Photo by Oliver Purser
Thirty years ago, Rainbow Guy (aka Guy Feldmann) was divinely inspired to change his gypsy ways, settle down, and complete two very important missions: build the Temple, a nondenominational gathering place devoted to the pursuit of truth, and burrow an underground tunnel without a destination.
Not one to question the synchronistic flow of the universe, Guy soon secured a suitable patch of land in the hills behind Byron Bay, Australia, and in 1981—on the doubly auspicious occasion of Easter Sunday and a full moon in Libra—began to execute the consecrated tasks bestowed on him.
Since its inception, the Temple has grown in size and reputation. By Guy’s estimate, it currently attracts approximately 300 visitors a year, mainly international travelers and spiritual enthusiasts. It is a place of refuge where people can stay for as long as they want without hassle.
Following the mantra “As above, so below” (we’re still unclear on what that means, but it sounds nice), Guy has no plans to stop digging anytime soon—or ever, for that matter. Guy told us that his tunnel, at 165 feet deep, is still in its infancy. His ultimate goal is to create an ever-expanding labyrinth that stretches for miles.
Wishing to pay our respects to the Temple, and of course witness the intriguing tunnel for ourselves, I found Guy drinking coffee amid a group of Israeli backpackers. As expected, he was incredibly warm and welcoming but a little concerned that our interview would cause him to miss the beginning of a soccer match that was about to air on TV. Of course, I kept asking questions so I could talk to him for as long as possible. Wouldn’t you? I mean, look at him. He’s fuckin’ Rainbow Guy!
Vice: So you’ve been working on this tunnel for how long?
Rainbow Guy: I had to finish the Temple first, so I didn’t start on the tunnel until about 15 years ago. If you actually add up all of the work time—as in eight hours a day, five days a week—I’ve probably only put in about six months of real labor. Are you aiming for a certain length?
There’s no end to its journey. Miles, I’d like to think, but obviously this won’t happen in my lifetime. Yet there should be no reason to consider my death to be the end of the tunnel—it should go on. Does the tunnel represent a certain meaning or sentiment, or are you just really into drilling through rock?
The tunnel complements the Temple. The idea is to build a labyrinth with lots of interior tunnels and egg-shaped rooms that we can use for singing, meditation, storage, retreats, water containment, and sound and light deprivation. But mainly it’s fun, a great adventure, and part of a health campaign. I’m 65 years old, and you know the saying: If you don’t use it, you will lose it. There’s a lot of truth to that. Have you ever considered joining a gym instead?
Yes, but then there’s the joy of doing this. Every time I come out after a strong session underground, I feel like I could go in again; I’ve got more energy than when I went in. It’s something about being charged by the earth. Right. How does that tie into sensory deprivation?
I’ve heard that if you spend a period of time in darkness, away from sound and light, that the brain goes through a change to adjust to those circumstances. The left and right brains will eventually meet because nothing separates them anymore—there’s no cause and no effect. Apparently, it’s quite a valuable experience. You’re not claustrophobic, are you?
Yes I am. Does it impede your maximum tunnel-boring potential?
I made sure that the tunnel was big and wide enough that it wouldn’t be an issue, and I am not claustrophobic in that tunnel. In other places, yes, but not in there. Have you experienced any problems with the local authorities? I imagine it’d be hard to get a permit for something like this.
I probably would have trouble if they were aware of the tunnel, but I don’t because they’re not. You’ll have problems with the council if you pick your nose. You can’t do anything. I met your son earlier, and he told me that he sees the Temple as the ultimate penis and the tunnel as its accommodating vagina. Is that a sound theory?
The Temple, being such a monolithic structure that reaches upward, is, in a sense, a vertical penis. It’s surrounded by a stage, which is a big, beautiful receptive area, but yes, you could say it’s phallic, tall, and proud. It hasn’t been crowned yet, and I’m sure that it will bring about an orgasm of sorts when it’s finally finished. Then there’s the tunnel itself, which, when I’m in it, is like being inside the womb of the earth because all I feel there is love; I feel embraced by the earth when I’m in there digging. I get covered in clay and come out dripping sweat and feel like I’ve been through some sort of transformation or conscious metamorphosis. Any idea why you received this particular calling?
Scientologists have a question: “If you find yourself surrounded by chaos, how do you get out of chaos?” I believe the answer is: Take any point and start from there. This is the point that I have started from, or that the universe has started from through me, to work its way out of chaos.
Rainbow Guy: I had to finish the Temple first, so I didn’t start on the tunnel until about 15 years ago. If you actually add up all of the work time—as in eight hours a day, five days a week—I’ve probably only put in about six months of real labor. Are you aiming for a certain length?
There’s no end to its journey. Miles, I’d like to think, but obviously this won’t happen in my lifetime. Yet there should be no reason to consider my death to be the end of the tunnel—it should go on. Does the tunnel represent a certain meaning or sentiment, or are you just really into drilling through rock?
The tunnel complements the Temple. The idea is to build a labyrinth with lots of interior tunnels and egg-shaped rooms that we can use for singing, meditation, storage, retreats, water containment, and sound and light deprivation. But mainly it’s fun, a great adventure, and part of a health campaign. I’m 65 years old, and you know the saying: If you don’t use it, you will lose it. There’s a lot of truth to that. Have you ever considered joining a gym instead?
Yes, but then there’s the joy of doing this. Every time I come out after a strong session underground, I feel like I could go in again; I’ve got more energy than when I went in. It’s something about being charged by the earth. Right. How does that tie into sensory deprivation?
I’ve heard that if you spend a period of time in darkness, away from sound and light, that the brain goes through a change to adjust to those circumstances. The left and right brains will eventually meet because nothing separates them anymore—there’s no cause and no effect. Apparently, it’s quite a valuable experience. You’re not claustrophobic, are you?
Yes I am. Does it impede your maximum tunnel-boring potential?
I made sure that the tunnel was big and wide enough that it wouldn’t be an issue, and I am not claustrophobic in that tunnel. In other places, yes, but not in there. Have you experienced any problems with the local authorities? I imagine it’d be hard to get a permit for something like this.
I probably would have trouble if they were aware of the tunnel, but I don’t because they’re not. You’ll have problems with the council if you pick your nose. You can’t do anything. I met your son earlier, and he told me that he sees the Temple as the ultimate penis and the tunnel as its accommodating vagina. Is that a sound theory?
The Temple, being such a monolithic structure that reaches upward, is, in a sense, a vertical penis. It’s surrounded by a stage, which is a big, beautiful receptive area, but yes, you could say it’s phallic, tall, and proud. It hasn’t been crowned yet, and I’m sure that it will bring about an orgasm of sorts when it’s finally finished. Then there’s the tunnel itself, which, when I’m in it, is like being inside the womb of the earth because all I feel there is love; I feel embraced by the earth when I’m in there digging. I get covered in clay and come out dripping sweat and feel like I’ve been through some sort of transformation or conscious metamorphosis. Any idea why you received this particular calling?
Scientologists have a question: “If you find yourself surrounded by chaos, how do you get out of chaos?” I believe the answer is: Take any point and start from there. This is the point that I have started from, or that the universe has started from through me, to work its way out of chaos.