To the OP, if you insist on playing with fire…
If you do the prudence check I mentioned in my first post, and realize that, at least for yourself, it is riskier to avoid viewing the nude image than to deliberately behold it (for example, because avoidance of temptation in this area is practically impossible in your life and you are seeking to learn purity in a controlled environment), then I would recommend the following safeguards.
- Pray. Pray. Pray. Ask God for wisdom, thank God for his gift of beauty. Ask God to help you avoid the near occasion of sin, the sins of lust, and pray to see the women (and/or men) as God as created them, our sisters in Christ. Also consider fasting.
- Study the theology of the body. This gives you wisdom and words to dialogue with when you wrestle with your temptations, passions, and God. If you don’t, you will be likely swept away and lost.
- Talk to a spiritual advisor, and make your intentions known. Obey his or her advice.
- If you suspect that this will be an ongoing battle and not a one-time occurrence, choose a certain day - perhaps Sunday, the day God created for rest - and limit yourself to that day. If you find that you can’t limit yourself, that’s excellent evidence that you are out of control, acting out of lust and not out of disinterested appreciation of beauty or quest for wisdom.
- Pray more for pure intentions shortly before looking.
- A museum is probably best for a controlled environment. If you artistically inclined, a nude art class could work. A book is also at least possible, perhaps dealing with photography or painting. A spiritual movie featuring, say, Adam and Eve might work if done in edifying fashion. If you lack options, you can try the internet as a virtual museum. Once you find something appropriate (I would start with www.wga.hu which has classical nudes (among many other subjects) painted before 1800 and see if that satisfies), download it to your computer. Do NOT surf, as one click will lead to another click, in an interminable, wasteful search, and inevitable sin. Failure to control yourself in this manner, is again excellent evidence as to your motives. Once you have a few beautiful images that are not cooperating with the evil porn market (these are extremely hard to find), that seek rather to give glory to God, then do not ever go online for this purpose again. Stay with what you downloaded that first time. One image is probably enough to last a lifetime for contemplation, so no more than, say, a handful for each of the different media.
- If you share a computer, encrypt the files for avoidance of scandal.
- Sculpture and painting may be better mediums than a photo image, since the abstract nature might control lust and lead to more divine thoughts. Video may be better than either, since you are more likely to see the personhood of the subject (the model), almost certainly more than a mere photo.
- Judge yourself. Jesus tells us a tree is known by its fruits. What does this exercise produce for you? Does it inspire you to God, or debase you? If you are not improving your quest for purity or wisdom, then stop it.
- Go to regular confession. Confess your shortcomings, but don’t have scruples over this once your spiritual advisor approves your plan.
If you are going to try this fight, do not use an internet filter. You are trying to learn freedom from sin, and you have to learn to trust yourself. Only use filters if you’re trying the total abstinent see-no-evil approach (which you’re not). There is great power in knowing that you could sin, but you have no desire to go to sinful sites because you are learning purity.
If you have a wife, humbly talk to her about your fears of sin in this respect, and that you believe that this might be a way to help you succeed in your battle for purity. Obey her too. You might have to go the bury-head-in-sand route, even if not “best” (most prudent), out of respect for her wishes. If you sneak behind her back, you risk causing great sin in her.
Beauty is such an amazing gift from God (whether in the abstract or in a particular subject), but it is rotten if sought for its own sake. Beauty is only a second-best gospel. A blind person who cannot fully appreciate plastic beauty can certainly get to heaven so we obviously don’t need it. Sure, as fallen creatures, it can help us perhaps to become holier people, but the life and passion of Jesus is all the gospel we need for our survival. Once you do reach purity, it’s probably best to put all of this away and focus on more grown-up wisdom. Granted, purity might be a lifelong struggle for you, but it’s good to put all of this in perspective.
Behold, Catholic Answers apologist and speaker Matt Fradd explains how viewing pornographic images can affect behavior. In this 2 minute video, he explains the difference between eyeing naked persons for art and eyeing naked persons for lust.