Can someone explain nudism to me?

One year for college spring break, they went to a place in Jamaica that I had been to.

For better or worse, you will be stuck with trying to explain it for as long as guys get excited about seeing naked girls. In other words, forever.

That makes you a versatile person. You can enjoy it both ways! And you didn't offend anybody.

My back yard is so big and has so many trees that I have complete privacy in the summer. Sometimes I like being naked back there, feeling the sun and the gentle breeze.

My first nude experience was as a model for a college art class. It was a very nonsexual experience, in front of a room full of fully-clothed art students, a strict professor, and bright lights. I did it because I thought it would be a personal challenge and growth experience. It was tough! Once you reach the point where you can relax and be comfortable being the only naked person in a room full of strangers, you feel like you can handle almost anything.

I still remember how nervous I was the night before the first class. That was proof that I needed to do it. When you grow up in a conservative small town, sometimes you have to do something radical to get over it.

 

Nudism is very much an experiential thing for all its practitioners. They all say one thing to the outsiders: don't criticise it till you've tried it for yourself at least once.

There are several reasons why people take an interest in nudism:

1) Rebelling against societal norms and rules - this is usually the younger people. Whilst many do this by getting drunk or experimenting with drugs or weird sexual behaviours, a few decide to rebel by not wearing clothes when they don't have to.

2) Seeing the opposite sex nude - again mostly teens who are brought up in cultures where co-ed nudity is frowned upon. Getting into nudism as a teen makes you more appreciative of people with different body shapes and sizes, and less interested in the girlie mags.

3) Practical reasons - being naked gives you more mobility to do everyday things, although of course there are some instances where wearing clothes is necessary for health and common sense reasons. Most nudists wouldn't cook their lunch over a stove or a bbq without an apron on, and for those who ride motorbikes it is plain stupid to ride one naked. The site Cybernude used to have a great list of things that are and aren't appropriate to do naked, but unfortunately it's off air for the time being as it wasn't updated in years.

4) Sexual agendas - this is mostly by the swinger community, some of whom are nudists. Most nudist clubs and camps are very wary of these people especially the family ones, and the nudist lobby organisations like the AANR and TNS will drop any club that admits these people. I'm not against swinging myself, but there is a time and place for that behaviour and a family nudist place is not the place to look for those people. Go to an adult shop or the personal adverts in your local papers if you want a fuck buddy, your chances of finding them at nudist gatherings is practically zero. Also, you can convert swingers to becoming nudists but you can't convert nudists to becoming swingers.

5) Political reasons such as the Freedom To Be Yourself campaign, World Naked Bike Ride, World Naked Gardening Day, and Women's Topfree rights. These events are designed to push nudism out of the underground and into mainstream political consciousness with the hope of evolving to the likes of many European nations and the UK where awareness and tolerance of public urban nudity is present. These people are usually those who neither have the time or the money to go to nudist places or nude up at the lakes or rainforests and want to enjoy it in the comfort of their own town by lobbying politicians to reform the laws. These people comprise a very small part of the nudist population but still play an important part in it. Remember: a lot of human rights and freedoms that we enjoy today were won largely by civil disobedience, something that sadly many nudists in my country don't seem to understand now.

 

Your summary was excellently written. :iagree:

Since this is Hip Forums, your reason #1 is probably reason enough for all of us here to try it at least once. There are still plenty of control freaks out there that need to be intentionally offended. Hardly a week goes by that I don't encounter some traditional Southerner who wants to mistreat me because I don't share their values 100%.

 

Comfort- in a sauna or when swimming.

Someone said to me a few years ago that once you'd swum nude you never want to go back to wearing a swimming costume.

 

Fascinating! I've spent quite a lot of time trying to answer this question purely for my own understanding, but without ever feeling I've really got to the bottom (ahem..) of it all. Some great and perceptive suggestions have been written here - surprising how much we can read into what seems at first to be such a fundamental activity. I agree with the above reasons for going naked, but to me they aren't as distinct as may be intended.

Anyway, what I'd like to do is to examine it from my perspective (do I have any other options??) as a middle-aged male. For me, there are two reasons why it appeals, which I'd describe as sensual and sexual. The sensual side is much as has been discussed already: the physical pleasure of feeling the wind or water all over. It feels healthy, I feel more alive and full of energy. It can even be more comfortable when conditions are less favourable: when it can be chilly if dressed normally it can feel better with nothing on at all, as the temperature is more even and constant - less of that nasty goose-pimply effect. I've been to the nearest public naturist beach to me, which is Holkham in Norfolk, in February, just above freezing, with a stiff wind, and gone in the sea five times over an hour or so, then walked back with hands so cold I couldn't do up my trousers, but feeling great and not bothering to put anything else on.

But the shift to the more sexual side is easy to make. On a more typical sunny day, I'm never going to be far away from wanting a sexual experience. The beach attracts a fair mix of the above types, who generally seem to tolerate each other with no sign of any trouble while I've been there. An extra facet I haven't seen mentioned here is the gay fraternity, who do seem to be more explicit in their behaviour, even to the extent of walking up and down the dunes with erections. As a single male I'm conscious that a lot of other people will put me in that group, which doesn't bother me so long as it doesn't turn into anything active! The more conventional naturists tend to stay more out on the open beach, but usually erect (stop it..) windbreaks to hide behind.

So if I don't count myself in either of those two main groups, what am I doing there?? I suppose it's a mix of the desire to experience the sensual pleasure without having to worry about hiding away from view, mixed with a need for some form of sexual release which probably stems from my being separated and out of a physical relationship for a considerable period. I know I harbour a fantasy about meeting a naked girl, which I know is so unlikely, but that doesn't dilute its power. And there's an element of vanity in there, I suspect, as I consider that I still look ok naked, far better than most of both the gay men and naturist couples. As an aside, the worst look on the naturist beach is the barrel-chested fellow with the short T-shirt and nothing else on. That sort of confirms to me that I don't actually want to show off my bits to anyone. I've always considered that being naked is about not having secrets, being open and vulnerable.

I've gone on too long and wandered about the point without quite getting to it, so I should call a halt and see if anyone wants to comment. Just to finish with, I find it strange that nudity doesn't in any way diminish my desires to behave like a truly decent and upstanding member of society. It alarms me that some aspects of our behaviour could be wrongly interpreted as obscene or threatening and I would never wish to appear that way, and yet I like to push at this particular boundary of society. Funny stuff, life...

 

Nudity in the right place and time should be completely compatable with being an upstanding member of society. Pushing boundaries in my view should be done carefully and selectively. It's sad that in the UK especially there are too many people (usually men) who either don't realise that their behaviour on nudist beaches causes offence or are aware of the reaction and do not then modify their actions accordingly.