We need a "Phylosophy of Vanlife" discussion category

[CosmickGold]

The above Youtube video is a perfect example of what I'm seeking more of from van lifers. We have a variety of down-to-earth forum categories here, like how to choose and build your van, water/electricity/toilet/food/hygene/security/meetups, etc. But I have not found where we discuss the deeper meaning of VanLife. Did I just miss it?

It's important to me, because I'd like to meet and travel with those who think along the lines of the guy in the above video, who understand things deeply beyond the physical and the mundane. I made a website named Real-Magic.net for sharing deeper things such as truly magical experiences involving the spiritual level of life, including an online book where I tell more than fifty of my own experiences. Here in Arlington, Texas, I have not found anyone to discuss such things with, because everyone has a religion they hold onto firmly that tells them not to look at outside concepts such as mine, while others are anti-religion and assume I must be pushing one!

Surely there are people who see and want to share consciousness of life on a deeper level, but I'm simply not finding them here or elsewhere, and wonder if a forum section of that kind would help bring some like minds together. I honestly don't know. I'm living in what used to be called "The Bible Belt" so that makes people a lot more rigid than those in places like Bellingham, WA. But what about online? There must be bunches of metaphysically inclined van lifer's out there somewhere!

 

[John in Montreal]

I can't afford a house and rents are too high.

 

[Calypso]

I really tried watching the video, but the voice, music and scenery just lulled me into disconnected bliss and I realized I had no clue what he was talking about, but the points I did pick up in the 5 minutes were good, I’m just not an auditory person, can’t track. But that dude should hit up Apple App Store and get a gig.

All this sounds like stuff I’d love to discuss on a river bank snacking on fresh caught salmon grilled on a fire that we’re just hanging out around. I am not religious but have spent time in Japan and Thailand and lean more towards that mindset.
But I’m also not the crystal, astronomy and lei lines sort. I have friends who are witches and make their “things” at different moons, cast spells, doing shieldings and such. It’s always interesting to hear how others navigate their lives with the beliefs that resonate with them. I dont judge, and I learn things from others, new perspectives.

Idk if there are places on discord or Reddit that are what you’re looking for, but I’m sure you’re not the only. I’ve only been here a few months and in reading others post there seems to be some like minded folks as yourself here, but maybe not an actual forum channel or whatever it’s called. There is certainly the total range of mindsets, beliefs, reasons/justifications, philosophies, agendas, situations, goals … you name it the range is here, it seems to me.

I’m really good at writing a bunch of nonsense, not so good at reading … esp when things are not put into paragraphs and it all just runs together . But in all honesty sometimes I just don’t find the point in the deeper spiritual conversations. Maybe others are the same, kinda like… where is this going? Just to put things in context. I also think it’s difficult in an online format as it’s not an interactive exchange, I’m not “in the moment” engaged with the other people and then waiting days to get a reply. Maybe have online “fire chats” with others on zoom or that type of thing?? Idk

So not sure what you’re looking for, but if you’re not finding it I’m sure if you create a space others will partake.

 

[gizmotron]

In the video above there is a quote by John Muir: "The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go."

And later the narrator says "Freedom" must be discussed.

OK. I did everything ten times over, discovered true freedom, and grew old with consequences. There is a price for being a nonconformist. There is a price for keeping up with self imposed societal expectations. It doesn't have to take a van. All you need is a place to sleep, clothes to wear, and food to eat. That is the ultimate minimalism. To climb you need lightweight camping gear and safety equipment. You can replace safety equipment after you have perfected perfect skills. Getting out there where only a few go at times is part of it. It's not all of it when it comes to the discovery of true freedom. Did you ever look at the nomadic existence of Jesus Christ after he was done being a carpenter? They roamed about a small area for a few years while he shared all the secrets of true freedom. He even promised before his death that what it takes would come later. You can covet everything in this video in hopes of finding a level of freedom that you can create on your own. But you will still not reach even a fraction of the freedom that He spoke of in his nomadic walk toward Jerusalem. His level of freedom must be given to you as a transference of spiritual power, a transformation to a new being, a new creature. All the rest of religion including the captured trappings of the Bible Belt churches is almost completely baloney. The most spiritual selfless Hindu can't make it happen on his own. You can fake yourself out and tell yourself that you are a Christian. In doing that you can miss out on what being transformed means. That level of freedom is the most important asperation and existence know to mankind. You don't need anything more than food, clothing, and a place to sleep. This planet and the universe is all about finding true spiritual freedom. Everything else is a distraction.

 

[GoingMobile]

This video makes me appreciate Bob Wells even more than I already do. His ability to present concepts very similar to what is being presented here, but in simple language, from the heart, and with an openness that this is what he believes, please consider it, I sincerely hope you find it useful, but decide for yourself.

I watched the first 3 minutes of this video, and I thought it explored some essential concepts that can be experienced in van life. I find the topic interesting. But I also felt that it was not likely to add to my understanding by watching the remaining 13 minutes. Maybe a deficit in my attention span, or placing value on how my time is utilized. (yet I am taking the time to state my opinion in writing here, in an attempt to become part of a community of people experience similar things)

In graduate school I read a lot of philosophical texts, often translated from another language, as a basis for understanding critical writings. It can be tedious but also rewarding. I found it requires stopping to contemplate the ideas that are being presented in the text, rather than just remembering them. Taking the time to do it this way can be rewarding.

I found the presentation of the video a bit pretentious, at least from my perspective, the music and landscape used seemed a bit of a cliche of an idea of Eastern philosophy. The voice a bit flat, a tone more in the realm of meditation or hypnotism. Which combined with the music became like the babbling brook, something that is soothing, blends into the background, and does not stand out in a way that holds ones attention, except as ambient sound.

In contemporary teaching, the concept of flipping the classroom has been explored in recent years. That is instead of lecturing, and providing information, as if filling the students mind as though it were an empty vessel, get the students to become active participants in the discovery of knowledge. Put them into experiences that will result in them asking questions, facilitate their exploration of evidence to come to some conclusions about those questions, etc.

I think it is a great topic to be interested in, the experience of van life does cause one to re-examine a lot of assumptions one might have about how and why you live life the way you do. And I think Buddhism and other philosophies offer some really great questions to ponder that can lead to making sense of the world, at least the small part of it inhabited by your own experience. Could be a fun segment of a forum such as this. I think I'd also much prefer to discuss it on a river bank snacking on some fresh caught salmon or similar relaxing atmosphere and people with interesting experience and perspectives to draw from.

 

[AmargosaWayne]

Next step will be a VanLife Religion.

Herding cats.

I like the John Muir quote on a monument in Mammoth Lakes, "Going to the mountains is going home".

I feel the same about the woods with or without mountains.

 

[JDub]

"What is the sound of one hand clapping"...?

 

[Carla618]

I don't have the patience for that video. Especially after watching hundreds of YT vids over the past three years. Mostly what I thought about (while watching) was how much money the creator invested in video equipment. And, how many channels use nearly the same types of shots. Drone footage accompanied by interior shots of a tastefully decorated RV interior. All it was missing was a shot of coffee being poured.

 

[gizmotron]

Next step will be a VanLife Religion.

Not from me. I started out lying to myself what it all means and sort of inventing my own understanding of it for decades. I found out that discovering the truth was the hardest thing in the world for me. That makes me some kind of a dumb guy. So I won't be involved in any organized Kumbaya nomadic harmonic convergence. The only thing you will get out of me is "seek and ye shall find." It's out there if anyone is interested. I see Mega churches exploiting people as free slave labor and then it's benefactors driving exotic cars, million dollar homes, and hyper expensive clothing. It's a sucker's self imposed expectation. Sound familiar? Being set free is all about what you think is important. Every time it gets organized and money is involved wolves appear. If you see a cult of nomadism then you know there is someone there trying to exploit others. I prefer this kind of Mother Teresa approach. Nobody is driving a Lamborghini and owns a jet. People are finding help at a very desperate time of their lives. To say the least, it's God's work. Funny how real outdoes phony every time.

 

[MotorVation]

Me? I keep it simple. I get up, make a cup of coffee, poop in a bucket, then get on with my day.

As an afterthought, I'll mention the herd of nine wild horses that showed up 200 ft from my camp after the rain melted the snow right outside the south gate of the Grand Canyon the other day

 

[CosmickGold]

I never expected so many responses to my thread here. You have all been great, with sincerity and diversity. I wondered long about how I could respond as I wish to each of you, without my reply (or multiple replies) becoming too long and rambling; and finally, I decided that I can't. You have a fascinating diversity of views and ways of experiencing van life. I think the best I can do is sum up my own views regarding your many words and concepts.

Something of utmost importance to me is the concept/experience of mind over matter, mind affecting matter, "the law of attraction" as The Secret by Rhonda Byron puts it. So I have become astonished in recent years over how very few people who pass through my life believe in any form of magic at all, as though our minds cannot have any direct influence on the physical world around us. That astonishment is why I wrote the book A Lifetime of Magic (telling more than fifty of the most magical experiences of my life) and then put my book online free for anyone interested to read and learn.

Neither the video I posted above, nor any of you, have said a word about that kind of Magic, as though even the concept of it does not actually exist. And yet, what I have most been looking for in the Van Life community is people who are "living the van life" and purposefully filling their lives with real magic. And that is specifically what I have not found, the conscious intentional combination of Van Life and Magic, together. So to me, both you and that deeply inspirational video are only covering half the story, even though your words cover your part very well.

 

[CosmickGold]

. . . . Did you ever look at the nomadic existence of Jesus Christ after he was done being a carpenter? They roamed about a small area for a few years while he shared all the secrets of true freedom. He even promised before his death that what it takes would come later. You can covet everything in this video in hopes of finding a level of freedom that you can create on your own. But you will still not reach even a fraction of the freedom that He spoke of in his nomadic walk toward Jerusalem. His level of freedom must be given to you as a transference of spiritual power, a transformation to a new being, a new creature. All the rest of religion including the captured trappings of the Bible Belt churches is almost completely baloney. The most spiritual selfless Hindu can't make it happen on his own. . . .

I deeply appreciate your thoughts, Gizmotron. What you've said is so deeply connected with the concepts of Magic I mentioned above, that there is no discernable line between them. You were the third person yesterday to bring up the importance of Jesus. So only minutes after reading your comment, I put a hidden link on my website that goes directly to my article about Jesus and his mission. Just double-click on the words "Real-Magic" at the top of my home page, or go straight to the article I wrote about Jesus here.

 

[Ripper238]

Everyone's definition/meaning of VanLife is different and we seem to discuss it in various forms here. But i am with you, humanity and nature go way passed the physical and the mundane we are reminded of every day. There is something special and wonderful connecting to nature and its endless examples of life in a self resilient way. Reminds me of the inherent connection of all things throughout time and space that have always been here.

Look to this day,
for it is life, the very breath of life.
In its brief course lie
all the realities of your existence;
the bliss of growth,
the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is only a dream,
and tomorrow is but a vision.
But today, well lived,
makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow
a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.

Ancient Sanskrit

 

[xNateX]

Well, I certainly did enjoy the video. That creator seems to understand that beauty is key, so even if his words and ideas are lost on some, watching it is easy on the eyes.

This concept of van life that he explores, the ideas seem more applicable to those who chose van life willingly, versus those who were forced into van life unwilling. He embraced it, and just that act will put him in a different place from others who ended up there out of need.

But yes, the universe is infinitely big, and infinitely filled with beauty and beautiful things. But that too is not something necessarily common to all. It's grand that each individual can choose for their own self how to spend the moments that make up their life.

Me, I like to play. Child like play exploring the neighborhood and the universe. I do have a friend though. Sometimes I go to an empty chapel, but mostly I don't need to. And I'm truly truly happy. What an exquisite gift this human experience is!

 

[gizmotron]

Something of utmost importance to me is the concept/experience of mind over matter, mind affecting matter, "the law of attraction" as The Secret by Rhonda Byron puts it. So I have become astonished in recent years over how very few people who pass through my life believe in any form of magic at all, as though our minds cannot have any direct influence on the physical world around us.

Fascinating. Some of you know that I'm a profound expert at gambling. I have spent decades attempting to help people not think with "magical" beliefs. Almost all non-skilled gamblers have / and depend on magical thinking. They have superstitions and depend on failed axioms like "gambler's fallacy" also known as "gambler's ruin." It's the basic concept that something must be due because something unconnected has recently occurred. I teach people to be a realist. I show them how magical beliefs almost always lead to failure. These conditions do that because they tend to go in and out of phases of working for you and not working for you. I deal with the process of phase recognition. As a Yosemite rock climber of the 70's to 90's I had no magical beliefs. It was ultimate reality. They even have a micro sized piton called a RURP, "Realized Ultimate Reality Piton." There is a RURP crack on the Sentinel. If your top RURP pops out then the entire string of 30 RURPS pop out as you "zipper" down the face. It's even called a zipper crack. You should try that. There is no greater experience in life than ultimate reality adventure. People told me I was crazy. So I stopped listening to them and their advise on how to live. They mastered the couch. I did the men's downhill at the world cup. It's a total no brainer. Life is way too short to waste it on staying alive by being safe. Working every day to support a mortgage, mow the lawn, weed the garden, and hang with the other suckers that can't wait for pot-luck. There, I got even with the people that called me crazy. nanner nanner.

 

[RoamerRV428]

omg this darn near put me to sleep the first few minutes BUT I got into it a tad and then had to give up.

key being it is a personal opinion of the person making the video.

Just saying get back to nature is the best place to be....again the person's own thoughts. Saying we are disconnected....again the person's thoughts.

you think like this you got a connection to chat more about this stuff but for me -------now comes very MY personal message upon seeing a bit of this vid......----IS I DO NOT require this. I do me. I do what I want, live my life day to day as I see fit, I change thru my years on this planet thru my own personal exploration and well being of my own mind body and soul ya know......like I do for me, just like the video guy is doing for himself.....yet I don't judge others ya know to that point of where you are in life and when you change thru your own journey. Video guy is saying you are to 'be his way' ya know, like ALL don't like cities? Like all wanna be some miminalist? No, many don't wanna be that, they want to live their lives as they see fit Many love their stuff they can buy and love their active work lifestyle and more.......not everyone will ever be 1 thing.....not ever! You can't live for me and I can't live for you won't ever happen!

So yea, some connect, some will think this is overkill and more and I GET the point of the whole personal comments on how this person wants to live and get their point across......but in the end each person lives their own lives, on their own terms, on their own experiences thru hopefully many years and we change and get smarter? maybe as that goes down? but one thing...........just be yourself and be true to that and we don't need 'anyone' telling us how to live. We create our own personal magic. I don't have to 'find magic' in my life, I got it from my own body and soul doing life my way.

OK personal thoughts on it.....just that, very personal not saying anyone do me and how I think...........I say everyone just do yourself.
Nice message from the video but I think there are tons of this stuff out there for many to explore on what life is about.....in the end tho, life is only about 1 person and 1 person alone....so...

oh and I ain't doing mountains, I hate the mts. LOL I am ALL about the coastal. Beach, ocean, long seeing horizons and what is beyond, mts. are closed and tight and creepy and more to ME and roads are windy and make me car sick HAHA So remember one thing everyone, ALWAYS do you.............

one of the best info I got in life was this: What is your personal ending on this planet? What is your final most ending toward long retirement and where do you want to be? Know that and you work to achieve what you want, might take time to get it, or ya never do, but if you do what you want, toward that last final breath and live for you and how you want this journey to go down, you can't ever be wrong on that one

 

[Carla618]

This concept of van life that he explores, the ideas seem more applicable to those who chose van life willingly, versus those who were forced into van life unwilling. He embraced it, and just that act will put him in a different place from others who ended up there out of need.

But yes, the universe is infinitely big, and infinitely filled with beauty and beautiful things. But that too is not something necessarily common to all.

One can believe all that, yet still find the video pretentious. Also, those who were prompted to live this lifestyle out of necessity can also find the universe "infinitely big, and infinitely filled with beauty..."

Most people believe those things. Whether living in nature or living in a large metro area in a house.

 

[CosmickGold]

. . . .
oh and I ain't doing mountains, I hate the mts. LOL . . . . mts. are closed and tight and creepy and more to ME and roads are windy and make me car sick HAHA So remember one thing everyone, ALWAYS do you.............
. . . .

I love the way everyone is being so real about their deeper feelings in this thread. Wow! I'm quoting Roamer here because it's an astonishing (but quite real) statement. For me, I have ALWAYS loved the mountains better than anywhere else I could be. As a small child, I thought God must be up there at the top, because they clearly reach through the clouds and touched the floor of heaven. All the joyful people who ever died must be up there, just beyond those peaks, smiling.

So I begged my mother to let me climb the one whose foot was just across the field from where we were standing, easy to reach; but she said no. A small cloud was bumping into the side of it about two-thirds the way up; I so wanted to go climb up and touch that cloud, climb right through it. God would be there, waiting!

I was just a small child then, but even though I soon learned my physics were wrong, the feelings I had that day have always stayed with me. I still love mountains just as much now as I did then. Learning how different people can have such totally different thoughts and feelings about the same things --- like Roamer's thoughts about mountains --- is both fascinating and totally real. We can be so different, one from another; yet we are all here, sharing together.

 

[Calypso]

omg this darn near put me to sleep the first few minutes BUT I got into it a tad and then had to give up.

key being it is a personal opinion of the person making the video.

Just saying get back to nature is the best place to be....again the person's own thoughts. Saying we are disconnected....again the person's thoughts.

you think like this you got a connection to chat more about this stuff but for me -------now comes very MY personal message upon seeing a bit of this vid......----IS I DO NOT require this. I do me. I do what I want, live my life day to day as I see fit, I change thru my years on this planet thru my own personal exploration and well being of my own mind body and soul ya know......like I do for me, just like the video guy is doing for himself.....yet I don't judge others ya know to that point of where you are in life and when you change thru your own journey. Video guy is saying you are to 'be his way' ya know, like ALL don't like cities? Like all wanna be some miminalist? No, many don't wanna be that, they want to live their lives as they see fit Many love their stuff they can buy and love their active work lifestyle and more.......not everyone will ever be 1 thing.....not ever! You can't live for me and I can't live for you won't ever happen!

So yea, some connect, some will think this is overkill and more and I GET the point of the whole personal comments on how this person wants to live and get their point across......but in the end each person lives their own lives, on their own terms, on their own experiences thru hopefully many years and we change and get smarter? maybe as that goes down? but one thing...........just be yourself and be true to that and we don't need 'anyone' telling us how to live. We create our own personal magic. I don't have to 'find magic' in my life, I got it from my own body and soul doing life my way.

OK personal thoughts on it.....just that, very personal not saying anyone do me and how I think...........I say everyone just do yourself.
Nice message from the video but I think there are tons of this stuff out there for many to explore on what life is about.....in the end tho, life is only about 1 person and 1 person alone....so...

oh and I ain't doing mountains, I hate the mts. LOL I am ALL about the coastal. Beach, ocean, long seeing horizons and what is beyond, mts. are closed and tight and creepy and more to ME and roads are windy and make me car sick HAHA So remember one thing everyone, ALWAYS do you.............

one of the best info I got in life was this: What is your personal ending on this planet? What is your final most ending toward long retirement and where do you want to be? Know that and you work to achieve what you want, might take time to get it, or ya never do, but if you do what you want, toward that last final breath and live for you and how you want this journey to go down, you can't ever be wrong on that one

Couldn’t agree more … I don’t think everyone who has the nice houses, fancy car and toys go on fabulous vacations are bad or lost or out of touch or selfish, materialistic and or whatever else people on the outside of it call them. For some that is what brings them joy, who am I to doubt or question that … or even consider judging it for them and dictating to them that they aren’t happy and they must do as I have determined happiness is. A lot of this new age thinking is just another brand of being full of oneself, it’s just another way of acting superior to others.

My friends who are witches are all about magic, I don’t judge. I have friends and family who are die hard religious Christians and I’m basically going to hell as my children, but we just agree that’s a given and carry on. To them the Bible and miracles are their type of magic. To some there’s magic in the wind or the sound of a stream or a sunset (I do). Some people find magic in music in an opera house with gold and wooden swirls and the echos of all the music ever played there (I do), or a book of poetry read in a lovers arms (I do), or the look your child gives you when they say it’s time they venture out to live their own life (I do). Some people find magic in the smell of a sweaty horse (I do) some find magic in looking at themselves in a mirror glittering with beads and gems and sparkles in a dress that’s crafted for your body alone (I do) or the crackling of the fire and a cold home brew (I do) or driving a car fast around corners (I don’t… well maybe, depends).

Everyone has their own magic, no one can define it for anyone else. Everyone has their own filters, no one is ever “fully awake” or knowledgeable, not even myself (sorry, I know that’s a disappointment and shocker to many). But that doesn’t mean people of different magic can’t connect with each other … and that’s its own type of magic. It’s great to discuss things with like minded people and all travel the same theoretical path together. But one can also become a slave to their own beliefs and their own ego of what they have determined is “the way”.

 

[eDJ_]

When I first came to the CRVL Forum (now Van Life Forum) Bob Wells had mapped out a structure for any beginner. This was built on "minimalism". A philosophy that would enabled anyone starting out as down and out as he was when he started his recovery in living in a Van. When one lives in a small space they have to have a mind set for getting the most out of a few articles as the space will be so limited. In this they will begin to discover things about themselves and know themselves better which will be the beginnings of their own personal philosophy which will be a work in progress. When starting into this they would be wise to keep a daily diary or a journal of what they have encountered & learned from that day to refer back to.

Bob and High Desert Ranger had mapped out a structure of the basics of the Van which would have the bed, power system, some kitchen, and the other amenities may be taken care of with membership to national Gym's (like Planet Fitness) for an expanded space with bath room facilities, lounge TV WIFI, and fitness area. Residing in a State without Income Tax and a Re-mail Service that they can use as a home residence address, digitalize their mail and send it to them as an email attachment so they can get their mail each day on their Cell. From this they can devise a system that works for them to travel, work, and how best to relate to others that allows them to be functional. In short the beginnings of their own philosophy.

As for a Philosophy Category here that will be up to the owners/administrator to decide but we can certainly air our interest. In the meanwhile we are allowed a link at the bottom of our post which could direct others to our own blog where we discuss our developing philosophy of being a Nomad.

Bravesites com is a free source that is easy to use if you want to start a blog. They only ask that you update it so they known it hasn't been abandoned. I put a website together with info to help a girl I met who was a recovering addict. She worked at place I used to eat before she got a better job. The info was to help her to better know and understand herself and people in general. If you want to look at it it is:

who am I