Tensions in Paradise: The Om Commune as an Alternative Cultural Experiment
Humanities
HIS 100
My research attempts to unravel the complex history of the Om Commune at the Holiday Cabins in Ben Lomond, on the outskirts of Santa Cruz. The commune was first established in April of 1967 enduring the early 1970s until it was eventually razed by county officials. My research identifies the original purpose of the commune and to what extent it served that purpose. Some saw the commune as a permanent community-based settlement that promoted spiritual enlightenment. Contrastly, others regarded the settlement as a disruptive cluster of unlivable cabins that attracted drug-addicted teenagers. Ben Lomond locals, nearby authorities, visitors, journalists, and long-term residents of the Om Commune reported conflicting accounts of the purpose, conditions, and values of the commune. These clashing records pushed me to conduct extensive searches for primary sources that most accurately reflected the realities of the Om Commune. My research seeks to answer: To what extent was the Om Commune intended as a stable, utopian community or merely a transient escape, and how effectively did it fulfill its envisioned purpose?
