Spirituality.

It's interesting you used the word spirituality instead of religion. Though they are closely connected, the first is a bit more fashionable than the second today. I think this is because we are focused more on the subjective dynamics of spirituality than the objective historical conditions as framed in religions. I understand the two as complementing each-other, indeed, how could you have the one without the other.

Anyway, with spirituality in mind, I think many come to this site as they find themselves at a crisis of sorts; PMO has lead to the deterioration of their inner lives [which is reflected in the outer life... how can you separate the two] to such an extent that our deep-seated instincts for freedom, autonomy, and dignity start, under threat of extinction, kicking and screaming for a hearing. We find ourselves at a crossroads, we can envisage where it leads, and the better part of us decides to resist and make one final stand before it utterly capitulates. How can this subjective reality be described in other than spiritual terms. And so vice leads us to virtue, and virtue to morality and philosophy, and perhaps, in the end, to religion. For we find ourselves asking how is all this phenomena possible in the first place.

I doubt whether being explicitly religious or not is the defining factor for many as to whether they do Nofap or not. The definitive factor no doubt comes from an existential misery and shame as you see your life being swallowed up in a pit of P. Nor do I really see that either camp, the religious or the irreligious, has any advantage when it comes to overcoming P abuse. To my mind, the key advantage is discovering an ideal culture by which you can, through practical means, overcome your present self with the creation, or reconstruction, of a better self. This is something that the secular world lacks today, whether it have a veneer of Christianity on it or not.

 

I'm taking a 30-day no M break as a sort of religious/spiritual discipline. It's good to deny one's bodily needs to focus on other things sometimes. Sort of like fasting, or letting something go for Lent, or something similar.

 

I'm here for the spiritual reasons. Those directly tie in with my relationship with my wife. Honestly, without my faith I would see little reason not to PMO as I never took issue with it until I found my faith. If my wife had concerns about it I would always explain it away, quote psycho-babble studies and justify my bad behavior because I did not see the act as inherently "bad" since it negatively impacted no one but myself. Now that I have my faith I have finally been able to see the negative impact it had on my wife and on our relationship. My faith enables me to put things in perspective and to set my own personal pleasure aside for the greater good of my family and my self. For what use is faith, spirituality and religion (I don't see that as a dirty word ) if it does not have some positive impact on our lives or the lives around us? I'm not referring to gain or comfort, or even survival. But peace, love, joy and strength. That is what faith, what Christ has done for me.

 

" The Spirit is other than the mind’ affirm the seers. It is unity and oneness while the mind is duality and division. It is peace and bliss while the mind dwells in pain, pleasure and indifference. It is harmony and truth while the mind fumbles through error and ignorance. It is easy to understand from this that the spiritual dimension defies any simple definition. As has been pointed out by many, ‘Truth is simple so long as we do not define it. spirituality is unworldly in nature it is experienced by the individual without affected the others. All stress and strain that besieges this race is in essence a call to evolve. All crisis is a challenge to growth and liberation. All pain and suffering is Nature’s hint and reminder that the joy we experience is imperfect and the power we command is yet a narrow and limited one. Each limitation we experience is a pointer towards our own incomprehension and ignorance. "

 

I'm an atheist.

Sorry for making you spit coffee on your keyboard. One big reason for me to do NoFap is that I've experienced PIED from indulging in a fetish, I know that NoFap helps to remedy that.

But also, fapping makes me more inclined to see women as sex objects. And fapping makes me more prone to fantasize and daydream, not just about sex but in general.

I'm into mindfulness meditation, I want to feel more fully alive and present in the moment. I guess some people would call that spiritual, but personally I wouldn't.

Sometimes I imagine my urges to PMO or to be lazy as demons inside of me, I find that helpful even though I don't really believe that there are demons inside of me.

 

NoFap goes nice with the Buddhist idea of being mindful and not letting desire, and craving control our life. I'm kinda Buddhist. So yes, this is also a spiritual journey for me, partly. But mainly I started cos of unhealthy psychological effects I had developed, they were simply ruining my life.

 

I have been taking a religious approach and must say God works indeed.