Thats what seems to be happening here to me.
It seems that people feel they can do things here that they can not do when they are back in their regular lives in the city. True enough, they are effectively not in a public space or on public roads, so a whole bunch of laws no longer apply... I think that basically anything you are legaly allowed to do in your own home, you are allowed to do here too.
But, they are still bound by Federal and State laws, and there are small numbers of official police etc here at the festival and on-duty.
... and what is it that everyone is choosing to do that they would not do in the city?
Well, it seems that for the most part, people are "letting themselves out".
Most prevelantly, that seems to mean wearing silly clothes (definitely frowned upon in society at large, though certainly not illegal). Id guess that maybe 70-80% of people here are "dressed for the occasion".
Or, alternatively, NOT wearing silly clothes - or sensible ones either! :)
Yep, there is a great deal of nudity going on here. Most commonly, the women are going topless (men going "topless" is fine in general society, so I dont count that). Id guess that about 10% of women here are "bare chested", and the percentage is increasing by the day as people "relax" more.
Full male nudity is far less common, but there is still plenty of it about... Maybe 0.5% ?
Initially, this seemed to me to be limited to a couple of types of men... Either the older men who "dont care" what others think (and are perhaps a little "different"?) or younger guys who seem to be "well hung" and were enjoying "sharing" themselves with the world.
Other than that, its the homosexual men that are happiest to "get down to skin". Most of the rest of the men are happiest just wearing shorts, but there are more and more men of all sorts "getting their gear off" as the week progresses too (though still a much lower percentage than women).
For my part, I dont feel that I have any "statement to make" or any urges that need to be satiated and Im staying "utilitarian" :) I wear just shorts in the morning when the sun is not too hot and then a long sleved, loose white shirt when it heats up. I dont know how people are going topless all day... They must be spending their time under shade or they would be ROASTED!
If I were to come back, Id go "bedouin" and wear loose robes... probably in earth colour rather than black though, but like I said, I dont really have any statement to make :)
So, most people seem to find freedom in treating the week as an extended "Haloween dress-up", but there are also a large number of more "repressed" people satiating their expressive "urges" out here.
Top of the list (from my observations) are the Gay and Lesbian communities. Now their life styles are far more accepted in the general community than they have been in the past, but the atmosphere here is still far more "accomodating and accepting" than back in the city, so there are lots of people taking advantage of the setting and enjoying the freedom.
There are also some drugs about, but this is still covered by the state and federal laws and is NOT legal in Nevada (and as I mentioned, state law enforcement is "in town"), so its all pretty low key.
The legal drug of alcahol is also very prevalent but not quite so low key... That said, it is not causing any problems though - As far as I can tell, everyone is staying pretty much "under control" :)
There are lots of "work-shops" being held on all sorts of subjects here, but my take on quite a few of them is that they are "thinly disguised" efforts to "hook-up" for people with all sorts of "sexual preferences"... but nobody is forcing anybody to do anything so its fine by me.
There are also a bunch of very interesting work-shops on all sorts of other interesting topics... and Ive sat in on a few very interesting talks.
And there are also plenty of "help you out" setups around the place, and I found some people to help me work on some minor motorbike repairs too :))
Some of the interesting work-shops are addressing the "big questions" of why we are all here and what it all means...You know, god, and life, and drugs etc... :))
There are plenty of educated people (or at least well contemplated) "holding forth" about their view of "what it all means".
And my take on all that is that everyone is really here looking for "connection" and "validation".
The drugs and the nudity and the "expressionisme" of the clothes and bikes and cars seems to me to really just be about people looking to connect with "kindred spirits"... And, I gotta say, that feels like a pretty "normal" human desire :))
There is a very strong sense of "the Woodstock effect" in the aire hereabouts :)
And Id have to say that people here are far less judgemental than in society at large... I have not seen any violence, or any arguments, or negative interactions, or even of any sort of negative comments from anyone at all!...
Thats impressive, and not at all the way of society at large... and I think thats actually what makes this event so apparently "adictive" for so many people. And, I think thats the "connection" that people are feeling... I think its the "lack of criticisme" that lets people "Bond" much more.
Im sure society at large would be much happier if we could all just let the criticisme go and get on with our own lives...
But the reality is that we cant (or so it seems to me): We are not "responsible" enough to have our own freedoms and not impinge on other peoples... And eventually we have to say, "enough is enough" and out come the negativities in words and actions... (and the truth is of course, that I am no different to anyone else on this point)
And thats my take on Burning Man too...
Its a "bubble" and it has a short life span... It works for a week, but I dont think it would work for two weeks!... People would lose the "suspension of judgement" aspect and I think it would all slide back to normalized society.
But, it does work for a week...
And its an amazing thing, 50,000 people, close together, camping, in 40+ degC heat, and incredibly dusty conditions, without negativity for a whole week!!!
Impressive.
