Newsletter
# 14
Professors and Researchers
Special Interest Group
The Naturist Society
November, 2004
●Memorial Issue●
W. David Goines
1948-2004
David Goines, a
frequent contributor to this newsletter, has died. He had
bypassed traditional publishers by posting his many essays directly on
the Internet. About half of them were on a restricted site to
which we cannot gain access without his permission--an impossibility
now. They may be lost forever. We are archiving
here most
of the nudity-related articles that can be retrieved. This
SIG is
not endorsing David's religious beliefs, but preserving some thoughtful
essays. David's idiosyncratic punctuation has here been
standardized; his frequent use of the non-standard term, "normalcy" is
considered an endearment by his friends, and has thus been left alone.
I know that I alone accepted much of the responsibility to come here. And indeed for some of the visions I was advantaged with, I really thought this WAS to be but another room of Heaven (of My Father's House). And so I was excited for the opportunity to have a physical body and experience a physical reality of and for myself.
Imagine my dismay when, immediately upon my arrival, I find myself in such a mess and such a horrible place with glaring lights, much too cool a temperature and horrid sounds bouncing off those stark walls. It was enough to scare the begeebees out of anybody. Of course I cried! Especially after some really unkindly soul nearly slapped the crap out of me (even before I had crap!) and then another stuck some kinda sucker up my nose and down my throat while dangling me up-side-down! If that wasn't injurious enough--and apparently to assure every insult possible--somebody crammed what was to become a not only wet, but dirty diaper up my butt. Ohhhhh yeah! That feels good! Couldn't hardly wait to wiggle out of THAT! Within moments, I was pretty sure that somehow I had slipped out of the gates of Heaven and slid right through the gates of Hell for sure! THIS could NOT be part of My Father's House! But would He indeed create this special place, not quite Heaven or Hell, where souls like me might come JUST TO SCREW UP? And turn each others' life opportunity (physical reality) into a Living Hell for ourselves? I still don't think so, but that first day WAS just something else! And not really to be believed, real as it was! Forgive me Father, but all I wanted to do was crawl right back to very nearly anywhere else but here! (And especially out of that dang diaper!)
And WHO was this woman, a total nut case (also evidenced by her possession of MORE diapers!) and professional-grade casualty who for 20 some years would blame ME for everything inopportune or unfortunate in her life? God forbid SHE should ever accept any responsibility for anything in her life! But they call them "Mothers" (not always in the most flattering terms) and for whatever insane reason, we should all have one! Thank God, one was enough for me! While I always thought that I deserved a really good one, SHE was the one I got. And I had a terrible time trying to raise her since she was for the most part incapable of raising me. Unfortunately, I didn't have much better luck with my Dad, and while he was much less ferocious, he was pretty inept beyond sperm donor! Sadly, we didn't have too much time to really get to know each other as he was always busy, putting off everything that might be fun or really worthwhile until tomorrow--which eventually failed to happen for him. He was dead by the time I was thirteen. So it was just up to me and this crazy lady to figure it all out.
Any number of times I thought about stomping back to my Father's House and demanding a refund (or at least a do-over) and was even given the opportunity to opt out on one occasion, (while I on a bicycle was hit by a concrete mixing truck). It was THIS rude reality that reminded me and even allowed me a glimpse back through the veil of human physical reality, to remember and affirm that this indeed IS a part of my Father's House and that instead of leaving, WE HAVE ARRIVED. If only others could remember too that this IS supposed to be a very special time for CELEBRATION--then they too might spend less time taking exception to each other, or even feel the need to ascend to something they already have: Heaven! It is Here, It is NOW if that's what you choose to make of it. Sadly too, for some, it is Hell and they will know of little else here or anywhere else upon the journey of their birth. But interestingly, the choice remains ours, as well as the responsibility. While some choose to blame God, others of more mature responsibility simply thank Him for such an incredible opportunity, and make the most of it. We come here naked and we leave here naked. Fact is, we are all naked in his sight (even of the spirit/mind) all the time anyway. Only here, the thread mongers might think or hope otherwise because that is their choice. But thankfully, you still have the right to pick and choose for yourself (unless you too fail that responsibility). Enjoy!
A bicycle accident at age 13 left
David's legs
paralyzed. His spiritual experience at that time can be read
at
http://www.near-death.com/children.html. Two years ago, he
introduced himself to this SIG with these additional biographical
details:
While serving as Chief Clinical
Neurophysiologist
and Chief Clinical Instructor for Neuro-Diagnostics at Medical College
of Va., about our only tangible employee benefit was "education" i.e.
we could register for anything and everything from adult enrichment
through graduate and post graduate level throughout the entire Va.
educational system--tuition free--so I cleaned up! Everything
from drapery & upholstery to almost countless professional
registrations/certifications including: RN, OT, PT,
Sonography,
Nuclear medicine, Nutritionist, yada, yada!
But otherwise, my great joy is in
discovering the
"simple solutions" to many of life's seeming complex problems or
issues. I'm still amazed at just how much of humanity seems
to
need to confound, confuse and complicate itself in the
process.
Way back in 1973 I coined the term: "Therapeutic Nudity" and
presented a paper to the American Neurological Society and a number of
other Neuro-Psychiatric venues. I advocate simple nudity and
the
naturist lifestyle as also a "therapy" for managing and recovering from
many disorders and dysfunction's of a fast-paced high-stress
lifestyle. While "Therapeutic Nudity" has yet to catch on in
the
mainstream (mainly because it is too simple and fails to sell more
drugs) it has helped countless numbers recover from many afflictions.
Besides Therapeutic Nudity, I've also
coined
"Creative Insanity" as a survival technique in which at least WE get to
make some of the rules and change them as necessary for whatever our
needs might be. I tend to advocate and encourage people to
find
their OWN balance & harmony rather than being so dependent on
others to perhaps ill-define it for them.
Any ideas about where you are coming
from? Or going in the grand or not so grand scheme of things?
Making Choices: A Greater
Understanding:
Three Is the Magic
Number
Much of life is about making choices,
our right to
make choices and our responsibility for the choices we make.
How
wonderful it would be if we could only make good choices.
Unfortunately, making choices always runs the risk of making a bad
choice or less-than-optimum choice. Probably the greatest
risk is
when we allow others to make choices for us, or to negatively influence
our ability to make good choices. YOU and you alone must be
responsible for making your good/best choices. The
information
that I am going to share with you will enable you and empower you to
make good choices. If you will apply these three things to
everything important that you do, you will indeed be assured of
minimizing risk and optimizing worthy opportunity in your life.
STEP ONE:
(1) Is it moral: Will I go to Heaven or Hell if I make this
choice?
(2) Is it legal: Will this choice land me in Jail?
(3) Is it ethical: Will I, my
family and my
community be proud of this choice? Or will this choice bring
shame and disgrace to me, my family and my community?
If something passes the above test, then
I move on to step 2:
STEP TWO:
Is this choice good for:
(1) Me?
(2) My family?
(3) My community?
If something passes this test, them I
move on to step 3:
STEP THREE:
Does this choice qualify within:
(1) My time? (Do I have time to do this?)
(2) My energy? (Do I have the physical, mental and spiritual
energy to do this?)
(3) My abilities? (Am I physically, mentally and spiritually
able to do this?)
Beyond these three steps, you should ask
yourself:
Am I willing to take responsibility for having made this choice?
Now I can reasonably assure you, that if
you will
apply these THREE Steps and the three elements within each step, to
everything important that you do, you will be empowered to make
exceptionally good choices in life.
Good luck and happy choice making!
Living a Life
For some, this physical life opportunity
we
share is a glorious Gift from God to be celebrated every
moment
of every day. For others, just another day in Hell--and
indeed it
seems to last forever--to be painfully endured. I feel both
the
joy and the pain of life’s participants. For me,
for the
most part, Life is a glorious Gift and a celebration, and I
am
both baffled and dismayed that others of us seem deprived and depraved
over it. For me, this physical life opportunity of spirit,
mind
and body, while challenging beyond belief, sometimes is but another
room of Heaven. Do we actually believe that God created this
place and opportunity just so we would have a place to screw
up? I don’t think so, but apparently others
do. They
talk about ascending back to Heaven. They talk a
lot about
another Hell (even threatening others with it). But for this
moment in time, for me anyway, I did not leave my Father’s
House
to come here, but simply followed Him into what I believe is but
another room of my Father’s House of many mansions and
dimensions
of life and living. Here too, my Father Creator lives and
walks
with me in wonder of it all. Interestingly, when I am naked
(of
spirit, mind and body), I can see Him and more fully appreciate the
vastness of this His Creation. I am NOT alone. I am
somehow
MORE than my mere singular self; indeed, I am ONE (on incredibly equal
terms) in as perfect a balance and harmony as might be possible both
within and without myself.
Therefore my nakedness is a good and
wholesome,
quite natural, normal state of being for me (as evidenced by my naked
physical birth). Fact is, no matter how we might dress or
disguise ourselves otherwise, we remain incredibly naked (of spirit,
mind and body) before our Creator and in His eyes. Nothing we
can
really do to dress, decorate or disguise ourselves can or will make us
invisible to our Creator. Yet some of us--most of us even--DO
believe that we can disguise ourselves by any number of costumes and
fashions and even become something that we are not, either as a matter
of deceit, fantasy or simple foolishness. We might even
declare
ourselves unworthy and undeserving (shameful even) of our more basic,
simple, beautiful nude selves. Yes, some people even prostitute nudity
and themselves in the process we call life--and no doubt that is
shameful. But if indeed, we might be deserving (if
even
only by Grace) of the incredibly beautiful, wonderful, creation and
gift that we are to each other, then indeed, we need not hide ourselves
nor burden ourselves with shame and modesty--or hardly anything else.
Interesting too, that beyond this more
simple
reality for and of ourselves, so much of humanity seems to need to
confuse, confound and complicate itself well beyond all REAL human
necessity. For our part in this complexity, we pay a very big
price--even beyond the sacrifice of our more beautiful simple
selves. Worst of all perhaps is that we lose RESPECT for
ourselves as the beautiful creation that we are. Religion
even
warns us that we might go to Hell; and some can’t even seem
to
get there fast enough, so they create a Hell for themselves and
others--right here--right now!
But indeed, we do have another choice
among the many
opportunities that we are gifted with--one of which is that we CAN
simply strip off our phoniness, and get REAL for a
change.
Life need NOT be a masquerade nor a nightmare. We CAN become
more
deserving of even our own respect. We CAN choose to put down
some
of this awful, burdensome baggage that we have heaped upon ourselves or
allowed others to heap upon us. Our more primitive ancestors
were
in ways much more wise than us. They celebrated the beautiful
simplicity of themselves. They clothed and covered themselves
ONLY by reasonable necessity (for a little protection) and knew nothing
of shame and modesty for themselves. They did not seek to confound,
confuse or complicate themselves beyond all human reality or
necessity. They more simply celebrated life and themselves
for
the beautiful creations that they were.
I would encourage everyone to become
deserving and
worthy of some simple nudity of themselves--and even others--if you can
just get past the fear of dying of embarrassment. But to help
you
in this endeavor, I will simply remind you that if you choose, Heaven
CAN be HERE and NOW and that by your very divine and beautiful
creation, you ARE worthy AND deserving of living life as naturally and
normally as you wish. Only YOU can free your
spirit, mind
and body for yourself! You can also forgive yourself and
others,
if that is necessary. Enjoy some simple nudity of yourself
and
your Creator--with respect and responsibility. Do this and
indeed, you will be both blessed and a blessing to others and even to
your creation. Enjoy and please, join the celebration of life
and
living instead of the insanity of it all. You really do
deserve
better than that. I think so anyway. May Love and
Light,
Peace and Blessings be yours in both this and every other room of
Heaven you might be privileged to visit. Enjoy!
Simple vs.
Complicated:
Do You Too Deserve Some Simple
Solutions?
I am constantly amazed and even dismayed
over how
humanity and our social order seem to NEED to confound, confuse and
complicate itself. Perhaps it is only because we CAN do this, that we
do it even where there is no real need. But in time, this
beloved
complexity CAN and DOES become quite overwhelming.
For me, it came in the form and
dysfunction of
disability. In this, I was forced to find some simple
solutions
to much of life’s complexity. I had to learn to
THINK or
rethink much of an active physical life. Indeed, even this
too
was quite challenging. But a life without challenge is not
much
of a life, so I was particularly BLESSED!
Of all the simple solutions that I have
sought, I
craved most some kind of normalcy for myself. I
don’t like
being or feeling abnormal. Indeed, much of our physical
reality
(and our seeming need for complexity) seems quite insane or
abnormal. Only when I became challenged to keep up the pace,
did
some simplicity and/or normalcy in my life become very much of a
NECESSITY. In time, we will all come to a similar conclusion
either by necessity, desire, or it will be thrust or imposed upon us in
one way or another. For some, the reality of a physical death
will be the deciding factor.
But not wanting to wait on death to
solve all my
problems and challenges, I began a conquest of simple solutions for
myself and even others. Why only advantage myself, when
indeed, I
might also serve others? No matter that “simple
solutions” are often NOT more fully appreciated until someone
else also becomes overwhelmed. I simply couldn’t
wait for
the rest of the world to become as desperately in need as I.
Also, having a bit less physical strength than I had enjoyed before, I
called upon my Creator for some backup and support.
Thankfully,
my faith was NOT impaired.
But of my most simple
solutions--admittedly many
were quite divinely inspired, including when I sought some simple
normalcy for myself. What is NORMAL anyway? That
alone is
quite a challenge to define. All I knew was that I had very
nearly mastered ABNORMAL or had at least taken it to an art form, and
now I needed and craved something else. Incredibly, some
simple
physical NUDITY is our most NORMAL, natural state of physical
being. No matter that the complexity of life might say
otherwise,
and even seeks to prostitute this most divinely appointed state of
being. Indeed, if NUDITY is worthy enough and divinely
appointed
for our physical birth, should we not enjoy this simple state of being
as much as possible? Only our complexity finds this divinely
appointed normalcy quite unacceptable. Pity really!
And to
my new way of thinking, I find it quite shameful that our social order
would deprive and deprave itself over something as simply beautiful and
appropriate as our ONLY state of REAL normalcy for ourselves.
In
this, I truly have to wonder: “WHAT WERE THEY
THINKING?” Fact is, we were definitely thinking
about
something other than normalcy! Again, complexity rules the
day,
and it has dis-served and disadvantaged ourselves almost beyond
necessity and human comprehension. We even created civil and
social LAWS to virtually assure that NO ONE may hardly ever enjoy a
more normal, natural state of being of and for themselves. On
top
of that, we invented the concept of shame and modesty, and impose this
on each other to assure that no REAL normalcy CAN hardly ever
prevail. We even invented the “bathing
suit” because,
under the rule and domain of complexity, skin is both inadequate and
somehow inappropriate when getting the body wet. I have to
wonder
just how much stupidity even complexity really needs. Why do
we
need fear simplicity so much for ourselves? I think that in
our
quest for complexity in very nearly everything, we have simply lost
RESPECT for our potential for goodness and can no longer accept even
our most elemental beauty and simplicity of ourselves.
Granted,
there ARE those that DO deserve even shame and modesty.
Indeed,
they should hide themselves! They should try to cover up
their
evilness for trying to deceive the rest of us. But for most
of
us, we are good and worthy of our Creation. We are NOT dirty
and
evil except for maybe our having allowed ourselves to get caught up in
this madness of complexity.
But I assure you this: Unless you were
indeed born
of an evil seed, and therefore NEED and deserve to complicate yourself
beyond belief, you therefore do deserve and are worthy of
respect
and responsibility for yourself. You deserve some
normalcy.
Indeed, it IS part and parcel of your entitlement as a good and worthy
human being, and it is Divinely Appointed--unless you deem yourself
otherwise unworthy.
Perhaps NOT until we restore our RESPECT
and
RESPONSIBILITY for ourselves will we deem ourselves worthy of our most
NORMAL, natural state of being. Unfortunately, some are too
lazy
and will wait on death to set them free. Otherwise, I would
encourage each and every person to take back control over your life
(with Respect and Responsibility) and do whatever might be necessary
such that, without fear of shame and modesty, you CAN enjoy even your
most elemental state of normalcy (some simple nudity) at least once in
a while. Admittedly, some people can’t handle this
much
honesty of themselves, but this then should be our goal instead of
trying to see how complicated we can be. Frankly, I think
life is
complicated enough. (Certainly got there for me!)
And now
it is time to enjoy some beautiful simplicity of and for ourselves.
WE CAN set ourselves free of so much of
this
complexity, if that is what we choose for ourselves.
Otherwise,
simply try to remember that a physical life opportunity was supposed to
be simply a celebration of ourselves, and NOT the complicated mess
we’ve made instead. You can make changes in your
life--shedding much of life’s unnecessary burdens (baggage)
as
simply as taking off your clothes. Indeed, simply NUDE is
about
our best, and perhaps only, hope for some normalcy.
Everything
else is, well, something else, and typically quite a bit more
complicated. That simply nudity quite simply feels GOOD is
quite
enough validation for me. You too can set yourself FREE and
enjoy
at least some elemental normalcy. Enjoy! (This life
is a
time limited opportunity!) What are you waiting
for?
Death? It too will come--but frankly, I think we deserve to
also
enjoy some freedom between here and there! We do indeed
deserve
some normalcy of ourselves and others. NUDE is our most
NORMAL,
natural opportunity (no matter what everybody else says).
Only by
our disrespect of ourselves and our Creator, need we suffer so much
abnormalcy.
Therapeutic Nudity
I first coined the term Therapeutic
Nudity back in
1973 when I defined it for myself and others. I was working
in a
state mental institution and observed that some of the most profoundly
ill people would strip off their clothes and assume a fetal position as
part of their final desperate reality. While some
professionals
saw this as simply a symptom of their extreme illness, I saw
(perceived) it differently. This was NOT merely a symptom,
but a
kind of final desperate act in which a person would attempt as best
they could to free themselves of burdens, and the fetal position
allowed them to conserve and turn their own life force energies of
spirit, mind and body back into themselves--either to heal or in final
preparation to die! But in every case, the nudity
seemed to
be extremely important. Interestingly too, when this
“act” was not intervened upon, some people actually
recovered and seemed quite a bit better. I also observed that
at
least occasional nudity was also commonly practiced by other mental
patients who were not yet in their final reality. Again, this
was
simply perceived as a “symptom” of their mental
illness
when indeed, THEY had simply rediscovered the more primal
“feel
good” and normalcy of nudity--perhaps hoping to bring some of
this “normalcy” back to themselves in a very insane
world
of the institution. Interestingly too: when otherwise
violent,
self-destructive people either observed the nudity of others and/or
seemingly discovered it for themselves, they too were less
agitated--and when nude, seemed like a very different person
indeed! Curious as it was, these insane people would seem to
regain much of their sanity and assume a much more NORMAL reality for
themselves through the simple act of nudity.
It was upon these observations that I
concluded that
nudity was both beneficial and even a NECESSARY component of normalcy
for humans. Indeed, it does “feel good”
and that
alone best meets the criteria of any valid therapy. Some
simple
nudity might not only be a potential cure, but an excellent
preventative--particularly before a person becomes so ill and
desperate. If indeed, nudity is worthy of our birth and
physical
death (when we assume even a nakedness of our spirit/mind such that we
don’t need a physical body), then should we not advantage
ourselves with some nudity between birth and death?
I presented a paper on Therapeutic
Nudity and my
observations to an esteemed body of professionals (neuro-psychologists
and psychiatrists), and while some thought I was the entertainment,
others did take me seriously. Unfortunately, Therapeutic
Nudity
is too simple a solution. It is too cheap! Too
convenient! Not complicated enough! And worse, it
fails to
sell more drugs--as seems quite popular today. While it seems
unworthy of a prescription, it is perhaps our best hope for any kind of
“normalcy” of ourselves. Nude is after
all our NORMAL
state of being. Everything else simply represents the
complexity
and madness that we have thrown ourselves into or brought upon
ourselves.
If nothing more, I hope that people will
discover
nudity, either as a therapy, or more simply a worthy component of a
more healthy life-style or state of being for themselves. In
this, we might even hope to restore a respectability of self and even
others, such that indeed we might enjoy some simple nudity each day,
rather than save it for our final and/or a much more desperate
reality. While some still perceive nudity as a symptom of
insanity, I see it as a “simple solution” toward a
more
fundamental human need for more normalcy in our lives. Nude
IS
NORMAL. Everything else is a bit more nuts (and certainly
more
complicated) than that. It might even be that clothing is
more a
sign of human insanity than anything else! Wrap any other
living
thing (plant or animal) up like that and it WILL die or go nuts
trying! Nudists (those who practice nudity) do seem to have a
better grip on reality for themselves, and a better self
image.
Perhaps it is only that they deem themselves worthy of some
“feel
good” and this contributes to their own self respect and
appreciation of themselves and even others. Only the truly
perverted among us might need or deserve to feel otherwise
about
themselves and others.
But I would feel remiss if I
didn’t at least
offer everyone a little Therapeutic Nudity--and preferably BEFORE
everybody goes completely freaking nuts! Sadly, I might be
too
late for many, and they WILL have to discover it for themselves in some
final more desperate reality of themselves. For the rest of
us? Simply Enjoy! Life indeed CAN be a more
natural, normal
experience--if that is what you choose for yourself.
Therapeutic
Nudity as a Therapy
While Therapeutic Nudity (TN) can be
little more
than a failure to get dressed unnecessarily, here are some additional
suggestions:
Upon the basis that NUDE is our more
natural NORMAL
state of being and that anything else is simply some kind of compromise
upon that:
(1) After your bath or shower:
Towel off
lightly and then simply allow your body to air-dry the rest of the
way. This allows your spirit, mind and body of yourself a
little
time to breathe and exchange energy more fully than is possible when we
quickly wrap in a robe or get dressed immediately. If your
personal time/space does not allow for this extra nude time, then MAKE
TIME, enjoy an extra bath or shower when it is more timely.
(2) When you get home from work or play,
or anytime
that you can enjoy some personal time and space: Take off
your
clothes and enjoy that time and space in the nude.
(3) Discover the joy of doing
housework in the
nude! Seriously, very little of housework actually requires
any
kind of special clothing or protection for the body. Indeed,
doing household chores in the nude might not seem like such a chore,
and might even instead be quite refreshing. This also allows
you
to simply enjoy a little more nude time. Likewise,
“if you
don’t wear it, you don’t have to wash
it,” and so
therefore you might even reduce or diminish the pesky chore of doing
laundry.
(4) If you enjoy a personal exercise
program, do
this too in the nude if it is appropriate and comfortable to do
so. Have you tried sleeping in the nude? This alone
allows
you a much greater opportunity of time/space to both let your body
breathe and truly enjoy a much greater measure of nude freedom (or
freedom from clothes).
(5) As you gain greater and greater
comfort with
your nudity in your own personal time and space, begin to think of ways
that you can EXPAND upon your own time and space to allow for MORE
beneficial nudity. Is there any space outside your home
(porch,
patio, yard) where you can enjoy nudity? If not, can you
modify
this space to allow for some appropriate personal nudity (adding a
screen, fence, curtains, shades, etc.)? DO IT, as any
investment
in your own personal time/space that will allow or facilitate MORE
personal nudity WILL be very rewarding many times over. The
more
freedom that you appropriately CAN enjoy, the more beneficial personal
nudity will be for you.
(6) If you share your personal time and
space with
others, (roommate, spouse, family) talk to them honestly about your
needs (and perhaps theirs) for MORE nude time and space as a wholesome
beneficial therapy. Sharing personal nude time and space with
others greatly enhances the benefits, and can even be mutually
beneficial. In time, you will discover that naked people
(including yourself) are just naturally less aggressive, less
argumentative, less up-tight and less all the negative aspects of
life--and so much MORE relaxed, and at ease. Interestingly,
when
we shed our clothes, it can be both symbolic and an actuality of
shedding all kinds of burdens of spirit, mind and body. Much
as
clothes allow us to become someone else of our selves, nudity just
naturally allows us to be our more REAL selves. Nudity
greatly
facilitates an honesty of ourselves that clothes might allow us to
hide. In time, with more and more appropriate nudity in our
own
personal time and space, we CAN indeed, become more and more
comfortable with our own REAL selves and even the Real selves of
others. This is perhaps also the greatest “fear
factor” of nudity (the incredible honesty of it.)
But fact
is that until you can be openly honest with your self (self
accepting/respecting) you can never be truly honest (or more
accepting/respecting) of and with others. Likewise, as you
expand
your own comfort zone of personal nudity--which ultimately is a greater
acceptance/respect of self--you will experience greater and greater
liberation (and therefore less fear) of and for yourself.
Most
people today equate nudity with vulnerability. But as we
expand
our own personal perception of acceptable nudity (honesty) for our
selves, we will indeed feel more confident and have much less need to
feel or fear vulnerability, or even the honesty of our selves.
In summary, anything you can do to
advantage
yourself appropriately with more nude time and space--DO
IT. For some of us, this WILL require a deliberate effort to
make
more nude time and space for ourselves. For others, it comes
a
bit more naturally. But NUDE is your more NORMAL, Natural
state
of being--no matter that a very sick society might say
otherwise!
YOU DO very much deserve to feel good about yourself. In fact
you
ARE entitled (by your very creation and nude birth) to enjoy all the
wholesome, natural nudity (of time and space) that you can possibly
make for yourself.
ABOVE all, PLEASE don’t
continue to deprive
yourself of this most elemental and essential freedom. AND by
all
means--don’t save it for a more desperate final
reality. If
you must think of nudity in a “therapeutic” sense
for a
while, then DO IT. And keep doing it, until it does become
more
and more comfortable and a very acceptable/respectable state of being
for yourself.
Yoga: A Celebration of the Whole Self--
Spirit, Mind, Body
Aside from the perception that Yoga
represents
something deep and mystical, requiring profound discipline, devotion,
physical abilities, or even the acceptance of a religion of sorts, the
greater reality of Yoga is that it is a very appropriate medium for
"Celebrating Life" and dealing with the dynamics of a modern
lifestyle. Likewise, it is very energy positive from a
vitality
standpoint and, indeed, may allow you to get in touch with a greater
reality of self: spirit, mind and body. Most important,
however,
is that It Just Feels Good and allows you to feel good about yourself.
I have taught myself and others Yoga for
a number of
years. The purpose of this article is not so much to teach
you
yoga, but to enlighten you to its benefits and encourage you to try
yoga as a holistic approach to well-being and feeling well.
You may wish to acquire a basic Yoga
book. I
recommend Richard Hittleman's Introduction to Yoga (available at
bookstores, or they can order it for you) primarily because the
pictures are good and it is relatively inexpensive (about $6 in
paperback).
Yoga is essentially a number of body
movements and
positions that allow the "lifeforce" energy of your whole self to be
stimulated and helps achieve a balanced flow of this energy.
Sometimes called "exercises," yoga is just so much more beneficial than
mere exercise, and indeed, it totally dispels the No Pain, No Gain
issues--because, when done properly, every aspect of Yoga feels
good--and not just because at some point you get to stop! If
yoga
has a down-side, it is only because your whole self will come to
appreciate it so much, value the moments of kind attention, that
indeed, you may develop a "craving" for this special treatment of self.
Yoga has no pre-requisites.
You don't have to
go into training to begin yoga. Yoga is the training that can
prepare your "self" to be able to do many other things.
Likewise,
no particular level of fitness must be achieved first. Even
people with major limitations and physical disability can participate
and benefit measurably from yoga. One of my areas of
specialty is
teaching people with disabilities to advantage themselves with yoga,
and many have been able to reclaim form, function, and vitality with
yoga, where other forms of therapy might have failed or been too
painful to be obedient to.
I have some very definite opinions about
exercise and more specifically about yoga.
If it hurts, Don't Do It! Pain
is a strong
indicator that something is wrong or that you are doing something that
your body does not like. Learn to listen to your body and
respect
it. Likewise, if a movement is not physically possible for
you,
either due to limitations or pain: take an incremental approach to
achieving movement--little steps at a time until you can achieve the
greater goal. Your time and your body are your own--enjoy
them
instead of waging war with yourself.
In my opinion, exercise, and
particularly yoga,
should be done in the nude for maximum benefit. Clothing
restricts both physical movement and more importantly "energy flow"
within and across the surface of the body. Likewise, nudity
allows you to establish a "greater reality" with not only your body,
but your whole self. Admittedly "body acceptance" is the
final
frontier of whole self acceptance (spirit, mind and body), and if your
attitude about yourself does not allow you to enjoy a level of
acceptance of self, then you need to work on it. No doubt,
you
will need to begin at the top (spirit) and work your way down through
mind to body. Respect for self logically begins at the
top.
You are a product of your creator (your greater self); respect that and
allow that respect to flow throughout a fulfillment of self.
Body
shame and modesty are not a product of the creator, but of humanity and
their misperception and misuse of that which is good. Respect
of
the creator, and therefore self, is the key. If indeed, you
are
not respectable, then you need to do that which is necessary to fix
that. At least yoga will allow you the vitality to deal more
effectively with other issues. Likewise, if your environment
does
not permit nor lend itself to nudity, then very minimal light clothing
of natural fibers (perhaps cotton) is best. Just remember,
your
body, and indeed your whole self, desperately needs to breathe once in
a while, and you need to enjoy unrestricted movement and energy flow
for optimum vitality.
I also prefer yoga following a warm bath
or
shower. Cleansing the body is elemental to cleansing the
whole
self. Likewise, your mobility will be more relaxed and better
facilitated--plus hopefully you are already naked. Yoga
following
a bath or shower also allows your body to breathe and dry off
naturally. Yoga is not a hot sweaty event, and so therefore
fits
well within a program of bathing, drying and then getting dressed if
necessary.
Also, and I think this is very
important, I like air
flow. Static environments with little air movement are
stifling
and unhealthy. Natural breezes are the best; otherwise, at
least
an artificial air flow from a fan helps immensely. Keep the
air
moving around you, year round.
Beyond that, your yoga environment
simply needs to
provide some free space such that your movements are not impeded by
things. A comfortable cushion on the floor, a padded or
carpeted
floor works well; or even your bed might be a very suitable
area.
I think the neatest thing about yoga is that fundamentally, you really
need no special equipment. In fact, the less the
better.
Simply a safe space that allows free movement and perhaps some quiet
privacy to be with your self for a while. Hey, there's a
premium
commodity today: a little time and space for your self. If
you
don't have any, make some!
Also, the most fantastic thing about
yoga is that
with the movements and positions, you can make any kind of program that
you wish. Five minutes a day, ten minutes a day, one or two
movements--literally whatever you wish within any increment of time
that you wish. You discipline the yoga, and in time it will
discipline you. But indeed, you are in control of all the
parameters. Likewise, because no special equipment is
required,
you can do yoga almost anywhere there is a little room for
movement. Inside, outside, almost any space will
do. Yoga
is as much or as little as you wish to make it. Enjoy!
When I teach yoga, I begin with the very
most
important aspect of yoga: the breathing! Yoga
breaths are
the single most important aid to vitality that anyone can do.
Incredibly, with only 10 yoga breaths, I can lower my blood pressure
fully 10 points any time I wish. With only 10 yoga breaths, I
can
achieve a state of relaxation for the entire self like nothing else
that I can do or achieve so easily. If you learn or gain
nothing
else from yoga, learn the yoga breaths. Your whole self will
love
you for it. I frequently use an entire class for Introduction
and
Yoga breaths alone.
Beyond the breathing, there are dozens
and dozens,
hundreds maybe, of yoga movements and positions. In my
opinion,
the next most important movement and position is the Deep Relaxation
Posture/Position. Profoundly valuable! If only it
could be
achieved while being totally suspended in air with nothing touching
you! Water isn't bad either--and so far is more easily
achievable. I also like a modification to the Deep Relaxation
Posture, and that is to extend the arms straight out to the sides and
then straight out overhead. In the overhead position, you can
achieve some energy and physical body alignment that is even more
valuable to wellness.
Again, if you achieve nothing more than
the
breathing and this first most important position, you have achieved
greatness for yourself. Beyond that, each position builds
toward
much greater and more satisfying energy dynamics of self.
Couple
a little yoga with good nutrition and healthy attitudes about your
whole self, and indeed, you are participating in a worthy "Celebration
of Life" towards greater enjoyment of health and vitality. A
"simple solution" perhaps.
Hey Lady--Ya Wanna Get Naked?
Understanding This Male
Mid-Life Insanity
As we seek to understand ourselves, thus
we might
also understand others. This article is written in the hope
of
helping men, and the woman that care very much for them, to understand
a little something about what goes on in the life of men (from a male
perspective)--such at least with this understanding we might enjoy a
greater "celebration" of life. Likewise, while women might
truly
think that men are experiencing a "male mid-life insanity," this
"insanity" as you might choose to call it has been there since birth;
and indeed, it is NOT insanity. The seemingly sudden onset
affliction of needing to experience nudity or nakedness--even in public
for God's Sake!--is not so terribly insane as it might sound at
first. It is perhaps a "cry" for help! NO not
necessarily
psychiatric help or institutionalization. But it is
definitely a
symptom of a greater need. More Sex? No, probably
not. In fact, nudity need not necessarily have anything to do
with sex (the act of human reproduction); though nudity is a desirable
facilitator to human sexuality, it also facilitates humans at a far
greater level of human experience even more fundamental and necessary
than reproduction. This greater human need has everything to
do
with "Energy." We are in and of ourselves energy.
We are an
extension of the energy that created us. We are spirit, mind,
body energy. We are energy producers and we also need many
forms
of energy to survive and be healthy. Energy flows to us and
from
us all the time. Example: the foods we eat are "energy" that
feeds our bodies and enables us to produce many more types of energy to
facilitate our bodies, mind and spirit. Education is mind
food,
it feeds our minds and facilitates us to have and produce
thoughts--which are also powerful energy. Further, we receive
spiritual energy from the source that created us, and this we freely
exchange also.
Men, like women, have unique energy
requirements. Likewise, men, like women, have energy exchange
needs. We exchange energy with everything around us to enable
us,
as energy beings, to be in tune and balance with our
environment.
For example, a very dynamic energy exchange comes about through human
sexuality. Predicated upon the need to comply with a covenant
made prior to the human physical experience, we are literally driven to
seek a mate and consummate this energy exchange to achieve a
fulfillment and satisfaction. For some, this energy exchange
need
is more dynamic than for others. Likewise, as humans, some of
us
understand and deal with the dynamics better than others.
Without
education and understanding of form and function of this energy, some
must rely purely upon instinctive intuition to direct and exchange this
energy. Likewise, this lack of understanding frequently gets
them
in trouble and difficulty.
But back to our original premise: this
so-called
male mid-life insanity. As I have indicated before, we all
have
needs to exchange energy (not just sexually), but in every way possible
to maintain a balance of energy within our environment.
Interestingly, the dynamics of a modern lifestyle, so-called modern
attitudes (about nudity and everything else), plus the bombardment of
many artificial (electro-mechanical generated) energy from so many
sources that we have created all serve to make this "balance" of energy
nearly impossible--and certainly with many conflicts beyond the natural
balance of things. Indeed, even our textile compulsion and
penchant for modern synthetics definitely compounds our energy exchange
problems. Our more primitive ancestors, and even less
developed
civilizations on the earth today, seem to enjoy a much greater "energy
freedom," and therefore exhibit fewer overall energy and
energy
exchange problems. Upon this understanding, we might also
identify the need for men to get naked. For some, it reaches
a
nearly crisis level, because indeed they are having an energy
crisis. Why mid-life? Actually, in modern society
the
crisis has been there all along--since birth for both men and
women. Fortunately, men are allowed some privileges in life,
i.e.
at least within some social contexts nudity is somewhat more
acceptable. Fewer sexual and physical inhibitions are placed
on
men than women in our society. Yet due to so-called sexual
fears
of our puritan ancestors, profound baggage is heaped upon both genders
today--so much so that many of our species can no longer identity which
behaviors might be normal or abnormal, acceptable or unacceptable,
right or wrong. Likewise, early in a man's life, he has many
compensatory energy dynamics going on. Lots of physical
energy,
sexual energy, mental energy. Indeed, even in modern society,
there is the opportunity to at least symbolically shake and rattle
spears, use tools, make fire, blow smoke, conquer and even kill
something occasionally--even if now he has to use a credit card to do
it. But along about mid-life--which for some can be as early
as
their mid twenties stretching well into their seventies--this
compensatory energy and its many fine forms of exchange begin to ebb,
circumstances change; and the reality may suddenly set in that food
might appear on the table whether he actually kills something or
not. Suddenly, he now has time to notice that perhaps he is
no
longer quite as important to the scheme of things as he might have
earlier thought. Likewise, he might even notice that his
woman's
energy dynamics have changed also. She's perhaps not quite as
"hot" (energy dynamically speaking) as she used to be. He
definitely misses some of the energy dynamics; even if the quality of
his own energy dynamics has different requirements now, there remains
the memory imprint. Likewise, life still has expectations of
him,
and him of it. For some, this is a gradual reality and it
just
comes more naturally. For others, it is a more sudden
reality. Jolting even--which is why some men may suddenly
show up
at the local 7-11 naked one day! They have reached an energy
crisis! Likewise, some are able to handle this more
gracefully
than others, depending on their individual circumstances.
But indeed, the need to be naked, to
freely exchange
energy, the need to achieve balance in relationship to one's
environment becomes an energy dynamic of its own. More often,
it
has absolutely nothing to do with sex, though some people seem to
equate everything upon a sexual basis--that's another problem in itself
that afflicts our society. But the reality of this compulsion
for
some form of nakedness is simply a natural need for the most elemental
of therapeutic energy exchange to help achieve balance within the
environment of modern society. Fortunate indeed, that some
men
recognize this need for therapy. Others might not recognize
the
profound need or simple cure until a greater crisis is achieved, such
as a nearly complete destruction of spirit, mind or body.
Heart
attacks and nervous breakdowns, to name a couple. I have had
the
opportunity to observe some really sick people. They have
reached
such a crisis proportion that they must by necessity be
institutionalized. When left to their own devices of
elemental
survival, they will cast off all their clothing, choosing to be totally
naked. They assume a fetal position, hoping to conserve their
own
energy for whatever they have left. This position completes a
circle of themselves such that their own energy remains their own; and
likewise, exchanges, except within themselves, are no longer
possible. If they are lucky, they can conserve enough energy
of
themselves that some healing can take place. Otherwise, they
either die or they are intervened upon and some of them die anyway or
ascend to a different order of self. (As in
physical death.)
Fortunately, your man is still quite
healthy.
He simply recognizes the need for some wholesome, healthy energy
exchange, predicated upon elemental needs (nothing really outrageous)
and so simple that it may even have nothing to do with sex--yet your
man would really like for you to share in this experience because you
are perhaps his best friend, you have shared many things before (even
his most favorite memories of energy exchange: sex!) And
indeed,
he may even have fears of saving himself and losing you. But
WHY,
you may ask, does he feel the need to do it in public?
Certainly,
there are better places than the local 7-11 store! An
adequate
therapy for some naked time and space might be fully realized at home
and, depending on your circumstances, even out-of-doors. Why
outdoors? Interestingly, part of this elemental need is also
predicated upon a need for freedom, not only of spirit, mind, body, but
to be free from the bombardment of other artificial energy
sources. Indeed, our modern lifestyle and environment is
saturated with artificial energy dynamics going on all the
time!
Frankly, it is terrible! Yes it is unhealthy from a very
elemental standpoint. We have created environments that,
though
energy convenient, are also energy nightmares! All the
devices
that we love and adore are also sharing energy with us; that may be
contrary to our natural energy balance. Hence, the need to
commune with nature--to be free of this artificial energy
bombardment. Likewise, when we can exchange energy with
natural
more elemental things, our own energy is enhanced, fortified and
balanced with better forms of energy. Swimming nude is a
profound
energy benefit, because water flowing over bare skin stimulates our own
natural energy resources and allows a kind of polarizing effect to take
place within our spirit, mind, body (whole self) that simply is not
fully achieved when wearing a bathing suit. The act of
getting
dressed to get wet is an insult to our most elemental sensibilities of
self. Add some sand to that wet bathing suit, and it doesn't
take
a rocket scientist to figure out how uncomfortable that is!
Swimming nude produces such a tremendous "feel good" because indeed, it
is a state of profound normalcy. When one can lay aside the
inhibitions that have been artificially imposed upon us by someone
else's mind energy, indeed we can advantage ourselves tremendously from
an energy standpoint. Likewise, getting naked in nature
allows us
to more perfectly achieve energy balance within an "energy positive"
environment.
But--He wants to do it with other people
for God's
Sake! Isn't that really sick? Man's (humankind's)
needs for
socialization is well documented and supported as a "normal"
phenomenon; and indeed, many people enjoy many types of social
opportunities to interact (exchange energy) with other
people.
Whether they happen to be dressed or naked is somewhat immaterial,
except that, interestingly, when people achieve a level of "body
acceptance" of themselves, they are naturally able to achieve this same
acceptance of others--such that, if they are not offended by their own
nakedness, then they are likewise not offended by the nakedness of
others. It represents, again, an elemental honesty, whereby
people no longer need to hide behind the masks of pretense and indeed,
they can genuinely be themselves. Likewise, the social
exchange
of this "honest" energy is refreshing and can be more
satisfying.
Humankind was not designed to be an island unto itself. We
need
to be able to express ourselves and to exchange energy with other like
kind. Likewise, nakedness facilitates a very free exchange of
this honest energy. In some cultures, for example, the
teacher
and the student(s) may be naked such that nothing will inhibit the free
exchange of "honest" energy. They have come to recognize that
even mind-to-mind energy is facilitated through a free flow of physical
energy also, and that clothing can become a barrier to the greater
energy exchange. Indeed, they seek to advantage themselves by
removing these barriers. So upon this basis, nude
socialization
might not seem quite so outrageous as you might have thought.
Unfortunately, in our culture, clothing
has come to
represent so much more than mere warmth and protection for the
body. By perception, our clothing has become even something
greater than ourselves. It allows us to hide our honesty and
our
dishonesty from ourselves and others. Beyond that, it screws
up a
truly balanced energy flow, both physically, mentally and even
spiritually. Indeed, only by our perception, training, and
attitude, is anything particularly good or bad; but the one constant is
that it is all about energy, how we use and exchange it.
So, in conclusion, I hope that you and
your man
better understand that NO, he has not lost his mind; he is reclaiming
it. He is not exhibiting abnormal behavior, but seeking a
greater
normalcy; even if he, himself, does not fully understand his
motivations or true needs, he is nonetheless seeking a natural cure and
a natural balance in a very unnatural environment. And Yes, he very
much wants you too to be equally advantaged, because otherwise he must
then deal with more frustration and fear for your well being.
Be
glad that he cares enough to save you too.
Some men are particularly lucky in that
they just
naturally stumble upon what it is that they truly need--or through some
fortunate circumstance, a more primitive instinct kicks in and they
realize that perhaps their needs are more simple than can be
accommodated by a new "hotter" wife, a fast sports car, a motorcycle,
new bigger better tools, toys, weapons or some other equally
destructive energy devices. Indeed, they just need to get
naked
now and then--and naked in nature might be better, particularly with
one they really care about; and a little socialization with "real" and
incredibly honest people now and then is the simpler
solution.
So, next time your man says, "Hey Lady--Ya Wanna Get Naked?"
be
grateful! Because this crisis could be so much
worse! If
your man was not a pervert when you married him, he probably hasn't
become one now. Enjoy! And help him "celebrate"
your life
together.
Further, if he also mutters something
over and over
about the need to buy a boat? Encourage it! Few
vehicles
upon the earth, if any, are better designed to take you to some of the
most wonderful natural spaces--and so many better alternatives than
showing up naked at the 7-11 store!
Shame and Modesty: a
Greater Understanding
I am constantly amazed at the people who
preach body
shame and modesty. Certainly the human body is an earthly
temple
for the spirit (that God-part of our whole self of Spirit, Mind, Body);
I think that the human body is one of most wonderful and awesome works
of all of creation. The human body is art and science in
total
perfection. The human body needs no adornment, and there is
nothing that we can do to genuinely improve upon it. Indeed,
it
can even repair itself from an incredible amount of abuse. It
seems to me that, only when we lose RESPECT for this beautiful and
wonderful creation, do we have any legitimate basis for
shame.
Likewise, to lose respect for the creation, seems to me to show
profound disrespect for the Creator. Surely, this must fly in
the
face of God as a tremendous insult. Indeed, you will excuse
me if
I don't stand too closely while someone explains to God that they spent
their entire lives telling everyone who would listen, that they should
cover up this shameful creation and hide it behind modesty.
(I
tend to be allergic to lightening!)
I likewise reject the admonitions that
this
beautiful creation is vile, filthy, and nasty. It is NOT
vile,
filthy and nasty except perhaps in the minds of some people.
Indeed, the human physical body does facilitate human sexuality,
another one of our Creator's very special, beautiful and most precious
gifts of creation. Strange too, that many of the same people
who
are consumed with the concept that the body is shameful, also believe
that human sexuality is dirty.
Some people even point to scripture and
demand that
we believe that GOD says that sex and the human body must be clothed in
shame and modesty. Nowhere in scripture does God say that we
should be ashamed of our body or our sexuality. Even Adam and
Eve
sought only to hide their sin from God, and were aware of their
own nakedness only because, in doing what God had told them
not
to do, they gained also an awareness of the difference between good and
evil and therefore a greater awareness also of themselves.
This
is not to say that their nakedness was bad, nor that they were evil
because of their nakedness. And indeed, their nakedness was
not
their sin, nor did it have anything to do with their sinful
act.
Again, perhaps only a "dirty mind" could leap to such an illogical
conclusion. Only on their leaving the Garden of Eden (a
perfect
place), when God's compassion for his most precious children was that
they might now need some clothing to protect their bodies from the
elements that they must now face, did he clothe them with the skins of
animals. Indeed, he clothed them in the skins of animals--NOT
shame and modesty--and NOT because their bodies were shameful, wicked,
nasty or evil, but simply because they might need some protection from
the elements that did not exist in the garden.
Anything beyond this simple reality only
serves to
feed humankind's need to dominate others, to command attention; and
"fear" becomes a worthy tool, along with shame and modesty.
Indeed, if we seek the righteousness of others, then we should attract
them to us by example of our own righteous perceptions (information)
and likewise, teach and enlighten others of their potential of and for
goodness in themselves. If, on the other hand, what we seek
is
dominion, then no doubt it is much better to beat them up and even
provide a very ugly stick of "shame and modesty" with which they can
beat themselves up and then hide behind.
Incredibly, no matter what we might
choose to wear,
we are all naked beneath our clothing and indeed, naked in the sight of
our Creator. God did not make clothing, nor did he command
that
we cover our nakedness--and certainly not with shame and modesty of one
of his finest creations. Clothing is a product of
man. It
serves only to provide a little protection for the body from the
elements. Beyond that, it can serve no purpose, except in our
wildest perception of modern society.
Dear Lord! Clothing has become
so much more
than even God could ever imagine. Indeed, clothing has even
come
to represent a symbol of "morality." For it is perceived that
without our clothing, we will immediately revert to some primitive
animal, spontaneously lose all of our intelligence, and expose our
wicked, vile, filthy, nasty selves for all the world to see and
witness. Indeed, we must all cover our depravity such that it
does not spill out all over creation and contaminate everything in its
sight, or those that might see it. Gracious! Thank
goodness
man invented modern clothing so that we can effectively hide all this
from each other! Whew! Sure wouldn't want to see
that or
have it spill out all over me!
Likewise, man soon rationalized that if
we can hide
all this from each other, no doubt perhaps even God might not be able
to see past our clothing; but just the same, we might want to put on a
little bit more (cast iron or steel maybe). And of course,
clothing was particularly convenient for hiding also our
weapons!
That way, we could look all neat and friendly, walk right up to
someone, yell "surprise," pull out our weapon and slay their evilness
for God's sake! Cool! Sneaky, but cool!
Of course,
this brings out another tremendous advantage of clothing. It
can
also be used to hide our dishonesty, (at least we think it can), and it
even becomes a mask behind which we can masquerade and attempt to
convince someone else that we are something that we really are
not. How convenient! Clothing can also be used to
set
ourselves apart from others and by some definition even attempt to make
a statement: "I'm better than you," perhaps. Likewise, man
soon
discovered that if you really wanted to make a statement: print
something on a t-shirt and convince every kind of idiot in the world to
become a walking billboard! Oh yeah--that works for
me! You
don't have to be dumber than dirt to fall for that! And of
course, if you really wish to define yourself, clothing should have
special little labels, and certainly we might even stick them on the
outside of clothing so that others can read them better!
In time, this clothing compulsiveness
became driven
by profit, and man was not satisfied that indeed he could hide all
kinds of evilness with clothing, protect the body from the elements, be
as dishonest as he could possibly dream, but also feed himself if he
could convince everyone to wear more clothing. Why certainly,
there should even be special clothing for getting wet! Skin
is so
totally inadequate for this purpose, (God screwed up!) And so
man
invented the bathing suit! Wonderful invention--but sad that
some
of the early users were drowned trying to use them. So
definitely, the shame and modesty thing might be particularly helpful
in convincing people that they might require a bathing suit.
(I
can't believe that we are actually allowed to bathe within the privacy
of our homes without one--but just wait!)
Certainly, to cement this plan for
profit in place,
man also elicited some "Holy Folks," got them all hyped up with a lot
of misinformation, and sent them throughout the world to convince even
the simplest, most primitive of people, who prior to the arrival of
these "Holy People" might not have even been aware of sin, that they
too must cover up their obvious shamefulness, or prepare to go to hell
otherwise. (Of course there is also special clothing for even
going to hell; it is fire-retardant!)
Now certainly, if this wasn't bad enough
(the plot
thickens), man soon discovered that he could re-invent even natural
fibers, creating synthetics that were even more difficult to wash and
get dirt and stains out of, and this further fortified his relationship
with some of his co-conspirators to build better machines for washing
clothes, and more powerful soaps to get them clean. And
ohhhhh
yeah!--because these synthetics were nearly as uncomfortable as animal
skins, of course we might indeed need some fabric softener.
But
even that was not enough!
No! We must also enact as many
laws as
possible that will totally forbid ANY FORM of nakedness--better yet,
even any hint or thought about nakedness (thinking about nakedness is
just as nasty as the act of being naked) and so therefore, IT MUST BE
ILLEGAL in every conceivable way and no one must ever, ever, ever, even
think about nakedness! Because, if even one of us thinks
about
nakedness, then we are all going to hell and there might not be enough
fire retardant for that!
Sadly, in this, man has finally screwed
himself to
the wall, so to speak. (Thank God!) Because,
indeed, you
cannot truly prevent human behavior with laws. Laws only
serve to
segregate and define forbidden fruit. As everyone knows,
forbidden fruit tastes better than "free" fruit, and forbidden fruit
then takes on a desirability that some people find totally
irresistible. As we make more and more things or behaviors
illegal, indeed, we make them more attractive, and call attention to
something that, otherwise, someone might not have even noticed before
it became illegal. Duhhhhhhh! Likewise, once
something or a
behavior becomes "Not Legal," you drive it underground and now have no
hope of ever actually controlling a particular behavior. If
indeed one wishes to take control of something, it must be visible, and
accessible by everyone. A law against something only serves
to
"shelter it" from control. Likewise, a law does not make
something go away, but indeed may serve to only make it more attractive
to even more people.
Further: our attempts to hide
ourselves--even from
our own nakedness--only serves to make a non-existent problem into a
problem. Nakedness in reality is the only "normal" state of
being
for the human body. Everything else (clothing) only serves to
create an abnormal state of being for the body, which creates an
abnormal influence upon even the mind and spirit. Interesting
that even as we define selected body parts (genitals) and attempt to
hide them from the eyes and therefore the mind (of self and others),
the greater self will NOT be deceived into thinking that these parts
are no longer there--and indeed, when we attempt to hide something that
the mind and spirit already knows is there, we only serve to excite a
curiosity, fantasy, or imagination about what is now perceived as
hidden--or better yet--Forbidden! Likewise, once we order the
mind to kick in, if that mind just happens to be dirty, vile, filthy,
or nasty, then can you guess what our perception or attitude might
be? Duhhhhhhhh!
Thankfully as I reduce myself to my
lowest
commonality, of Spirit, Mind and Body, I do not find all this
nastiness, evilness, wickedness, filthiness that apparently others have
found in themselves, or choose to fear that it might be
there.
Likewise, despite the fears or domination of others, I refuse to
believe that I could be something less than my Creator
intended.
He made me wonderfully in his own image and gave me Not the courage to
criticize his best effort. Indeed, I find great comfort that
I
can view my Spirit, Mind and my Body, and the Creator with a profound
and awesome RESPECT. I am so amazed. Likewise, I am
so
grateful that indeed, I have no need to be clothed in shame or modesty
and am worthy to be naked in the eyes of my Creator, and therefore my
own. Indeed, in this simple trust, respect and honesty, I
hope
that likewise, I will not need fire retardant clothing for my journey
home.
For those who choose to believe
otherwise: You might
want to invest in Dow Chemical Company stock (they make fire retardant
chemicals for textiles).
No doubt we will all pay a very great
price for this
clothing compulsiveness and resulting shame and modesty--and indeed, we
all already do. Less than optimum health is but one
price.
Clothing (particularly synthetics) so dynamically screws up a balanced
energy flow of Spirit, Mind and Body that we therefore suffer from
profound amounts of tension and stress, and at times we exhibit a
seeming inability to deal with the dynamics of a modern
lifestyle. The body needs to breathe and receive light over
all
of its surface. I believe that every ill heath can be directly
attributed our sick attitude toward ourselves. Likewise,
because
we seek to deceive even ourselves of a healthy reality and relationship
(by loss or failure to respect) with and of our body, we create
profound conflict of our other components of self (Mind &
Spirit)
such that perception there also becomes sick and dysfunctional,
producing sex crimes, crimes against nature, and other deviate
behaviors beyond belief--even including most forms of
violence.
Interesting that the very things we attempt to control or free
ourselves of, we are totally responsible for creating, and only serve
to make them worse. I don't think we have seen the worst of
it
yet. Interesting too, that innocent little children know
nothing
of shame and modesty until someone teaches them that they have the
potential to be filthy, dirty and nasty--and therefore denies them of
their precious natural nakedness and innocence. Indeed,
filthy,
dirty and nasty are imposed or learned behaviors; i.e. none of us are
born with this knowledge, nor this behavior. Indeed, if we
need
another law, it might be to criminalize the teaching and imposition of
shame and modesty upon others by anyone.
Clothing, of itself, is only righteous
if it is
optional and appropriate for warmth and protection. Beyond
that,
I believe it is an insult to our greater selves and our
Creator.
Likewise, if you think you are going to be wearing any clothing on
judgement day, think again! You can forget about all those
cute
little labels too. Even the labels that define religion will
not
be there for you to hide behind. Of course, if you wish to
clothe
yourself in shame and modesty now and on that day, you go right
ahead! Just, please, don't stand next to me! I
definitely
intend to be totally naked on that day! Thankfully, I have no
other costume for the occasion.
Do I think that everyone should run
around naked all
the time? No, though it would create an incredibly honest
environment, and the need for crime and violence might be totally
purged from our society, along with deviant sexual behavior (with
virtually nothing left to imagination or fantasy), and people might be
left defenseless to deal with their own righteous reality of
representing their true selves instead of some illusion that they might
choose to convince others to believe. Respect of self(s) and
human dignity might become an obvious and unfortunate requirement or
by-product. And so many people would be deprived of their
profitability and seeming right of un-righteous dominion over others
that some of them might die of their own nastiness that they seek to
hide from others; indeed, all of creation might die of embarrassment
upon suddenly being confronted by either their nakedness or the reality
of their foolish behavior of the past. A few might be so
riddled
with guilt and genuine shame for having insulted their Father Creator
that they might do away with themselves, and even deem themselves
unworthy of Grace. No doubt, many would so very much miss the
opportunity of eroticism (deprived of having to, or getting to, sneak a
peek) that they might deliberately go blind to save themselves. Then
what would we do with all these anti-nudity laws? Getting
them
off the books might take forever--or otherwise, we would all have to
spend a lot of time in jail. Of course, there is always the
risk
that one or two of us might admire ourselves to death while the rest
become so body compulsive that we might exercise ourselves to
death. Good health might break out and wreck havoc upon our
managed health care system, making much of it unnecessary; and, no
doubt, in quest of that better looking body, no one will want to eat
processed foods, seeking instead whole fresh natural foods and more
worthy things to put into themselves; so there goes another whole
segment of the economy, and the earth might be suddenly stripped of all
leafy green things, causing the total destruction of earth as we know
it.
Sadly, we may just have to wait for
judgement day
before we can all safely get naked at one time. But I do
think
that we should grant ourselves at least a limited opportunity to
practice for this very special event. And definitely, I think
that we should quit teaching our children that their potential for
nastiness is greater than their potential for goodness, and we might
definitely adjust our own attitude and "celebrate" life a bit more
honestly, no matter how embarrassing it might be for the first few
hours or minutes.
I believe that humanity is fundamentally
good and
worthy of the very best treatment and RESPECT. Unfortunately,
we've covered ourselves with so much false doctrine, misinformation,
shame and modesty, that it is getting more and more difficult to
see. I have to get naked to see and find my own right reality
of
my greater self. Believe me, as I stripped away the layers of
shame, modesty, and disrespect, I was so relieved to find that indeed,
I had a little respectability left. I was not the sinful,
filthy
person that someone claimed I was or warned me about. Thank
God!
David
Goines: Bibliography of
Electronic Publications
Nearly two years before David died, we
published in
newsletter #7 the following list of titles on his web site.
Some
of the citations were near duplicates, because he changed titles for
different versions and for posting on other sites.
Bodyshame; Shame & Modesty.
A Better Advocacy for Humanity; The Choice Is Yours.
American Association for Human Dignity; Do We Need Another
Organization?
Can We Do More? Other Things We Can Do!
Living a Life; a More Simple
Reality of and for Ourselves.
Living a Life (Naturally!);
Some Simple Realities and Greater Understandings of Ourselves.
Nudists Deserve Respect,
Quite According to Their Respectability.
Nudity Is a Great Facilitator.
Rude or Nude Reality; the Choice Is Yours.
Sanity vs. Insanity--the Choice Is Yours!
Simple vs. Complicated--the Choice Is Yours!
Simply Nudity; a Normal
Natural State of Being for Humans?
Therapeutic Nudity Discovery; Do You Need/Deserve Some Therapy?
Therapeutic Nudity Reality; Suggestions for Therapeutic Nudity.
Therapeutic Nudity (The
Reality); How to Integrate/implement TN to Your Life.
Wanna Get Naked; Why Men
Might Crave Nudity More than Women.
What Can We Do to Help
Nudist/Nudism?
What I like about Therapeutic Nudity: Simple, Affordable, Convenient.
Yoga.
You Can Right Yourself.