top

#28 What's wrong with me & my sex fantasies? / Should I continue hiding worries from my husband?
 

Dear Ann Landers: I am happily married to a very good man, but for the last several months, I have been fantasizing a lot.  I daydream about making love to a refrigerator repair man, a young life guard at the beach and a potential employer who is interested in a combination secretary-playmate. All these males are muscular, tall, dark and handsome. Sometimes, I visualize us in all the places we used to meet, and I relive the hours of passionate lovemaking.

I am really happy in my marriage and sexually satisfied, and have no interest in cheating on my husband. So what is wrong with me?FANTASY LOVER IN HOUSTON

Dear Houston: You don't say how old you are, your husband's age, how long you've been married or whether or not you have children, so actually I don't have much to go on.

Dream castles can be fun to visit, but no one should try to live in them. My guess is that you have too much spare time on your hands. You need to become involved in some constructive, satisfying activities that will make you feel good about yourself. Contact your local library, your neighborhood hospital, the Junior League or the United Way and volunteer your time. —ANN LANDERS

Gabby's Response:

Gabby's Response:

Hi Houston: There is nothing wrong with you, lest it be that you are typical. By that I mean, the vast majority of couples do not communicate openly, honestly and spontaneously with each other. I'm referring to these kinds of thoughts, and the even "kinkier" and "sick" ones, that most people hide from each other for fear of upsetting or hurting the other's feelings, or even of driving them away.

I believe a significant number of pedophiles and adulterers began by having and hiding their sex fantasies.  Because they had fears of what their parents (or partner) would think of them for having such thoughts they stuffed them—eventually the thought's mass becomes so defined and refined that it's acted upon—it takes on a life of its own. Parents need to extract verbally (see The Clearing Process for a Parent and Child) and get the "weird" stuff so children know they are normal. Once you do The Clearing Process then you can invite your husband to do it; then you both can do The Clearing Process for Couples. All the processes are free. It will create an "experience" of happiness.

Congratulations on your smarts to share your thoughts in your letter.  I recommend that you share the same verbally with your loved one. When you tell the truth the problem disappears. I say verbally  because you are in fact always communicating your withholds non-verbally, your husband doesn't know what's going on, just that you're dragging around one or more incompletes; it's confusing and unsettling. 

I used to have an awesomely embarrassing fantasy that would automatically come up when masturbating. For years I had the  same, to me, very sexist, scenario. Then, at age 32, I discovered that communicating the truth about anything disappears it. I got up the courage and shared the thought with a friend and now, instead of it being an automatic thought that imposes itself on my mind, I can choose from thousands of titillating scenarios.

You felt a need to repeat that you're "happy" but I don't get it. I get the concept but not the experience. In a relationship in which all truths are told—zero significant* thoughts withheld—true happiness is generated (created and recreated at will) —Gabby

* "significant" A thought which if delivered verbally might/would trigger upset or anger. Fleeting non-reoccurring thoughts are not significant.  If the mind decides to withhold it, for reasons, then it's significant.

BTW: You need to know that your husband is also withholding his thoughts of choice from you; there are no exceptions to this phenomenon having to do with entanglement. You have not formulated the intention to be a safe space for him to share his extremely uncomfortable thoughts.

Comment Box is loading comments...

Upon pressing the Submit button the page will refresh as though nothing has happen. It will take a few hours for the comment to appear.

To receive feedback about your comments or to post a question please use our Dear Gabby Forum (free - registration required).

Check back occasionally for minor edits (last edited 2/15/21)

[ top


If you liked this letter please press the "I like" voting button. Upon pressing the button you'll be taken directly to the index.

[ #29 Advice re: boyfriend's drugs & gay phone-sex hobby / Not safe space for boyfriend to tell truth ]

[ top | back to list of letter topics ]