Nudism

Curious: Doesn't it get old and unexciting after a while? I've tried it around the house with my wife (when we were married) and frankly didn't get anything out of it. After a while, we found ourselves attracted to each others' bodies less and less, so we stopped doing it. So I'm curious. 😃

I have never been to a nudist community and don't want to speak for others who are into it, but what you described kind of sounds like how nudists describe the feeling of not wearing clothes soon after they arrive- they just forget about clothes and seeing people naked and begin to go about their regular day doing what they have to do. You get used to the nudity and mentally gravitate to other things.

I will be curious to follow this thread because I know we have other members who are nudists and their perspective will be quite interesting.

I'm just guessing here, but I would assume that nudists are in touch with some other emotion or psychological state that they find more enjoyable (or perhaps sustainable) than the mere eroticism that most of us experience with our limited exposure to nudity.

Wow - that was one sentence? I must need a drink. 😃

To me nudism is a feeling of freedom thing. Its not a sexual thing. That's why it goes so well with sailing. I used to spend afternoons sailing in the nude. It was really a great feeling coming and knowing I just spent 3-4 hours hours completely naked, well I wore a hat and sunglasses,and nobody bothered me. Most of the time I'd have the whole lake to myself. It was great!

I too think this thread may evolve to be very interesting.

Setting aside any religious or social values about modesty, clothing has two major roles. One is to help regulate the temperature of the body, and the other is personal ornamentation. We all have our own personal styles, the way we choose to present ourselves to the world around us. For myself, I'm almost always wearing a plaid shirt. It may be wool or flannel in winter, or short sleeved broadcloth in summer, but most of the time it is some version of plaid.

The naturalist says "I don't need that ornamentation." I'm not sure how the regulation of body temperature goes. But I doubt you find many naturalists outside in the middle of winter with nothing on but their birthday suits. That freedom has to be tempered by the threat of hypothermia.

I enjoy being nude and do it any chance I get; that is one more reason to attend Forbidden, which is a BDSM pansexual camp with clothing optional in Canada.

While I enjoy being nude and seeing females in the nude, I have never been aroused by the mere fact of a female being nude.

I have never looked to be aroused by that alone and have never seen anybody aroused unless there was more involved than just other people being nude around them..

Most people who engage in social nudity know that the mere sight of a body isn't a trigger for sex.

I had a similar experience to others about my wife. Over time, she became less attractive to me, but in hindsight, I think the attraction that was lacking was emotional, not necessarily sexual. We divorced after more than 3 decades together.

Most people who engage in social nudity know that the mere sight of a body isn't a trigger for sex.

I had a similar experience to others about my wife. Over time, she became less attractive to me, but in hindsight, I think the attraction that was lacking was emotional, not necessarily sexual. We divorced after more than 3 decades together.

@ Jds4med you hit the nail on the head.....I was also divorced after 3 decades...and nude for much of the last one to no avail.

The naturalist says "I don't need that ornamentation."

It's often been noted that in some tribal societies, where because of climatological conditions clothing is not really needed, members often need some kind of stimulus to have sex other than the sight of a naked body. That's why all kinds of fertility dances and rites have evolved, these often being triggers to sexual activity.

Maybe it's also partially the lure of the forbidden or the hidden that triggers a desire for sex. Think of the practice of wearing a veil or voluminous clothing. By hiding certain body parts from view, they assume a greater role in the imagination.

We, my wife and 2 teenage daughters) are nude most of the time when we are at home. It is not a sexual thing (even though the sights are great around here) but it is a freedom of just being yourself.

I agree with ozzy10, being nude is a freedom thing. I started sleeping nude in high school because it felt good. As I grew older and found out there were other people who felt the same, I felt more normal! I've been to several nudist resorts with families and it's so cool seeing entire families hanging nude. I'm always nude at home and I'm fortunate to have a weekend place in the country where I can hang for days nude. My motto is we are all born nude and smooth. Why not stay that way?

Like most young couples we went nude all the time as we inevitably ended up in the sack. Then when my daughter was born I could not be bothered putting something on for her 3am feed, and that then continued throughout the day. When someone came to the house I would rush to put something on, and then one day I just could not be bothered and that attitude has stayed with my family ever since as my husband, daughter and myself never bother with clothes when it is warm.

Like most have said here, its about the freedom of wearing the same things as when you were born - nothing. Why should any of us have a hangup about being naked in front of another person especially a stranger. I do not consider it a sin, perverted, deviancy or anything else other than natural.

In life you have to challenge convention

Its a shame nudism isn't more accepted, but much of it is up to us .. for girls it seems to be body image, for guys its always an irrational hang-up about their penis.

Once naked in a group nude situation, the guys who are small see there are many others small and smaller. My worry was being circumcised coming from the UK where that's rare, yet I now know a mate's worry of being uncircumcised coming from the US where that's rare! I have a pal who's embarrassed because he's so big. I guess if you're shy, out of small, cut, & uncut fair to say it's the big ones that all of us notice. I've seen him a dozen times but still can't help staring .. but the thing is no-one is ever condemning so isn't it up to us to just take the plunge & go with it!?

I agree JayT about nudism is not accepted more, and I cannot see why. We are born nude so why should being nude in front of others to some seem so wrong. Yes we are nude in front of our lovers before making love, but then we are nude when we go to the gym or pool when we shower afterwards, so why can't some people differentiate that both are different.

At boarding school, there was people of all shapes and sizes, but we were all taught to have a positive body image.

I don’t think nudism is meant for excitement. It is simply a return to nature and the natural lifestyle as when we were born. If nudism were meant to be exciting men would have erections at nudist gatherings but they don’t. Sexy clothing is arousing, naked bodies are not (at least not after you have seen them often). Our family has practiced limited nudism as far back as I can remember and I do not think that any of us have gotten aroused from seeing each others bare body

I was just discussing this, and disclaimer this was not forced, non consensual, the time we lost our virginity, or part of some crazy religious thing, but we consummated our marriage publicly in front of some of the bridesmaids and they were experienced more than us and able to check everything worked and went ok. It was sort of like a little celebration party with cake before hand then we did that. Sort of like how you have cake and talk and things before opening presents.

but we consummated our marriage publicly in front of some of the bridesmaids and they were experienced more than us and able to check everything worked and went ok.

How cute and maybe a bit fun too. Hope you liked it.

In some periods and in some cultures there are variations of this custom, of more or less publicly consummating a marriage. But then I think the reason to have witnesses was to have them able to testify in case of claims of non-consummation afterwards, to witness the virginity of the bride (in a roundabout way of course with the blood on the linens rigamarole) and for other less romantic reasons.

I was surprised by Sandy's post but also reminded of how at least some Roman's celebrated their wedding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcDH_riCFeM

This is true. I have never either seen or had an erection at the nudist gatherings I've been to, and girls & guys alike know how quickly and spontaneously an erection occurs at the slightest hint of sex! And it's not that you don't look or don't notice when a woman is outstandingly attractive, you are quite aware, but still no erection. The reason is that it's just not a sexual situation and it's not about comparisons or judgements.

Nudism is perfectly fine. When I am at home I am usually nude. So is my sister and her girlfriend. It is sort of like school gym and showers. I mean we are all three girls so no big deal. We go about our own things and don't think about it. We joke about doing all our laundry because it actually all gets done. We have robes in case someone comes to the door. It does save on laundry. LOL We do cover up for certain things. Like just a warning. never fry bacon nude or topless. Not good. LOL

I do not believe that nudity diminishes sexual desire. Hubby and I have been married 46 years and have been home nudists for 47 and social nudusts for 39 years. We still enjoy sex a lot, although the sexual activity has changed over the years. In fact, in a short time we will be enjoying some fun in bed.

While I do go naked around the house, I would rather have underpants on so that I do not have to worry about getting something dirty when I sit on it.

hankb

I have seen the odd erection when practicing nudism, but apart from one case it was very maturely handled (no pun intended) by all. As for sex, our sex life is as strong as ever, our newly born daughter proving that, and as for covering up when people came, we did initially, and then thought what the hell, there is nothing wrong, or deviant about being seen nude.

I think its the most sociable thing to be naked. I see groups of mates, including my own, deliberately staying nude for way longer than necessary, standing chatting and so on. Not because they're perverted or exhibitionist, but because if I let my mate see my penis while proving I don't care if he sees it, we must be close mates?? It's not uncommon for underwear to go on after deodorant, combing hair, buttoning up shirts, and putting on watches .. in fact I find that's the norm for close pals

I think the more you're freaked by the idea of going naked, the more you get out of it when you do it ?!?

I think the more you're freaked by the idea of going naked, the more you get out of it when you do it ?!?

That's an interesting notion. But I guess it presupposes being open enough to try it in the first place and that means that you wouldn't have been all too freaked out in the first place ... otherwise you'd never have gotten there.

That's an interesting notion. But I guess it presupposes being open enough to try it in the first place and that means that you wouldn't have been all too freaked out in the first place ... otherwise you'd never have gotten there.

Well I actually was too freaked to try it. I selected a local recreation centre in Melbourne based on the locker rooms having partitioned shower cubicles with doors. I even phoned to check first. I would get undressed under a towel, and shower in the cubicle after exercise, putting on at least underwear before coming out into the communal area. I admired those who could be more free with their nudity and I felt nerdy about the clumsiness of staying partially covered. There were five generously sized enclosed shower cubicles which had door-locks with indicators to show red "Engaged" or green "Vacant". The locker room served a busy gym, sauna, basketball & indoor soccer so there was often a queue to the showers & complaints were common.

So, when I came out of the gym, stripped to my underwear, and took my towel, shampoo and fresh underwear to duck into the last remaining vacant shower at the end of the block, I got quite a shock. The door to the end cubicle wasn't open, it was removed. Inside, the partitions had all been removed, and extra shower heads in the wall positioned between the old shower heads at the point where the partitions used to be. The doors were permanently fixed. This of course nearly doubled the shower capacity to give a group-shower for nine instead of five. Where there had been towel-down space inside each cubicle, these were now joined to form the access way through the combined showers, with just hooks on the wall set back just enough to keep your towel back from the spray. It was full, except for one station midway down the row & the one near the open entrance, and not surprisingly everyone was naked. I nearly left straight away but would have looked stupid so made my way through still unsure whether I'd end up running out, showering in underwear or taking the plunge. So, it was only this level of duress that finally forced me to go nude in front of others. The panic, the adrenalin, then the sense of liberation were intense, and then I settled, realised the sky hadn't fallen in & got to enjoy it.

A big part of my reservation had been my feeling of "nudity upon nudity" by not having a foreskin. To Americans, I believe it's the opposite, where circumcised penises are the norm, but for me coming from the UK, its pretty rare (about 1 in 30) and I'd grown up teased mercilessly in school communal showers. The head of a penis (at least the rim of it) should only be seen during sex so is especially private to uncircumcised societies like England. In Australia, it seems circumcision is more like 1 in 4, and when I looked up the line, in fact 2 of the nearest to me were circumcised. From there, there's been no looking back and I think my love of naturism and group nudity in all forms is all the more enhanced by having been so frightened initially .. that was where I was coming from. Twice now, I've taken a shy mate there who was visiting me over from the UK, effectively drawing each of them into the same trap, seeing each other nude for the first time & feeling the social boost that kind of shared experience brings to mates.

That's an interesting notion. But I guess it presupposes being open enough to try it in the first place and that means that you wouldn't have been all too freaked out in the first place ... otherwise you'd never have gotten there.

Sten Your post was interesting. My husband has told me that boys in his school communal showers would never look at each others penises because they would get called gay if they did. He also has said that he had to be careful about cleaning his foreskin because if boys touched their penises too much they could get accused of wanking. I think the head of his penis was only seen by his girlfriends and also his mother too because they were nudists at home and shared baths and showers.

Thanks Amethyst .. In my experience, guys usually leave washing under their foreskin to private showers so your man is reasonably bold.

Given the variety of labia, is there a female equivalent for attitudes to certain types of labia in communal showers, like extended external lips? I guess girls are more "on show" now (groomed or even bald) whereas in the past their labia would be covered by pubes. Also, their girly bits would be the items most wanting of thorough washing, but how does that go down in communal showers? Come to think of it, how do girls go in group-showers when they're on their with periods?

With regard to washing under a foreskin: When I came of age in the Sixties, circumcision was just about universal; I was "intact", but probably fewer than five men in the high school I attended (enrolment about 400) were, and one of them, an Asian exchange student, had the procedure done while he was here, My foreskin was very difficult to retract, and on a few occasions when I got an erection while asleep, it could be downright uncomfortable. That persisted well into adulthood, but eventually, things started to "shrink" a little.I did a lot of bathing in "open" or "gang' showers at gyms and dormitories and fraternity houses while in college, but never retracted my foreskin in the presence of other men, though I did see a couple of older guys do so at the local 'Y', and the like; when it finally became easier to retract, I would usually pull it back at the locker before walking into the shower. Covering it with a towel at that point didn't make much sense (we've all got the same "equipment", just with some variations) and after soaping and rinsing, the skin usually slid back into place sometime during the bathing process.