Earth time 2026-09-11

Welcome to Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island Commune Hermitage (FICH) is a unique home church, commune, and hermitage designed to offer shared living alongside programs and services for spiritual development. As a “center for finding your center,” our primary mission is to explore life as a monk or as a magician.

We operate on this foundational philosophy, drawing from the Dhammapada: Man becomes what he thinks about all day long. With this in mind you are entirely responsible for your experience here. You agree to take 100 percent responsibility for your experience here internally and externally. Regular study of the pathways to Liberation matrix is suggested. Use of nonviolent communication is also essential.

The only difference between a monk and a magician is what they do with the profound neutral source of all creation, otherwise known as God or Source.

• The Magician: Uses the profound neutral source of all creation to effect change in the outer reality. The magician fantasizes about certain things—whether it is women, money, or power—and uses Source to manifest those fantasies. They do not display negativity when seemingly bad things occur because they realize they manifested it.
• The Monk: Realizes that this entire world is a fantasy and a dream, recognizing it as entirely fake. Because they are completely unattached to what happens here, whether it is apparently good or bad, they do not display negativity when seemingly bad things occur, but instead always seek wholesome actions.

House Rules

1. THE CORE RULE OF LAW AND OPERATIONS: What we have in writing is what we live by. What is said between parties can be misunderstood or forgotten or missed. If something (rule, operation, issue, personal grievance) is critical, then it gets added in writing to the house rules.
2. THE CORE MOTIVATION FOR THE RULES ARE non-violence and cooperation. Even if not explicitly states, the purpose of the rule structure is to ensure non-violence and cooperation.
3. The blue trash can is for recycling, and the green one is for trash. Tue is recycling day and trash day. Friday is bulk items day and trash day.
4. If you have a conflict with another party, use non-violent communication (as taught by Marshall Rosenberg) to resolve it with the other person directly. If you cannot work directly with the other party, then enlist a neutral third party. Understand well: this third party will be in communication with both parties. It is essential that all parties strive to remain in communication with each other, even through tough times. We do not talk about other parties behind their back. Bring it to the weekly house meeting to ensure it gets resolved.
5. While interrupting a speaker is not addressed directly in the NVC protocol, if party A is continually interrupting party B, it shows that party A is not listening to party B (save for some grave emergency). Allowing someone to speak and then acknowledging them before speaking is a way to reach agreement. Interruption tends to escalate conflict, not de-escalate it.
6. Physical violence is grounds for immediate expulsion. This includes threats of physical violence such as throwing something in the direction of someone or making a body feint as if you are about to strike them or promising to physically injure someone. While it is grounds for immediate expulsion, it will not necessarily lead to expulsion. If it occurs 3 times, then there is a very high likelihood of expulsion. Not because you are a bad person in need of punishment, but to protect other people and perhaps find a situation which does not induce such behavior.

The Community Strike System

To protect our shared environment, any action or behavior that destroys the cooperative atmosphere of Fantasy Island is considered a strike.

Strikes are actions that incur negative karma points for the one committing the act.

Hard Strikes:

A hard strike marks the offender with 3 Negative karma points. These karma points expire automatically after 1 year. This presumes that the severity of the hard strike does not justify immediate expulsion.

Issued for severe disruptions, actions directly targeting community harmony, or behaviors that deeply threaten safety and the cooperative framework.

Hard strikes include:

1. Physical Violence and Threatening Actions: Physical violence and any actions or gestures that might be considered physical violence are strictly categorized as hard strikes. This explicit boundary covers actual physical assault, as well as threats of physical violence such as throwing an object in someone’s direction, making a body feint as if you are about to strike them, or promising to cause physical injury.
2. Anything perceived as being done with malicious intent. E.g. gaming the points system, etc.

Note on Expulsion: Physical violence is grounds for pursuing expulsion from the property, within the limits afforded by law. While a single instance is immediate grounds for removal, the Benevolent Dictator evaluates circumstances contextually; however, if a violent or threatening disruption occurs three times, expulsion will probably be pursued. This measure is never enacted as a form of vengeful punishment, but strictly to protect the community and to encourage the individual to find an environment better suited to their well-being.

Medium strikes

2 Negative karma points are recorded for medium strike offenses. These points expire after 60 days

Medium strikes deserve special attention. Given the danger and disharmony inherent in the hard strikes, medium strikes are things which may lead to hard strikes (physical violence) if left unchecked. They consist of Any action that will likely escalate conflict as opposed to de-escalate conflict. They are more severe violations of the cooperative-non-violent atmosphere.

1. Insulting, demeaning or parent-child language. Any language that is used to “talk down” to another party
2. Failure to consider the viewpoint of another party in a conflict. Examples of this are:
   1. “freight train communication” – blasting your viewpoint at the other party loudly or continuously without giving the other party a chance to speak.
   2. “possum communication” – running away from another person attempting to peaceably communicate conflict.

Soft strikes

Negative karma from soft strikes expires after 30 days

1. Violation of the written house rules (e.g. violation of quiet hours, violation of laundry dominion, etc)
2. Lack of transparency: discussing house or interpersonal conflicts with another party instead of all parties. Or: discussing them in a complaining fashion as opposed to having an attitude of proactive problem solving.
3. Subtle or minor disruptions to cooperation. This includes:
   1. Becoming angry (as losing your temper means you are failing to cooperate with yourself).
   2. Overt communication failures such as raising your voice, even if done under the guise of “righteous indignation”.
   3. Using dismissive, uncooperative phrases like “too bad for you” or “that’s your problem.”
   4. Interrupting another person without immediately apologizing for the interruption. Ideally communication in a conflicted situation is done by acknowledging and summarizing the other party’s point of view before sharing your (opposing) point of view.
   5. Remaining unskilled in the 28 aspects of the Pathways to Liberation Matrix.
   6. A soft strike expires automatically after 30 days.
4. Failure to consider communicated needs of other party.
5. Violation of Don Miguel Ruiz’s 4 agreements:
   1. Be impeccable with your word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using your word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.
   2. Don’t take anything personally: What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, not yours. When you are immune to the opinions of others, you will not be the victim of needless suffering.
   3. Don’t make assumptions: Communicate clearly to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. Ask questions until you are clear instead of guessing what others mean.
   4. Always do your best: Your best will change from moment to moment—it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment and regret.

Consequences

The consequences for negative karma extend beyond what occurs at Fantasy Island. Nonetheless:

Accumulation of 3 negative karma will lead to review of status and decisions about next steps in the community.

Accumulation of 6 negative karma will lead to review of status and decisions about next steps in the community.

Accumulation of 9 negative karma will likely lead to immediate removal from the community

Conflict Resolution & Communication Protocols

Conflict is an inevitable element of communal living. Regular study and active practice of conflict resolution are essential to keeping residents connected. We reject the immature outlook of holding permanent grudges over localized disagreements.

The Resolution Steps

1. Direct Reconciliation: Attempt to resolve the conflict directly with the other party. Both individuals must approach the conversation with an attitude of reconciliation rather than finger-pointing or arguing.
2. No Talking Behind Backs: Involve the other party in any communication you have regarding the issue. Talking behind a community member’s back creates toxic separation and is not permitted. (Exception: If you feel physically threatened, do whatever is necessary to remain safe.)
3. Non-Violent Communication (NVC): We utilize Marshall Rosenberg’s NVC framework to navigate disagreements. Our Thursday communication lab is primarily dedicated to studying this practice.
4. No Interruptions: Allowing someone to speak fully and acknowledging their point before responding is vital to reaching an agreement. Continually interrupting a speaker shows a lack of listening, escalates tension, and disrupts cooperation (save for a grave emergency). If an interruption does occur, an immediate apology is required to avoid a soft strike.
5. Mediation: If you cannot work through an issue directly, enlist a neutral third party or bring the matter to the weekly house meeting to guarantee a resolution.

Daily House Rules & Operations

Quiet Hours

• 9:00 PM to 8:00 AM are strict quiet hours across the property.

Laundry Usage & Dominion

Laundry usage is a privilege, not a right. To ensure fair access to the all-in-one washer and dryer, operations are governed by the following rules:

• Time Restriction: No laundry may be run after 7:00 PM or before 9:00 AM.
• Scheduled Dominion: Each resident chooses two non-consecutive days per week during which they hold absolute “dominion” over the machine.
• Usage Rules: No other resident may use the machine on your designated days without obtaining your explicit verbal permission first.
• Absence Policy: If the day’s slot holder is not currently on the property, you may go ahead and start a load of laundry. However, this is done with the clear understanding that if the slot holder returns home, they have the absolute right to stop the cycle, remove your items, and use the machine for their own laundry.
• Lint Filter Cleaning Requirement: The lint filter must be completely cleaned at the end of the day on which you have dominion over the washer-dryer machine. It must be thoroughly washed with water and then left to air dry at the conclusion of that day.

Waste Management

• Blue Can: Reserved strictly for recycling.
• Green Can: Reserved for standard trash.
• Collection Schedule: Tuesday is trash and recycling day. Friday is trash and bulk items day.

Logging Non-Urgent Issues

Because we operate strictly by the written word, nothing will be done or acted upon based solely on verbal comments or casual discussions during the week. If you have a non-urgent issue, a conflict, or a maintenance request, your responsibility is to write it down in the issues notebook. Bring your written log directly to the weekly house meeting to ensure it is formally addressed, resolved, and documented.

Weekly Meeting

Meeting opening prayer:

“We do not manifest what we want. We manifest what we are” – Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of MindValley.

everything around us occurs because we fantasized about it. The monk observes the fantasy with detached, perfect contentment. The magician fantasizes about a million dollars and manifest. Same fantasy, different being. WELCOME TO FANTASY ISLAND. – Terrence Brannon, Founder of Fantasy Island Meditation and Wellness Cooperative.

We enter this house meeting addressing items of conflict in hopes of becoming more connected and wholesome.

Weekly House Meeting Protocol:

1. We read one quality from the Pathways to Liberation matrix and have a brief discussion about it.
2. Using the issues worksheet, we review the tab that lists current soft and hard strikes and have a brief discussion about them.
3. Using the issues worksheet, we review new issues (conflicts, house maintenance, etc) AND we come up with an action plan to solve it by next week.
4. We review outstanding issues AND see if we have fixed them. It not, we come up with an action plan to solve it by next week.
5. If interpersonal conflict needs to be resolved, then
   • we do THE EXERCISE – each party writes down their unmet needs and feelings.
   • the participating parties attempt to resolve the issue
   • if the participating parties cannot resolve the issue, then neutral parties experienced in conflict resolution mediate the conflict .
6. If large-scale decisions need to be made, then they are raised and resolved using “The N-Street Davis Cohousing Method“.
7. We leave in gratitude

Meeting close

1. non-serious decisions and issues were spoken:
2. problems and conflicts for the week are handwritten
3. serious new rules are added to the house rules in writing.
4. All parties sign off that all grievances and issues have been listed and they place initials next to the suggested solution.

Meeting closing prayer:

Though there is no separation, we appear to be separate. We close this house meeting addressing the issues and interpersonal grievances in hopes of becoming closer.

Monthly Activities

On the first sunday of each month:

1. we read over the house rules aloud
2. we perform house hygiene tasks (change AC filter, check salt level in water purifier)