Some people are more open about their personal lives than others. Some people prefer to keep details private while some share everything with everyone they know. Fantasy sharing is when people share their private thoughts, feelings, desires, fears, and experiences with others. Sharing your dreams can be beneficial for mental health because it helps you feel understood, cared for, validated, accepted, and loved. It also builds trust, increases closeness, strengthens bonds, improves communication, enhances connection, and deepens intimacy.
Fantasy sharing may negatively impact relational transparency if done excessively.
When sharing your secrets with someone else, that person becomes a confidant. They become privy to your inner world, which makes them special. You must disclose yourself fully and completely so that they can understand and relate to what you're going through. If this happens too often, there will be no mystery left between you, and the excitement of sharing fades away. Your partner might stop trying to guess what you're thinking or feeling because they already know all about it. This reduces their desire to get closer to you emotionally and romantically. The relationship becomes stale and boring because there is nothing new to discover about each other.
The problem arises when you start feeling like you cannot trust anyone except the person who knows your innermost thoughts and desires. People may feel pressured into accepting your fantasies and may not want to express themselves freely due to embarrassment, shame, or fear of rejection. There are many reasons why we keep our thoughts secret: We don't want to seem weird, different, awkward, sexual, abnormal, strange, perverted, or dirty. Sharing secrets in an open way can make people uncomfortable or judgmental. Not everyone wants to hear about your fantasies or accept that you enjoy certain activities outside of societal norms.
Fantasy sharing may have both positive and negative effects on relational transparency depending on how much you share and whom you share it with. It depends on your comfort level, boundaries, relationship history, communication style, and whether you prefer intimacy or distance. Some people need space to grow as individuals while others thrive on closeness. It's okay if you choose to keep some things private; it doesn't mean you're less honest or transparent than those who share everything.
How does fantasy sharing affect relational transparency?
Research suggests that engaging in fantasizing with one's partner can positively impact the development of intimacy and trust within a relationship. In terms of relational transparency, fantasy sharing may have both positive and negative implications. On one hand, sharing personal thoughts and desires related to sexual activity may increase openness between partners and strengthen the sense of connection and bonding.