Thread: 365 days w/o Jerking Off: A self control challenge

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

If we assume that when you do it in a lucid dream there are no waking life physical correlations, that is, that the effect is completely in your mind.

Then it's a failure if you're doing the task for control and discipline. Obviously because you have choice, and you chose.

But it's not a failure if you're doing the task for the beneficial biochemical changes in the body. For a 'memory' orgasm is not affecting said chemicals.

You mean to tell me dream orgasms don't release chemicals? Going by feeling alone, dream orgasms feel just as awesome (if not better) than waking ones. The afterglow is also felt upon waking... and for guys, oftentimes there's physical evidence of the orgasm.

How is that limited to merely a memory?

Originally Posted by Kaomea

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

If we assume that when you do it in a lucid dream there are no waking life physical correlations, that is, that the effect is completely in your mind.

Then it's a failure if you're doing the task for control and discipline. Obviously because you have choice, and you chose.

But it's not a failure if you're doing the task for the beneficial biochemical changes in the body. For a 'memory' orgasm is not affecting said chemicals.

You mean to tell me dream orgasms don't release chemicals? Going by feeling alone, dream orgasms feel just as awesome (if not better) than waking ones. The afterglow is also felt upon waking... and for guys, oftentimes there's physical evidence of the orgasm.

How is that limited to merely a memory?

Here's a thought. Dream orgasms do definitely release chemicals, just like waking ones. However, the negative effects of orgasming too often are all related to downregulation of neurotransmitters and receptors. Because glutamate is lowered when you're asleep, and therefore provides a neuroprotective effect, it's possible that these chemical changes don't happen, as the release of these chemicals is prevented from being written into your brain's physical memory.

But, I do still think it's cheating to masturbate in a lucid.

Originally Posted by Kaomea

You mean to tell me dream orgasms don't release chemicals? Going by feeling alone, dream orgasms feel just as awesome (if not better) than waking ones. The afterglow is also felt upon waking... and for guys, oftentimes there's physical evidence of the orgasm.

How is that limited to merely a memory?

I'm not saying it's limited to that.

There are two types: those that cause an effect irl, and those that are 'memories'. Much like using the toilet in a dream - I do not urinate in real life., yet I feel the exact sensation of urinating. Though some people do urinate in real life from urinating in their dream.

Any sexual activity I've had in a dream has never resulted in me ejaculating in real life. I was just referring specifically to this type.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

I'm not saying it's limited to that.

There are two types: those that cause an effect irl, and those that are 'memories'. Much like using the toilet in a dream - I do not urinate in real life. Though some people do.

Any sexual activity I've had in a dream has never resulted in me ejaculating in real life. I was just referring specifically to this type.

I wouldn't count that as a failure. My own dream orgasms are simply terrible. Probably because I have never been able to stabilize properly until now. They basically come after 3 seconds, it wakes me up and I ejaculate. So for me it might count as a failure
But if nothing happens IRL it is not really a failure, but not something to be doing all the time either

Originally Posted by Spyguy

I wouldn't count that as a failure. My own dream orgasms are simply terrible. Probably because I have never been able to stabilize properly until now. They basically come after 3 seconds, it wakes me up and I ejaculate. So for me it might count as a failure
But if nothing happens IRL it is not really a failure, but not something to be doing all the time either

I'll have to find the links to the studies saying this, but basically: sexual arousal without ejaculation is fine. And by fine, I mean to gain the biochemical benefits from sexual abstinence.

Since in my dreams I do not ejaculate in real life, then it is 'fine'. The brain can easily create the effect of orgasm from memory, given that it does so with extreme physical pain, love, relief from urination, anything.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

I'll have to find the links to the studies saying this, but basically: sexual arousal without ejaculation is fine. And by fine, I mean to gain the biochemical benefits from sexual abstinence.

Since in my dreams I do not ejaculate in real life, then it is 'fine'.

But this challenge is to test your willpower, not your creativity on getting around ways to get the feeling you want. I would suggest trying it once without masturbation both in real life and in lucid dreams, and another once without masturbation in real life but you can do it in dreams.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

I'll have to find the links to the studies saying this, but basically: sexual arousal without ejaculation is fine. And by fine, I mean to gain the biochemical benefits from sexual abstinence.

Since in my dreams I do not ejaculate in real life, then it is 'fine'. The brain can easily create the effect of orgasm from memory, given that it does so with extreme physical pain, love, relief from urination, anything.

But does it claim that orgasm without ejaculation is fine? I would have a harder time believing this. The chemical changes come from the orgasm. Though of course as I already said I think being in the dream probably prevents said changes from occurring, but still.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

I'll have to find the links to the studies saying this, but basically: sexual arousal without ejaculation is fine. And by fine, I mean to gain the biochemical benefits from sexual abstinence.

I've done some research on this. The dopamine blast doesn't come specifically when you reach climax, it comes when you're being sexually aroused. So it's not the ejaculation that messes it all up, it's the fact that you're hyperstimulating your brain by causing big blasts of dopamine by masturbating (to porn/fantasy), which in the long run makes the brain adapt to this behaviour by reducing the amount of dopamine receptors in your brain. Thus, you won't be as aroused after masturbating for some time as you were the first time you masturbated, and you will need to escalate in terms of porn material. So if you were to edge to porn i.e. fap without reaching orgasm every day whilst doing this challenge it wouldn't have any effect at all, your brain would be just as messed up after you'd finished.

It might be that I misunderstood your statement, if so, please tell me

Edit: and btw, I'm not saying that you, or anyone is surfing porn websites, just using it as an example. Basically I think if you get that dopamine rush, it doesn't matter whether you reach orgasm or not, it's just as bad for your brain.

Originally Posted by RemoteVicinity

I've done some research on this. The dopamine blast doesn't come specifically when you reach climax, it comes when you're being sexually aroused. So it's not the ejaculation that messes it all up, it's the fact that you're hyperstimulating your brain by causing big blasts of dopamine by masturbating (to porn/fantasy), which in the long run makes the brain adapt to this behaviour by reducing the amount of dopamine receptors in your brain. Thus, you won't be as aroused after masturbating for some time as you were the first time you masturbated, and you will need to escalate in terms of porn material. So if you were to edge to porn i.e. fap without reaching orgasm every day whilst doing this challenge it wouldn't have any effect at all, your brain would be just as messed up after you'd finished.

It might be that I misunderstood your statement, if so, please tell me

Edit: and btw, I'm not saying that you, or anyone is surfing porn websites, just using it as an example. Basically I think if you get that dopamine rush, it doesn't matter whether you reach orgasm or not, it's just as bad for your brain.

So just thinking about sex would make us fail or what ? :O I don't
understand

Originally Posted by MtSaEt

So just thinking about sex would make us fail or what ? :O I don't
understand

In a sense yes, but not really. Yes, even just thinking about sex releases dopamine, but not nearly as much as actually masturbating (even without orgasming). It's negligible as far as the chemical changes go, all kinds of thoughts release dopamine.

Originally Posted by MtSaEt

So just thinking about sex would make us fail or what ? :O I don't
understand

Yeah, what Alyzarin says is true, but what's important for you is that you don't arouse yourself by bringing up memories of porn or fantasising about porn or other intense sexual stuff. A principle can be that all "natural" sexual stimuli is alright, such as seeing an attractive girl (or guy), just don't use images and fantasy to stimulate yourself. Of course pictures can appear in your head unwillingly, if that happens just try to let them fade away and don't beat yourself up if it happens a lot, if you just don't pay much attention to them, they will eventually disappear.

Originally Posted by RemoteVicinity

I've done some research on this. The dopamine blast doesn't come specifically when you reach climax, it comes when you're being sexually aroused. So it's not the ejaculation that messes it all up, it's the fact that you're hyperstimulating your brain by causing big blasts of dopamine by masturbating (to porn/fantasy), which in the long run makes the brain adapt to this behaviour by reducing the amount of dopamine receptors in your brain. Thus, you won't be as aroused after masturbating for some time as you were the first time you masturbated, and you will need to escalate in terms of porn material. So if you were to edge to porn i.e. fap without reaching orgasm every day whilst doing this challenge it wouldn't have any effect at all, your brain would be just as messed up after you'd finished.

It might be that I misunderstood your statement, if so, please tell me

Edit: and btw, I'm not saying that you, or anyone is surfing porn websites, just using it as an example. Basically I think if you get that dopamine rush, it doesn't matter whether you reach orgasm or not, it's just as bad for your brain.

That's understandable. But put it this way. I've never been erect looking at such sites since abstinence ('cept once). I'm not masturbating. I simply mean the arousal you feel when looking at an attractive woman go by (or on a site). And well, it's certainly working for the results so far speak for themselves.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

That's understandable. But put it this way. I've never been erect looking at such sites since abstinence ('cept once). I'm not masturbating. I simply mean the arousal you feel when looking at an attractive woman go by (or on a site). And well, it's certainly working for the results so far speak for themselves.

Again, I may have gotten this wrong, but if you mean that you're looking at sites with hot women to get aroused (although not to masturbate or even touch your penis), you should lay off. I guess it doesn't hurt that much if you're just doing it for a minute every other day, but the results will come faster if you don't. Looking at real women is of course fine as I said in my last post.