Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa
According to Atlas Obscura, an Iowan real estate developer was so inspired by the spiritual lifestyle of deceased guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that he wanted to create a community fundamentally based around transcendental meditation. Although southeast Iowa isn’t considered a likely place for such a community, the idea nonetheless gained enough ground that Maharishi Vedic City became the state’s newest incorporated town in 2001.
And true to the developer and his mentor’s vision, daily life in this town is based on the Hindu concept of Veda (knowledge), which can be seen in everything from the community’s daily meditation practices to the town’s architecture. It’s a noted retreat for the director David Lynch, a long-time proponent of transcendental meditation.