What I Think About the Source Family

As horrible as it sounds, I did not like The Source Family when I began reading about them.  They were a bunch of hippies that did drugs in a mansion to me.  What did they do different than any of the other hippies that lived in Los Angeles at the time?  Well reading further I found that I was wrong.  Father Yods life and the life of the commune were something out of a movie.  Jim baker an ex-marine, movie star, bank robber moves on through the teachings of a Yogi to become Father Yod.  All of this starts from a small vegetarian restaurant that is ultra-popular at the time.  They create unrehearsed psychedelic rock music in their garage, which inspires future musicians.  Father Yod creates two communes and then they move to Hawaii.  He dies tragically after hang gliding with no experience.  You can’t make this stuff up if you tried.

I liked how the former members mostly had good things to say about the commune after the fact.  It was a mystical time in their lives where they threw social norms out the window and practiced the teachings of Father Yod.  Members like Isis still incorporate his teaching into their lives and hold it as a great experience.  I do feel that people who were dissatisfied with the commune do not have their voices heard, but its not to the extent that the Anti-cult websites would have you believe.

The aspect I liked most about this commune was the music.  I listen to a lot of music, so the chance to listen to this obscure piece of music history was fascinating.  First, I listened to the album I’m gonna take you home and was somewhat sold.  Father Yod isn’t the best singer, but the feeling he brings to the songs makes up for lack of experience.  I liked other albums like The Savage Sons of Yahowha even better.  The blues rock sound in songs like Fire in the Sky were my favorite.

I’m glad I received this commune to study, as I now see it in a better light than from surface glance.