Most things that sound too good to be true, usually are. So that’s why many people would immediately be suspicious when a random Texas man with an abundance of acreage invites anyone to come live on his land for free. Especially if he’s doing it in a bid to start his own community and is branding the whole thing as “Rebuilding Atlantis,” which isn’t giving creepy delusions of grandeur vibes at all.
For other people, though, the idea of living somewhere for nothing is far too enticing to pass up. TikToker @visionaryempress is one of those people, and she alarmed everyone on the app when she announced that she had moved to the Rebuilding Atlantis land in West Texas. Those on the app can’t help but fear that Visionaryempress may have just cast herself as the protagonist of a future true crime series documenting the cult this community is surely set to become. As someone darkly commented, “Can’t believe I’m here before Netflix!”
The comments section of the TikToker’s first video about her move to Atlantis is full of concern for her safety. “Just went over and looked at rebuilding Atlantis. I’m scared for you!!!” one wrote, while another jokingly pleaded, “I’m gonna hold your hand when I tell you this….” Others were more troubled by the logistical issues of building a community in the middle of the Texan desert: “I have so many questions (?) water, sewage, storms where will you hide? Garden? Where is this water coming from.” Some might even be interested in signing up: “Serious question- is there any sort of vetting process to be able to stay there?”
For those who are intrigued by the concept — hopefully in a morbidly curious kind of way, not in an “I’m on the first plane there!” kind of way — the guy who runs Rebuilding Atlantis is slowly amassing a bigger social media following as he grows his own community. His TikTok account currently has over 130k followers and counting. On why he’s doing this, the wannabe Atlantean ruler explained, “I’m building my own town out here because all of the cities I’ve lived in, and towns and villages in any part of the United States, hasn’t been too fun.”
The good news is that the people of TikTok may have helped Visionaryempress see sense. After a live video in which she appeared to be driving away from the Rebuilding Atlantis land, she posted a teasing video in which she explained how she would, hypothetically, escape if she found out she had accidentally joined a cult… hypothetically.
OK, but is Rebuilding Atlantis actually a cult? TikTok-grown cults are becoming a thing, believe it or not, as demonstrated by Netflix’s Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult documentary. However, the closest analogue to Rebuilding Atlantis is California’s Slab City, another free off-the-grid community for those who want to live outside the system. Unfortunately, it’s become riddled with problems — there’s no electricity or running water, it’s located in a climate change danger zone, and the state is considering selling the land. Starting your own town might sound nifty, but let’s just say there’s a reason Atlantis sunk in the first place.
