Here’s an idea: take off all your clothes right now.
Depending on where you are — your bedroom or the grocery store — you may or may not immediately get arrested. If you’re riding a bicycle nude with a group to make a political statement, you get a free pass. If you ride a bike naked by yourself, the system may not be as generous.
Nudity is rife with complicated feelings and double standards. It’s strange to think that we can share images of our internal organs, guts and brains, but exposed skin and external organs can land you a big fine or in jail. No one seems to care about fMRI scans, but a glimpse of Janet Jackson’s nipple cost CBS $550,000.
Historically, this hasn’t been the case. Art, paintings and statues dating back ten to twenty thousand years ago depict a lot of nudity, indicating our way of life back then. Before the Agricultural Revolution, it’s likely that many people living in tropical climates simply didn’t need clothes and those in colder climates wore clothes primarily for protection.
But when clothes weren’t practical, they shed them. The Aztecs charged into battle naked, believing it would make them more powerful. So did the Celts and the Spartans. The Romans idealized the naked body and there were gyms where you could work out naked. Nude chariot races were common.
Bavarian women were sent naked into fields to have flax seeds scattered on them, in hopes of bringing a good crop that year. There are a lot of naked festivals around the world like this, often tied to fertility. Feudal peasants in Japan barely wore anything for centuries. The Japanese Ama-san, or pearl divers, caught sea urchins topless.
Pre-Christian Europe was full of different groups like the druids who walked around “sky-clad” wearing nothing but their smiles. In Christianity, baptisms were traditionally performed in the nude. The Old Testament in the Bible has multiple references that normalize nudity. In the Book of Isaiah, God instructs him to “..loose the sack-cloth off thy loins and put off thy shoe from the foot.” Isaiah walked around barefoot and naked for three years.
In eastern religion, the Jains renounced clothes to get closer to ‘naked awareness’ and the true nature of reality. Hindu saddhus called the naked saints (naga babas) trekked around to spread their tradition. The Buddha was originally a naked ascetic who wandered around in search of enlightenment. 1
Basically, being naked was normal for a very long time. When it became less common, the value and wisdom of the naked body was still clearly recognized. The Greeks called upon gymnosophists, or naked wisemen, for their advice. Tolstoy donated part of his royalties to support a nudist colony in Russia. Jain monks, Hindu sadhus and Christian saints have all used nakedness to cut back to the essentials of life, get closer to god and strip themselves of convention.
6 reasons why people get naked
Nowadays, very few cultures around the world still don’t wear anything, like the Koma tribe of Nigeria or the indigenous Yanomami people of Brazil. To them, there’s nothing weird or shameful about it. That’s just how it is. But these cultures are few and far between. In most places, probably wherever you live, public nudity is a crime. The reason this is goes back to a mixture of religious doctrine (spread of Christianity), evolving social norms (hygenic, artistic, political), and practicalities (covering ourselves in harsh climates).
While less of us today seem to be naked in public, except for the occasional political protest (breasts not bombs, nipples not napalm, titties not tanks) or streaker, our standards for acceptable nudity are wide-ranging. Public nudity is more accepted in the mixed baths in Germany or the Netherlands. Breasts on TV aren’t a big deal in France. These European countries have a long history of naturism, or the return to our naked vulnerable selves, which might explain why they’re a bit more open.
In general, there are 6 reasons we get naked. They are:
Sexual intimacy
Practical (it’s more comfortable/necessary)
Exhibitionism (thriving on the attention)
Artistic expression
Tradition/ritual
Naturism/Nudism
I want to hone in on #6 - naturism and nudism and the freeing power of being naked.
I probably first experienced this sense of freedom when I went skinny-dipping at a pool party during university. But more memorably, it’s been with my frequent trips to Japanese hot springs. In Japan, while public nudity can get you a $3,000 fine or 6 months in jail, public hot springs are fully nude and a national pastime (usually segregated, but co-ed does exist).
My first dip into a hot spring in Japan with a group of friends was full of shameful thoughts brought upon by years of American conditioning. And then it became delightful, liberating and eye-opening. Without clothes, I had nothing to hide. Neither did my friends. This was reflected by the quality of our conversation that day and the fact that a decade later we still all stay in touch.
You don’t really know someone until you’ve bathed naked with them in a steaming hot spring.
Later, when I ventured to a mixed bath and sauna with my wife in the Netherlands, we both felt more connected to each other and those around us. It was freeing and exhilarating, but not specifically sexual.
In the admirably thorough book A Brief History of Nakedness, the author says that,
“It’s as if your clothes take on your worries and concerns - they come to embody your defences against the world, and if you can feel confident and safe enough, then then taking them off evokes a powerful sense of liberation, of joy and freedom; and more than that - the innocence and openness to the world…”
These naked experiences made me think. Why is being naked so great? And if it’s as easy as getting undressed, why are we so reluctant to do so?
Why being naked is good for you
In their song Naked Eye, Dolly Parton and Luscious Jackson sing:
“Wearing nothing is divine. Naked is a state of mind. I take things off to clear my head, to say the things I haven’t said…”
If you’ve ever been skinny-dipping, ran through a field of sunflowers naked, or perhaps been to a public bath then you already know what they’re talking about. Being naked isn’t just physically freeing, it’s emotionally freeing too.
For a while, people were concerned that exposure to nudity could be harmful, especially to children. It’s not (when it’s not lewd). The only side effect deemed ‘negative’ is a slight correlation with exposure to nudity early in life and openness to casual sex. Casual sex isn’t so bad, and people started wondering if there were any benefits. Surprise, surprise.
One study found that exposure to parental nudity was associated with less usage of recreational drugs and higher levels of self-acceptance. The theory is that the parents are teaching kids to be more comfortable with their bodies, and in turn less judgmental. This equates to more acceptance in other areas of life, less self-loathing and means they’re less likely to escape into alcohol and drugs.
The unrealistic airbrushed ideals on instagram ads or porn only harm our self-esteem by creating an image of what we think is normal. This image is a myth, or at least represents only a minority of what bodies actually look like. When you go to a mixed spa, a naturist community or the everybody festival, you get to see what normal men and women look like. Exposure to different body types makes you realize that you’re not so different, and this boosts your confidence.
Markedly, studies find that being naked increases overall life satisfaction in a lasting way, whether thats in public or private. Not buying more shit for your house. I personally think this is because you can feel more. As I edit this newsletter, I’m sitting on a chair, naked, at my hotel on the southern island of Okinawa. I can feel the warm rays of the sun and the cool breeze on my whole body and the ground beneath my feat. I am more in my body — I am embodied — and the direct experience of my senses pulls me into the present moment.
This is a not-so-secret secret. You literally don’t need anything to be happy.
Shameful and afraid
Okay, but you might feel strongly that nudity is inappropriate or shameful. Unhygienic, perhaps. But shameful? You’re born naked and die naked, and you certainly didn’t give a damn when you were a toddler. Being naked doesn’t always have to be an act of eroticism, but it can be one of self-expression and renunciation. Any belief you have about nudity you’ve picked up along the way. If you feel uncomfortable being naked in private, this is a conditioned belief that can be addressed through conversations with mature friends and therapy.
If you’re comfortable in private but feel afraid of being naked in public, it takes a little bit of normalizing. All you have to do is dip your toes in with small acts of nudity. Ideas you can try to help you get comfortable being naked:
sleeping naked, walking around your house naked, sunbathing naked, looking at yourself in the mirror naked, naked handstands, skinny-dipping, taking off your clothes in an isolated place like a forest or beach, cooking naked, watching TV naked, public naked baths, doing zoom calls without pants (although I’m sure you’ve done this one already), going to a naturist community. Freedoommmm!!!
Rules around nudity have a history, but they are outdated and contradictory like the laws on drugs. Get caught with weed in Indonesia and you could face a life sentence or the death penalty. But pop over the border to Thailand, and you can legally buy a gram of weed for a few baht. All of this is in our imagination. Obviously, try not to get yourself arrested.
Moving towards a more naked world
There is a movement happening. Or, a revival - nudity is a grassroots movement that just won’t go away. While a totally naked world isn’t likely, openness to nudity is getting more common. Some people say they’re more comfortable being naked after their pandemic lockdowns. Not to mention all that pent up energy and desire we have to break free. The Everybody festival is spreading globally. The World Naked Bike Ride is now in 70 countries. Naturist resorts are becoming more popular.
Marketers and politicians have used nudity in posters and advertisements to garner attention. Recently these have become less effective because we’re just more used to seeing naked bodies. Religious institutions are no exception. It’s not mainstream, but Christian nudists camps are popping up around the U.S. The Wiccans have over 400,000 members and often practice bare skin rituals. The spread of psychedelics and spiritual awareness is loosening the grip of age old assumptions. Heck, I just took off all my clothes and jumped into the ocean. Yep. We’re moving towards a more naked world.
Arguably, in a divided world, this could do us some good. What if politicians running for office had to debate in the nude? Without the trappings of suits and ties, would there be a more honest exchange of ideas? Or imagine if the world leaders gathered at the G8 summit, sitting around the table in their natural glory to discuss bilateral agreements. How would this change the conversation? Would they be more honest, vulnerable by letting it “all hang out?” Would we get world peace…or would nothing change? Perhaps it would be a mega gang-bang? The truth is likely somewhere in between.2
Being naked won’t solve all of our problems and it certainly won’t make people saints — sometimes the opposite. Former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson was known for skinny dipping in the Potomac river and egging on any visitors to swim naked with him in the White House. He also was a staunch supporter of the Vietnam War and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of troops. The occasional skinny dip wasn’t enough to change his deepest views, morals and absolve him of the pressures of being president. But that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
Considering the low-barrier to entry, there’s probably more good than bad that can come from being naked. Collectively as we move towards a more spiritual (and less religious) world, we start to shed the layers of conditioned beliefs. We start to question our assumptions and look for something beyond the broken promise that money buys happiness. However, you don’t need to evolve your consciousness, start a revolution or upgrade to the fifth dimension. You don’t need to believe in anything, or be part of any movement.
The Stoics would suggest you do things every day that make you a bit uncomfortable as a way to freedom and a meaningful life. You can simply try it for yourself and take off your clothes. Being completely vulnerable and exposed, you start to dissolve the ego that is so prominently holding you back. Who are we, truly, when stripped of the veils of clothes, culture, and convention? What untapped potential lies within us, waiting to be revealed? The most profound experiences we seek are often hidden in plain sight, awaiting our discovery through the simple act of baring ourselves to the world.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Misha Yurchenko's Newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.