Hello Richard, I'm a new member since today, and your question is interesting, for it involves practicalities of all sorts I believe, and not only philosophical views and dreams that wait for coming true one day. Since the end of the 90's, I've grown an interest in communal living, more or less off-grid. Also for reasons of my interest to help build straw bale homes, yurts, earth-ships, living spaces that are created with natural materials or by recycling materials, such as in the case of earth-ships, a design by Michael Reynolds, an architect who dares to jump out of the box, enduring ridicule in the first phase of his new approach, using Earth-energy in the creation of living space, that is half in the earth and half exposed on her surface.

My volunteer work, in communes, started in the Netherlands, in 2011, and in 2012 I've travelled to Britain, for a visit to 5 communes, staying 1 month in each of them, combined with leaving the use of money as an experiment. My shelter and food were taken care of by the communes where I volunteered, which made it not too difficult to forget about money.

Now, about your question, if a commune of people who choose a different creation of reality, self-reliant, with attention on the development of consciousness, can exist within a Matrix-environment, my experience in those 5 British communes, living mostly off-grid, in remote locations, is based on many conversations with commune members and witnessing their daily life routines (or not so much routine). Those who left city life and chose to live in solitude, because of anger and frustration, were the members who contributed little to the wellbeing, and practical work in need to be done. Those who chose to stay in touch with the "outside world" the Matrix if you will, managed to use their intelligence, by realising that resisting, being against.... whatever it is, creates a perpetual loop of more of the same.

For they understand that the resistance stems from within, and isn't caused by the external world, although the (often grumpy) hermit- types, who also neglect their hygiene and outfit, hold on to that idea. That's called the blame game, isn't it? We're touching here upon the condition of our consciousness that shows up with the reality we find ourselves in if you follow me in this, to some rather bold statement.

In my case, arriving as a visitor-volunteer, the pink balloon that hovered over my head, with the idea that commune-members KNOW what they choose, before actually starting to build, grow, play, and enjoy themselves in their creations, soon popped, when I witnessed confusion, doubt, differences in outlook to the future in couples with small children, quarrelling, a competition between alpha males, gossipping by women about other women, in short..... the commune was a mini planet Earth!

That experience showed me that I could let go of the idea, rather romantic, to join a commune and hope that all will be hunky dory. Also for selfish reasons by thinking about my old age, spent in a commune where members keep an eye on me when I wander off absent-minded, or without a mind of my own entirely, haha.... when I reach my 100th year or so.

What I feel about successful communes, how it may work out well, is that a group of friends who know each other well, also by sharing a survival trip, spending time in nature, solving practical problems, and causes for irritation, rubbing shoulders on the way, might be well prepared to enter such an adventure. And when this group is capable of focussing on the creation it wants to make manifest in the real world, without condemning the Matrix-world and its influence, possible attacks, and attitude of authorities not in favour of those "hippie trippy types in shabby clothes, probably smelly, and using drugs or drink around the commune", open-minded in the communication and negotiations with those authorities, and occasional passers-by, goggle-eyed with curiosity, that this may be the best foundation to start with.

And while I've spent one month in each commune, I've met ex-commune members who came to visit, who told me that they began to hate the limitations of living off-grid, the efforts and amount of work that is part of such a lifestyle. Like having to walk 200 meters to the nearest compost-toilet, with small children, in winter. Or maintenance work on a strawbale home, or leakages. The decision to end my volunteering, and return home to the Netherlands, was caused by the extreme rainfall in the summer of 2012, where building materials, and our tents, became soaking wet, and much work came to a standstill and sleeping conditions turned damp.

That's what I've learned from my 5 months in British communes. One of them was the commune of Lammas in Wales. An interesting endeavour to this day, I believe. There's a film about this commune, and a website Living in the Future. This commune shows a variety of more or less successful families and loners, all trying to create a life in Pembrokeshire.