Tuluminatis, a Caribbean tribe that emerges in the anthropic fauna of the Mayan Riviera

The Tuluminati, in a way, refers to an elite with geographical and business influence, but in flip-flops or barefeet, in the Caribbean. They are in search of the spiritual, of healthy living, of ecological awareness, of pristine beaches and cenotes in the jungle to redeem the urban mechanisms. This is perhaps the origin of the Tuluminati, which defined their aesthetics and identity. However, as a living concept, its mutation is constant.

The Tuluminati are the Caribbean tribe that emerges in the anthropic fauna of the Riviera Maya. Their genealogy extends to places like Ibiza, Los Angeles or New York. They are part of global congregations such as Summit, Burning Man or Woomoon. Citizens of the world, they commune with Shiva, Pachamama or Quetzalcoatl. They managed to make Tulum the Yoga Capital of the World. They brought the new age with a hint of Caribbean flavor, to the catwalks.

Some of them, those who can, invest millions of dollars to build eco-chic hotels, boho boutiques, cosmopolitan bars and outstanding restaurants in the gastronomic scene, mainly raw vegan, that are defining the lifestyle of the coastal strip that preludes the biosphere reserve of Sian Kaan.

As winter approaches, the Tuluminati get ready and hit the beaches of Tulum. They organize hundreds of events and pop ups, hold musical and artistic residencies, generate gatherings and retreats, take part in ceremonies with the use of entheogens from all over the world and shamanic customs, celebrate life on the shores of Zamá (the ancient name of Tulum), thanking the cosmos for its existence.

When winter ends, the enchantment almost dissolves, only a few remain. So, every year, until the next winter.

But there is no reason to be sad. Naturally there are ways to hack the system and perpetuate things, or achieve the same privileges without spending a lot of money. I offer you, free of charge, the instructions to become a true Tuluminati:

• Attend a Yoga teacher training and learn how to name the postures in Sanskrit.
• Place an altar in a corner of your home. You can not miss the dream catcher, the copalera and calcified coral stones.
• Use the bicycle as a means of transportation. If it has a front basket, it is better.
• Change the grilled meat for the raw vegan diet.
• Go to local organic markets and buy matcha, hemp seeds or açaí.
• Work on a consciousness broadening project and harvest dollars.
• Get round glasses and a hat (preferably black).
• Wear tunics, kurtas or kaftans. Failing that, wear fabrics with mandalas and oriental motifs.
• Have at least one psychedelic experience on the beach.
• Listen to shamanic house and acquire a taste for mezcal.
• Live at least one year in Tulum, with the conviction that the world can be better.

Tulum, the mecca of the spiritual work of the Tuluminatis

In ancient Maya times, the present-day region of Tulum was called Zamá, which means “dawn”, while the word “Tulum” refers to “wall”. The murals that have been interpreted from the remaining Mayan constructions indicate that the city was considered a place of worship for the “descending god”.

The Temple of this “descending god” stands out together with the Castle, and both rise in ruins on a cliff, facing the beaches illuminated by the turquoise blue of the Caribbean. Experts who have done research at the site say that the mural paintings inside the temple indicate the importance of the concepts of birth and renewal, while relating the solar cults with those of Venus.

Unlike the ayahuasca or peyote rituals performed in ancestral sites that require following a certain methodology and knowledge of the communal traditions being upheld, the spiritual quest that can take you to Tulum may have a different focus, more centered on selfish wellbeing and inner work.

The comparison of Tulum with such places, like Real de Catorce with the hikuri, Isla Tiburón with the DMT-giving toad, or Tepoztlán with temazcales and ayahuasca, has a place only in terms of the use of sacred plants and elements, but in the Riviera Maya tourist destination the presence of cheap synthetic drugs is more obvious.

This has turned the energy in Tulum into something dense and complex to control, with raves that can last for days, in the midst of the strong presence of the narco, which under its protection carries out dozens of artificial parties on sacred ancestral lands of the Mayan culture.

Spirituality and self-improvement have served as a means to extract money from emotionally vulnerable people, as demonstrated by the famous cases of Vikram Yoga and Keith Raniere, who under the offer of “getting out of the system”, have subjected their followers to things they could never have imagined.

In addition, the citizens and workers of Tulum, who are the ones who sustain the destination, face the violence generated by the presence of organized crime, suffering confrontations between criminal cells, as well as the constant abuses of the police, who of course have never directly confronted these groups.

The lifestyle of Tulum, with the excesses and parties celebrated by organized crime, has gone beyond discretion and the tourism model must be reinstated to restrict this dangerous perception of the destination, according to local businessmen and hoteliers.

It should not be forgotten that tourism in Quintana Roo was heavily based on child sex tourism, as documented by writer Lidya Cacho. In addition, in the last five years in the city there has been a 500% increase in intentional homicides, as well as a rise in other illicit behaviors, such as drug dealing and extortion.

It is worth, if you are in the mood for “Tulum Vibes”, to take into account the environment and your own emotions, so you don’t end up in a maelstrom of synthetic drugs or in the clutches of a Tuluminati healer who will lead you to enlightenment, but not before taking your money and dignity.