The Ten Principles (below) really help orient to the Burning Man culture. It is strongly recommended that all participants read the 2009 SURVIVAL GUIDE.
FIRST-TIME BURNERS -- please scroll down and read our message to you!
Feeling like you need inspiration? Check out Pictures from Previous Burns.
Ten Principles from the Creators of Burning Man
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
ParticipationOur community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
FOR FIRST-TIME BURNERS:
A Word to the Wise: Drop All Expectations Now
Burning Man isn't what you think it is. Burning Man simply cannot be contained, understood or experienced at the level of the mind. It must be experpienced fully by the whole being. The more expectations you bring, the more likely you are to be disappointed. I suggest you use your mind to read about it, talk about it, ask about it, and PREPARE TO BE SURPRISED.
All in all, you are taking time out of your life to participate in Burning Man. You might set some intentions about what Burning Man will be for you. It might be a vacation, it might be time to stay up all night and dance. It might be time to reassess old habits and create new ones. Burning Man is an infinite universe -- and only you can find what you need.
That said, there are some things common to all Burns, that you may expect in some form:
1. DUST. This cannot be over-emphasized for first timers. Dust storms arrive without warning! And one dust storm will saturate your clothes and skin with dust. YOU NEED PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR AND YOU NEED SOMETHING TO COVER YOUR MOUTH. Carry these items with you at all times. Always zip up your tent when not using it -- one dust storm will cover the inside of your tent if you leave it open.
2. COLD. It is not universally cold at night, it can be warm, but it can be frigig. I'm talking like WINTER. Plan on at least one night of WINTER like temperatures.
3. HEAT. BRING A WATER BOTTLE. Hydration is key to your success at Burning Man.
4. :( This is not universal, but it happens. Many first-time Burners reach a point in mid-festival where they feel shitty: sad ready to leave, dirty, tired, hungry, frustrated, or lonely -- whatever it is. So don't be surprised or disappointed if you find yourself feeling down at some point during the festival. There are ups and downs and Burning Man can be exhausting. Simply don't expect that you will have fun and enjoy yourself 24 hour/day. When do we EVER have fun 24 hours/day, 7 days/week?
Make a commitment now to take care of yourself. Sukkat Shalom will have a lot of support for everyone and the festival has its own resources.
Advice from Nathaniel: "My second year, I told myself that Burning Man would double as a vacation on the beach when I wasn't feeling up to exploring Black Rock City. I brought a book and gave myself permission to spend multiple afternoons just reading by myself. Having this outlet made the whole experience much richer and less exhausting."
