Fringes

Over a single weekend in the Summer of 2021, the local population of Edmonson County, Kentucky was doubled by droves of "rednecks" descending on the area to celebrate five days of mud, music, & mayhem. They came for an event called "The Redneck Rave" - a music festival put on by country rapper, Justin Time, who bills it as the "biggest country party you'll ever go to." What festival goers didn't sign up for, however, was the absolute chaos that would ensue.

'A-Fest' is an annual super-elite, invite-only festival that promises to radically change your life. Run by MindValley, this is distilled, silicon valley alt-wellness marketed to millionaires and aspirational millionaires across the globe. The man behind the whole business is Vishen Lakhiani. He progressed from selling meditation CDs online to owning a $40 million company with thousands of loyal followers around the world.

Damanhur is a microsociety and Italian ecovillage in the hills of Northern Italy, founded in 1977, boasting its own language, religion, and currency, with over 600 citizens. They believe their leader, Oberto Airaudi Falco, traveled in time to the lost city of Atlantis and learned ancient healing practices, which they still practice today. Each year, they host their annual birthday celebration, where Damanhurians from all over the world return to Damanhur, decked in white robes, and perform ceremonial rituals.

Cassadaga is a small town in Florida that’s just like any other bedroom community—except that it’s filled with psychics. Stroll down its streets and you’ll bump into clairvoyants, mediums, and past-life shamans. But it’s not all crystal balls and tarot cards — in fact, many of the psychics here don’t use those materials at all.