Traveling Back in Time — Life Lessons From the Amish

by Dr. Joseph Mercola
February 3, 2024

Story-at-a-Glance

The documentary, “The Lives of the Amish in the U.S.,” shares how “an encounter with the Amish is like traveling back in time” and why, in this day and age, this could be a very smart move
The Amish typically avoid technology and other modern-day conveniences like electricity and cars
There are significant benefits of living in concert with your community — off the grid without being dependent on anyone or any technology
The Amish typically produce the majority of their own food and aren’t reliant on the public control grid
A reliance on modern-day comforts and technology leaves you incredibly vulnerable should they collapse, while embodying the preparedness and resourcefulness displayed by the Amish protects your autonomy and freedom

Technology and other modern-day conveniences have become so engrained in our daily lives that most people would be hard-pressed to live without them. This isn’t the case for the Amish, who are still living life much the way it was 300 years ago.

Their way of living, which can prohibit ownership of computers and may rely on electricity only in limited cases for business, may seem filled with unnecessary hardship. But there are significant benefits of living in concert with your community — off the grid without being dependent on anyone or any technology.

The DW Documentary above, “The Lives of the Amish in the U.S.,”¹ shares how “an encounter with the Amish is like traveling back in time” and why, in this day and age, this could be a very smart move.

No Reliance on Conveniences That One Day May Be Taken Away

About 370,000 Amish people live in the U.S., primarily in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Different communities have slightly different ways of life, with some groups avoiding electricity entirely, for instance, while others do not. However, at the core of being Amish is self-reliance, rejection of most technological advances and devotion to the community.

Without cars, most Amish people drive horse-drawn carts. Others may hire a taxi or use an e-bike to take them distances that are too far for horses to travel. There’s also a notable absence that would be foreign to most modern families — no computers, cellphones, internet or social media in the home.

Chester and his family, featured in the film, follow the Old Amish Ordnung. The word “ordnung” is German for “order” and describes a set of rules that dictates their way of life. In addition to little technology and the use of only batteries and generators, the family heats their home with wood from a nearby forest and uses an old-fashioned washing machine to clean their clothes. Far from being a hassle, this is part of what promotes their well-being. Chester says:²

“Even during COVID and all this turmoil … that was worldwide, we’ve been able to retain a way of living that promotes inner peace. And I don’t think that’s possible if you’re always 24/7, if you’re completely connected to social media and the outside world. Even businesses completely run with … instant communication — it’s great for a business, [but] I’m so happy I can step back from it. And that’s the way I keep my sanity.”

For many, it’s difficult to imagine a life without such modern conveniences as electricity, computers and cellphones. But it’s wise to pay attention as The Great Reset unfolds around us. A common mantra was chanted by world leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Great Reset is necessary to “build back better” from the crisis and create a new sustainable future.

This future is one led by a powerful global cartel eager to gain control over society and, ultimately, humanity. Toward that end, resources that currently seem inalienable — like the right to grow your own food and maintain control of your financial assets — could one day disappear. If you can’t survive without them, you lose all autonomy and are at the mercy of those in control.

Growing Your Own Food Helps Protect Your Freedom

If you control the food supply, you control the population. It’s another area where the Amish have it right, as they produce the majority of their own food. Lloyd and Edna Miller, who run their farm of 50 dairy cows on solar power, are among them.

Edna uses her e-bike to visit a grocery store once a week, purchasing only supplemental items they don’t grow on the farm. The ability to sustain themselves is important not only to the Millers but to the Amish community as a whole. Lloyd says:³

“When COVID came, a lot of people panicked … people aren’t even sure where their food is coming from today. And those are real-life issues … for the most part we could be self- sustainable for quite a long time, especially within the group. Within the group of people that we personally know, we could survive a pretty good long time without any outside input.”

Growing as much food as you can is a principle that everyone can live by. You might invest in a greenhouse, plant an orchard or move to a rural area where you can raise chickens. Any additional level of self-sufficiency you can create will offer you more protection.

The globalists have long held a monopoly on the grain industry, for instance, with their patented genetically modified organisms (GMOs). A similar trend is now occurring with fake food. The globalists are trying to replace animal husbandry with lab-grown meat and even insects, which will allow private companies to effectively control the entire food supply. Those who are able to grow their own food, however, cannot be controlled.

Investing in real things, like land and buildings, is also a wise move and an area where the Amish excel. Although any type of formal education ends after 8th grade, many in the Amish community own and run successful businesses, including blacksmithing and bakeries.

“The Amish are very business-oriented, small business, you know. Small family businesses that are run by families or friends, and we work together as a team,” Tom Berer from Pennsylvania says in the film.⁴

Community and Family Life Over Technology

Another tenet that runs deep in the Amish community is self-reliance and looking out for the good of the whole. “It means putting your individual desires, your selfish desires, to the side and doing what is good for the community,” Chester says, adding:⁵

“As a culture, we don’t like to be dependent on government help. So, we don’t want to accept any handouts. We do not pay into Social Security. We also don’t get the benefits. We don’t get Medicaid or Medicare, but we, within the community, have some church or community-funded programs where it’s all nonprofit.

So, for myself I pay in about $200 every month and that gives me basic coverage, up to $100,000 a year, that’s just for my family.”

To pay for a $50,000 surgery for a 10-year-old Amish boy, the community also came together, with more than 250 people donating and exceeding the goal. There may be health benefits to the Amish lifestyle as well.

In humans, the incidence of depression has grown along with the use of electric lights. While this is only a correlation, it’s interesting to note that Amish populations, which have no electricity, have low rates of depression.⁶ The Amish also have low rates of asthma, likely due to their farming environment. Substances in Amish house dust may even shape the innate immune system, suppressing the development of allergic asthma.^7,⁸

Further, while some Amish people use telephones — land lines, not cellphones — for business purposes, they usually don’t keep them inside the home, as “too much technology disrupts family life.”⁹ Meanwhile, in the rest of the U.S., technology and social media use are changing the way the human brain works, especially with high usage.

Data from teens’ phones reveals that usage is, indeed, high, with 6th graders picking up their phones more than 100 times a day, with some picking them up more than 400 times daily. Adolescents also spend an average of 8.2 hours on devices each day, with some spending twice that amount.¹⁰

Digital stress, which occurs from connection overload, fear of missing out on online conversations or feeling the need to be always available online, along with anxiety over gaining approval online, is another significant issue. Close to 50% of youth on social media suffer from digital stress, which is associated with increases in depressive symptoms.¹¹

In the Amish community, teens may engage in rumspringa, a period of increased social activity and exploration. The term is Dutch for “running around” and is a rite of passage during which they may choose to leave the Amish community or be baptized into the Amish church.¹²

The Amish Are Already Free of the Control Grid

The increasing prevalence of smart cities, with connected smart meters, set up the infrastructure for widespread surveillance, while digital IDs keep everything — your finances, health information, employment history and social credit score — all in one place. This means globalists can monitor, and control, your spending and use of resources.

Organizations such as the World Economic Forum and many of the central banks are pushing for the rollout of the globalist control grid. Once in place, it may be impossible or near-impossible to live without a digital ID and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

Getting yourself out of the control grid as much as possible is essential for protecting your freedom, and this is another area where the Amish — who do not depend on the control grid — have a significant advantage.

In this way, we can all take a lesson from their old-fashioned ways and strive to live a simpler, more self-reliant lifestyle — build your own “ark,” hone your skills and cultivate a strong community around you. This involves growing your own food or, if you can’t, developing a relationship with a local farmer who can supply food for you.

At the very least, shop small and local, including for your food, supporting local farmers instead of corporate giants. You can also ditch your cellphone, which has been described as a “surveillance weapon and beyond,” as much as possible.¹³ Even if you have no interest in the Amish way of life, it’s worth recognizing that a reliance on modern-day comforts and technology leaves you incredibly vulnerable should they collapse.

Though it’s uncomfortable to think about, this existence is a fragile one that could be taken away as The Great Reset progresses. Becoming complacent only makes globalists’ plans easier to implement while embodying the preparedness and resourcefulness displayed by the Amish makes a full takeover unlikely.

Along with the practical steps of growing food and considering alternate energy sources, like solar roof panels or a generator, you’ve also got to keep your mind sharp and clear. So, ditch your cellphone and other Big Tech propaganda interference as much as possible in favor of real relationships and local connections. Forge ties in your community where ever you can, and work together, as the Amish do, to build a meaningful, resilient life.

Sources and References:

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