“Is Abstinence Healthy?” By Another View on February 27,2009 4:00 pm “Overall, there are no known health risks to abstinence. In fact, there are several possible benefits.” What? This isn’t true. Yes sperm can be reabsorbed back into the body. And this happening for too long a period can cause problems. spermatoceles are much more common in men who do not ejaculate regularly. Also, the rates of benign prostatic hypertorphy, prostatic cancer, prostatic calculi, premature ejqaculation and impotence are all higher in men who do not ejaculate regularly. Simply put regular ejaculation is important to good sexual health. Any Urologist can tell you this. Moreover, masturbation and orgasm are important to good psychological well-being. Orgasm floods the brain with endorphins and melatonin, both give a sense of contentment and well-being. And it also allows one to connect with oneself sexually and maintain a healthy sexuality. Yes, many younger people today are “choosing” abstinence to the extent that they forego masturbation. But many psychologist see this as a form of sexual maladjustment, neurotic reaction to feelings of sexual inadequacy, or possible endocrine problems. It isn’t healthy. There is no such person as “Mr. Right” or “Miss Right”; this is just a silly romantic notion, so saving oneself for him or her, is to deny oneself a healthy sexuality for the sake of a fantasy. Questioner, your friend’s postion is self-contradictory. He was in a relationship and having sex, but the intimation is that not as much as he wanted. So he supplemented with masturbation. There’s nothing wrong with that; most men in committed relationships continue to masturbate, because it’s important to have a sexual relationship with oneself. Yet now that he’s single, he doesn’t masturbate. He satisfied his urges before, but not now that he doesn’t have a partner. So, there are two possibilities here: 1) he’s not being straight with you. Remember, there are two types of men in the world: those who jerk off and those who lie about it. or, 2) Your friend needs some counseling to find out why he has suddenly decided to deny himself sexual pleasure. It may very well be that he has some outstanding issues from his break-up that he isn’t dealing with. Misconceptions of Male Abstinence and the Ejaculation Hypothesis by Matt Savage Apparently, members of the notorious image board known as 4chan are now quitting the act of fapping. My god… what is the world cumming to!?! And, it seems to all be revolving around the post I wrote a few months ago called, The Effects of Male Masturbation on Attracting Women. In the last week or so there have been multiple threads on the 4chan board /r9k/ where some of the guys are experimenting with the “7 Day Abstinence Cycle” which I discuss in the article as an effective way of taking advantage of your body’s peak testosterone levels along with other advantages controlled by the central nervous system in order to help attract women. Of course, with most discussions on the Internet, it is ripe with debate including the usual fan boys, trolls, and detractors. After reading through some of the threads, there are a few questions and criticisms from the brobots that I’d like to discuss as a follow up to the original male masturbation post. The Magic Pill First, abstaining from ejaculation is NOT a means to an end. If you happen to go seven full days without masturbating, there will be no buxom blond genie that appears out of thin air and bangs the shit out of you. My friends, this is not a magic pill solution, it is merely one tool in the grand scheme of the overall attraction process. For example, residing yourself to your mother’s basement for seven days straight isn’t going to do much of anything, regardless of your fapping habits. You still need to make an effort to go out, meet and interact with women. The Placebo Effect There are some that say that this whole seven day cycle nonsense is merely a placebo effect. Basically, indicating that the seven day cycle has no effects on your body and that the only reason that someone would have positive results is because their belief in it tricked them into getting the results they wanted. Well, I’m not a scientist, so yea, maybe this whole thing is bullshit. However, I did point out in my original article at least three sources of research published in respectable scientific journals which do indicate there is some merit to the seven day abstinence cycle. They include: ?A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men ?Pharmacological and physiological aspects of sexual exhaustion in male rats ?Subjective Experiences During Dopamine Depletion Also, for the sake of argument, lets say that it is a placebo effect. If someone is getting the results they desire, i.e. – attracting more women into their life, then who the hell cares what the cause is?! If a placebo is going to aid me in shagging that hottie at the end of the bar, then I could care less, the result is still the same. To a scientist this may sound like sacrilege, but I’m not a scientist, I just want to get laid. The Seven Day Cycle Some people are taking the seven day cycle too strictly and/or confusing it. In the original article I try to explain that seven days of abstinence is needed to reach your peak in testosterone, because on day seven testosterone production spikes 147%. Now this does not mean that you can or should masturbate on day seven. In fact, if you are following the seven day cycle, you shouldn’t masturbate until AFTER day 7 in order to get the full effects. It would be even more beneficial, in my opinion, to wait until 10 days, so as to give you three days of testosterone pumping horny male motivation. So why even masturbate at all? Well, hopefully if you are getting laid, then you shouldn’t have to. However, in the event that you aren’t getting any action, it is still helpful to masturbate from time to time as to release tension and to remind your body that you are or want to be sexually active. For example, some people have reported that extended time periods (more than a month) of no ejaculation had severely lowered their sex drive as to not wanting to masturbate or pursue sexual intercourse at all. Testosterone and Dopamine Then there are some people who are focusing too much on the testosterone discussion. Increased testosterone by itself is not going to attract women. It’s what testosterone does for your body that will help you to attract women. And yes, there are other ways to increase testosterone levels other than abstinence, like regular exercise or a healthier diet for example. Also, keep in mind the third study that I cited regarding dopamine depletion. In that study, it showed that men who were excessively depleted of their dopamine levels through ejaculation had shown signs of depression, irritability and social anxiety. So guys that have chronic masturbatory regimes, wanking-off multiple times per day every day, are likely depleting their dopamine which contributes to their depression, anxiety and anti-social behaviors. Don’t Whack It Until You’ve Tried It There are some things in life that we either do not have the resources or knowledge to test for ourselves, this is not one of them. This experiment is something that every male with a little will power can try. So before you cast doubt, why not just give it a go? Not jerking off for seven days isn’t going to kill you, so what’s the harm? Give it a shot, observe what happens, then reassess if it is for you or not. “Its not that masturbating is bad for you, its just that sex is a biological imperative. Everything you do is ultimately to get fucked. So if you’re jerking it all the time your body is in ‘I’m getting it all the time, might as well not even try’ mode.” - Anonymous Tips for Abstaining from Masturbation For those willing to try this out, I will tell you that it is difficult the first 2-3 days, but it can be done, especially if you put up road blocks to help prevent the urge. Here are a few tips that have helped me: ?If you have a porn folder on your computer, get rid of it. You don’t have to delete it permanently, just move it to a flash drive and put it somewhere inconvenient to access. ?If you go to any regular pron sites on the web like RedTube, YouPorn or xHamster then add blocks to those sites on your browser. I know you can simply remove the blocks if you get super horny but it helps to keep you from spontaneously cumbursting ?Exercise. When you get the urge to fap, do some push-ups or go for a run. I’ve noticed that regular exercise somehow helps to relieve the horniness ?Only go to bed when you are tired and ready to fall asleep. Don’t watch TV in bed. If you are just laying there doing nothing, then one thing is bound to lead to the other… What you're doing is basically compressing your urethra (see this diagram and this one) to prevent anterograde flow. Since it's got to go somewhere, it's going retrograde, probably into your bladder and maybe some back into your epididymus. You'd have to ask a urologist about any long-term damage, but my guess would be 1) possibly some inflammation of the urethra leading to increased risk of urinary tract/bladder infection 2) changing the pH of the urine in the bladder (it's usually mildly acidic, but prostatic fluid and semen is basic) which might affect things long term and 3) probably the biggest concern would be potential damage to your two bladder sphincters (one under subconscious control, the other under your own conscious control). But again, all speculation. Retrograde ejaculation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Retrograde ejaculation Classification and external resources Specialty Urology ICD-10 N53.1 ICD-9-CM 608.87 DiseasesDB 11438 MedlinePlus 001282 Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen, which would normally be ejaculated via the urethra, is redirected to the urinary bladder. Normally, the sphincter of the bladder contracts before ejaculation forcing the semen to exit via the urethra, the path of least resistance. When the bladder sphincter does not function properly, retrograde ejaculation may occur. Contents [hide] 1 Signs and symptoms 2 Causes 2.1 Conditions which can affect bladder neck muscle 3 Diagnosis 3.1 Tests 4 Treatments 4.1 Medications 4.2 Infertility treatments 5 History 6 See also 7 Notes 8 External links Signs and symptoms[edit] Retrograde ejaculation is sometimes referred to as a "dry orgasm." Retrograde ejaculation is one cause of male infertility.[1] Men often notice during masturbation that they do not have semen release but there is an orgasm.[2] Another underlying cause for this phenomenon may be ejaculatory duct obstruction. During a male orgasm, sperm are released from the epididymis and travel via small tubes called the vas deferens. The sperm mix with seminal fluid in the seminal vesicles, prostate fluid from the prostate gland, and lubricants from the bulbourethral gland. During climax, muscles at the end of the bladder neck tighten to prevent retrograde flow of semen. In retrograde ejaculation, these bladder neck muscles are either very weak or the nerves controlling the muscles have become damaged.[3] Causes[edit] A malfunctioning bladder sphincter, leading to retrograde ejaculation, may be a result either of: Autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Operation on the prostate. It is a common complication of transurethral resection of the prostate, a procedure in which prostate tissue is removed, slice by slice, through a resectoscope passed along the urethra. It can also be caused by a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer if nerve pathways to the bladder sphincter are damaged, with the resulting retrograde ejaculation being either temporary or permanent. Modern nerve-sparing techniques seek to reduce this risk; however, it may also occur as the result of Green Light Laser prostate surgery. Surgery on the bladder neck accounted for about ten percent of the cases of retrograde ejaculation or anejaculation reported in a literature review.[4] Retrograde ejaculation is a common side effect of medications, such as tamsulosin, that are used to relax the muscles of the urinary tract, treating conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. By relaxing the bladder sphincter muscle, the likelihood of retrograde ejaculation is increased. The medications that mostly cause it are antidepressant and antipsychotic medication; patients experiencing this phenomenon tend to quit the medications.[5][6] Retrograde ejaculation can also be a complication of diabetes, especially in cases of diabetics with long term poor blood sugar control. This is due to neuropathy of the bladder sphincter. Post-pubertal males (aged 17 to 20 years) who experience repeated episodes of retrograde ejaculation are often diagnosed with urethral stricture disease shortly after the initial complaint arises. It is currently not known whether a congenital malformation of the bulbous urethra is responsible, or if pressure applied to the base of the penis or perineum immediately preceding ejaculatory inevitability may have inadvertently damaged the urethra. This damage is most often seen within 0.5 cm of the ejaculatory duct (usually distal to the duct). Retrograde ejaculation can also result from pinching closed the urethral opening, to avoid creating a mess upon ejaculation (known as Hughes' technique).[7] Conditions which can affect bladder neck muscle[edit] Medications to treat high blood pressure, benign prostate hyperplasia, mood disorders, surgery on the prostate and nerve injury (which may occur in multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or diabetes).[8] Diagnosis[edit] Diagnosis is usually by way of a urinalysis performed on a urine specimen that is obtained shortly after ejaculation. In cases of retrograde ejaculation, the specimen will contain an abnormal level of sperm. Especially in case of orgasmic anejaculation, anejaculation can often be confused with retrograde ejaculation, and they share some fundamental aspects of the etiology. Urinalysis is used to distinguish between them. Tests[edit] A physical exam of the genitals is applied to ensure that there are no anatomical problems. The urine will be examined for the presence of semen. If there are no sperm in the urine, it may be due to damage to the prostate as a result of surgery or prior radiation therapy.[9] Treatments[edit] The treatment depends on the cause. Medications may work for retrograde ejaculation but only in a few cases. Surgery rarely is the first option for retrograde ejaculation and the results have proven to be inconsistent.[10] Medications do not help retrograde ejaculation if there has been permanent damage to the prostate or the testes from radiation. Medications also do not help if prostate surgery has resulted in damage to the muscles or nerves. Medications only work if there has been mild nerve damage caused by diabetes, multiple sclerosis or mild spinal cord injury. Medications[edit] Tricyclic antidepressants like imipramine. Antihistamines like chlorphenamine. Decongestants like ephedrine and phenylephrine. These medications tighten the bladder neck muscles and prevent semen from going backwards into the bladder. However, the medications do have many side effects and they have to be taken at least 1–2 hours prior to sexual intercourse. In many cases, the medications fail to work at the right time because most men are not able to predict when they will have an orgasm.[citation needed] Infertility treatments[edit] If a couple is experiencing infertility as a result of retrograde ejaculation and medications are not helping, the male's ejaculate may be centrifuged and the isolated sperm injected directly into the woman through the use of intrauterine insemination.[3] In more severe cases, in-vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection may be used.[1] History[edit] Taoists and some fields of alternative medicine recommend and teach deliberate retrograde ejaculation as a way of "conserving the body's energy". One manner of achieving this is by applying pressure to the perineum during orgasm. It was believed that doing this caused the sperm to travel into the head and nourish the brain, or that energy is conserved physically by keeping the sperm (and thereby, the "intelligence" that created it) in the body.[11] This approach has since been discredited by modern medicine, as the retrograde-ejaculated sperm actually go into the bladder and are simply lost at the next urination.[12] However, there are other Taoist perspectives on the general subject of ejaculation and techniques that do not involve retrograde ejaculation (see Taoist sexual practices). Due to its aforementioned effects on fertility, there is a potential misconception that inducing this condition can be used as a method of contraception. However, it is neither reliable nor effective, due to some sperm still potentially emerging. Many doctors also do not recommend inducing retrograde ejaculation due to the risk of putting pressure on the pudendal nerve.[citation needed] Such pressure can cause numbness in the penis.[citation needed] Taoist sexual practices From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search A Chinese print depicting "The Joining of the Essences", based on Tang Dynasty art. Part of a series on Taoism Taijitu Theories[show] Practices[show] Texts[show] Deities[show] People[show] Schools[show] Holy places[show] Organisations[show] Portal Taoism v · t · e Taoist sexual practices (Simplified Chinese: ???, Traditional Chinese: ???, pinyin: fángzhongshù), literally "the bedroom arts", are the ways Taoists may practice sexual activity. These practices are also known as "Joining Energy" or "The Joining of the Essences". Practitioners believe that by performing these sexual arts, one could stay in good health, and attain longevity. Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Ancient and medieval practices 2.1 Qi (Lifeforce) and Jing (Essence) 2.2 Male control of ejaculation 2.3 Jing 2.4 Yin/Yang 2.5 Women 2.6 When and where 2.7 Longevity and immortality 3 See also 4 References 4.1 Contemporary texts 4.2 Classical texts 5 Notes 6 External links History[edit] Some Taoist sects during the Han dynasty performed sexual intercourse as a spiritual practice, called "Héqì" (??, "Joining Energy"). The first sexual texts that survive today are those found at the Mawangdui tombs. While Taoism had not yet fully evolved as a philosophy at this time, these texts shared some remarkable similarities with later Tang dynasty texts, such as the Ishinpo. The sexual arts arguably reached their climax between the end of the Han dynasty and the end of the Tang dynasty. After 1000 A.D. [CE], Confucian puritanism became stronger and stronger, so that by the advent of the Qing dynasty, sex was a taboo topic in public life. These Confucians alleged that the separation of genders in most social activities existed two thousand years ago, and suppressed the sexual arts. Because of the taboo surrounding sex, there was much censoring done during the Qing in literature, and the sexual arts disappeared in public life. As a result, some of the texts survived only in Japan, and most scholars had no idea that such a different concept of sex existed in early China.[1] Ancient and medieval practices[edit] Qi (Lifeforce) and Jing (Essence)[edit] The basis of all Taoist thinking is that qi is part of everything in existence.[2] Qi is related to another energetic substance contained in the human body known as jing (?), and once all this has been expended the body dies. Jing can be lost in many ways, but most notably through the loss of body fluids. Taoists may use practices to stimulate/increase and conserve their bodily fluids to great extents. The fluid believed to contain the most Jing is semen. Therefore, Taoists believe in decreasing the frequency of, or totally avoiding, ejaculation in order to conserve life essence.[3] Male control of ejaculation[edit] Many Taoist practitioners link the loss of ejaculatory fluids to the loss of vital life force: where excessive fluid loss results in premature aging, disease, and general fatigue. While some Taoists contend that one should never ejaculate, others provide a specific formula to determine the maximum amount of regular ejaculations in order to maintain health.[4] The general idea is to limit the loss of fluids as much as possible to the level of your desired practice. As these sexual practices were passed down over the centuries, some practitioners have given less importance to the limiting of ejaculation. Nevertheless, the "retention of the semen" is one of the foundational tenets of Taoist sexual practice.[5] There are different methods to control ejaculation prescribed by the Taoists. In order to avoid ejaculation, the man could do one of several things. He could pull out immediately before orgasm, a method which Joseph Needham termed "coitus conservatus".[6] A second method involved the man applying pressure on the perineum, thus retaining the sperm. While, if done incorrectly can cause a retrograde ejaculation, the Taoists believed that the jing traveled up into the head and "nourished the brain."[7] Jing[edit] Another important concept of "The Joining of the Essences" was that the union of a man and a woman would result in the creation of jing, a type of sexual energy. When in the act of lovemaking, jing would form, and the man could transform some of this jing into qi, and replenish his lifeforce. By having as much sex as possible, men had the opportunity to transform more and more jing, and as a result would see many health benefits.[3] Yin/Yang[edit] The concept of Yin and yang is important in Taoism, and consequently also holds special importance in sex. Yang usually referred to the male sex, whereas Yin could refer to the female sex. Man and Woman were the equivalent of heaven and earth, but became disconnected. Therefore, while heaven and earth are eternal, man and woman suffer a premature death.[8] Every interaction between Yin and Yang had significance. Because of this significance, every position and action in lovemaking had importance. Taoist texts described a large number of special sexual positions that served to cure or prevent illness.[9] Women[edit] For Taoists, sex was not just about pleasing the man. The woman also had to be stimulated and pleased in order to benefit from the act of sex. Sex should not happen if one or the other partners desire it more. If sex were performed in this manner, the woman would create more jing, and the man could more easily absorb the jing to increase his own qi. Women were also given a prominent place in the Ishinpo, with the tutor being a woman. One of the reasons women had a great deal of strength in the act of sex was that they walked away undiminished from the act. The woman had the power to bring forth life, and did not have to worry about ejaculation or refractory period. Women were often given a position of inferiority in sexual practice. Many of the texts discuss sex from a male point of view, and avoid discussing how sex could benefit women. Men were encouraged to not limit themselves to one woman, and were advised to have sex only with the woman who was beautiful and had not had children. While the man had to please the woman sexually, she was still just an object.[10] At numerous points during the Ishinpo, the woman is referred to as the "enemy"; this was because the woman could cause him to spill semen and lose vitality. In later sexual texts from the Ming, women had lost all semblance of being human and were referred to as the "other," "crucible", or "stove" from which to cultivate vitality. The importance of pleasing the woman was also diminished in later texts.[11] The practise was known as Caibu (??), as a man enters many women without ejaculation. Women were also considered to be a means for men to extend men's lives. Many of the ancient texts were dedicated explanation of how a man could use sex to extend his own life. But, his life was extended only through the absorption of the woman's vital energies (jing and qi). Some Taoists called the act of sex “The battle of stealing and strengthening.”[12] These sexual methods could be correlated with Taoist military methods. Instead of storming the gates, the battle was a series of feints and maneuvers that would sap the enemy's resistance.[13] When and where[edit] Another text, Health Benefits of the Bedchamber, indicates that certain times were better for intercourse than others. A person had to avoid having intercourse on quarter or full moons and on days when there were great winds, rain, fog, cold or heat, thunder, lightning, darkness over heaven and earth, solar and lunar eclipses, rainbows and earthquakes. Having intercourse at these times would harm a man's spirit and would cause women to become ill. Children conceived at these times would be mad, stupid, perverse or foolish; mute, deaf, crippled or blind; unfilial and violent. Also important was selecting the right day for intercourse if a person desired children. After the woman's period, the first, third or fifth days were the best. If on these days the man ejaculated after midnight, the child would likely be male. If a female child was desired, the man needed to ejaculate on the second, fourth or sixth days after the cessation of the woman's period. The location of sex was also important. People had to avoid the glare of the sun, moon or stars, the interior of shrines, proximity to temples, wells, stoves and privies, and the vicinity of graves or coffins. If these suggestions were followed the family's offspring would be good, wise and virtuous. If they were not followed, the offspring would be evil and the family would eventually die off.[14] Longevity and immortality[edit] Some Ming dynasty Taoist sects believed that one way for men to achieve longevity or 'towards immortality' is by having intercourse with virgins, particularly young virgins. Taoist sexual books, such as the Hsuan wei Hshin ("Mental Images of the Mysteries and Subtleties of Sexual Techniques") and San Feng Tan Cheueh ("Zhang Sanfeng's Instructions in the Physiological Alchemy"), written, respectively, by Zhao Liangpi and Zhang Sanfeng (not to be confused with semi-mythical Zhang Sanfeng who lived in an earlier period), call the woman sexual partner ding (?) and recommend sex with premenarche virgins. Zhao Liangpi concludes that the ideal ding is a premenarche virgin just under 14 years of age and women older than 18 should be avoided.[15] Zhang Sanfeng went further and divided ding into three ranks: the lowest rank, 21- to 25-year-old women; the middle rank, 16- to 20-year-old menstruating virgins; the highest rank, 14-year-old premenarche virgins.[16] According to Ge Hong, a 4th-century Taoist alchemist, "those seeking 'immortality' must perfect the absolute essentials. These consist of treasuring the jing, circulating the qi and consuming the great medicine."[17] The sexual arts concerned the first precept, treasuring the jing. This is partially because treasuring the jing involved sending it up into the brain. In order to send the jing into the brain, the male had to refrain from ejaculation during sex. According to some Taoists, if this was done, the jing would travel up the spine and nourish the brain instead of leaving the body. Ge Hong also states, however, that it is folly to believe that performing the sexual arts only can achieve immortality and some of the ancient myths on sexual arts had been misinterpreted and exaggerated. Indeed, the sexual arts had to be practiced alongside alchemy to attain longevity. Ge Hong also warned it could be dangerous if practiced incorrectly.[17] Sex magic From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For the Red Hot Chili Peppers album, see Blood Sugar Sex Magik. For the Ciara song, see Love Sex Magic. Question book-new.svg This article relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (November 2012) The examples and perspective in this article may not include all significant viewpoints. Please improve the article or discuss the issue. (June 2010) Sex magic (sometimes spelled sex magick) is any type of sexual activity used in magical, ritualistic or otherwise religious and spiritual pursuits. One practice of sex magic is using the energy of sexual arousal or orgasm with visualization of a desired result. A premise of sex magic is the concept that sexual energy is a potent force that can be harnessed to transcend one's normally perceived reality.[citation needed] Contents [hide] 1 Paschal Beverly Randolph 2 Ida Craddock 3 Ordo Templi Orientis 3.1 Aleister Crowley 3.1.1 Writings on sex magic 4 Arnold Krumm-Heller 5 Maria de Naglowska 6 See also 7 Notes and references 8 Further reading 9 External links Paschal Beverly Randolph[edit] Paschal Beverly Randolph The earliest known practical teachings of sex magic in the Western world come from 19th-century American occultist Paschal Beverly Randolph, under the heading of The Mysteries of Eulis: If a man has an intelligent and loving wife, with whom he is in complete accord, he can work out the problems [of how to achieve magical results] by her aid. They are a radical soul-sexive series of energies...The rite is a prayer in all cases, and the most powerful [that] earthly beings can employ...it is best for both man and wife to act together for the attainment of the mysterious objects sought. Success in any case requires the adjuvancy of a superior woman. THIS IS THE LAW! A harlot or low woman is useless for all such lofty and holy purposes, and just so is a bad, impure, passion-driven apology for a man. The woman shall not be one who accepts rewards for compliance; nor a virgin; or under eighteen years of age; or another's wife; yet must be one who hath known man and who has been and still is capable of intense mental, volitional and affectional energy, combined with perfect sexive and orgasmal ability; for it requires a double crisis to succeed... The entire mystery can be given in very few words, and they are: An upper room; absolute personal, mental, and moral cleanliness both of the man and wife. An observance of the law just cited during the entire term of the experiment -- 49 days. Formulate the desire and keep it in mind during the whole period and especially when making the nuptive prayer, during which no word may be spoken, but the thing desired be strongly thought...[1] Randolph himself was greatly influenced by the work of English Rosicrucian and scholar of phallicism, Hargrave Jennings. Ida Craddock[edit] In the latter part of the 19th century, sexual reformer Ida Craddock published several works dealing with sacred sexuality, most notably Heavenly Bridegrooms and Psychic Wedlock. Aleister Crowley reviewed Heavenly Bridegrooms in the pages of his journal The Equinox, stating that it was: ...one of the most remarkable human documents ever produced, and it should certainly find a regular publisher in book form. The authoress of the MS. claims that she was the wife of an angel. She expounds at the greatest length the philosophy connected with this thesis. Her learning is enormous. ...This book is of incalculable value to every student of occult matters. No Magick library is complete without it.[2] Sexual techniques from Craddock's Psychic Wedlock were later reproduced in Sex Magick by O.T.O. initiate Louis T. Culling.[3] Ordo Templi Orientis[edit] Carl Kellner, the founder of Ordo Templi Orientis, (O.T.O.), claimed to have learned the techniques of sex magic from three adepts in this art.[4] Beginning in 1904, references to these secrets, Kellner, and the O.T.O. began appearing in "an obscure German masonic periodical called Oriflamme."[4] In 1912, the editors of Oriflamme announced: Our order possesses the key which opens up all Masonic and Hermetic secrets, namely, the teachings of sexual magic, and this teaching explains, without exception, all the secrets of Freemasonry and all systems of religion.[4] Aleister Crowley[edit] Crowley in Golden Dawn garb Aleister Crowley became involved with Theodor Reuss and Ordo Templi Orientis following the publication of The Book of Lies between 1912 and 1913.[5] According to Crowley's account, Reuss approached him and accused him of having revealed the innermost (sexual) secret of O.T.O. in one of the cryptic chapters of this book. When it became clear to Reuss that Crowley had done so unintentionally, he initiated Crowley into the IX° (ninth degree) of O.T.O. and appointed him "Sovereign Grand Master General of Ireland, Iona and all the Britains."[5][6][7] While the O.T.O. included, from its inception, the teaching of sex magick in the highest degrees of the Order, when Crowley became head of the Order, he expanded on these teachings and associated them with different degrees as follows:[8] VIII°: masturbatory or autosexual magical techniques were taught, referred as the Lesser Work of Sol IX°: heterosexual magical techniques were taught XI°: anal intercourse magical techniques were taught. Professor Hugh Urban, Professor of Comparative Religion at The Ohio State University, noted Crowley's emphasis on sex as "the supreme magical power".[6] According to Crowley: The Book of the Law solves the sexual problem completely. Each individual has an absolute right to satisfy his sexual instinct as is physiologically proper for him. The one injunction is to treat all such acts as sacraments. One should not eat as the brutes, but in order to enable one to do one's will. The same applies to sex. We must use every faculty to further the one object of our existence.[9] Writings on sex magic[edit] Main articles: Works of Aleister Crowley and Libri of Aleister Crowley Crowley wrote extensively on the topic of sex magick. Some of these works were published and made available to the general public, others were secret and could only be obtained by initiates of Ordo Templi Orientis. Liber IAO - IAO. Sexual Magick. Gives three methods of attainment through a willed series of thoughts. The active form of Liber CCCXLV. De Nuptis Secretis Deorum Cum Hominibus - Sexual magick Liber Stellae Rubeae - According to Crowley, a secret ritual of Apep, the heart of IAO-OAI, delivered unto V.V.V.V.V. for his use in a certain matter of The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis). Sexual Magick veiled in symbolism. Liber Agape vel C vel Azoth - The Book of the Unveiling of the Sangraal wherein it is spoken of the Wine of the Sabbath of the Adepts. Secrets instructions of the ninth degree of the O.T.O. (Sex Magick) Liber Cheth vel Vallum Abiegni - A perfect account of the task of the Exempt Adept considered under the symbols of a particular plane, not the intellectual. Sexual magick veiled in symbolism. Liber A'ash vel Capricorni Pneumatici - Analyzes the nature of the creative magickal force in man, explains how to awaken it, how to use it and indicates the general as well as the particular objects to be gained thereby. Sexual magick heavily veiled in symbolism. The Book of Lies - includes some techniques in symbolic language, including extended mutual oral sex (Chapter 69) while intoxicated on hashish. The Paris Working - A record of homosexual magick operations. Energized Enthusiasm - An essay developing the idea of creativity as a sexual phenomenon. Specially adapted to the task of attainment of control of the Body of Light, development of intuition, and Hatha yoga. Arnold Krumm-Heller[edit] According to Samael Aun Weor, Arnold Krumm-Heller taught sexual magic without ejaculation.[10] Maria de Naglowska[edit] Maria de Naglowska (1883-1936) was a Russian occultist, mystic, author and journalist who wrote and taught about sexual magical ritual practices while also being linked with the Parisian surrealist movement. She established and led an occult society known as the Confrérie de la Flèche d'or (Brotherhood of the Golden Arrow) in Paris from 1932 to 1935. In 1931, she compiled, translated and published in French a collection of published and unpublished writings by American occultist Paschal Beverly Randolph on the subject of sexual magic and magic mirrors. Her translation and publication of Randolph's previously little known ideas and teachings was the source of Randolph's subsequent influence in European magic.[11] She augmented the text with what she claimed were some of his oral teachings.[12] The following year, she published a semi-autobiographical novella, Le Rite sacré de l'amour magique (The Sacred Ritual of Magical Love.) Later that year, she also published La Lumière du sexe (The Light of Sex), a mystic treatise and guide to sexual ritual that was required reading for those seeking to be initiated into the Brotherhood of the Golden Arrow. Her later book on advanced sexual magic practices, Le Mystère de la pendaison (The Hanging Mystery) details her advanced teachings on the Third Term of the Trinity and the spiritually transformative power of sex, and the practice of erotic ritual hanging and other sensory deprivation practices. Beyond occult subjects, Maria Naglowska also influenced the surrealist art movement. The Lexique succinct de l'érotisme in the catalog of the 1959 International Surrealist Exhibition in Paris noted her important influence.[13] Surrealist Sarane Alexandrian wrote a detailed account of her life.[14]