Sophia is, among other things, an experiment in tribal living, but in a 21st way that doesn’t involve hunting while half-naked.

With our experiment, we wish to examine what adaptive roles individualism may play in our existence, and the inflection point at which it makes us isolated and unhappy. We also want to create an environment where we can observe the spontaneous arising of groups and organization in a way that is natural and organic rather than imposed by hierarchies.

Initially, these experiments will be limited to about a week or so, but we may eventually explore longer periods as our tribe evolves.

Our tribal experiment will pose various challenges, first among them being a lack of privacy, which often poses a threat to our individualism. Another is how to create and share resources, responsibilities, liabilities, and energy. Then there is the issue of ‘governance’.

We approach the problem of governance not only through our concept of dialogue, but also through using “spontaneous feedback” as an organizational tool. “Spontaneous feedback” is a lengthy topic. You will find some articles on this matter in the blog section of the website. It is something that we discuss in our online and real-life meetings as well.

The physical environment in which we are conducting our experiment will largely determine the practical aspects. The experiments are going to be run in different environments around Planet Earth, from our place in the Alpujarras, Andalusia, the Iberian Peninsula, to elsewhere in Europe or across the globe.

Our current location is in a desert valley with water from the river for irrigation. Expect hot, dry summers. However, there is land with fruit trees, a garden, some infrastructure, a house-cave (too small for a big group), a van for transport, electricity, and limited internet (but no Wi-Fi for now).

There are also socio-political considerations, such the fact that we exist within the EU normative framework, the Spanish and Andalusian ones, and are located in a natural park. The property is also not far from traditional villages inhabited by people who would view some forms of behaviour as threatening. That means that our form of experimentation needs to be done in a way that isn’t disruptive, with a serious intention of being of use; not merely an excuse to “go nuts”.

What does a day in this experiment look like? We share lots of time and space, sometimes living in tents when there is not enough room in the house-cave (there is only room for 8), taking care of the trees, tending the garden, building an infrastructure that improves the living standards, pacing and circling, philosophising and dialoguing , playing games, doing activities to gain trust in each other and in ourselves, and simply relaxing and having fun together.

We are thinking of hosting a few of these events a year. If you are interested, let us know. We are not charging anything, and any expenses will be shared.