Key Takeaways

• Victor “Vic” Baranco was born on Oakland on 28, July 1934 and died on 7, September 2002 at the age of 68.
• Susie, a popular and wealthy socialite was Victor's 1st wife, while Cindy, Victor's 2nd wife continues to lead the group since his demise in 2002.
• Victor took part in LSD experiments sponsored by the CIA, where he discovered his gift for therapy and human transformation, based on his idea of “perfection”.

Introduction

Victor Baranco's Childhood

• Victor “Vic” Baranco was born July 28, 1934, to Wilbert Baranco, a black father and a Jewish mother, who were popular musicians living in Oakland. If Victor's parents were interested in him, they did not show it, as they were more consumed with their love for music. Their marriage was miserable; getting married and divorced twice over 51 years.
• After turning a new leaf from being a "street-thug", Victor became a thriving appliance salesman. He then wooed a wealthy socialite, Susie, who became his 1st wife.

Founding Lafayette-Morehouse

• Victor partook in CIA-sponsored LSD experiments (usually conducted for mind control, information gathering etc) and found out that he had a gift for therapy and human transformation, centered on his idea of “perfection”. So when his wife, Susie told him she was frigid, and they could not get any solution from their consultation with various therapists, Victor started exploring the possibility of increasing the female orgasm. Using a practice called "do-date", they eventually had some success where Susie was able to orgasm for over an hour.
• From his teachings, Victor bought a house and started a community in Oakland, the Oakland Morehouse and later through a donation of a fairly large tract of land in Lafayette California, the Lafayette Morehouse. Founded by Victor Baranco who was a forerunner in sensuality exploration in the 1960s, the East Bay group labeled the 'Purple People', so-called for their liking for the color on their houses and cars, was established on a community in Lafayette. Technically known as Lafayette Morehouse, the group took shape in 1968 as a "sex cult" —a mysterious and peculiar community.
• Baranco proceeded to build a complete curriculum based on the intrinsic perfection of life. The program was developed around communication, group living, sensuality, and man-woman relationships. Many of Vic's students became popular using his materials on the importance of pleasure goals in living a full life, the nature of man-woman relationships, the nature of effective communication, expansion of orgasmic potential for both men and women, and effective governance structures for communal living.
• The Morehouse lifestyle was built on acceptance of differences, civility, and approval of other people, rather than on sex and drugs, which was prevalent in his group. The Morehouse concept became very common in the 1970s, with the main campus in Lafayette California, and over 70 Morehouses springing up around the country.

• Victor believed what kept his parents together was their captivation to a magnificent obsession, something he didn't have. He tried the Marine Corps, football and tennis, but he was not obsessed with anything, not even his marriage. Then the flash to perfection hit him, when he had a self-reported “thunderbolt” experience with a lady in the Lafayette Morehouse swimming pool. Cindy became Victor's 2nd wife, the object of his devotion for his remaining years. It turned out that the magnificent obsession had just hit him at age 42!

 

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Why He Was Successful

• Baranco had rare insight into human character. He was able to call people out on their hypocrisy very accurately. He also had an immense passion for life, with the ability to enjoy himself under all conditions, even growing physical discomfort and disabilities as he aged.
• Victor had a huge impact on many people’s lives by the lifestyle he created, which has outlived him for years. He inspired a long list of sexual educators, impacted thousands of people for the better, and his ideology created a lot of happy couples.

Leveraging His Followers

• The members of Lafayette-Morehouse regard themselves as social researchers and "responsible hedonists". The community is controlled by a strict unanimity of the community, a process called the "one no-vote" system.
• The principle of the community is the research and education of the enjoyment of life, and the enrichment of life's desires. Consequently, sequel to their research in sensuality, in 1976, they presented the 1st known public exhibition of a woman in orgasm for three hours.

 

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Cause of Death

• Not much is known about the event surrounding Victor's death. According to his 2nd wife, Cindy, in her video about his death, she described him as "a man who was very alive and liked making choices". Her words " I wanted to help him shut down smoothly, as nicely as possible, to have as nice an exit, as he had a life". Victor Baranco died on September 7, 2002, at the age of 68.

Research Strategy