There's nothing in the database, but I stumbled upon info on Kerista (actually while checking info about penguins and their monogamous relationships of all things... Here in Texas, due to Hurricane Rita's climatic change, several penguins from Moody Gardens have gotten "amorous", with one pair laying an egg ... which got me wondering about penguins...a link led me to another page where Kerista was mentioned! see how web surfing can teach you something new every day?)

If I read this correctly, Kerista was originally a freeform, dropout "scene" during the 1960s, which later evolved into a organized community, in which even numbers of men and women would pairbond in monogamous groups. For instance, four women and four men would sleep only within their group of eight. Every night you were supposed to sleep with a different partner. (I'm not that old, and I'm healthy, but this sounds pretty tiring to me.)

I found some information about Kerista online, including an article by Robert Anton Wilson, about its early days as a hipster commune in New York City's East Village. Its leader, Jud, had been a former swinger and Air Force man, who one day heard voices about beginning the next great religion. In its heyday, it was based out of the Haight-Ashbury community in San Francisco, where it existed for twenty years and eventually became a major Macintosh reseller earning millions yearly.

What's interesting is that the group was always very small - about thirty people at most, but very influential. Other counter-cultural seekers were aware of the group, tried to pattern themselves likewise, and either subscribed to their publications or visited the location.

Many of the old members appear to have very fond memories, but there are hints of some controlling, cult-like behavior by the founder and leader, Jud, as well as some concerns about being coerced into sex with people not to one's taste, because they were in your group. (This concern seems to have been expressed by both male and female members.) Some members flat out refer to it as a "sex cult", and apparently the majority of them are now in monogamous relationships. Jud, in the meantime, continues to run some form of Kerista. (hmmmm).

The other polarizer appears to have been "gestalt therapy" talkouts, where members of the group would be criticized and confronted. Synanon, anyone?

I'm curious as to whether people know more details about what happened here and in similar intentional communities based around "polyfidelity". I know a few people who fervently believe in the concept (or even treat "Stranger in a Strange Land" as a new Bible, overlooking the satirical nature of Heinlein's book). It seems that a lot of these poly communes, in the end, do end up going in a not-so sweet direction. I especially wonder about what happens to children who have been raised in such a cult. Besides actress Rose McGowan's minor comments to the press about the Children of God, I've rarely read anything explaining what effect polyamorous communes or cults have on children.

Here's some interesting links:

[www.ic.org] - pro-intentional community, but researchers felt Kerista was close to a cult
[www.kerista.com] - former member's website on Kerista
[www.wired.com] - Wired's article on Abacus, Kerista's computer company