This year’s American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) election was interesting and thought provoking.  There were two good choices for president.  One offered evangelical change while the other offered seasoned administration.  The membership voted for evangelical change, which arguably is in response to unfolding dynamics in American society and its body culture.  The times they are a-changin’, and they are presenting clear challenges (and opportunities) for Nudism/Naturism and AANR.  What follows are some ruminations about this.  They are intended as food for thought.  Some may be provocative.  They do suggest that an exercise in strategic planning and exploration may be worthwhile.

AANR is important.  AANR is more important than people realize.  Nudism is not just an enjoyable form of recreation.  It is also an ambitious social movement to advance a wholesome and healthy body culture in American society.  While many do not think far beyond the pleasures of spending a day with their kit off, convivial social nudism teaches attitudes and values that are inherently respectful, accepting and healthy.  Sound and constructive body ethics get internalized through experience and are of great service to the individual.  If practiced on a large scale, they can bring considerable benefit to society.  Organized and resourced collective action by AANR has been historically critical to securing rights for body freedom and will be essential to realize the potential of nudist ideals in the future.

There is a need for governance.  AANR has a role to play as an arbiter of standards and a good-housekeeping seal of approval.  It is a reality that all people have instinctual, innate sex drives.  For most, these drives are dormant in non-sexual nude settings and at non-sexual nude times.  However, and unfortunately, there are some people who are unable or unwilling to self-regulate.  They cross lines of acceptable public decency and/or harass folks to assuage their desires.  Many skinny-dipping sites have been lost by thrill-seekers abusing nude tolerant conditions, and complaints of unsolicited propositioning or gawking in nude settings are perennial.  It only takes a few to blow it for the many.  On the other hand, organized management such as found at clubs, or beaches with ambassador programs, has proven to be extremely helpful (though not perfect) to regulate and enforce publicly acceptable behavior.  AANR has a role to play in establishing and communicating standards that work and in defending those standards, legally if necessary.  AANR also has a recognized brand that can convey those standards to clubs and other venues as a good housekeeping seal of approval.  A good demonstration of this is recent legislation in Florida that legally recognized AANR as an arbiter of legitimate nudist activity.

It may be a good time for strong female leadership.  The recent AANR election appears to be a call for change.  An outspoken, social media savvy, female advocate was chosen over an effective, male government lobbyist from the old guard.  While gender may not have been the deciding factor, it may be a signal that the time is right for the Nudist/Naturist Movement to be driven by strong female leadership representing a younger generation.  The rise of the body positivity trend and the increase in energetic activity by WINR (Women In Nude Recreation) may also be markers of an emerging assertiveness on the part of females to establish a body culture that works for them.  Women have been under-represented in American social nudism forever.  For all its progress, the feminist movement has not managed to negate issues of shame, confidence and objectification that trouble many women’s attitudes about their bodies.  Ultimately, women will have to stand up and lead to resolve these legacy issues.  It can be done.  Most men will welcome strong female leadership in the Nudist/Naturist Movement and support them in the process. By definition, a wholesome and healthy body culture will be gender balanced and equitable with shared norms of behavior that work for all.  Women must be a driver in the quest for widely embraced, family-friendly nude norms.

To everything, there is a season.  Like many things, cultural dynamics are cyclical. Nudism/Naturism too has a history of waxing and waning.  We appear to be in a waning phase judging by club closures, declining membership, bashful locker room behavior, etc. However, the cycle will turn.  In fact, there are already encouraging counter-cyclical signs.  Situationally, this may be why AANR membership chose an evangelist to be their next leader now.  Ultimately, the right leadership will find the right conditions at the right time to make progress. 

Context matters.  While Nudism/Naturism is a movement and sub-culture unto itself, it operates in the broader context of all the other cultural forces affecting society.  Elements such as internet social media, mass consumer marketing,  the sexual revolution, mass distributed pornography, secularization, feminism, LGBTQ, processed food, fashion and many other dynamics profoundly shape body culture.  It is tough competition, especially given the amount of money and power that is at stake.  Regardless, we are now approaching the 100^th anniversary of organized nudism in the U.S., and it is fair to say that in every generation a core minority emerges that innately grasps the goodness of Nudist/Naturist living and keeps the game going.  This movement has staying power, and patient perseverance will eventually find success.

Successful social movements share certain characteristics.  They include: a shared and clearly defined set of strategies, effective and charismatic leadership (effective will do), a wide supportive economic base, and unified human resources.  The Nudist/Naturist Movement appears to be lacking on all fronts in this regard, which is discouraging.  However, there is nothing that says these characteristics cannot be pulled together.  AANR is not a large organization, but it does have some resources, a brand and a history to build upon.  Thoughtful research, experimentation and strategic planning may illuminate a pathway and opportunities for success.

The 3½% Rule.  There is a rule of thumb that it only takes about 3½% of a population to succeed in effecting social change.  In the U.S., this would amount to almost 12 million people, which sounds like a lot… However, when you consider all the people who have skinny dipped, shared a sauna or hot tub, visited a club, free-hiked a trail, gone to a spa, taken a nakation, slept in the nude or just spent clothes-free time at home, it’s not that big a number at all.  It is only on account of social stigma that the vast reality of nude body culture is understated and underground.  The challenge is to clearly define and grow the set of openly acceptable places and times for ethically practiced, non-sexual nude living past the common knowledge tipping point.  Clubs alone cannot achieve this.  There are not enough nor are they big enough.  A strategy that can align millions of people to affiliate with, support or simply accept the AANR cause is necessary.  Is it possible for AANR to think big, cast a wide net and succeed?  I do not know.  I do know that if the 3½% measure were ever attained, AANR clubs and resorts would be in good shape businesswise.

Strategy informs structure.  It appears that AANR has long been organized geographically around regional club groups that cooperatively gather resources to support lobbying, legal and promotional efforts.  One wonders, perhaps unfairly, if this organization structure is a legacy from a time before the electronic age when cars and highways were still relatively new.  If AANR’s strategic priority is the clubs, this structure may be fine and appropriate.  It’s OK to serve a niche.  However, if there is a plausible, clear and consensual strategy to grow nude body culture in a nationally impactful way, AANR may have to organize itself differently to achieve a productive set of goals and objectives in that direction.

Politics adds challenges to the challenge.  The history of organized  nudism has long been characterized by political challenges and fragmentation.  Early on, a democratic faction rose up to contest Ilsley Boone’s autocratic approach.  Later, Lee Baxandall’s Naturist Society rose up as an alternative to the American Sunbathing Association (now AANR).  Presently, in addition to AANR and the TNS Foundation, there are a handful of national and regional organizations focused on beaches, younger demographics, education and advocacy.  They all share in the big picture mission but have various philosophical and operational differences.  It may not be practical to consolidate all these organizations to get all the wood behind one arrowhead, but increasing alignment, collaboration and coordination could be effective if achieved.

Make haste slowly.  Culture changes gradually… over generations.  While there are important matters to be dealt with right away, such as problematic legislative initiatives in places like Wisconsin and Florida, there must also be a sustained, steady drumbeat of evangelical effort to progress and grow.  The vision, I believe, is to achieve a healthy American body culture that includes broadly accepted norms for non-sexual social nudity in appropriate places at appropriate times.  Even though reaching a cultural tipping point will take (a long) time, progress can be measured by smaller milestones along the way.  This movement has staying power to play a long game.  Patient perseverance can eventually succeed.

Don’t worry about the whiners.  It is common to see complaints that clubs and resorts are too far away, too expensive, too old, too male and too boring.  As one who once had to travel far, with limited funds, to hang out with a majority male crowd, doing not much, I can say for myself that it is all worth it, nonetheless.  I have met great people, had lots of laughs, enjoyed the elements and nature and perhaps most importantly, communed with people who share my values.  There are always whiners.  There are also those who figure out how to make things work better.  Leadership emerges, and they gather friends, set up volleyball clubs, concert and art festivals, protest bike rides, gatherings and such, and work with venues to get stuff done.  It may be useful to worry more about the emergent doers than the whiners.  Instead of, or in addition to, a “build it and they will come” attitude, a “come and we’ll help you build it” approach could help.

Summary.  The bottom line is that AANR is important, and all who believe in the benefits of nude living should support it to aid in its success.  There are many aspects of AANR that are effective and work well.  At the same time, there are strategic issues and opportunities that appear to be calling for AANR to evolve and adapt.  The Nudist/Naturist Movement in America is a small minority sub-culture that for almost 100 years has demonstrated persistence and promise as it waxes and wanes.  To grow beyond its small niche toward the ideal of a broadly accepted, wholesome and healthy American body culture will require organized and resourced collective action over a long haul.  A new generation of leadership is emerging that may be well suited for the emerging demographics and the attitudes of the coming age. Strategies and opportunities that could be scalable are worth exploring.  Things that are right and good have a way of persisting through change despite obstacles and human fallibilities.  Nudism/Naturism as a movement will find its way, and we should be grateful for AANR and its leadership and all that they do.

Whether it is in a Finnish sauna or a Japanese onsen or a European naturist spa or an American backyard hot tub, people find comfort, relaxation and joy in non-sexual, socially nude recreation.  Visitors to family friendly AANR resorts report a convivial atmosphere and the genuinely happy condition of Naturists being clothes-free. Several research papers have been published characterizing the positive effects of social nudism on self-esteem, body image and mental well-being. ¹   Collectively, the evidence is strong that social nudism has a positive effect on a person’s sense of happiness.  Why and how recreating in the buff with others can make people happy is what we would like to explore with this post. 

Philosophers, theologians and social scientists have studied and debated happiness for millennia.  Many causes and factors have been identified, but a conclusive understanding of this emotional state remains elusive.  One knows it when they have it, and it usually involves a mix of things that uniquely come together for each individual (relationships, economic security, personal achievement, and so on).  Naturism does not appear on the usual lists of factors, but perhaps it should.

The late neuroscientist and philosopher, Walter Freeman, advanced the scientific study of happiness and illuminated insights on certain factors that facilitate it.  These factors, it turns out, are inherent to social nudism.  Freeman’s paper, titled “Happiness doesn’t come in bottles. Neuroscientists learn that joy comes through dancing, not drugs.” presents his ideas in an everyday readable format.  A link to it is provided below. ²  Please read it.

Freeman’s paper is not about Naturism.  It is not even about dancing specifically.  According to Freeman, happiness is not simply a chemical reaction in the brain but a state of mind and consciousness attained by overlapping one’s unique personal life experience with others.   It involves a combination of two elements: Communion and Trust. Communion is established when people share activities and experiences that cause them to have thoughts or feelings in common.  Trust emerges when cooperative activity is intensive enough for one to gain confidence in their communal partners’ predictable actions and behavior.  Bonding experiences such as dancing, team sports, parenting, combat, road trips, etc. are the types of things that fit this model.

Naturism is fundamentally a Trust-Instilling Communion.  To remove the socially protective layer of one’s clothing and reveal one’s authentic and vulnerable self to others and then to experience the mutually accepting, respectful and reciprocal behavior of those others establishes a common bond and trust.   The shared experience of easy-going moral conduct, decency and basic humanity generates a sense of comfort, confidence and relaxation amongst the communal.  It converts nakedness (which can feel vulnerable) into nudity (which can feel safe).  To those who have not experienced it, this can be hard to believe.  Yet, this is the culture and atmosphere that exists in Ethical Naturist settings.

The common bond of social nudism also enables what social scientists call a bridging network.  People with varied economic backgrounds, ethnicities, political persuasions and other diversities obtain a way to see past their differences and become able to engage in cooperative behavior and get along.  Bridging differences enough to become and feel part of a community helps happiness.

It is important to note that the converse of this is also true.  Creepiness, predatory behavior, voyeurism, exhibitionism, overt sexual activity and other unsuitable actions can erase trust and break communion.  Trust is the essential ingredient that must be present and free of doubt.  This is why Naturists can be so adamant about etiquette and enforcing proper conduct.

While Freeman focuses on communion amongst people, Naturists also find value in communion with Nature.  Connecting to and harmonizing with the natural world reminds us that we are a part of all living creation and not separate from it.  Internalizing this and sensing that we are in relationship with the earth comforts the spirit and provides a respite from the artificiality of urban/suburban and technological life.  Feeling more in harmony with Nature is helpful to happiness.

The pursuit of happiness is a struggle for many people today, especially the young.  Despite general material well-being, there is a complex array of rapidly changing technological, cultural and social conditions that are isolating, disorienting and confusing, if not dangerous.  Loneliness is a major issue as many people lack authentic, stable, quality friendships, family relations and community engagements.   Their sense of self and belonging is not well anchored. ³  

It is a constant theme of ours that Ethical Naturism can promote a healthy mind in a healthy body with a bright spirit.  We all want to be happy.  The pursuit of happiness is held to be an unalienable right.  While Naturism alone is not sufficient to sustain happiness, its ability to establish Trust-Instilling Communion with others offers a potent building block for a happy life.  Engaging in socially-oriented Naturist activities or finding a Naturist community that accepts you as you are can have a very positive impact on your life.

^1A  https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/naked-and-unashamed/

^1B  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-017-9846-1

²    https://sisyphuslitmag.org/2018/07/happiness-doesnt-come-in-bottles/

³     https://www.statista.com/statistics/1384137/anxiety-depression-loneliness-us-by-age/

In his epic work Metamorphoses, the Roman poet Ovid (43 BC – 17 AD) describes the first age of humanity as a Golden Age (Aetas Aurea).  It was golden because, in this time, people lived as innocents in a state of harmony with each other and with Nature.  Artists of the Renaissance were so inspired by this vision that they captured it in a series of beautiful engravings, some of which are presented below along with a translation from Ovid’s poem.

by Johann Wilhelm Baur (1703)

Metamorphoses, BOOK I, verses 89-112 ¹ 

First emerged the golden age in which faith and virtue spontaneously flourished of their own accord without authorities or laws.

Punishment and fear were absent, as were threatening words fixed in bronze, nor did people fear the stern face of the judge, but all were safe even in the absence of protection.

Not yet was the pine tree cut from its mountain to descend upon the seas so people could travel to far-away lands, and none knew any but their own shores.

Not yet did deep moats encircle cities; there were no war-trumpets, no coiled horns,
no swords and helmets. Without the use of military force, people passed their lives in sweet peace and security.

The earth herself, untouched by the hoe and unscarred by the plough, also gave freely all things from herself.  People, happy to gather food that grew without work, collected arbutus fruit, mountain strawberries, cornelian cherries, blackberries clinging to the tough brambles, and acorns fallen from Jupiter’s spreading oak-tree.

Spring was eternal, and gentle winds caressed the wildflowers with warm breezes. 

Soon the untilled earth even bore grains, and without needing renewal, the fields whitened with heavy ears of corn.

Rivers of milk and streams of nectar flowed, and golden honey dripped from the green holm oak.

by Antonio Tempesta (1606)

The idea of Aetas Aurea, of a perfect state that once existed but was lost never to be regained, is a powerful one.  It served the polytheistic Romans in the same way the Garden of Eden serves monotheistic Judeo-Christians to this day.  It reveals the cost of human imperfection while instilling a subconscious longing to find a way to its unreachable but desirable potential.   As an archetype deeply embedded in our psyche, it has provided motive force to religious, political and cultural movements through the ages.  The Naturist Movement itself is clearly rooted in Aetas Aurea idealism. One only has to look at the International Naturist Federation’s definition of Naturism, “a way of life in harmony with nature characterized by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and for the environment,” to see a direct appeal to live as in the Golden Age. 

by Adriaen Collaert (1561)

These images and Ovid’s poem should resonate with Ethical Naturist readers.  Not only do the scenes of non-sexual nudity in Nature resemble sunny days at a bucolic Naturist venue, but also the description of a convivial, non-judgmental community, where respectful behavior and safety are the norm despite the vulnerability of nakedness, should be familiar.  We do not live in a Golden Age, but a healthy Naturist setting, like an oasis in the desert, is where one can experience something closer to Aetas Aurea than what is typical in everyday life.

by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1530)

We live in an imperfect world, and our modern society and all of us are tainted by flaws, troubles and sins.  It is therefore good to have a model of a more perfect world, and it is healthy to have a tool that enlivens us to its possibilities and guides us toward it in the right direction.   The Golden Age/Garden of Eden is such a model, and Ethical Naturism is such a tool.  By stripping away the raiment of society and communing with others and with Nature as our authentic selves, we conform to this model and directly experience aspects of it in real life.   In turn, we internalize these ideals and move closer to living them generally.  It may be absurd, but one can imagine a more benevolent and harmonious age that could arise if a critical mass of the world embraced Ethical Naturism as a life philosophy.

__________________________________________________________________________

¹  There are several translations of Ovid’s poem, all of which are similar but different in their word choice and phrasing.  The text presented above borrows principally from the translation of Anthony S. Kline.  A few edits have been made to make it more presentable in modern English to the contemporary reader.

It has been a long, sweltering summer, and on U.S. beaches, women attired in “thong” bikinis have been a common sight. While still in the minority, this fashion choice has grown over the past few summers and now appears to be an established trend. Naturists inevitably have two minds about this and can only wonder if this is progress or prurience.

For more than 150 years, society has been on a march toward women’s body freedom and body confidence. Bathing attire has undergone a slow process of reducing clothed coverage to increase skin exposure. Along the way, standards for modesty and acceptable body exhibition have relaxed. At each stage, the revelation of more skin has initially been viewed as morally loose and risqué only to become an accepted norm with the passage of time. Naturists and nudists can view this history favorably as it harkens to a day when a healthy and widely acceptable nude body culture can exist. The thong bikini (I wish it had a different name…) shows promise as the next logical step in this process.

https://www.fashionlady.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/History-of-Womens-Swim-Suits.jpg

Women’s bodies have long been a battleground for social control, both between the sexes and amongst the female gender itself. Women constantly explore fashion to coalesce around shifting norms for beauty and acceptable, proper body presentation, while at the same time, negotiating boundaries of attractive desirability and modesty with men. It is an ongoing cultural dialog that moves society through issues of gender identity as well as equity. Bathing wear, given the inherent absurdity of wearing anything at all to bathe, is a key focal point of this dialog.

There are presently three female body areas (genitals, breasts, and buttocks) that society calls to cover up for modesty’s sake. (There are effectively only two for men.)  Everything else, which is substantially the same for both sexes (arms, noses, etc.), is free for exposure. As behinds are also substantially the same between the two genders, it is not a stretch that exposure of the backside would be explored for possible normalization. Why not? Only time will tell if butt cheeks on the beach achieves broad acceptance and normalcy (and whether men adopt this fashion in some way). If it does, it would be progress toward full body freedom and thus would benefit the Nudist/Naturist Movement.

On the other hand, it is also fair to question the thong as potentially decadent. The adventurous individuals sporting these bikinis today are often doing so to sexualize their bodies and attract attention. The fashion is revealing by design and has the effect of titillating a fair share of onlookers. This sexualized intention and effect is, to put it frankly, prurient (but arguably only mildly so). Given that society’s conflation of nudity with sex is an enormous barrier to widespread adoption of Nudist culture, this prurient element presents a conflict toward Naturist ideals. While revealing more of the body is a step forward, the increased sexualization driving the change is also a step backward.

Consequently, all things considered, Naturists/Nudists can view the thong bikini as both progress and prurience. That females broadly feel safe, comfortable, and enthused to bare more of their bodies is definite progress toward a Naturist culture. That they may be doing so to flash their wares and excite does not align with our values but can serve the cause if the sexual effect diminishes over time. Assuming history repeats, wide adoption of this fashion will dramatically reduce its ability to tantalize. The motivation of thong wearers today may be to get sexy, but ultimately their effort may render this revealed body part commonplace and ordinary. Time will tell. It is also possible that this fashion is nothing more than a decadent fad that fades away, potentially a disappointment for the Naturist cause.

Two other points are worth mentioning. First, men’s swimwear remains unaffected by this trend so far. There was a time in the last century when a minimal swimsuit, referred to as the “speedo,” became popular. If the ladies’ thong bikini becomes permanent, perhaps a time may come when men follow suit, probably at the behest of their lady friends, and start putting some color in their cheeks. Secondly, while the Top Free Movement advances in fits and starts, progress continues, and one can anticipate a day when women and men are equal in baring their chests. At such a point, it is possible that beachwear fashion could become truly equal, unisex, and minimal… thongs for all. This naturally would set the stage for culture to advance to the ultimate destination… normalized nudity. It may never happen, or it may take a generation or two, but today’s Naturists/Nudists can entertain a vision of this future as a real possibility and view the thong as an imperfect step in the right direction.

The image below seems a fitting end to an unusual and challenging year.  We are happy to move on and say goodbye to it.

If one searches the web for “things to do in the nude,” a lot of activities (not to mention ads…) will turn up.  However, undersea scootering is not likely to be among them.  Leave it to a bunch of crazy Naturists to figure out that submarining is best done the buff!  It is not our practice to post pictures, but this one is just too good!  LOL.  We should all open our minds in the New Year and find creative ways to experience our Naturist selves.

Presented below are the principles and standards of The American League for Physical Culture (ALFPC) as published in 1932.  Founded by nudist pioneer Kurt Barthel, the ALFPC was the first organization of its kind in the United States, and this document is probably the first formalized statement of nudist ethics in the country.  Its core idea, which should come as no surprise, is that nudism is healthy for the mind and body.  We discuss this concept often here, and it is as relevant today as it was then.  The statement also makes a moral comment citing that the body is not an object of shame nor a subject for levity or erotic exploitation.  It views this practice as not just physical, cultural or aesthetic but a union of all three and invites participation by people of good character representing the whole of society.

Our last post also presented a statement of nudist ethics and values, the American Sunbathing Association (ASA) resolution of 1948, passed 16 years after this statement below.  Comparing the two is interesting because the ASA document appears to build upon and evolve from the foundation laid out by the ALFPC.  Both are products of their time, one coming during the Great Depression and the other in the aftermath of WWII.  Both present core nudist values.  But whereas the ALFPC statement comes from a perspective of Health (including moral health), the ASA document grounds itself in Morality.  It states that the ideals of Nudism are not merely concerned with the physical (health) but also the moral, intellectual and political effort to build a brotherhood of man.  It is a document with big ideas that reflect the ambitions of an institution on the right track.  What becomes clear is that the nudist pioneers’ views changed and evolved in the years following the Movement’s founding.  Gaining the experience of nudist life affected them internally in a philosophical way and externally as they weathered the fight for legitimacy in clothed society.

So, we add this piece to our historical understanding of nudist culture and how its ethos developed.  Both the ALFPC and ASA perspectives have their merits, as do today’s more recreational attitudes. 

The leaders of the early Nudist movement in America were principled individuals.  They viewed the practice of Nudism not only as a healthful recreation but also as an embodiment of certain morals and human values.  To them, it was an exercise in and expression of a convivial and just life philosophy. 

Presented below is a resolution of the American Sunbathing Association (now known as AANR) published in the November 1948 edition of Sunshine & Health.  On one page, it proclaims on behalf of all Nudists, a rejection of discrimination, an opposition to war, an endorsement of the pursuit of physical vigor, a call for friendship and goodwill and support for the arts.  It is not a complete listing of Ethical Naturist values, but it is enough to pack a punch. 

It is marvelous that after more than 70 and several generations, Ethical Naturist principles of today are, with few exceptions, consistent with those of the Nudist Movement’s early founders.  We must be on to something.

In prior posts, we have expressed a view that Ethical Naturism offers benefits not only to the mind and body but also to the spirit. (https://ethicalnaturist.com/?p=358)  By uncloaking in community with others or in Nature, we can shed the raiment, artifices, and social constructs of everyday life to reveal a truer version of ourselves.  It can effectively be a ritual with symbolic power that, at times, awakens our senses to meaningful truths about life and being.  For the secular, this can be helpful.  For the religious, it can connect to and augment one’s religious beliefs and understanding. 

In this regard, the Christian Gospel of Thomas may be a good example.  It is collection of remarks attributed to Jesus, and among them are a few that include references fitting to the Naturist idea (clothing, the body, self-revelation, self-knowledge).  Notably, Jesus used metaphor and parable to share his truth.  So, his remarks have a provocative quality that forces reflection and meditation.  You are not told the way it is or what to do directly but must engage your own consciousness to discern his message and meaning.  Consequently, the passages below are remarkable because Naturist experience and the Naturist idea can actually help you to better grasp what Jesus was trying to say.  Please read them and consider how Naturism may have instilled in you a measure of understanding that aligns or resonates with their message.

Saying 6: Public Ritual

His disciples said to him, “Do you want us to fast? And how should we pray? Should we make donations? And what food should we avoid?”

Jesus said, “Don’t lie, and don’t do what you hate, because everything is revealed in the sight of heaven; for there’s nothing hidden that won’t be revealed, and nothing covered up that will stay secret.”

Saying 37: Seeing Jesus

His disciples said, “When will you appear to us? When will we see you?”

Jesus said, “When you strip naked without being ashamed, and throw your clothes on the ground and stomp on them as little children would, then [you’ll] see the Son of the Living One and won’t be afraid.”

Saying 29: Spirit and Body

Jesus said, “If the flesh came into existence because of spirit, that’s amazing. If spirit came into existence because of the body, that’s really amazing! But I’m amazed at how [such] great wealth has been placed in this poverty.”

Saying 36: Anxiety

Jesus said, “Don’t be anxious from morning to evening or from evening to morning about what you’ll wear.”

Saying 27: Fasting and Sabbath

“If you don’t fast from the world, you won’t find the kingdom. If you don’t make the Sabbath into a Sabbath, you won’t see the Father.”

Saying 78: Into the Desert

Jesus said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A [person] wearing fancy clothes, [like your] rulers and powerful people? They (wear) fancy [clothes] but can’t know the truth.”

Saying 3: Seeking Within

Jesus said, “If your leaders tell you, ‘Look, the kingdom is in heaven,’ then the birds of heaven will precede you. If they tell you, ‘It’s in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and outside of you.

“When you know yourselves, then you’ll be known, and you’ll realize that you’re the children of the living Father. But if you don’t know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.”

The Gospel of Thomas is not included in the canonical Christian Bible and was effectively unknown until it was discovered in 1945 at the Nag Hammadi archeological site in Egypt.  Thomas, you may recall, was the skeptical apostle (doubting Thomas) who needed to stick his finger in Jesus’ wound to believe the resurrection.  As a collection of sayings rather than a testament to Jesus’ life story, this gospel is unlike the bible gospels.  The passages above come from a translation by Mark M. Mattison, which is in sufficiently everyday English to be easily readable (https://www.gospels.net/thomas/).  We hope that, as a Naturist, you found reading them relevant and perhaps agreeable.

The spring equinox is upon us, but in many parts of the country, it still feels like winter with serious cold and snow.  Many Naturists remain indoors or are flocking south for warmth.  However, if one listens to Wim Hoff, famously known as “the Iceman”, we should be getting outside and going for polar bear swims instead!  The video link below is an interview of Hoff by the actor/comedian Russell Brand.  It is not a Nudist video, but in our view, Hoff’s ideas are indeed “Naturist.”  

Hoff believes that the human body’s innate capacity to protect and heal itself has been impaired by the wearing of clothes.  We evolved with our skin exposed to the elements, and the challenges of volatile climate conditions shaped our nervous system, immune system and other body functions to be highly adaptable and responsive.   Unfortunately, the covering and insulating effects of clothes over many generations has caused these systems to get out of balance and out of shape.  Hoff has successfully developed a practice of cold baths and breathing techniques to reinvigorate these health promoting capabilities.

Hoff is a remarkable individual that has defied common understanding of what the human body can endure.   Through numerous athletic feats in hostile, cold environments as well as subjecting himself to scientific experimentation, he has demonstrated that the body is able to adapt to challenging climates and that these adaptations have positive effects on health.  He believes that all people can do this and has successfully trained others in his methods.

A core theme here is that Naturism promotes a healthy mind in a healthy body with a bright spirit.  We find this idea very much present in Hoff’s remarks.   In addition to sharing the health benefits of his work, he also notes the clarity of mind and spiritual aspects of his experience.  Naturists should be interested in what he has to say.  Perhaps after watching this, you will be inspired to head outside for a naked snow angel, a brisk free-hike or a skinny dip in the nearest body of cool water… or maybe not!

Enjoy!

The winter solstice has passed here in the North, and a tough year is over.  The holiday season is finishing up when many faith traditions reflect on matters of the spirit.  Given our belief that Ethical Naturism helps to promote a bright spirit together with a healthy mind in a healthy body, we would like to devote a few remarks to the ways in which Naturism can feed us spiritually.  By spirit we are not simply referring to one’s mood or sense of happiness but to the enigmatic, animating spark within that moves us and makes us feel alive. 

An abundance of testimony has been published over the years by people sharing experiences of Naturism that stirred their souls.  The authors have reported many things including: an awakening of their senses, an honest self-awareness and comfort from self-acceptance, a sense of belonging to a community, and a deep connection and harmony with Nature.  We have submitted a few of these testimonies in earlier posts: Initiation https://ethicalnaturist.com/?p=190 , Like One Reborn https://ethicalnaturist.com/?p=270  and Halcyon Memories https://ethicalnaturist.com/?p=282.  When you hear Naturists use words like joy, peace, and freedom to describe their experience, they are giving voice to spiritual aspects of Naturism. 

We believe these moments of animated Naturist experience are effectively what the late mythologist Joseph Campbell referred to as The Rapture of Being Alive.  He articulates this idea in the following (non-nudist) video:

Campbell’s comments focus on the power of myth, as symbolic narrative, to evoke the spirit.  There are other tools in addition to narrative that accomplish this, and we believe symbolic ritual also has this power.  Religious rituals such as prayer, communion, various ceremonies and even non-religious but spiritual practices such as meditation are ways in which people reach beyond their everyday life to try and tap into the transcendent.  Ethical Naturism is not a religion, of course, but the act of removing one’s clothing can serve as a ritualistic practice that has evocative symbolic power. 

Clothing is vested with various potent symbolic meanings (authority, social class, wealth, tribal affiliation, conformity, rebellion, masquerade and so on).  Uncloaking one’s physical self, particularly in a communal Naturist setting, is therefore a revelation.  It sheds socially constructed identity to the bare essence.  The authenticity and truth of this is deeply personal and yet liberating. It brings forth a core of one’s humanity and by doing so opens a window for spiritual discovery. 

Additionally, the practice of going naked in Nature can be experienced as symbolically purifying.  Modern life in today’s urban and technological settings is to an extant an un-natural construct and artifice.  Stripping it all away, if only for a while, to exist in a wholly natural state amongst the living, natural earth can be spiritually restorative.  It stirs a deeply primordial sense of one’s participation in and relationship to the web of life and puts one in tune with it. 

It is also appropriate here to mention the Ethical Naturist Triad (See image below and https://ethicalnaturist.com/?p=288 ).  Respect for self, respect for others and respect for Nature are all components of the Golden Rule to treat others as you would treat yourself.  The Golden Rule is a principal that is doctrinal and embraced across religious faith traditions and is also embodied in the values of secular humanism.  While Ethical Naturism is not a religion, its appropriate practice and lived experience can, perhaps surprisingly, resonate with and complement the teachings of many faiths and life philosophies.

                                                                                                      Image by Stéphane Deschênes

The bottom line is that Ethical Naturism has power as a spiritual tool.  The ritual uncloaking of the self in community with others or in Nature sheds the raiment, artifices, and social constructs of modern life and, like Campbell’s myths, can provide clues to the spiritual potentialities of one’s life.  Integrating positive, empathetic, and harmonious attitudes to oneself, to others and to Nature is not only healthy for the body and the mind but also the spirit.    This is, however, not simply a matter of taking off one’s clothes.  It is in doing so with a mindfulness that awakens one to the bigger and more profound meanings of the practice that is a source of positive change.

P.S.  For purely recreational nudists, this post may come across as passionate and preachy.  To be fair, nude time is often simply mundane or just plain fun with no spiritual component whatsoever.  We do not take ourselves too seriously here.  However, we have experienced the spiritual richness of Naturism and do feel moved to share its bigger possibilities.