Masturbation

[KH Rising]

Right, so here am I starting a topic about tossing off. Didn't think I'd live to see this day. But this is actually more serious than meets the eye.

I fully know that masturbation is healthy and is a positive way to let stress fade away so don't worry about that. What I'm considering is going 30 DAYS without masturbation. I've rarely gone a day in the last ten years without doing it at least once. I'm now 21. I feel that I have no control over my sexual feelings in that I can't go more than a couple of days before 'needing' to do it.

What I'm asking you guys is this - have you experienced any positive benefits from going without masturbation? I've been told from a friend to expect increased energy levels and a stronger social desire to talk to women.

Today is day one so let's see how this goes. Looking forward to your opinions and experiences. Yes this may seem lame to some, but it's a big deal to me. I feel that I do it not to get satisfaction, but to end the same craving you'd get with a cigarette. By the end of it I want to be able to enjoy it now and again.

[Max0r]

Hell yeah, go ahead and do it! I take it you've read about the whole "30 day challenge" thing of Steve Pavlina's? Look around his site if you haven't. Are you curious about what will happen if you don't do it for 30 days? That's the best way to go at it, according to Steve, and in my experience so far with altering my sleep patterns I have to agree. Instead of the usual dogma and **** running through my head it is an exploration.

It's popular these days to consider masturbation and sex healthy and ****, but not too many people seem to be conscious of something called "sexual energy" which is not infinite. This isn't a question of morality but of energy. At any given time you release, sexually, your energy levels will go down, and it takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days to build it back up to whatever level it was at prior to the release.

There are other ways to increase energy besides not having sex and masturbating, but consider that excessive sexual release is like putting a hole at the bottom of a cup. No matter how much you fill it, it'll just keep draining.

Positive benefits I've experienced in early 20's (I am male):
- Increased body temperature, withstand cold much better
- Sleep much less, but fall asleep much faster and sleep very deeply, much greater polarity between sleep and waking
- An extremely elevated level of dreaming
- A drive to get things done, a real desire, not "should" thoughts and worries
- Feelings remeniscent of years ago, as if I was 17 again, or 12, or 10
- The ability to enjoy everything I used to enjoy but got sick of
- All feelings will become deeper, sexual desire doesn't just reside in the dick anymore, it also moves up to the heart

Negative benefits I've experienced (still benefits):
- Deep rooted hidden patterns of negativity begin to surface... if you're ****ED UP, which most of us are... I certainly am and have been, it's going to all come to the surface the more energy you build up, things like depression, sadness, hate, rage, paranoia and other fun stuff will surface... if you're lost and lonely in the world, you'll be that times 10

Basically all the poison that has been with you since early childhood and has solidified and gone below the surface in adulthood and silently been holding you back and boxing you up, is going to become more apparent. If you're not ready to get your head out of your ass and stop being ****ed up, then you'll run back to masturbation. I know I did.

Yes, extremely frequent sexual release is a way of putting ones head in the sand, just like most addictions. This is particularly true of masturbation. Apperently it is quite common for a woman to feel that the man who's screwing her is just "masturbating inside her." We're real masturbators aren't we? So a lot of sex is pretty unhealthy, women being used as masturbation tools and such. Don't know about women's masturbation though

[Max0r]

Hey man, I'm joining you in the challenge.

[Peter S C]

30 days is too long without any sort of "release". You will go crazy and not be able to think straight after a week. Just my humble prediction.....

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Max0r

At any given time you release, sexually, your energy levels will go down, and it takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days to build it back up to whatever level it was at prior to the release.

The energy expenditure from an orgasm is the same as running a 100 yard dash... and take the same amount of time in recovery...

The body will react the same way to masturbation as it will to regular intercourse...

If you are not already emotionally or psychologically challenged..., an orgasm, through masturbation or intercourse, will have no negative influence on your psyche...

I don't know where you get you info... but, I do believe that it is time for an update...
.

[Erock]

Thanks for that info Sham, that seems about right. Yeah I've gone 30 days before, back when I was in turmoil about whether it was "right" or "wrong."

Good luck on your mission, I think it will be very hard in the beginning but it mellows out after awhile. Heck, I have a bunch of morman friends that haven't done it (at least that's what they say).

Erock

[Max0r]

Before I say anything else note that I'm referring primarily to sexual energy expenditure in males, where "sudden loss" prevails.

Originally Posted by Shamou

The energy expenditure from an orgasm is the same as running a 100 yard dash... and take the same amount of time in recovery...

Why don't you shoot seven loads a day for a month and see what happens?

Originally Posted by Shamou

If you are not already emotionally or psychologically challenged..., an orgasm, through masturbation or intercourse, will have no negative influence on your psyche...

If you read what I said, you'd see that my point was that sexual release relieves someone of these bad feelings, but it doesn't fix the problem. Building up sexual energy will bring all the **** inside to the surface, and since most of us are ****ed up, it won't exactly be a picnic.

The positive aspect is that it also brings a lot of inner good feelings to the surface which are also repressed.

Originally Posted by Shamou

I don't know where you get you info... but, I do believe that it is time for an update....

For the first several years that I was playing with my stick, I never even mentally conceived the idea of "sexual energy." However I did notice that frequent ejaculations left me feeling very drained in an overall sense. Fast forward to about 3 years ago, was when I first began to notice the subtle effects of even less frequent ejaculation, and the effects of the buildup of sexual charge.

Admittedly, my youthful vigor and vitality has been on a gradual drop for many years, as is the case with a huge majority of people. It is actually this drop in vitality that allowed me to become more sensitive to the effects of ejaculation.

Ultimately, there is no 1 top factor when it comes to vitality. Everything factors in. Sexual release is one of those factors. With the right way of life, one can easily increase their sexual release ability by a factor of 10 or more.

Of course, by increasing sexual release by a factor of 10, it's almost like undoing the other stuff.

[Brien]

Originally Posted by Max0r

Instead of the usual dogma and **** running through my head it is an exploration.

I agree with Max0r here. Ignore the noise, KH, and just go through with it. Find out for yourself.

[Matthew Shea]

To start off, I'll say go ahead and try it. It'll be a good exercise in self discipline and you'll probably gain some perspective on why you do it in the first place. That said, don't expect miracles. I've gone a while without it myself and the only real change is that I got progressively hornier and sexual thoughts dominated my thinking more and more, especially during idle times, like right before bed. In my humble opinion, it's good to release that every now and again so your brain doesn't get overwhelmed. You'd probably do the most good by using this time to learn how to redirect those thoughts to other interests, like real live girls, but don't expect such things to happen by themselves. It'll take extra effort on your part to increase your exposure to social situations.

[Amadeus]

Go ahead and spank that monkey.

[XeutonMojukai]

I've been on and off of masturbation, and I realize that it's a drug, essentially.

I also think that love is something that makes that energy go into the one you love through an intimate connection if it's properly done.

The other interesting thing is that it takes a lot of energy to make semen. Glands are working at a very high energy level, and the pleasure centers are all using tons of electricity and chemical resources as well. An orgasm is more than just an expenditure of energy... It's a manufacturing ordeal.

~ David

[Max0r]

Today is day two of the 30 day challenge, for both me and KH Rising.

It's actually been 3-4 days for me, but the challenge started yesterday.

Hey XeutonMojukai: According to some sources, the female feeds the male she has sex with, energetically. Supposedly, in most cases the energy balance is tipped in favor of the male, since he takes the female's energy, but an even exchange is possible. I did not find out how an even exchange can occur, however.

[Akashic_Librarian]

I find masturbation excellent with dealing with stress. Frustration. Or just something to do when I am bored.

As a student and a relatively young member of this forum (16) I think I speak with very little experience but a hell of a lot of understanding and I think people who bad-mouth masturbation obviously DON'T DO IT and probably think its bad for your health (If you do that you'll go blind).

and ermm...I am not really sure where I am going with this post. My brain seems to have stopped.

[Erki]

16 and very little experience, huh?

Lately(means basically all my life), I have been feeling a bit stressed out, frustrated, possibly depressed. And masturbation..... doesn't make anything better. Only leaves me feeling even more frustrated. Mainly because it never feels as good as I'd like it to feel.

[mlc82]

I tried something similar when I was younger (19 or so, am 24 now) as a silly bet with friends to see who could "go the longest" without masturbating, and it wsa one of the most pointless things I ever did. I lasted a whole 12 days and was honestly feeling a little insane by the end, and after the 2nd day or so EVERY IDLE MOMENT of my day was a barrage of sex-thoughts (I've always had a really high sex drive as well), and I couldn't concentrate on much of anything by day 4. Don't ask me how I made it 12 days, as I really have no idea, but that isn't something I'd see any point in doing again.

[stayfly]

I'm in on the 30 day challenge guys!

[Razo]

hahaha i also did a challenge like that with my friends, it was to last for our entire duration overseas without doing it. many people failed and it was hilarious, but in the end i can't say there was really that much negativity about it, the best thing was that after the duration it feels extremely relieving, and yes, it made many of us crazy for quite a few days.

I remember it was extremely difficult to go without, i was like a smoker, with cravings often so unbearable i was often worried of its effects, but now i think its fine, though i do it less these days, mainly due to having a girlfriend . maybe getting one yourself might help you last the days. good luck!

[Erki]

Well...before today, the last time I masturbated was nearly two weeks ago, on 18th(Wednesday two weeks ago) and I have to say that today's session was as bad as every other time.

I didn't do any challenge with anyone though, I just decided not to masturbate for an unspecified time(decided for once to keep my promise not to masturbate again...just as I always do)

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by XeutonMojukai

The other interesting thing is that it takes a lot of energy to make semen. Glands are working at a very high energy level, and the pleasure centers are all using tons of electricity and chemical resources as well. An orgasm is more than just an expenditure of energy... It's a manufacturing ordeal.

David! just where did you get this juicy piece of information... or I should say dis-information...???

See here...

"An adult male manufactures over 100 million sperm cells each day. These gradually move into the epididymis and the first portion of the vas deferens, where they undergo further maturation and are stored."
.

[Interpreneur]

Originally Posted by Erock

I think it will be very hard in the beginning but it mellows out after awhile.
Erock

Yes....that's exactly how it works!

[bluesharpist101]

I generally make these resolution everytime after i blow my load and never stick to it.
But i am definantly in this challenge.

[KH Rising]

Thank you for all the interesting replies, guys!

Day Two is at a close and I'm feeling great. There have been a few tough moments. Last night I had a very vivid sexual dream. I get these maybe three or four times a year. I woke up hornier than I've been in ages, but I was able to laugh and go back to sleep. It felt very satisfying to be able to continue my sexual thoughts throughout the day. Usually masturbation would stop them dead. Now they build up and I'm aroused more often. I don't find it frustrating - rather I'm amused at my body's desires.

I'm excited about going through this challenge. It's something I didn't think I could do. Even getting past two days is enough to give myself a pat on my back.

People around me have made comments about it being pointless and I just should get it over with. That just inspires me to keep going with this. I'm not going to let the chemicals in my body dictate what I will and will not do.

Good luck to everyone else testing their ability to take control of themselves.

[Interpreneur]

So what happens if you blow your load (or should I say "ejaculate") during a wet dream? Will that count as form of masturbation? Will your experiment be over then?

[moonlite]

It's a really amazing thread... For me as a woman reading experiences of young men, who couldn't bear the living without doing it at least once a day it's truly shocking.

Of course I've heard before that male drive is so strong that he can even have sex (if you can still call it sex) with a dead body. But it's a huge difference to hear some tales and to hear about some real life experience.

IMHO what makes it the real challenge is the contemporary culture which simply sinks you in erotic stimuli. An average woman walks the streets barely naked in the summer, from almost every billboard or magazine pictures of luscious women force you to think about it and it can make you really oversexed especially when you are young and less consciously selective in your perception.

Now I can better understand what is the cost of this influence on men.

For me it's obvious, and it's not my personal opinion that masturbation is simply a drug. The release of endorphins after an orgasm is a well-known fact.
And it's much easier to attain than after exercise... It's also well-known that you can get addicted to it and that activity can be compulsive serving as a main defence against an unconscious fear. It's usually an escape and it's the opposite of facing reality and coping with the truth.

So I wish all of you a good luck with this quest. I think it's worth the effort if only you are ready to accept the truth which will be revealed.

[mlc82]

Originally Posted by KH Rising

People around me have made comments about it being pointless and I just should get it over with. That just inspires me to keep going with this. I'm not going to let the chemicals in my body dictate what I will and will not do.

Good luck to everyone else testing their ability to take control of themselves.

I'm just messing with you here, but I really don't understand this idea... Seems kind of like not wanting to let chemicals in your body dictate what you will/won't do and so just not eating or drinking water regardless of how hungry/thirsty you are either

Or maybe I'm just opposite of most people, in that I'm much more productive if I masturbate more often, in that I spend less time thinking about/pursuing sex and more time actually taking care of whatever I need to do. Kind of the same reason that I eat when hungry, or drink when thirsty- I find I work much more efficiently when my body is satisfied, than when I'm torturing it as a test of willpower (outside the gym of course- that kind of torture is fun!)

[moonlite]

Originally Posted by mlc82

I
Or maybe I'm just opposite of most people, in that I'm much more productive if I masturbate more often, in that I spend less time thinking about/pursuing sex and more time actually taking care of whatever I need to do. Kind of the same reason that I eat when hungry, or drink when thirsty- I find I work much more efficiently when my body is satisfied, than when I'm torturing it as a test of willpower (outside the gym of course- that kind of torture is fun!)

Ask some junkies, at first with small amount of drug they were more happy/more effective (especially true about speeds), than they discovered that they cannot live without it and that it had drained them of something vital. Sex definitely is not the same as food or water because you can live without sex all your life (I do not recomend it just say it's possible). Have you ever heard about delaying gratification? (that's why the gym is not the best way to train your will - I saw many people in my life who trained a lot and were very underdeveloped concerning their will - because it can also be addictive and serve as an escape)

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by moonlite

IMHO what makes it the real challenge is the contemporary culture which simply sinks you in erotic stimuli. An average woman walks the streets barely naked in the summer, from almost every billboard or magazine pictures of luscious women force you to think about it and it can make you really oversexed especially when you are young and less consciously selective in your perception.

I think it's much more of an internal genetic thing. Remove contemporary culture and I still think men's drives will be the same. Erotic stimuli in our culture is a result of men's drives, not the other way around. That's my guess. Though I suppose there could be some sort of positive feedback loop thing going on.

[mlc82]

Originally Posted by moonlite

Ask some junkies, at first with small amount of drug they were more happy/more effective (especially true about speeds), than they discovered that they cannot live without it and that it had drained them of something vital. Sex definitely is not the same as food or water because you can live without sex all your life (I do not recomend it just say it's possible). Have you ever heard about delaying gratification? (that's why the gym is not the best way to train your will - I saw many people in my life who trained a lot and were very underdeveloped concerning their will - because it can also be addictive and serve as an escape)

But what vitality does masturbation actually drain you of, assuming you aren't horribly addicted to it and constantly doing it day in and day out? The idea that masturbation or sex somehows drains you of your willpower or energy just starts reeking of the usual religions to me, along with those ideas I also learned as a kid that it'll cause you to go to Hell, go blind and grow hair on your palms.

I disagree about training in the gym not being "delayed gratification". It takes serious time, effort, and commitment to accomplish much of anything with weight training, and requires you to work your butt off inflicting pain on yourself while also doing the same outside the gym with nutrition, rest, and etc, day in and day out for weeks or months on end to make decent progress.

[Matthew Shea]

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

I think it's much more of an internal genetic thing. Remove contemporary culture and I still think men's drives will be the same. Erotic stimuli in our culture is a result of men's drives, not the other way around. That's my guess. Though I suppose there could be some sort of positive feedback loop thing going on.

I agree with this. It should be no shock to anyone that men are basically horny and will typically look for release frequently. The reason you see sexual images so frequently is only because the people producing them know they appeal to men. The erotic stimuli that moonlite refers to can add to that hornyness, but it's certainly not the cause.

We also need to be very careful when using the word "addiction" in this context and when comparing sex to illicit drugs. First of all, one of the main qualifications for addiction is that other parts of your life start to be negatively impacted. With most people, you'd have a very hard time demonstrating that masturbation creates a measurable negative impact. Secondly, illicit drugs create a physical dependency for themselves. Sex and masturbation do not. They're totally not the same thing.

I also fail to see how someone could understand the typical man's sex drive without walking in his shoes. Making judgements from an outside perspective is all well and good, but it fails to take into account the emotions and desires and all the intricate workings of the male brain that are involved.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Matthew Shea

I also fail to see how someone could understand the typical man's sex drive without walking in his shoes. Making judgements from an outside perspective is all well and good, but it fails to take into account the emotions and desires and all the intricate workings of the male brain that are involved.

I fully agree with you... a women trying to know how a man's sexual drive feels is tantamount to a man trying to figure out PMS...

And as far as relating sex to drug addiction it is simply ludicrous... and reeks of eighteen century's puritanism...
.