfamiliar with the term "oxymoron", I Googled it and learned oxymoron is "a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true )."

I had previously not thought the terms "magical" and "spiritual" could seem contradictory to anyone. My book and website are about real experiences of magic, but when I use the word "magic" around most people, they think I mean sleight-of-hand tricks such as card tricks, or make-believe fantasies like Harry Potter. They are slow to grasp that I mean the real thing, real magic. So I began by writing a 33,000-word book telling more than fifty experiences in my life that were the real thing -- real magic -- then put the book online free and built a website around it, now named MagicalSpiritualism.com.

I also Googled "spiritualism", and the third definition shown is the one that most closely applies to my meaning, which is that in philosophy it's "the doctrine that . . . . spirit is the only reality." I agree with that, believing the quote from the Bible, "In Him, we live and move and have our being." In other words, we are made out of God-stuff, floating in an ocean of Spirit that is itself, God. We are expressions of God, made out of God. So indeed, "spirit is the only reality."

That's getting deeper than most people would want to go, but the point is that rather than being contradictory terms, "spirit" is what makes real "magic" work! The power of the mind to affect matter is all done through spirit. So in a totally non-contradictory way, "magical spiritualism" is exactly what I mean.

WanderingRose said:

. . . . While there are folks on this forum who are living full or part time in vehicles by choice, have sufficient income and not spending a great deal of energy just trying to survive, I’m not sure that is the majority. More likely the exception rather than the rule, . . .

And when one is in survival mode, scraping and scrimping and hoping there isn’t a breakdown, tire blowout, empty fuel tank before there is again money in the bank, philosophizing and looking for magic in everyday life isn’t what occupies one’s stressed-out mind. These are two different lifestyles, born from different immediate needs.

Click to expand...

That's a really sad thought, WonderingRose. It makes my heart hurt, and I hope it's not true. Those people desperately need the book titled The Secret, which clearly explains that thoughts and feelings of being desperate, bring more situations that are desperate, which bring more thoughts and feelings of being desperate, which bring more situations . . . . The book is all about how to escape that self-feeding downward spiral toward infinity. (Which obviously, is all about the problem being real magic, and so solving it with real magic; or should I say MagicalSpiritualism?)

CosmickGold said:

There must be bunches of metaphysically inclined van lifer's out there somewhere!

Click to expand...

I started doing this in 1990, way before it was a thing, before cell phones or internet. Nobody even knew where I was for many months at a time. I'd go to remote places, beating the crap out of my 2wd Toyota pickup to get there. Usually I'd just wander around and meditate. I did not see people. I did not tune into the news.

It was perfect for me, getting away from the noise of people and the thoughts in their heads that they believe are reality. Nothing to do, nothing to think about, nothing to be. No plans for the future. I was finally in an external environment that was in sync with my inner one, and it was glorious! Peace. Did it for 13 years, then got domesticated...

Everyone has a story for how they got to this place and it's very diverse. I don't think many these days are nomads for the same reason as me, but that has never been the case.

rruff said:

I started doing this in 1990, way before it was a thing, before cell phones or internet. Nobody even knew where I was for many months at a time. I'd go to remote places, beating the crap out of my 2wd Toyota pickup to get there. Usually I'd just wander around and meditate. I did not see people. I did not tune into the news.

It was perfect for me, getting away from the noise of people and the thoughts in their heads that they believe are reality. Nothing to do, nothing to think about, nothing to be. No plans for the future. I was finally in an external environment that was in sync with my inner one, and it was glorious! Peace. Did it for 13 years, then got domesticated...

Everyone has a story for how they got to this place and it's very diverse. I don't think many these days are nomads for the same reason as me, but that has never been the case.

Click to expand...

That's a story I can truly appreciate, Rruff. In 1970, as a newbie hippy, a family of hippies came through town wanting to sell the schoolie they were living in. I just HAD to have it!!! My parents were against it and wouldn't help, but a good friend my age (also a hippie) got me a loan through his work credit union, and the bus was mine! I lived in it with my wife for several years. Then my narcissistic father talked me into signing the title over to him to benefit from his much cheaper insurance rate he gets for his set of family vehicles. "Don't worry, I'm not going to sell it out from under you" he promised. As you might have already guessed, the next thing I knew, my bus was GONE! ...and he refused to tell me who got it. I was especially disappointed that my mother and brother who'd been there as it happened, did nothing to warn me or stop it. I never trusted them again; kindred blood doesn't make real family. And to add salt to the wound, my wife divorced me right away after that; it had been her home too!

Some months later, I was out riding my bicycle (my only form of transportation while living in a small basement apartment), and a small step van came down the road with a "FOR SALE" sign in the back window. Man! I peddled as fast as I could to catch up with him as this gorgeous truck slowly faded into the distance ahead of me. But then he stopped at a really long red light. (Peddle-peddle-peddle-peddle.) I caught up with him just as the light turned green and he started moving again, but -- too out of breath to speak -- was able to pound my fist really hard on the side of his van, and he quickly stopped, right there in the intersection holding up traffic. He took the $50 I handed him and gave me his phone number, promising to hold it for a week. Then I went to my father and begged the heck out of him (or I should say "guilted" the heck out of him over selling MY school bus); and with real hesitancy and no smile at all, he went to a draw in his bedroom and handed me the asking price of $1,000. (God does exist!)

That became my very happy home for years in the Cascade Mountains and the Olympic National Park. Really, the happiest years of my life. Then being young and still very stupid, I went through a hard freeze one night with no antifreeze in the engine. It froze and burst like an eggshell. My van was no more. (Talk about stupid!)

Then it was 1980. I went home to my parents and soon had a small apartment. Worst of all, I "got religion", the conventional kind. Thought God was punishing me and I needed to hang my head and obey all the standard society crap. Unbelievably, that lasted until 2017 when I suddenly woke up, as though out of a coma. Geez! What had I done with my life?

I found Bob Wells online, and was (and still am) determined to be in a van for the rest of my life! It was suddenly something I craved like someone crawling out of the desert craves water! I have my van now, and intend it to be my home for the rest of my life! (Age really does bring wisdom, eventually - - - but sure can take a while.)

Calypso said:

Hey now … I’m born and breed Alaskan, the northern lights were out in all their glory 3 nights ago. Have you ever heard the Aurora Borealis .. the sound is definitely magic. . There’s tons of magic here, just maybe not your kind, haha.
But magic can be found anywhere… even in Alaska.

Click to expand...

I grew up in northern British Columbia and I know exactly what you mean about the sound of the northern lights. Magical.

To the OP, I love your idea for this topic. Will be following along...