A hermit is a person living in solitude as a religious discipline.
A hermitage is a place where hermits live.
The Fantasy Island Meditation and Retreat Center (FIMARC) is a home church hermitage offering shared living and programs and services for spiritual development. To put it in the words of Kane Mantyla, “it is a center for finding your center”. It is modelled on the following communities that I have lived at:
- The International Buddhist Meditation Center – here the core practice was Buddhism. But 70% of the residents had other practices entirely, such as Castaneda’s magical passes, Tai Chi, Ecumenical Christianity, etc. They did not involve or concern themselves with Buddhism at all.
- Madre Grande Monastery – the core practices here were Theosophy and Loving-Kindness (when I was there). But there were hermits living on the 200-acre property doing thai yoga therapy, sweat lodges, etc.
- The Yesss!!! Center – 35 people were living in 3 houses. The core practice was Osho’s Dynamic Breathing. But 90% of the people were completely uninvolved in that.
The hermits residing at Fantasy Island freely associate with the programs and services of FIMARC with a participation level varying from 0% to 100% based on their interest. It is understood that solo practice in their own space is their primary means of spiritual development and any association with a community, church or group is secondary/optional.
In my experience and based on intention, I would say the following factors are central to FIMARC:
- Spiritual Development
- Community
- Communication and Conflict Resolution
Feel free to live with us or partake of our programs and services as thou wilt.