Nakedness and Nudity in Symbolism and Mythology

The bare Truth; The naked Truth; Nothing to hide; What are
you covering up?; Reveal yourself; The Truth has been exposed.

Naked! It is the way we come into this world. Pure...innocent...
sincere...uninhibited...vulnerable...we have nothing to hide.
We enter our Current Incarnation as a spiritually gifted but
materialistically naive Traveler who is full of excitement, curiosity
and joy.

At the moment we enter this material realm our only Memories are
those of the peaceful and calm Garden of Eden we just departed.
We are devoid of, and unaware of, all of the false trappings, bindings,
expectations and obligations that a materialistic society is all too
anxious to drape upon us.

Then, slowly and methodically, society distances us from the realm
of pure spirit in order to bind and cover us with all of the woes of the
material realm.

This entrance of ours into the world of materialism serves as an
excellent metaphor for nakedness and nudity in Symbolism,
artwork, and mythology. For nakedness and nudity are Symbolic
of purity, innocence, freedom, Truth, Wisdom and Harmony;
which, when we come to think about it, are all really one and the
same virtue.

As nakedness and nudity are a Symbolic reflection of "what is
true", or "what is revealed", they are portrayed as a feminine
aspect of nature.

With these thoughts in mind, let us now explore the Symbolism
of nakedness and nudity.

When we view artwork or read mythological tales of Paradise, we
find that nakedness is the "fashion of the day" in this nostalgic,
innocent and beckoning realm. For Paradise reminds us of the
Golden Age when mankind lived in Harmony with all of Nature
and the burden of clothing was unnecessary.

When we contemplate Paradise, our Thoughts are lifted to the
purity and refinement of higher consciousness. We wistfully
ascend to a realm of integrity, openness, simplicity and plenitude.
In this realm, where all of our needs are provided for, we are
clothed only by pure air...the Aether...the Divine life force...
eternal Truth. Paradisaical nakedness is Symbolic of unconfined
and uninhibited Freedom. For, as clothing represents "something
to hide", "restrictiveness" or the "wear and tear" associated with
temporal Time, we have no need for it in the realm of Paradise.

When we encounter an image of a naked figure floating freely
above the ground, this is a reminder that while Truth and Harmony
make themselves available to all of us here on earth they are not
material essences, but Divine Principles, which transcend the
worldly and mundane.

Truth, Harmony, and all of the other virtues associated with
Symbolic nakedness belong to the eternal spiritual realm and
are willingly bestowed upon all of us in the material realm who
wish to include them in our lives. In this instance, nakedness
also Symbolizes the higher mind, the uncluttered mind, the
unbiased mind, the Unattached Observer and the enlightened
mind which sees things as they truly are.

This same image of a naked figure floating above the ground
is also a Symbol for ascension. To ascend is to achieve
enlightenment; to rise above and beyond the earthly plane.
Ascension occurs when we finally cast off all of the earthly
clothing - the bondages of materialism and the
trappings of illusion - which has been heaped upon us. It is the
sublime moment when our spirit purely, innocently and nakedly
returns to the Paradisaical Unity from whence it originally came.

Partial nudity is a Symbolic way to express the Esoteric. It tells
us that there are still hidden and secret teachings contained
within that which has already been revealed. It represents the
timeless Lessons which lie behind the Idol, curtain, or Veil.
It is the Wisdom behind the parable, metaphor or myth. It is
the hidden Truth contained behind an image or story; a Truth
which can only be recognized by the worthy and well-qualified
Initiate.

Society, through its many organizations and factions, makes a
great effort to Indoctrinate the masses to clothe themselves in
masks, costumes, garments, attitudes, behaviors and makeups
of all sorts in order to either conform, appease or deceive. And
the result for so many people is that they have completely
forgotten who they truly are and their life is nothing but one big
Masquerade.

For it is not our clothing - our physical wrappings or pretty
packaging - that determines who we truly are; it is our true
nakedness, our Inner Beauty, which lies beneath our outer
trappings that determines our spiritual worth.

To be Symbolically naked is to be free from Sin. It is to be
free from the Guilt, Threats and Obligations heaped upon us
by society. It is to be free from false Indoctrinations. It is the
discarding of the constrictive trappings of fickle man-made
demands so that we can freely bask within, and openly
absorb, the unrestrictive and uncontaminated purity of
Divine Light and Divine Law.

For, while corruption. lies, treachery and deception operate
beneath multiple layers of cover in the dark - fearful of showing
themselves - Truth walks naked in the light, showing itself to all
who are prepared to gaze directly upon it.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My Email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2014

The Thinker - Rodin's Symbolic Sculpture

We have probably all seen a picture of Rodin's sculpture,
"The Thinker".

"The Thinker" is a naked man sitting on a rock. The elbow of his
right arm rests upon his left thigh while his chin rests upon the
fingers of his right hand. "The Thinker" is deep in Thought.

The Symbolism contained within this sculpture is quite interesting.
Symbolically, the Head represents that portion of the body where
the Mind resides. The Mind is directly connected to Spirit which is
connected to Divinity. Therefore the Mind is Divinity.
(See: Mind, Body And Spirit).

The chin of "The Thinker" rests upon his right arm which, in turn,
rests upon his left Thigh. This is an unusual and uncomfortable
position for someone to assume while in a state of Thought.
Normally, our chin would rest upon our right arm which would then
rest upon our right thigh. Or, our chin would rest upon our left arm
which would then rest upon our left thigh.

However, Rodin, in his sculpture, Chose the uncomfortable position
of having the right arm of "The Thinker" rest upon the left thigh!
But, Why?

When we consider this posture within the context of Symbolism we
get our answer. The right arm resting on the left thigh Symbolizes
the Union Of Duality. The right side of our body, which is the
Masculine side of our Nature, represents Reason while the left side
of our body, which is the Feminine side of our Nature, represents
Intuition.

Crossing, and thereby uniting, the right side of the body with the
left side of the body Symbolizes the Interaction, and Union, of
Masculine Reason with Feminine Intuition. This Interaction of
Reason with Intuition is a Union Of Duality. This is the same
Symbolism which can be represented by both The Cross or the
letter X, which also represent the Union Of Duality.
Therefore, the posture of "The Thinker" reminds us of our Dual
Nature: Masculine and Feminine, Reason and Intuition, Logic and
Feeling, Intellect and Insight.

In order for our Mind (our head) to reach a Balanced solution to
whatever matter it is that we are contemplating, we must allow
our Mind to rest upon, and use equally, both the Masculine and
Feminine side of our Nature. In other words, we must use our
Divine Faculties of Reason and Intuition, in equal amounts, if we
expect to make True and Wise Decisions.

Finally, the sculpture of "The Thinker" is naked. Nakedness,
Symbolically, represents openness, the exposed, the unhidden,
the completely revealed. In other words, nakedness represents
Truth.

Truth has no reason to hide. Truth has nothing to be ashamed of.
Truth has nothing to fear. Truth is Truth and it is all around us.
It is up to us to Seek It out, recognize It, and understand It, when
It presents Itself to us.

Therefore, the sculpture of "The Thinker" reminds us that it is
only by using both the Masculine and Feminine Aspects of our
Nature, in equal Balance, that we are able to un-Veil the Truth
and Wisdom contained within any issue that we are contemplating.

(Image via Wikipedia)

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009