Utopia In Tennessee: Part 1, Religious Utopias
- lvenegas13
- Aug 9
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 13
I think it’s part of the human condition to wish to do more than exist. We may hope to thrive without the undue influence of our governments, live is safe conditions, have the freedom to practice our spirituality, work for ourselves, and perhaps ideally, live among like-minded people where our dreams can take root. Tennessee has a fascinating history of Utopian Societies, past and present. In this beautiful part of the world many dreams have been thought possible, but often scandal and tragedy led to their demise. Let’s explore what some of these communities were trying to achieve, why some ultimately fell apart, and why a few still survive to this day.
I’ll say up front it has been really hard to keep the word count down on this subject. I've fallen down a rabbit hole or two trying to learn more about these sacred sites and there’s so much we could discuss!! But for the sake of simplicity, I’ll break down some of the most significant intentional communities in Tennessee into three major themes: Religious, African-American, and Political/Societal, but often our utopias blur the lines with other ideals such as feminism, environmentalism and agrarian equality. In this post we'll explore two Religious Utopias in Tennessee, both of whom are alive and well today.
But first let's begin with the definition of Utopia according to Merriam-Webster, based on Sir Thomas More’s book Utopia of 1516:
1) a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions
2) an impractical scheme for social improvement
3) an imaginary and indefinitely remote place
Impractical or not, the pull towards a society where your personal highest ideals could be realized has brought people together for centuries. In the 1800’s alone there were nearly 2,000 Utopian societies created in the US! What is/was unusual is that most of these experiments have not been in the South, but rather the Northeast or Midwest, and very few are alive today. Out of all the reasons to start a utopia, religion has to be the highest on the list. Look at the Pilgrims risking all to come to a wild land across the ocean; the Mennonites and Amish who live separate lives from the rest of US society; the Mormons who created a city in the Wild West and a world-wide movement. Here then are two very different Religious Utopias in Tennessee: the Isha Institute of Inner-Sciences and The Farm.
ISHA INSTITUTE OF INNER-SCIENCES: 1992 TO PRESENT
951 Isha Lane, McMinnville, TN 37110
(931) 668-1900
You can visit the Isha Institute in McMinnville for a day for yoga, meditation and other classes (open all year long) or attend paid workshops for introductory and advanced levels.
“It is Sadhguru’s vision that the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences becomes a powerful space for raising human consciousness. Nestled in the natural beauty of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, Isha Institute offers the unique opportunity of living in a vibrant and energized space while pursuing a profound spiritual process under the guidance of a living master.” – Living Isha on Isha Institute of Inner-Sciences website.
Sadhguru is a self-proclaimed realized master, mystic and yogi born in India who seeks to merge deep spiritual truths from both the east and the west through love, inner peace and individual transformation. He has ashrams, or spiritual centers, in India, Europe, Africa, and two in the US: in California and in McMinnville, TN. I would consider Sadhuguru a Celebrity Guru as he has mastered YouTube and has a brilliant marketing team in place, but that is not to say that he is all hype. In fact, he is known and respected for his environmental work in 193 nations and world-wide initiatives to improve the health and quality of life of people in poverty. He must have seen the beautiful land in the Cumberland Plateau and thought, this is a place where my people can thrive and we can create a city around my ideals. And so in 1992 land was purchased and plans started towards this vision.
The Isha Institute for Inner-Sciences in McMinnville is situated amidst 1,400 acres of forested land, but I was told during my visit that 20,000+ acres are owned (perhaps this is the surrounding forest). The goal in progress is to create a spiritual city, with houses and apartments, a dining hall, a school for children, the largest meditation hall in the US, and a fantastic, consecrated space called the Adiyogi: The Abode for Yoga. According to the Living Isha page on the website, the Isha Institute is working to expand and develop the necessary amenities for a thriving city, whether people choose to live there full time or part time. But only people who sincerely wish to live in this sangha (community/religious association), are willing to dedicate themselves to this spiritual way of life, and volunteer time and energy to keep the goals of the ashram alive, may live here.
Sadhguru aims to transcend religion, but it is clear from the daily practice of yoga and other activities that the center is built around concepts borrowed from Hinduism and perhaps Buddhism. Ultimately, the goal is to raise human consciousness. Yoga is said to be five thousand years old (Sadhguru says 15,000), originated in India and was defined by the famous Yogi Yogananda as scientific techniques for awakening the divine consciousness in man. The Isha Center provides training on the four paths of yoga, as well as forms of meditation for physical, mental and spiritual well-being. This particular system of yoga is proprietary to the Isha Foundation and does not belong to a specific lineage, rather from the Sadhguru’s own unique insight. However, I would venture a guess that it must be based at least in part on the thousands of years of yogic teachings.
If you are concerned about the world, the first thing is that you must be willing to transform yourself…Unless something of true value happens within you, you can’t do anything of tremendous value to the external world.” - Encounter the Enlightened: Conversations with the Master, by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
If you are among the many who have said that yoga saved your life, and you would like to slow down, spend more time in contemplation, offer your free time to good causes and live among Sadhugu devotees, this might just be the place for you. It is a beautiful, peaceful and fascinating place to visit, and I recommend doing so. If you would like to learn more about the Isha Institute, Sadhguru and his work, click here to read my blog post from my 2024 visit!
THE FARM, SUMMERTOWN, TN: 1971 TO PRESENT
The Farm Welcome Center
100 Farm Rd, Summertown, TN 38483
Open Monday-Friday 10a-4pm
931-964-3574
Visitors are encouraged to come for workshops, retreats, the open-air market, holiday bazaar and hikes on the Big Swan Reserve.
From Farm Fresh newsletter: November 7-9, 2025. If you’ve ever wanted to visit, would like to learn firsthand about life in community, or have considered making The Farm your home, then this is the weekend for you. The best overview of green living, providing the inspiration you need to fulfill your life goals and live your dreams.
All Meals Included
In 1971, some 300 people in a caravan of 60 buses drove from San Francisco and Haight-Ashbury to three square miles of land near Summertown. They were led by spiritual leader Stephen Gaskin with a dream of creating a community built on spirituality, the principles of non-violence, respect for the Earth, and veganism. Gaskin was a counterculture icon who along with his followers recognized that their ideals had value, but that most of the people they encountered in "normal" society were severely judgmental of their stance. (Gaskin was a fascinating man, and if you want to learn more start with the Wikipedia page!) Coming off the Summer of Love, Viet Nam protests and the Manson killings, they were fleeing violence and prejudice against the hippie culture and sought a place where they could live at peace. And so the group left California for Middle Tennessee, and along the way picked up others galvanized by the idea of the commune. At first, members of the community took vows of poverty (but over time they loosened their rules around owning possessions). Many lived in converted school buses and army tents, and houses were built that would sometimes hold dozens of people. There was no running water, electricity or phone lines on the site, and those with engineering and technical backgrounds were soon imagining how to best live off-grid. Before long people were living the dream, growing their own food and creating small businesses and non-profits, and while many equate hippies with free love, in fact marriage was highly encouraged. Gaskin’s blend of teachings from Christian and Eastern philosophies, fueled by compassion for all living beings, drove the overall mission of the commune. But was vision enough?
Excerpts from “Basic Beliefs and Agreements:
We live in community and our reverence for life has always been central to our community ways. Within The Farm Community, people can live together and pursue a spiritual path that includes but is not limited to the following beliefs and agreements:
· We believe that there are non-material planes or levels of consciousness that everyone can experience, the highest of these being the spiritual plane. We believe that we are all one, and that the material and spiritual are one, and the one spirit is infused and one is in all of creation.
· We believe that marriage, childbirth and death are sacraments of our church. We agree that child-rearing and care of the elderly are holy responsibilities.
· We believe that being truthful and compassionate is instrumental to living together in peace and in a community. We agree to be honest and compassionate in our relationships with each other.
· We believe in non-violence and pacifism and are conscientiously opposed to war. We agree to resolve any conflicts or disagreements in a non-violent manner. We agree to keep no firearms in the community.
· We believe that vegetarianism is the most ecologically sound and humane lifestyle for the planet, but that what a person eats does not dictate their spirituality. We agree that no livestock, fish, or foul will be raised in the community for slaughter.
· We believe the Earth is sacred. We agree to be respectful of the forests, fields, streams and wildlife that are under our care. We agree that the community is a wildlife sanctuary, with no hunting on our land.
- Based on segments found in This Season’s People and other Farm historical books and documents.
In time, financial worries became one of the main problems with the vision of The Farm. Vows of poverty were not going to pay for improvements to the land, and due to the notoriety of the commune and its leader Gaskin, The Farm was soon overrun with visitors. The population grew to around 1600 at its peak; many were unable or unwilling to contribute monetarily and sometimes came with personal baggage such as mental illness. The Farm’s stance against abortion and Ina Gaskin’s fame as a midwife led to a baby boom as many young women sought to have and raise children at The Farm, or were coming there looking for free child delivery. Much of the collective money that was available went to the Farm’s non-profits or needs of the members such as food and clothing. Gaskin would occasionally take trips to sites around the world that also demanded funding. Lack of money meant not enough attention to sewage infrastructure resulting to giardia outbreaks, and still Gaskin encouraged people to come and stay if they wished. Frustrated with the struggles and tone-deaf leadership, these strains pushed the original residents to mutiny. There had to be a better way to run this utopia!
In 1983, a challenge to Gaskin’s direction and governance resulted in a new decollectivization agreement by the community called The Changeover. People were asked to start supporting themselves financially while still contributing to the infrastructure of the commune. While Gaskin had made nearly all of the rules in the beginning (then changing to a board of directors), now a non-profit called The Foundation was created so that members would have a say in how the site was managed and get the commune out of debt. Many members left, unhappy with the new direction, but those who stayed went on to build upon the original dream, creating new businesses and expanding their outreach for social change. With hard work and a new vision, The Farm changed from a commune to an intentional community focused on entrepreneurship, education and philanthropy. Fifty plus years later, The Farm is now the oldest formal intentional community in the US! It is out of debt and has a thriving settlement of some 200 folks, including some returning founding members. There are crews for farming, composting, construction, demolition, communications, firewood and alternative energy; a laundromat; ambulance service; and motor pool. Many members have degrees in healthcare and work in nearby clinics and hospitals.
At one time people sneered at the term hippie, and maybe some people still do. But nowadays the concepts of non-violence, environmentalism, and respect for all life seem like ideals the world is desperately in need of. If you long for a life of spirituality, mixed with philanthropy and oneness with nature, then The Farm may be just the community you need! Visit for a day or stay overnight and see for yourself.
The Farm has a remarkable amount of success in a number of movements:
· Plenty International is an award-winning relief organization that helps set up medical clinics, gardens, school lunch programs, prenatal care and other initiatives in the US and around the world.
· The College of Traditional Midwifers, one of the most influential and recognized midwife schools in the US, started by Ina May Gaskin. Today graduates become Certified Professional Midwives by incorporating spiritual practices with medical advancements.
· The Swan Conservation Trust cares for the 1500 or so acres of Big Swan Headwaters Preserve adjacent to The Farm, land once owned by a logging company.
· The Ecovillage Training Center offers training on permaculture, strawbale construction, sustainable technologies and organic gardening. Accommodations with amenities are available in campgrounds, cabins, buses and van pads.
· The Farm School offers the Farm and nearby communities an on-site K-12 school and a satellite campus program for home learners.
· S.E. International is a highly successful manufacturer of Geiger counters to help monitor nuclear radiation.
· Book Publishing Company prints vegan and vegetarian cookbooks as well as books by Native Americans.
If you would like to learn more about the Farm there are a number of books by those who have lived there, and a documentary called 40 Years On The Farm.
In Tennessee's history of Utopian societies other communities also held spirituality as an important tenet, but it was not the primary driving factor for their creation. Next up, we explore Black Utopias and Political Utopias in Tennessee that just might surprise you and will definitely intrigue you! If you would like to receive these posts automatically, please subscribe to Sacred Sites of Tennessee, and thank you!
This was a fascinating read for me--on many levels! I'd love to visit!