A post on Reddit triggered an entire community of penis owners to practice semen retention for better health, with claims that it helped to reduce symptoms like fatigue, poor memory, gut issues, sensitivity to light, and more that existed since puberty. Since 2014, the subreddit r/SemenRetention has gained over 92,000 followers. It is a support group for those who wish to perfect the ancient practice of withholding semen from ejaculation.
What is semen retention?
Semen retention is the practice of not ejaculating for days, if not weeks at a time. This doesn’t mean not masturbating or not having sex. It is just refraining from ejaculation. People have claimed that it is a solution or remedy for all difficulties and diseases. Multiple men have stated that it helps alleviate their anxiety, depression, poor memory, general fatigue, and other ailments. Semen retention can be practiced by abstaining from sexual activity altogether or learning how to orgasm without ejaculating.
Since the orgasm has this negative effect on males, its avoidance has the opposite effect. By storing up sexual energy a man becomes stronger, healthier, and more vital. He becomes more ambitious too and creative in doing good. He becomes more patient and successful with people. And he develops stamina and endurance to see his works through to conclusions. So the sexually restrained male becomes more successful in general. Beyond that, he even develops occult power to influence things by sheer thought and will.
Bliss of the Celibate, Julian Lee
The community helps each other by giving them tips on how to overcome it step by step:
- stop porn and Go 120 days clean without watching it
- stop masturbation (or do it only once a month, if you are too weak, but always without porn)
- forgive yourself for your past.
“Abstaining from porn desensitizes your dopamine receptors,” explains one member. “You’re not constantly squeezing your reproductive organ for pleasure.” So pleasure in other parts of your life starts to pop up where it never did before. “If you were socially anxious before, you suddenly might enjoy talking to people again, but that pleasure was robbed from you when you started overstimulating your dopamine receptors with porn watching.”
Many men usually start this journey to quit porn addiction, but later found semen retention because of different reasons to enhance the benefits in different aspects. It is important for men to recognize why they are on this journey in the first place so that they can focus and stay put and not lose their streak.
“I decided to go celibate after my divorce”, says Ganesh, an IT professional from Chennai. “I was not ready to get into any kind of relationship but my sexual desires made me seek out desperate one-night stands and temporary sexual pleasures from porn, sexting, etc. So I decided to go celibate. In Hindu culture being a Brahmacharya is not a new concept. Now I have got back to my earlier passion of bodybuilding and practicing semen retention has helped me channel my energy and stamina into it completely”.
While semen retention may seem like a new fad, it is actually being practiced in ancient cultures.
- karezza (Italian)
- maithuna (Hindu Tantra)
- sahaja (Hindu Yoga)
- tantra (Hinduism and Buddhism)
- cai Yin pu Yang and cai Yang pu Yin (Taoist)
What are non-ejaculatory masturbation, dry orgasm, and semen retention?
It’s possible to have an orgasm without ejaculating or to ejaculate without having an orgasm, but they usually happen together. But men can have an orgasm without ejaculating at all. They will still have the feeling of having an ejaculation (coming) but no semen comes out. Either there is no semen produced, or the semen travels backward into the bladder instead (retrograde ejaculation). Sometimes dry orgasm can happen after surgery to the bladder or prostate or pelvis radiotherapy. This is also what happens after a vasectomy.
- When you feel orgasm approaching, squeeze the end of your penis where the head joins the shaft. Maintain that squeeze for a few seconds while the urge to ejaculate passes. …
- With your fingers, apply pressure to your perineum.
Benefits of semen retention
- There is a belief that not ejaculating for a period of time may allow people to experience more intense orgasms.
- Edging is the practice of engaging in sexual stimulation to the point of orgasm before stopping and starting again.
- Some people may believe that semen retention can improve sperm quality and therefore increase fertility. However, there has been limited research into this.
Benefits of ejaculation
- When a person ejaculates, the body releases endorphins, which are hormones that can help block pain and make a person feel good.
- Typically, frequent sexual activity in a partnered relationship is associated with greater well-being.
- Some evidence suggests that ejaculation frequency may be inversely related to the risk of prostate cancer.
While there is not much scientific evidence to suggest that it is either healthy or unhealthy to hold in semen, we only have the testimonials of men who have practiced this and swear by its benefits. A person can choose to abstain from sexual activity for as long as they wish.
Do you know someone or have a partner or is someone who is practicing semen retention? Tell us about your experience.