I've done two 6 month stints of celibacy before, with no fantasizing or anything. The first month is always difficult. The first two weeks seem more physiological in irritation, and weeks 3 onward is psychological in irritation. It feels like the process of quitting smoking does but an order of magnitude more vexing.
There is undoubtedly short term gains, I notice an immediate improvement in mental faculty. As someone who has no other vices either it feels like a booster function. I noticed I was able to make leaps in progress in any skill I was trying to learn or training for, like my brain was able to forge new connections more easily. Insights and inspiration seemed to come more easily. It's like a subtle brain fog had lifted.
Is it the pornography that is the real problem though, I don't know. Whilst I have a particular taste I have never taken it to extremes, it just seems ridiculous to me some of the stuff that is out there. I value sound as much as the visual component, and you know as soon as you hear it if it's just an act which is an instant turn off. Also the emotional component too. If there's no genuine energy there again it doesn't do it for me. That also translates to real sex for me too.. if all she can do is open her legs then I'd rather jerk off.
I'm not certain that masturbation isn't actually worse on its own vs using pornography too. If you have no visual stimulus then you are actively trying to create some with your imagination, which can lead to persistent thought forms, obsessions, and possibly even tulpas. If porn suddenly disappeared I wouldn't be bothered with masturbation and would probably spend much of my time and energy trying to bag some real pussy instead.
There is undoubtedly short term gains, I notice an immediate improvement in mental faculty. As someone who has no other vices either it feels like a booster function. I noticed I was able to make leaps in progress in any skill I was trying to learn or training for, like my brain was able to forge new connections more easily. Insights and inspiration seemed to come more easily. It's like a subtle brain fog had lifted.
Is it the pornography that is the real problem though, I don't know. Whilst I have a particular taste I have never taken it to extremes, it just seems ridiculous to me some of the stuff that is out there. I value sound as much as the visual component, and you know as soon as you hear it if it's just an act which is an instant turn off. Also the emotional component too. If there's no genuine energy there again it doesn't do it for me. That also translates to real sex for me too.. if all she can do is open her legs then I'd rather jerk off.
I'm not certain that masturbation isn't actually worse on its own vs using pornography too. If you have no visual stimulus then you are actively trying to create some with your imagination, which can lead to persistent thought forms, obsessions, and possibly even tulpas. If porn suddenly disappeared I wouldn't be bothered with masturbation and would probably spend much of my time and energy trying to bag some real pussy instead.