I’m an armchair futurist, and one of my predictions is that as the baby boom enters retirement, we’ll begin to see polyamorous retirement communities that look an awful lot like the communes of the 60’s. Such places will seem utopian, compared to the painful realities of assisted living facilities. I’d like to share a few thoughts, that I hope will inspire discussion…

In my vision, these retirement communes would cater to former hippies, and would feel more like a reunion of lifelong friends than a rest or retirement home. Every day would reflect a deep sense of peace, where residents are finally free to delve deeper into the arts of tai chi, meditation, awareness and tantra. A lot of great music. A lot of art. And there would be a lot of parties. So many great parties that your teenaged grandchildren would beg to visit. Instead of the smell of antiseptic, there would be the scents of incense and marijuana.

Second, instead of being discarded by a youth-obsessed culture, the members would be cherished as teachers and masters. As a result, these “retirement communes” would offer terrific shared spaces for lectures, meditation halls, art studios, a film/video program, holistic health and exercise facilities, watsu pools, and community kitchens and dining.

Third, all the holistic stuff we've been doing has gotta pay off, right? The food would be healthy, the residents active and exercising regularly, and there would be plenty of sex. An interesting statistic would be the incidence of prostate issues in a community that practices both healthy sex as well as sacred spot massage.

On a practical level, a single retiree could buy a small living unit for as little as $50,000, or rent something a few hundred dollars a month. If the retiree is wealthy, they can buy an entire house, and rent out some rooms to compatible pod mates… which would make all the more sense because these villages would certainly support polyamory. All of this needs to be cost estimated to see if the vision works, but my guess is that it would be less than a commercial nursing home facility to operate.

Here’s a final thought… if we could create multiple partnered communities, we could set up a system by which the residents could travel. Imagine if partnered communities, acting like Resorts International, were in the south of France, a sunny village in Tuscany, Costa Rica, some pretty little island in the Keys, some beach town in southern Thailand… And you could bank your home and swap it against the pool. Then, you don't worry about finding a trade, you just book and go on that spiritual pilgrimage you’ve always dreamed about. And when you arrive at those communities, you’d be greeted with open arms and open hearts.

This may sound utopian, but I think it’s entirely possible! For example, consider Damanhur, an eco-society based on ethical and spiritual values, which was awarded by an agency of the United Nations as a model for a sustainable future. Founded in 1975, the Federation has about 1,000 citizens and extends over 1200 acres of territory throughout Valchiusella and the Alto Canavese area, at the foothills of the Piedmont Alps in Italy. Damanhur offers courses and events all year round, and it is possible to visit for short periods as well as longer stays for study, vacation or regeneration. Damanhur promotes a culture of peace and equitable development through solidarity, volunteerism, respect for the environment, art, and social and political engagement. Damanhur has a Constitution, a complementary currency system, a daily newspaper, a magazine, art studios, a center for research and practice of medicine and science, an open university, and schools for children through middle school.

The Federation of Damanhur is also known throughout the world because its citizens have created the Temples of Humankind, an extraordinary underground work of art dedicated to the reawakening of the divine essence in every human being. It is considered by some as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The art studios that made the Temples are located at Damanhur Crea, a center for innovation, wellness and research, open to the public every day of the year.

If they can do it in Europe, why can’t we?

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