A Complete Guide to the Secrets of Sexual Energy Transmutation

OVERVIEW: What is sexual energy transmutation and what does it have to do with sexual energy? What are the common misconceptions about energy transmutation? And what’s a safe way to approach this topic? This in-depth guide explores these questions—and much more.

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So let’s talk about sex.

Why?

Because it’s a vital topic for anyone interested in achievement, self-development, psychological maturity, and spiritual growth.

Sexual energy transmutation is also another one of those grossly misunderstood topics.

Let’s change that right now.

What is Sexual Transmutation?

Napoleon Hill’s self-help classic, Think and Grow Rich, is how many individuals first learn about sexual transmutation:

“Sex transmutation is simple and easily explained. It means the switching of the mind from thoughts of physical expression, to thoughts of some other nature.”

In Hill’s view, sex transmutation is a mental process—a mere function of shifting one’s focus. While this definition is a good starting point, we can go much deeper.

Sexual transmutation is the process of converting sexual energy into some other drive, motivation, or energy of a higher order.

But what does that mean?

What is Sexual Energy?

To clarify this, let’s look at sexual energy through a visualization of the seven chakras.

transmute energy

The chakras are said to be seven energy centers (“whirling wheels of light”) in the body where each chakra relates to a specific gland in the endocrine system.

Sexual energy is part of your life force. This energy arises from the first or root chakra and the second or sacral chakra.

The root chakra is associated with your reproductive glands while the sacral chakra relates to your adrenals.

Each of the seven chakras connects through a spiraling energy channel that climbs up the body (called kundalini). This entire energy system is fueled by the base: the home of sexual energy.

Sexual Energy and Pleasure

The sacral chakra deals with pleasure. Although there are a few exceptions, most animals do not have sex for pleasure. Humans, macaques, orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, however, do.

When the sacral chakra is in balance, this drive for sexual pleasure stays in moderation.

But when something obstructs and weakens this sexual energy center, it leads to all kinds of problems like sex addictions, perversions, porn addictions, and aggressive behavior. (More on these problems below.)

Sexual Transmutation: From Pleasure to Willpower

Expressing sexual energy through sex and desire dissipates this energy. That is, sexual energy goes in one of two directions:

  1. Out through the sex organs or
  2. Up into the higher energy centers.

The basis for sexual transformation is to take your sexual energy and channel it into a higher energy center.

The chakra above the sacral is the solar plexus chakra, which deals with willpower.

So if a person lacks willpower, there’s a good chance that their sexual energy is leaking out via excessive sex, masturbation, stimulation, desire, worry, and/or overthinking.

It’s for this reason the self-help literature discusses sexual transmutation.

For young men in particular, if they can channel their drive for sex and women into their professional work, they increase their willpower to realize their goals and achieve more. (This is the aspect of sex transmutation that author Napoleon Hill was referring to.)

There’s a lot more to sexual energy transmutation beyond achievement. However, before we proceed, let’s outline how achievement-driven sexual transmutation works.

How to Use Sexual Energy Transmutation to Manifest Your Desires

Using sexual energy transmutation to achieve a particular goal or manifest something (or someone) in your life is a relatively straightforward process.

Step 1: Clarify what you want.

Determine your goal:

  • Write your goal down on paper (or on a device).
  • Create an image in your mind.
  • Bring it alive in your imagination with sight, sound, and motion.
  • Associate positive emotions to the outcome.
  • Keep the goal to yourself.

Contrary to popular belief, both goal research and my personal experience suggest that it’s best to keep your desire or goal to yourself instead of announcing it to the world.1https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself

Talking about your goals with others reduces the energy you have available to achieve them.

Step 2: Channel your attention toward your goal.

Most often, our energy and attention get fragmented into many directions including sexual desires. To use sexual transmutation, you’re going to channel this sexual energy into the image of your desired outcome.

Remember, we lose sexual energy that flows out. So instead of expressing this drive, maintain your attention on the goal you desire. It’s for this reason Napoleon Hill wrote about the importance of having a “burning desire.”

Your desire for what you want must be greater than your drive for pleasure right now.

Connect with why you want it—your purpose for achieving it.

Step 3: Maintain your focus and be patient.

With renewed vigor, new ideas will likely begin to present themselves. The universe, as Hill writes, begins to conspire in your favor. You’ll align with allies to support you on your quest. Momentum will start to build.

Stick with this process long enough, and depending on the object of your desire, you’ll begin to “manifest” it through consistent effort.

Why Does This Energy Transmutation Process Work?

Instead of directing your awareness to random fleeting thoughts and pleasures, you’re channeling your life force energy into creating something in the physical world.

This energy transmutation process occurs naturally for the Magician archetype.

Over time, you’ll learn the nuances of this process and refine it based on your psychological disposition.

What are the Limitations of this Form of Sexual Transmutation?

Eventually, you may sense a deeper calling. Or, you might become uninspired by using your sexual energy in this way.

Through a spiritual awakening, for example, you may realize that your mind is playing a game. The mind is always creating new desires, not based on the Spirit’s Will, but usually on envy, greed, anger, and fear.

Most of our drives to “achieve” are based on unmet basic human needs.

Once we address these basic needs through our external effort as well as inner work, the drive for “achievement” begins to take the back seat. Attainment begins to lose its thrill.

Then, there’s a shift from external achievement to inner transformation. You begin to see that you can use sexual transmutation to transform yourself. After that, things get more interesting.

7 Reasons to Transmute Sexual Energy

So now let’s quickly review some of the reasons individuals may be interested in sexual energy transmutation and the potential benefits it can produce.

1) Improve Your Physical Health

A primary advantage of sexual transmutation is that it can radically improve our vitality, longevity, and overall physical health. Also, if you suffer from lower back or knee pain, there’s a good chance it’s related to your kidneys (see below), and sex transmutation can help.

2) Achieve Material Success

As we discussed above, higher achievement is the most common application of sex transmutation.

3) Cultivate More Physical Energy

Semen has over 200 different proteins, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It’s a treasure chest of nutrients that the body and mind need to perform at its best. Sexual activity can deplete your life force while sex transmutation cultivates it. (See below. We’ll discuss the female equivalent as well.)

4) Unlock More Creativity

Sexual energy is also creative energy. The sexual energy we don’t expend during sex and physical desire can be channeled into the creative process.

5) Improve Your Sex Life

When we deplete our sexual energy, we have a low libido or sex drive. In men, over time this often leads to impotence and fatigue. Through sexual transmutation and having sex in moderation, one can improve their sex life.

6) Develop Martial and Internal Power

Eastern material artists and qigong and neigong practitioners use sexual transmutation to cultivate internal power by converting sexual energy into chi (discussed below). Many professional athletes do so as well. Many boxers and fighters, for example, know not to have sex before a big fight.

7) Achieve Higher Spiritual Development

Perhaps the highest use of sexual transmutation is to use it to awaken and cultivate the Spirit within. Sexual energy can be converted into the energy of higher consciousness.

Note: For the remainder of this sexual transmutation guide, we’re going to explore a more Eastern perspective on sexual energy.

What Blocks Sexual Transmutation?

Sexual transmutation, in a fundamental sense, is a natural process.

When we’re not transmuting sexual energy into creative energy and willpower, it means something is blocking or misdirecting this energy.

Buddhists call this misdirection indulgence while Taoists describe it as leakage. Our life force, in essence, leaks out of us.

The whole objective of meditation and internal alchemical practices in the East is to stop this leakage.

The source of this leakage is in the mind: random thoughts and negative emotions like anger, fear, and guilt. (Guilt blocks the sacral chakra, for example.)

In Tibetan Buddhism, they explain that the source of human suffering is the Three Poisons:

  1. Attractions (desire),
  2. Aversions (aggression), and
  3. Delusion (ignorance).

All three poisons cause energetic leakage.

The Three Treasures of Taoism

Anyone familiar with Taoism will know the three treasures: Jing, Qi, and Shen.

Jing, Qi, and Shen are energetic substances or frequencies that control many aspects of our health, behavior, psyche, and spiritual development.

But even though these three treasures are considered three different substances, they are of the same essence, similar to how water can take the form of gas, liquid, and solid (ice).

Jing – Essence

Jing is the lowest vibration of the three treasures. Many people mistakenly think Jing is synonymous with sexual energy or seminal fluid. While Jing does include this sexual energy, it’s not technically the same thing. However, excessive sex does deplete one’s Jing. Jing most closely translates in English to Life’s Essence.

Qi – Energy

The Essence (Jing) of the body converts to Qi (or Chi energy), which most closely translates to energy. Qi is a higher vibration than Jing, and it transports information throughout the body’s energy system.

Shen – Spirit

Shen, the highest or most refined vibration, is the energy of consciousness. Many schools of Taoism consider Shen the individual’s Spirit. Shen manifests as bright white light, and its frequency is closest to “Heaven.”

Taoist Sexual Energy Transmutation: The Return of the Spirit

Perceiving sexual transmutation through the lens of Taoism then, the primary goal is spiritual, not material.

The original alchemists weren’t early Western chemists attempting to transmute lead into gold. Instead, these ancient Chinese Taoist adepts were converting the elemental substances in their bodies.

In the energy arts, the body itself is the vessel or the alchemical workshop from which transmutation takes place.

These Inner Alchemists sought to refine their Jing into Qi by preserving their Jing (through seminal retention) and cultivating their Qi through a healthy, balanced lifestyle, virtuosity, and various Qigong and Neigong practices (including standing meditations like Zhan Zhuang).

These practices help strengthen and open the body in preparation for deeper energetic work.

Then, they sought to convert their Qi into Shen through meditative techniques designed to turn the body’s torso into a cauldron that refines the Qi.

This alchemical process transmutes their energy into Shen or the Original Spirit, eventually returning the individual to the Tao (The Way).

I’ll provide resources below for those who are interested in exploring this topic more deeply.

The Art of Seminal Retention (For Men Only)

A note for women: while this brief section is about ejaculation in men, the information presented here is still highly relevant to any woman who’s currently in a relationship with a man or intends to have one.

A critical aspect of sexual transmutation taught in many ancient philosophies from Asia and India is seminal retention.

Seminal retention is the practice of abstaining from ejaculation, which helps preserve one’s Jing. These ancient traditions believed that they could cultivate their life force through seminal retention to achieve greater vitality and longevity.

Both the nutrients within the semen as well as the life essence of the sperm itself, when retained, can be used and absorbed back into your body to support your higher energy centers, your nervous system, and your brain.

Have you ever noticed an immediate reduction in energy after ejaculating? Perhaps you’ve observed a slight sense of depression as well?

The French term La petite mort translates to “the little death” and is used to describe a sexual orgasm.

What if men weren’t designed to release their seed (except for procreation)?

I’m not suggesting this is necessarily so, but it’s a question worthy of consideration, for it is true, it might help explain the current poor state of masculinity in our society.

Meeting a Taoist Adept

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet a man from China who claimed to be 93 years old. I say “claimed to be” because he looked like he was in his early 50s, and I was (and still am) a bit skeptical.

But he trained in the ancient Taoist ways from early life. Both of my qigong instructors who met with him were impressed with his level of skill, ability, and knowledge. (Both of these practitioners had trained for over 40 and 30 years, respectively.)

This Taoist told me that in the old way of practicing these arts, you abstain from sex throughout your life—you never “break the seal” as they say in certain Taoist texts.

He said that even Taoist nuns (women practice and train separately from men) abstain from sex. Finally, he said that this was the secret to longevity and cultivating one’s energy.

As it says in the Hui-Ming Ching:

“When life energy is not excited or stirred by desire, we will become immortal.”

Again, I share this story merely as an idea to reflect on.

sexual energy transmutation

Ejaculation Frequency for Optimal Health

That said, in many Taoist texts you’ll find guidelines for the frequency of ejaculation that’s safe for men interested in preserving their life force.

The younger you are, the more life force you have. As you get older, this life force energy depletes.

  • Teenagers: Sex once a day
  • In your 20s: Once every three days
  • In your 30s: Once a week
  • In your 40s: Once every two weeks
  • In your 60s: Once every 100 days

Signs of excessive ejaculation include chronic fatigue, stiffness in the joints, and pain in your knees and lower back. Men who are experiencing any of these symptoms should take note.

For an individual interested in sexual energy transmutation, these frequency ranges are probably too generous—especially when they enter their late 40s. During this period, there’s a rapid decline in one’s essence (Jing).

As it says in the Taoist Treatise on Sitting Forgetting:2Thomas Cleary (ed.), Taoist Meditation, 2000.

If you do not eat for seven days you may die, but if you do not have sexual intercourse for a hundred years you will avoid premature death. Therefore we know that sex is not essential for body or mind but is an enemy to essence (Jing) and life. Why be obsessed with it, bringing destruction on yourself?

Certainly words worth reflecting on.

What About Pornography?

You won’t find much about pornography in ancient texts. Internet porn is a relatively new problem that plagues the latest generations. Here, however, we can turn to scientific research.

  • Studies show that pornography rewires the brain, making it less connected and less active.3Love T, Laier C, Brand M, Hatch L, Hajela R. Neuroscience of Internet Pornography Addiction: A Review and Update. Behav Sci (Basel). 2015 Sep 18;5(3):388-433. doi: 10.3390/bs5030388.
  • Porn usage easily becomes compulsive and addictive.4Meerkerk GJ, Van Den Eijnden RJ, Garretsen HF. Predicting compulsive Internet use: it’s all about sex! Cyberpsychol Behav. 2006 Feb;9(1):95-103. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.95.
  • Masturbation and pornography create problems with arousal, sexual desire, and sexual performance.5Carvalheira A, Træen B, Stulhofer A. Masturbation and Pornography Use Among Coupled Heterosexual Men With Decreased Sexual Desire: How Many Roles of Masturbation? J Sex Marital Ther. 2015;41(6):626-35. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2014.958790.

Countless other studies point to the harmful effects of pornography.

From the context of sexual transmutation, pornography is perhaps it’s the greatest destroyer of sexual energy in men. The harmful effects porn has had on society—including both the masculine and feminine psyche—can not be understated.

If you need assistance in this area, check out the NoFap website or just search for “nofap.”

Sexual Energy Retention (For Women Only)

My knowledge of energy transformation for women is more limited, especially since as a man I don’t have first-hand experience to draw upon.

Some texts suggest that women also leak sexual energy via sex and/or orgasms. It does seem apparent, however, that the energetic impact of sex on women is far less than it is for men.

The primary way women lose their essence (Jing) is through menstruation. While men begin a strong decline in sexual energy in their late 40s, women begin their rapid decline in Jing in their early 40s.6Damo Mitchell, White Moon on the Mountain Peak, 2016, 41.

The beginning of menopause and the ending of her menstrual flow signifies this rapid decline in Jing.

For women interested in learning more about how to cultivate their energy through Taoist internal alchemy practices, see Daoist Nei Gong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon by Roni Edlund.

Apparently, there are methods to reduce the effects of a woman’s menstrual cycle, which helps conserve her Jing.


Replenish Your Jing with a Digital App?

Okay, so what I’m going to share with you now may sound like science fiction.

Eric Thompson is an inventor and founder Subtle Energy SciencesUsing quantum resonance technology, Eric engineered a method of encoding digital images with specific energy signatures.

The result is what he calls Digital Mandalas, which combines beautiful digital art with layers of various energy-related sound technology.

If you’re open to exploring new technologies as an aid to supporting your self-development, check out Eric’s recent release called Audio Rejuvenation—a combination of digital mandalas and audio tracks specifically designed to help replenish your primal essence.

I always have at least one digital mandala running on my desktop and my other devices.

Use code CEOSAGE30 for a 30% discount on Audio Rejuvenation.

Now, if you don’t have energetic sensitivity, you may feel nothing at first. If that’s the case, Eric offers various ways to augment and optimize the effects.

(Disclaimer: affiliate links above.)


how to transmute sexual energy

Sexual Transmutation Starts With Healthy Kidneys

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are responsible for growth, reproduction, urinary function, bones, the brain, and the storehouse of our essence (Jing).

If the kidneys are deficient in what’s called vital-qi, the guardian qi (the subtle energy field around the body) will also be weak. This deficiency lowers one’s immune system, which affects the rest of the body.

The kidneys are one of the essential organs in the human body, and we tend to give them little attention.

Improper regulation of sexual energy depletes Jing and causes weakness in the kidneys over time. Coldness in the limbs is a common sign of kidney deficiency.

Regardless of your reason for pursuing sexual transmutation, it’s a great idea to heal and strengthen your kidneys first.

How to Strengthen the Kidneys for Sex Transmutation

There are many ways to strengthen your kidneys and cultivate your Life Essence (sexual energy).

The kidney tends to be the weakest in winter. So take extra care of your kidneys during the colder months.

Do a Kidney Cleanse

You can find a lot of resources for kidney cleanses online. Hulda Clark’s is perhaps the most comprehensive.

For my last kidney cleanse, I used Kidney Health from Global Healing Center. (Save 10% on Kidney Health with code CEOSAGE.)

Eat Foods that Support Kidney Health

According to Chinese medicine foods that support proper kidney function include:

  • Black beans and kidney beans,
  • Blueberries and blackberries,
  • Spirulina, kelp, and seaweed
  • Pumpkin seeds and black sesame seeds,
  • Walnuts and chestnuts,
  • Barley and millet,
  • Dark, leafy green vegetables.

This isn’t an exhaustive list.

Avoid Cold Foods and Excessive Raw Foods

The kidneys and the liver don’t like anything cold—especially during winter months and in cold climates.

The more sensitive you become to your body’s energy system, the more averse to cold foods (like ice-cold beverages or ice cream) you’ll likely become.

Face your Fears

Each organ relates to a specific predominant emotion. For the kidneys, the emotion is fear. Excessive fear damages the kidneys. Containing your fear is a vital step for those moving toward psychologically mature adulthood. See this guide on emotional awareness for specific methods.

Practice Kidney-Targeted Qigong

Many qigong practices are specifically designed to strengthen the kidneys.

For example, the seventh exercise in the Eight Brocades (Ba Daun Jin) and the kidney sound (“Chui”) in the Six Healing Sounds.

The book Qigong Empowerment offers excellent medical qigong exercises, including kidney qigong.

Try Chinese Herbs

One of my qigong instructors recommends taking Six Flavor Teapills (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) to support kidney health.

Avoid Sexual Stimulation (Especially Men)

Avoid sexual activity, masturbation, or sexual stimulation of any kind for at least two to four weeks. Although Jing is not sperm, men lose Jing through sex and ejaculation. Conserving your Essence is a primary key to sexual transmutation.

Reduce Your Media Consumption

Why is this important? Advertising, television programming, video games, and films are entrenched with sexual images designed to stimulate and arouse you. These images draw your energy out, whether you want them to or not. Many genres of music like pop and R&B do so as well.

Consider going on a “30-day media fast.” I did this many years ago and found it to be a transformative experience. If you try this experiment, consider avoiding social media during that time.

Keep Your Mobile Phone at a Safe Distance

Over a dozen studies show that radiation from cell phones impairs sperm function.7https://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-safer-cell-phone-use Just 20 minutes of this intense EMF radiation exposure begins to change your blood and affect your sperm count.

Never keep your cell phone in your pants pockets, and always keep it away from your head (always use a wired headset). While this recommendation seems relevant only to men, it’s not. Women should also keep their phones and other devices away from their bodies as much as possible.

inner alchemy sex transmutation

How to Build a Foundation for Spiritual Energy Transmutation

Transmuting sexual energy into spiritual energy can occur when the right internal conditions are present. It’s up to the individual to cultivate these internal conditions. Hence, the term used in the Taoist arts is self-cultivation.

So what are these conditions?

Foundation #1: An Energetically Open Body

First, the body must be strong and healthy.

The chi within the body’s energetic system must flow freely. However, most individuals have many blockages throughout the body. Qigong practices, including systems of stretching and moving, are designed to help gently open the body.

Then, one learns how to sink all of one’s tensions down into the ground through a practice like Zhan Zhuang.

Foundation #2: A Calm, Abiding Mind

Thoughts create tension within the body. When one’s able to quiet one’s mind, the body’s energy (chi) is naturally preserved and the essence (Jing) is stable.

There are many methods to support quieting the mind including meditative practicesbreathing practices, and proper sleep.

Foundation #3: A Lightened Mood

Fear, anger, and seriousness all block the body’s energetic system. In fact, emotions stuck in the body are the primary source of our energetic blockage.

See: How to Release Repressed Emotions

Lightening one’s mind opens energetic channels. Access the precocious child in you and a sense of playfulness. Smile and hum for no reason at all.

Even if you didn’t go any further, setting up these three foundations can radically transform your life experience for the better.

Books on Inner Alchemy and Energy Transmutation

Truthfully, you won’t find much information about this topic on the internet. (And for good reasons.)

To learn about this Taoist alchemical process, see Liu Hua-Yang’s Cultivating the Energy of Life. Another ancient text, often called the Dragon-Tiger Classic explores this alchemical process in detail as an external physical process, sexual transmutation, and internal energy cultivation.

sexual transmutation

how to transmute sexual energy

And if you’re looking for practical instruction, see Damo Mitchell’s Daoist Nei Gong and White Moon on the Mountain Peak. Mitchell provides the most comprehensive guidance for Westerners that I’ve come across.

Also see Damo Mitchell’s more recent title, A Comprehensive Guide to Nei Gong. (It’s far more comprehensive than his Daoist Nei Gong.)

sex transmutation

sexual energy transmutation

The book I referenced above for women, Daoist Nei Gong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon, is written by Damo’s wife (with contributions from him).

What About Mantak Chia’s Books?

Like many people, I was first introduced to these ideas from qigong teacher Mantak Chia. Books like Taoist Secrets of Love and The Multi-Orgasm Man were tantalizing, and his practices were easy to follow.

However, I later realized that many of Chia’s methods are harmful and irresponsible. It’s not advisable to force your sexual energy upward (as you do in his “Power Lock” method).

Cultivating the body’s energy is a natural process. It’s supposed to happen spontaneously when the conditions are appropriate (which is where meditative practices come in).

Chia’s sexual energy methods lead to what’s called “qigong deviations.” In particular, a deviation called Du Huo Gong Xin, or “poison fire tainting the heart.” Poison fire can distort your psychological state in problematic ways.8Damo Mitchell, A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong, 2018, 522.

Also, Chia suggests that we only lose Jing through ejaculation and not sex itself. This is incorrect. Even without ejaculation, sex drains energy, especially in men.

In a classical sense, “tantric sex” and the “bedroom arts” are considered deviations.

The Southern School versus The Northern School

Finally, it’s important to distinguish between two different schools in Taoist literature.

The Southern Reality School of Taoism is more focused on cultivating energy in the body. Topics like sexual energy transmutation of one’s Jing or the Waterwheel Exercise (Microcosmic Orbit) are part of the Southern approach.

The Northern Reality School was more influenced by Chan Buddhism and is mainly focused on the cultivation of one’s consciousness.

The books listed above by Damo Mitchell are more consistent with the Southern School’s energetic approaches.

For an introduction to the classic Northern approaches, and the Complete Reality School of Taoism, see any Taoist translation from Thomas Cleary.

Classics in this genre include Understanding Reality, The Inner Teachings of Taoism, and The Book of Balance and Harmony.

Read Next

The Definitive Guide to Emotional Vampires

5 Transformative Methods to Activate Your Pineal Gland

Chi Guide: What is Chi Energy and How Do You Cultivate It?

What do you think?

We ventured more into the fringe in this guide.

What are your thoughts, experiences, and comments?

Post them below.

  • Very interesting. All this secret ancient teachings hopefully are coming to reach more and more people.
    I’ve been following a very similar technique I came across 2 years ago (although it concerns more than just the connection on the physical and spiritual): https://youtu.be/xAXq0G_AcYQ
    Thank you. Keep up spreading useful knowledge.

    • Yes, Magda, it does appear like more and more people are becoming aware of these ancient teachings. Santos Bonacci is a very knowledgeable man; I’ve watched a number of his lectures. Thanks for commenting.

      • “if a person lacks willpower, there’s a good chance that their sexual energy is leaking out via excessive sex, masturbation, stimulation, desire, worry, or overthinking.”

        Does this mean having strong sexual desire is bad as u mention leaking sexual energy through desire does that mean Masterbation or having sexual attraction or desire leake this energy i am very nervous right now

        • First, when you’re thinking in terms of “this is good” and “this is bad” — you’re stuck in a black and white polarity that is unsupportive. It’s a result of common parenting styles (“be a good boy,” for example). So letting these good/bad categories support positive mental health. Virtually everything is on a spectrum.

          Does having strong sexual desire and masterbating mean that you’re leaking energy? Well, yes it does. That’s one of the topics covered in this guide.

          Is it harmful to you? Well, that depends on your perspective and what you’re trying to do.

          If you’re simply interested in just experiencing the “lower soul” and focusing on pleasures in this life, I don’t see any problem with it.

          If you’re interested in channeling that energy into creative or professional work, at least you have the raw energy to begin to work with.

          If you’re interested in internal alchemy where you refine and transmute these base energies into higher forms of consciousness, then yes, excessive sexual desire and masturbation are problems.

          • good bro Scott my question is if i do not masturbate then it it is ok to have strong sexual desire . i want to know that sexual energy is depleting only from masturbation and sex .having strong sexual desire without masturbation or sex is good or bad. u misunderstood my previous question

          • PLEASE BRO SCOTT WRITE UR EMAIL PLEASE SO I CAN ASK U MORE QUESTION ON ENERGY . i am very interested in energy related questions. i like u so mush love u so much

          • The Taoists explain that primary leakage is through the eyes. (Yogis understand this too.)

            So the answer to your question isn’t so straightforward. You’re certainly going to lose more jing via ejaculation. But strong sexual desire (via looking at an attractive image, for example) still does deplete your energy (more specifically your Yin energy).

            If you’re young, however, this probably isn’t a big concern.

          • bro Scott i have a very interesting question sometimes beautiful women are sexually interested in to me but i have no interest in them but i enjoy them watching is there problem with my sexuality. DO I HAVE BALANCE SEXSUAL CHAKRA OR UNDERACTIVE .WHEN I WAS AT HOME I SEE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN ON MOBILE I HAVE SEXUAL ATTRACTION DO I HAVE PROBLEM WITH ROOT CHAKRA

          • I’m not in the position to evaluate this kind of thing for you. What you’re describing seems normal to me. The problem generally arises when something is happening in excess.

            If you’re on the path of internal alchemy, you’ll simply observe how the attention/energy goes out towards the object of attraction (in this case a beautiful woman), and then gently bring your awareness back inside of you.

            It sounds to me like you’re creating unnecessary stress for yourself with concepts like “balancing your chakras” and “problems with your root chakra.” These concepts are more likely to produce neurosis (anxiety) that will not serve you.

          • “If you’re on the path of internal alchemy, you’ll simply observe how the attention/energy goes out towards the object of attraction (in this case a beautiful woman), and then gently bring your awareness back inside of you that u said to me)”

            IF I DO NOT ejaculate do looking beautiful women and having sexual thoughts are losing energy I am very depressed by your opinion. Does having sexual thoughts are bad. u block my sexual energy bro I am very upset and I am in depression right now. I want to know how we can control sexual thoughts. do u mean we should not think sexual thoughts or according to u sexual thoughts are bad

          • First, as I stated above, Ali, holding thoughts and ideas as “good” or “bad” isn’t supportive. You’ll become anxious (depressed). No one is saying “sexual thoughts are bad.” So you’ll want to address how you’re holding this type of information.

            Second, there’s nothing wrong with feeling depressed. Many people try to avoid feelings of depression, which only makes them stronger. When you learn many aspects of truth and reality, it can be depressing at times. This is quite normal. There’s nothing wrong with this.

            Third, you can’t control your thoughts. Trying to control your sexual thoughts will only make them stronger. Instead, you simply watch/witness/observe them. Notice when and how they arise. Sometimes you can avoid them (but not subjecting your eyes to sexual images, for example). Other times, they can’t be avoided. If you can observe them clearly as they arise, they won’t hold so much power over you.

            In many ancient traditions, they describe specific methods for turning your awareness around within you so that you don’t allow outside desires to enter your mind. In the Taoist tradition, for example, likens the mind to a house and the eyes as the doorway to the house. Lower your gaze and direct your awareness inward and less “thieves” (desires) will enter your house (mind).

          • I don’t delete comments unless there’s something offensive or promotional.

            You asked a series of questions, Ali. And I took the time and attention to provide responses. If I delete your comments, my responses will not make sense. So to respect my time and energy, the comments remain.

          • Wow… Leakage thru eyes… Didn’t know this… And would agree to it…

            As with the agenda to depopulate the world… 1st is to target men… Thru porn, sexualise/violence TV media content targeting the young to mid age boys. Playing online games also drains a lot of energy of youths. What’s a good learning method for youngsters to cultivate and divert from online games?

            What’s the best method to cultivate this energy? Just learn Kidney health is key and sacral chakras as key to discipline (lacking now). Love your text…

            BTW ringing in ears signal awakening signs…

          • Cultivating your energy involves learning how to stabilize your mind and then “turning the light around” inside of you so that it doesn’t leak. There are ways to prepare the body for this cultivation as well.

            Also, ringing in the ears does not necessarily signal an awakening of any kind.

          • Hi,
            Thank you for this great content! I think your comment is a simplification of the article and can help people (like myself) determine what they want to achieve (that’s another thing, to know what to want) with this energy.
            Thank you again.
            Regards,

  • Very informative article!! Thank you, looking forward to learning from you. So glad I found your website! ? I signed up for your coursework, but haven’t started yet.

  • Great article. A lot of the info on sexual transmutation out there say orgasm is the key to manifesting desires. Is this misguided?

    • It’s helpful to look at the cultural context to understand why such an idea would arise.

      Since the 1970s, each generation has been increasingly over-sexualized via the media. Yet, at the same time, overall, we’re still sexually repressed mainly because of the old religious programming that told us sex is a sin, masturbation is a sin, etc. These sentiments not only make the desire for sex and masturbation stronger (for what you restrict grows stronger), but it also makes us feel ashamed and guilty for our sexual desires.

      And so given this context, if you’re highly repressed and then have an orgasm, you can potentially release a lot of stored/blocked energy that can then be channeled into other areas of life. But this will not occur continuously after the sexual energy is unblocked.

      So yes, I believe, this sentiment is misguided.

      Thank you for the question, Tova.

  • Scott, thank you for the info. As a person who is very sexual, I can now see why I feel the way I do after ejaculating. I’ve felt that my addiction to sex has played a bigger role than it has been, and now I see the reason. Great work!

  • Grateful for this article and information. It certainly helps me understand my partner and his long term addiction he’s had with Porn. Not only has it heavily affected our relationship, but also our sex life; and despite always having this hunch that it was draining him- he refused to see it and continued on the path of porn. I believe him when he says he has refrained from porn for a month or two now- and is genuinely interested in continuing to uncover and define his own path of sexual fulfillment, but with his now present interests to entertaining opening up our relationship to others- I can’t help but wonder if this is (partially) a replacement for his addiction? I know there is more to it for him, in terms of him feeling truly free and whatnot, yet I don’t see how after him acknowledging he had a porn addiction, to recently deciding himself to cut it off, to then a more peaked interest in being with other people, yet at the same time seeking sexual transmutation…. well it’s all so confusing and contradictory to me, and these things are incongruent in my eyes. Have you any thoughts?

    • Incongruent, indeed. But also quite common.

      It seems your partner’s Trickster has got the better of him (and you, it seems). See: https://scottjeffrey.com/magician-archetype/

      Every form of media we consume is like a program we download into our operating system. Once it’s there, it’s there.

      Imagine all of the images your partner “downloaded” into his operating system through years of porn consumption.

      Now, for the parts that’s watching porn, that part is experiencing what’s happening on the screen (as if it was happening to it).

      But what happens when your partner stops “feeding” that part with the images and sensations it’s used to experiencing? It still desires these experiences; in fact, it demands them. And so it seeks other avenues of similar experiences (e.g., “opening up to others sexually”). For this part, one partner will never be enough.

      The challenge is that there’s no satiation for this part that’s addicted. Psychologically, this shadow archetype is actually called the Addicted Lover. It will always seek more and more.

        • From a moral perspective, I don’t really see the need to argue for or against something like polyamory. If you’re not hurting anyone and everyone is on board, then it seems benign. It more has to do with one’s values and their life path.

          Now, from an energetic perspective, I can provide a case against it. Each person you have intercourse with enters your energetic field. (I believe there’s research now that shows that the DNA of one individual enters the other person’s body.) It’s difficult enough to harmonize the energies from one individual. Good luck doing so with two.

          Also, from the context of the topic of this guide, having multiple partners would probably be counterproductive.

  • Scott!!!
    This is Brilliant!
    Read, re-read and heard about Hill’s sexual transmutation but never quite got it.

    Your explanation is outstanding!!

    It has also been very true for me. There are times I “drain” my energy and feel tired, wake from sleep later and am less connected to myself and others.

    When I go celebate, I definitely enter, higher, more poweful, more connected and more alive states in my day.

    So Appreciative of Your Work,
    Paul

    • Thank you, Paul. Great to hear you liked my explanation.

      Yes, the longer you go without “leaking” the energy, the more active, alert, and powerful state you’ll likely to experience.

      The key is the context: If you do it from shame and guilt, it creates resentment and eventually leads to a backlash. If you abstain from something within you that pulls you in that direction, the experience is more beneficial and sustaining.

      Thanks for your comments!

    • I’ve just read that chapter in Hill’s book. Long, wordy, don’t get it. Just read this article which is also long and wordy. What’s the short version on HOW to convert / transmute sexual energy. I’ve not ejaculated meaningfully for about a week now, I ache, am frustrated and somehow I’m meant to magically be able to convert this into Genius and get all the great ideas and answers???

      • Mags, wordiness isn’t your problem.

        Your impatience and lack of attention is your enemy.

        You’re asking for a shorter version of how to transmute life force energy and you expect to see results in a week.

        In all honesty, I don’t think this topic is for you right now. There are all sorts of preparatory work involved here and none of it happens overnight.

        • Hi Scott,

          Just came across your work. Glad I did. I see you’re replying to comments several years after publication, so I hope you’re still reading them.

          What preparatory work is needed for transmutation, aside from meditation practices and adjusting one’s moral compass?

          Thanks,
          Wes

  • This was THE elaborate article about sexual energy but it would have been more helpful if it included a topic about how to channelize the thought from the super urge to masturbate.

    • Arvind, channeling your thoughts away from the urge isn’t likely to be effective over time. Instead, you would want to build self-awareness to understand the source of the urge to masturbate.

      If you’re subjecting yourself to many sexual images online (or in person), that’s one reason. But even here, if you look into the matter more deeply, you may see that it’s the energy in these women that are teasing and seducing you, which leads to the second source of the urge below…

      An even more common (but unrecognized) reason for the urge is from repressed rage. Most sexual activity, in fact, is an expression of this rage. (Pornography itself is built mainly on repressed rage toward the feminine — specifically, the mother, in Jungian terms.)

      • Great read scott, genuinely edifying, but I feel you as well are teasing, being terse with information, cutting your comments short right when they become deeply interesting and i feel closer to a breakthrough. Surely there’s more that you could be, or (i feel) even meant to be saying after that last paragraph about repressed rage toward the feminine/mother….and not just this comment, a few, feel like you may be holding further information or insights back. Have you nothing more to say about this ‘repressed rage’, and why it exists?

        • Hi Roh, I think your expectations for how much context and information I (or anyone else) can or should provide in a comment section is a bit unreasonable.

          I address repressed emotions more deeply here: https://scottjeffrey.com/repressed-emotions/

          And I reference Dr. John Sarno’s work who goes into detail of the various reasons for this rage. Examples include mistreatment in childhood, parents, siblings, school, teachers, other kids — the list is very long.

          This rage exists because we live in a world where mistreatment is “so normal” that we don’t even fully know when we’re being mistreated–or when we’re mistreating others.

          Plus, we’re consumed by various archetypal patterns that live on negative emotions like rage.
          https://scottjeffrey.com/archetypes-psychology/

      • Hi, and thank you again for all this information.

        I read through your replys and there’s a lot of things that I find out, it’s like a book that gives me different answers.

        This last comment of yours was really ’strange’ to read. One night I had a bad dream (almost nightmare) with my mother but without any sexually connotation. It just woke me up and it was very difficult to get back to sleep. In the morning I was in a bad mood and angry, so I drank a little wine, smoked a cigarette and don’t know why but I had ‘the urge’ as you said, to masturbate. So I did it. I had to drink a coffee afterwards to get a little back to normal (so it looks I’m in a vicious circle).

        So that information about the repressed rage towards my mother made a lot of sense and brought some light into my life, because we’re not in good spirits. Do you have any advice for me on this topic, how to have good relationships with your family? Anyhow, I’ll read more on your articles because definitely I’ll find something useful.
        Thanks again for this great content.

        Regards,

        • I’m not one to give “family advice.” Too much individual context would be needed to have a grounded perspective of what’s going on (in many cases).

          But I will say I don’t have reason to believe that having a good relationship with your family is a necessary prerequisite to feeling okay within yourself. Otherwise, you need external conditions to be met, which is never an empowering position to be in.

          Inner work is about coming to wholeness within yourself. Through reflection and other processes I outline on this website, you can come to better understand the dynamics from your childhood. This understanding doesn’t necessarily change the current situation with your family but it does help you change your orientation towards yourself and others.

          For example, right now, you may not fully understand the source of your rage. So even if you tried to mend your relationship with your mother, the core issues will not find any resolution. As you develop greater consciousness, you may begin to see what happened more clearly, which will enable you to work with the repressed negative energies within yourself (a form of alchemy). Then, you can arrive at greater neutrality (not because you are “detached” but because you are “okay.”). Then, you will be able to interact with your family in a different way — if you choose to.

          • Thank you for the response Scott,
            I’ll do my best to try figuring out what I need to do, to improve my current state of being.
            Regards,

  • Thank you very much for writing this article- it is splendidly written and has provided me many useful information about sexual transmutation. Also, may I please ask you a question?

    Do you think a normal healthy teenager(about 18 years old) should ejaculate once every 1~3 day (according to the content in the article) for optimal health, or would it simply fine to not ejaculate at all and just simply transmute my sexual energy?

    Once again, thank you very much.

    • Hi Peter. Thank you for the kind words.

      To your question, no, I definitely don’t think an 18 “should” ejaculate that often. Those general guidelines are merely suggesting that the younger you are, the less you will deplete/damage your jing through ejaculation.

      Moderation is always the key. If a teenager doesn’t have a strong impulse to ejaculate, he should not ejaculate. The main thing is just not to try to force anything through rigid restriction because this creates other problems.

      So if the impulse isn’t there, engaging in internal practices can help you cultivate greater energy and longevity as well an enable you to develop higher consciousness/awareness.

      In an ideal world, I believe that’s what all young men would do.

      • Yeah, I was referring the 18 above to myself in my previous response. It would great if you can please answer another of my question.

        One of the thing that really bothers me recently is my ridiculously strong impulse to ejaculate. Can you please give me some advice to stop/limit these impulses? Thank you

        Here is an brief introduction to me:
        – I did not ejaculate for about 100 days (also watched absolutely 0 porn, and my days of not ejaculating could be even more than 100.)
        – I’m always truly happy and a positive human being.
        – I’m in a middle of a boiling hot summer right now.

        Recently, I have many very, very strong urge to ejaculate. Firstly, I went to take a crap alot more often (up to 10 times), with the urge to ejaculate always accompanying me(sometimes the urges comes out in the mornings and sometimes in the afternoons). The worrying part of this is that often sperms leak out after I have finish taking all my craps, which made my urge to ejaculate even stronger. I tried to resolve this problem by doing intense exercises but yet, it was only successful for that day. The urge generally comes back in next day morning (so basically I start taking crap again and the situation above repeats). This urge is really, really distracting in my life. I simply cannot calm down. I simply cannot focus. I simply cannot do anything- I simply feel like an base animal that can’t control himself. I feel really lost for the first time in a long time of my life. I used very limited internet everyday and when I use it, it was always for productive purposes. I also do not think/imagine of anything sexually. I also rarely have negative emotions and I am always a happy person. Can you please offer me some advice that can help with my current situation?

        Thank you very much, any words won’t do me any justice in expressing my gratitude towards you.

        • The situations you’re describing may be related to a specific energetic blockage and it’s really not something I can diagnose or advice on over the internet. A skilled acupuncturist may be able to help you.

          But here’s what I can add: I’ve never met a “truly happy and positive human being.” Seriously.

          Sure, you can feel that way at times, but we don’t live in a 3D reality that would facilitate this as a continual state of being.

          Everyone has a reservoir of deeply-rooted repressed rage. The more conscious you become of it within yourself, but more you can observe it in others.
          https://scottjeffrey.com/repressed-emotions/

          Also, the first 18 years of our lives are when we are forming our shadow. That is to say, if you’re 18, you can’t really know yourself yet.
          https://scottjeffrey.com/shadow-work/

          I mention both of these things is because, in my observation and experience, in most young men (well, older men too), the root of the urge to ejaculate is almost always rage. And so if you’re identifying yourself as a “happy person” you’re likely almost 100% unconscious to these darker, negative emotions. But that doesn’t mean they’re not there …

          Also, when you poop, you are releasing or letting go, so this can move the energy downward and make the impulse stronger.

  • hey, very nice guide. i’m looking for a way to deal with unreleased sexual energy after having a non-ejaculatory sex. i’ve read mantak chia’s book but all those methods seem too extreme and advanced for my level. have you got any suggestion how to deal with it some other, more natural way?

    • Yes, I highly recommend avoiding Mantak Chia’s instructions.

      There is a safer process for men called “stilling the Jing” where you gently contract the base of the penis and then the perineum. And then you allow your awareness to sink down into the lower dantien. For detailed instructions, see Damo Mitchell’s “A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong.”

      • thanks for your reply, i hope i’ll get my hands on that book soon enough.

        the energy that’s troubling me is located somewhere in my lower back. somewhere beneath the kidneys. i’ve tried leading it upwards but i’m really unexperienced in the energy work so i feel it doesn’t work.. i’m guessing it’s the sexual energy, could i be wrong?

          • it’s only happening right after sex. and it takes a good half an hour to an hour to settle. i don’t experience it otherwise.. i’d say it’s located in the upper lower back, staying there…

            i’ll start the zhan zhuang today.

            thanks for your responses, if you got any more tips, i’m all ears

  • Amazing article, I take it your familiar with the no fap movement? I have to ask based off my extensive studies on this topic, is no fap or sexual retention a safe method for someone who was diagnosed with full fledged Chronic Fatigue syndrome at 17? I am now 21, and have been thankful beyond measure to have my energy restored enough to function, so I am very weary about this movement considering the intense will power that it takes to abstain from sexual stimuli. For me personally I have always found it imperative to at least masturbate every 2-3 days to keep my testosterone relatively high to function throughout the day. Also, I find that as a 4.0 student I am somehow more focused on school work when I keep to this schedule for Mo. If I abstain for longer than a week I began to have the energy equivalent to a Siberian husky puppy (too much for my own good.) I literally want to run outside like an animal, rather than sit and concentrate on my school work. Ps Yes I do meditate and have been for about 2-3 years off and on, and now every day, but even my meditation sessions become erratic after 7+ days of no sexual release. Thanks a ton, it would mean a lot if you answered.

    • Hi JS. First, from your comments, you seem to be mixing up sexual stimuli and masturbation. You say you “need” to masturbate every 2-3 days. But do you need sexual stimuli (i.e. porn) to do it? They are two different issues, albeit inter-related. Although nofap is about avoiding pornography and masturbation, if you eliminate porn entirely, how much desire to masturbate would really remain?

      Second, excessive ejaculation is more likely to lead to chronic fatigue — not the other way around. But what’s “excessive” a young man is dependent on numerous factors.

      Third, with the conditions you describe, including your age, meditation (without being held within the right context) might actually be exacerbating the problem (i.e. creating more rage). You might consider more body-oriented practices that channel your emotions in constructive ways. With a 4.0, you’re liking highly engaged with your mind, which often comes at the expense of the body. Learning how to bring your mind into your body may be a useful path for you.

      But ultimately, we each have to navigate these issues on our own and experiment to find what works …

  • Thank you for replying. You are correct, I went back and reviewed what I had said, and I wrote the sexual stimuli sentence incorrectly. What I meant to say was the “intense will power to abstain from MO” not pornographic material. In fact I have already taken major steps to rid of all pornographic material, and I am continuing to see great results concerning “reduced urges” to Mo.

    Second, I am little confused as to what you mean by “without being held in the right context” are you saying the the abstention from Mo(Masturbation) leads to increased rage, which will exacerbate my case? Following this, which body oriented practices do you suggest outside of yoga? I have incorporated yoga in my schedule. I also eat relatively healthy, and get plenty of exercise.

    I think in the midst of my questions, I am trying to really discern whether pushing my self for more than a couple of weeks is healthy for my brain. I am currently studying for my psychology degree, and It sounds like you and I could speak for hours about this stuff, but the main idea is this. I have been fascinated by the power of the brain. I lived with two roommates/best friends who were both intellectually gifted beyond measure. One who was taking differential calculus back in early years of High school, another who received perfect scores on act, sat, and took the asvab for the military and scored higher than anyone in the recruitment building missing just one question out of the entire test.

    As a naturally curious scholar myself, I observed both of their behaviors, which were polar opposites. My mathematically gifted friend Mo’d multiple times daily, (and yeah we are good friends and have talked about nofap before.) My other friend( same out of conversation) revealed that he did not masturbate what so ever. Between both their borderline genius minds, they have trained me to a certain extent in mathematics and overall academics. This is where I become conflicted as to which path is closer to the truth.

    I am a highly critical thinker who strives for certain universal truths. For instance, Einstein turned out to be extremely sexually driven, where as figures like Isaac Newton died a virgin.Then you have philosophers such as Pythagoras who abstained from sexual indulgences. See where I am coming from? I am really trying to crack the code on whether abstaining from sexual indulgence is the key to unlocking your inner genius based of empirical experience. Sorry this is long, but I have feeling a well read guy like yourself is fascinated by these hidden truths as well. I don’t have many friends who dabble in these practices these days(both previous friends off to different colleges), and I am certain you have read far more than I have. I highly admire intellectuals(like yourself) and their advice, so whats your take?

    • Without knowing your friends, I would suggest that one of them is likely sexually repressed (sexually) while the other is on the other end of the spectrum. (Of course, this isn’t necessarily so.)

      I’m not exactly sure what you’re looking for me to respond to from your comments. The issue seems to be that it’s important to clarify your vision and goals.

      Internal alchemy is about transmuting the energy within the body into higher consciousness. Scholarship and cognitive intelligence is a different line of development. So it depends on what you value and what’s most important to you.

      For example, I was more interested in cognitive development in my 20s and part of my 30s, but then my focus shifted to developing consciousness. But that’s a personal journey.

      In terms of the sexuality of so-called geniuses, as you can see there’s quite a range. So I’m not certain how sex and intelligence correlate — or if it does at all.

      In terms of practice, yoga is hit or miss. I prefer qigong because most yoga, as taught in the States, is predominantly stretching. In qigong, you learn how to feel and move the energy within your body.

      If you’re interested you can start here: https://scottjeffrey.com/zhan-zhuang/

  • Amazing food for thought. I’ll definitely be applying this information to my everyday life, the path of journey and purpose only gets clearer. Bless your heart & soul.

  • I appreciate all the feed back, and sorry its taken this long to reply, I have been very busy. Anyways I believe your correct when it comes to the two different styles of development for both mindsets, and after some more thinking I think that’s what the problem has been all along. Any higher consciousness of mine tells me to let go of any desire to be a genius or intelligent for that matter, in fact a lot of Buddhist text would suggest that its all an illusion to began with. I think I am just going to try and eliminate masturbating and pornography in its entirety, and see where the wind takes me from there. I see that you authored multiple books, and I am big reader. Are there any you personally recommend for more insight on consciousness? thanks!

    • If you’re asking about the books I’ve authored, the only one I might recommend is Creativity Revealed. In that book, however, I cite research from Dr. David R. Hawkins, which ended up not being valid. (This book was published over a decade ago.) But outside of that, I think the book offers some useful insights into consciousness.

      That said, you may be better off going to the source. See Nisargadatta Maharaj’s books like “I Am That” or “The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi.” These two Indian sages give perhaps the most lucid descriptions of nonduality.

      • Could you briefly site what about David R. Hawkins’ research isn’t valid? I’ve read some and would like to know where to look again. Thanks!

        • None of David R. Hawkins’ research is valid as he wasn’t conducting any actual “research.” His method of “testing” for universal truth is NOT valid in any way.

          See “Power vs. Truth” (on Kindle) for a complete breakdown.

          (This doesn’t mean that he didn’t have some useful spiritual teachings. He just didn’t provide any “empirical research” into the nature of consciousness — despite the claims he made in his books.)

  • Diego: Your explanation seems totally valid. The only thing I do not agree is that in tantric sexual relations you lose the seminal energy which is false (the fact that you lose the pre-ejaculatory fluid, you are not losing your jing in absolut). A man can last his whole life having sex with a woman without ever ejaculating, it is difficult to achieve but not impossible. Adolph Hitler achieved his power by this method, unfortunately he applied bad paradigms and became a very bad being. By the way, he died an old man in Asunción (Paraguay) at the beginning of the 70s. The Russian monk Rasputin is a similar case, although he was very womanizing.

    • Hi Diego. First, “seminal energy” isn’t the same thing as jing. Seminal fluid is a component of jing in later stages.

      Second, obviously, it would be advisable to take all such stories as hearsay — unless you’ve accomplished this feat yourself.

      The main thing to understand is that men lose jing primarily through ejaculation AND orgasm. So if you were able to have intercourse without either of these things, and then settle your jing after intercourse, I don’t think you wouldn’t lose energy during sex.

  • Very interesting article, and have already started applying some principles. I’ve struggled with controlling my sexual energy (as a woman) for several years. I suffered from an extremely high libido and found myself very emotional and often aggressive. I kept chaste until I got married a couple of years ago only to find my husband had a very low libido/ interest in sex. Also the media programs our minds into thinking all men love to have sex and that they are very open to it which can really hurt people’s expectations. This has been a horrible and frustrating experience but instead of seeing my libido and situation as a curse perhaps it is a blessing, I’ve started using techniques to channel my sexual energy into creative energy and can already see the results on my fitness, body and creative expression. In my culture, we aren’t allowed to divorce very easily so perhaps this is the only way forward for a unique woman like myself.

    • Hi Amna. What you’re describing is actually more common than you think. It has been estimated that around 20% of married couples are in sexless relationships. (Search it for sources.)

      So, you’re not alone. There are many different psychological and physical reasons to have both a high sex drive as well as a low sex drive.

      When you consider the idea that we’re only supposed to have sex for procreation, then these “issues” become somewhat irrelevant (from that perspective).

      And yes, that sexual energy can be channeled into creative energy (as well as the development of higher consciousness), so it sounds like you’re making progress in this arena.

      • What’s the reason havin’ a high or low libido, is it a issue and if it’s then how to resolve?
        By Anna’s case that we lives in a society where we can’t talk about those topics in a family and always in a situation like that, may you please explain her more that she can’t move forward in a divorce by this reason, It’s not acceptable where we lives, specially for a woman(

        • Asher, I don’t think there’s a single answer to your question about libido. There are likely numerous factors that can be physical, emotional, or mental. I don’t understand what you’re asking in your second paragraph about Amna.

  • The system requires that when you are fully charged, you can now switch your thoughts from sexual to practical things that you want to achieve.

  • You seem to be responding to every comment which is really cool. I’m looking to get into qi-gong to learn how to transmute this highly sexual energy into creativity. Would you recommend playing a musical instrument too?

    • Hi Jack. Playing an instrument is an awesome form of self-expression. To me, what a person does with their creative energy is a personal choice. That’s more of a function of listening to your Inner Guide on how it wants to express itself.

  • Thanks for your very detailed article very helpful indeed.
    My question is clear and straightforward but I want you to get a brief history on the questionnaire before you attempt to give me an answer.

    (Personal History)
    I am a 24 year old male I practice sexual suppression as opposed to Transmutation.I go mostly no longer than one month without ejaculating through the practice of masturbation (without porn).
    I read in the article that releasing of energy once every 3 days is recommended for my age range due to the high levels of energy production. I aim for the discipline of once every 3 months (as a start) in order so as not to put any form to waste.

    (MY ISSUE)
    My goals are Blocked by my subconscious inability to practice what my conscious mind need done.

    (MY QUESTIONS)
    How can I program my subconscious mind or in easier terms how can I program my memory in order to bend it to my conscious will?

    Do you know of any helpful methods?

    Are there memory programming tools that you are aware of?

    In what way Can energy be manipulated with no conscious effort?

    Are there devices from this era or An ancient era used to merge the subconscious with the conscious mind to work in harmony?

    Reading from the great article you have produced I would like to hear your response..

    • First, the article doesn’t recommend releasing sexual energy once every 3 days. It says that there are guidelines within one tradition that says this schedule is “okay” (in the sense that it likely won’t harm a person at that age). But I also don’t think this guideline supports energy cultivation.

      Second, practicing “sexual suppression” as you called it is NOT advisable. You will create more and more tension within your unconscious. Using your willpower in this way will cause you to lapse into other addictive and compulsive tendencies (which is what it seems you’re already experiencing).

      Trying to use brute force to overcome your unconscious/subconscious desires will always fail in the end. Until you learn how to practice moderation, this tension will likely persist.

      Most of the “subconscious mind programming” methods I’m aware of involve using NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). They can be useful in the short-term, but I don’t believe they are helpful in the context of sexual energy transmutation.

      You don’t need any tools or devices to integrate your body and mind. It just takes practice and method. Qigong and yoga are the main two avenues I’m aware of for this body-mind integration. There are no shortcuts in this process. You are developing a new line of intelligence and this simply takes time.

    • Anonymous- Practice, practice, practice is what is needed to reprogram the subconscious mind. By practicing Taoist alchemy, you will learn to manipulate energy with only a little effort. But it takes time and patience

  • First of all, great post! I’ve been searching about it but I think I can’t understand completely about this subject.

    I mean, If I want to transmute the energy, I gotta be horny and focus on specific goals everyday?

    Sorry for being too indelicate, but I just want to understand it better. Napoleon Hill says that “we gotta have this feeling inside of us and focus on what we want until it is taken by the subconscious.” (?)

    Another question: what about wet dreams? Since it is recommended to avoid masturbation, what would be the best way to handle it?

    Thank you very much for your time.

    • Hi Tiago. I believe you reread the article, you’ll find it addresses most of your questions.

      In regard to wet dreams, there can be a number of factors. In Chinese medicine, wet dreams can be a sign of some kind of energetic imbalance. I imagine it can also be a function of repressing too sexual desire (which would also be linked to an imbalance). This is one of the reasons why total abstinence isn’t advisable (unless you follow certain protocols around puberty, which virtually none of us knows how to do).

      So moderation is key.

  • This is amazing, i didn’t believe that sexual desire deplete our energy (I wish I could know that few years ago), I didn’t simply believe that we have “energy” in our body , man I’m speechless. This is one of the most interesting and helpful article i’ve ever read !

  • Hi Scott, thanks for all this information. I think those are very valuable information. I have a question for you. For two year I had no sperm at all. That mean that even if I ejaculate I had nothing. Now I’m back to normal and in bonus I can feel a energy field around my body. Is this the qi ? Have you even read a book from Wilhelm Reich?

    • I’ve heard similar reports from others. Apparently, you can deplete your sperm through excessive ejaculation to the point of almost empty.

      In terms of what you’re feeling around your body, it’s difficult to say. Generally, you can experience the flow of qi within your body and, with the right method, can expand the qi sensation outward.

      You may be experiencing your subtle energy body which extends beyond your physical body.

      Yes, I’ve read some of Wilhelm Reich’s work.

  • I have read napollian hills books he is a great writer but. ….the explanation was very brief there…and in your blog it was clear and to the point.i really liked it…wants to read more from you sir

  • Awesome article Scott. I originally read Hill’s work and pondered the meaning deeply which led to all sorts of investigations and experiments in my life. I like how you’ve tied his statements to ancient truths exposed by the Taoists.

    My investigations brought me to the Indian traditions of Yoga. I had previously read books like Mantak Chia Multi Orgasmic, but In my opinion he distorts the Taoist principles in a way that is appealing to the New Age enthusiasts in our Hyper Sexualized culture.

    Nowadays, I refer to this resource (disclaimer: I’m not a monastic)

    https://ocoy.org/monastic-life/practice-of-brahmacharya/

    It was written originally by Swami Sivananda, a self-realized master of Modern Indian who in his earlier life was a career medical doctor.

    I initially thought that Sivananda’s methods were too stringent and excessive, but the procreative impulse is a force to be reckoned with, and now I see that his advice comes from a place of great wisdom and compassion for humanity.

    As you have investigated in your article, sex transmutation is a sure way to improve your health and material prosperity, and I also agree that it’s eventual purpose is to reunite us with our highest spiritual goal.

    Thanks for this investigation and I hope you enjoy the information from Swami Sivananda!

  • Thank you scott for this woulderful helpfull article,my question is how can one abstain from masturbation

    • De, generally, the addiction is more to porn than to masturbation. But if the issue is just masturbation, you might consider taking up some form of activity that channels your aggression and sexual energy in a constructive way: running, external martial arts, boxing. Also, become very conscious of the images you’re exposed to. Just seeing an ad with an attractive girl can be enough to trigger the desire.

  • Thank you for the great work!
    Do you mind if I translate your article to Chinese so that more people can be helped? I’ll give you all the credits and link it back to this site.

  • Hi Scott,

    Very interesting article! I have a few questions — so essentially to transmute sexual energy one can do qigong and yoga and then use the increase in willpower to set and achieve goals?

    Also, what is the meaning of being addicted to music?

    Also, do you have reasons to believe that consumption of addictive substances (nicotine, alcohol) attracts non-physical entities? Or would you say that non-physical entities do not exist in their own right, just are elements of our own psyche like archetypes? For me substance use has sometimes coincided with seeing entities in the hypnogogic state, so I am wondering.

    I hope that my questions make sense I guess what I am interested to find is (1) If simply doing yoga and qigong will transform the energy if I abstain from anything sexual or is there extra work involved beyond that. (2) If excessive enjoyment of something external like music can be considered as energy leakage that could be used for work. (3) If addiction could be a sign of an entity taking over your will in order to enjoy the benefits of the high the substance provides or is this just a part of your own psyche. Thank you!

    • Hi Sveta,

      I’m not certain that yoga can be used to transmute internal energy. This function is the focus of qigong and neigong practices, specifically. What you decide to do with this additional energy is a personal choice. With additional mental energy, you will naturally have more willpower.

      Neurobiologically, music is considered a drug, and it’s one of our highest forms of pleasure. From a perspective of the psyche, music activates archetypes, which can provide us with moments of elevation and ecstasy, hence the addiction.

      Yes, I have reason to believe that drugs and alcohols can attract non-physical entities. (I believe that’s why hard alcohol is called spirits.)

      Whether or not you classify them as part of the psyche depends on if you define the psyche as personal or collective. Perhaps all entities are within the collective psyche or collective unconscious, or the ether itself. But not all of these entities would necessarily originate within the individual’s psyche.

      1) Only if you use the correct methods and in the correct way and over a sufficient amount of time. See Damo Mitchell’s book listed above.

      2) In the context of the circulation of energy, listening to music would be a form of leakage. It’s attention being directed outward instead of inward.

      3) In my observations, both of these scenarios can and do occur.

      • Hey Scott, if listenning to music is a form of leakage, does that mean listenning to music is bad or does harm to us?
        Thanks .

        • Hey Liam,

          It’s difficult to say in any absolute manner. Most people listen to music because they want to change their internal state or feel a specific emotion. If you’re already feeling angry, sad, or fearful, for example, you’re already leaking or stagnating energy.

          So listening to music in this context, might be helpful. If you’re feeling great and rooted within yourself, you likely wouldn’t have the impulse to elevate yourself with music.

          That said, if you research “432 Hz vs 440 Hz,” you’ll find that for a different reason most modern music is likely harmful and should be avoided.

      • Hi Scott,

        Thank you for your reply, that clarifies things a lot!

        I also wanted to ask you, do you think it is possible to lose one’s soul, whatever that means? As in, if someone gets lost to addiction or depression, is it possible for that person to get possessed? Is losing one’s soul essentially a metaphor of losing one’s willpower? Also, from a spiritual point of view, what do you think happens when people are said to give their soul to Jesus? And why is it the case that the only way that these kinds of possessions are healed are through Christianity? Is there some sort of hierarchy of spiritual entities, such that the Earthly spirits can only be driven away by the Christian God? I hope this does not sound too crazy, it is just I have this intuition that humans cannot lose their souls completely but sometimes they can be driven astray by forces that they can’t even sense or comprehend. And I get the feeling that the Christian God is possibly the only God that has some power over the darker forces here on Earth. Alternatively, you could say that this is all just the collective unconscious, and both powers — God and the so-called early spirits are just tendencies within the mind. What is your take on this?

        • Hi Sveta,

          These questions fall outside the scope of this topic. I would recommend you explore Gnosticism to better understand the roots of Christianity and the nature of possessions.

          Giving a proper response to your questions would require an in-depth article in itself.

          You can watch videos and interviews on Youtube from scholars like Graham Hancock and John Lash.

          You suggest that these possessions are only healed through Christianity. However, from a Gnostic perspective, you might come to see that these possessions are actually caused by Christianity and the unseen forces that govern most traditional religions.

  • Great read. Maybe I’m over complicating the over all message of your article because my issue is I am attracted to feminine women. Not feminist, or feminine in nature but women who physically look feminine. Not to be too blunt or crasp but I’m attracted to women that are on the cusp of fat. If a woman is soft, maturnal looking with baby fat, I’m going to think sex without a doubt. I will act on it if given the opportunity. Age (20-60), ethnicity, height, if she’s married, religious, none of that matters. I am weak for this mold and want to channel this energy to my personal projects /businesses.

    If I don’t see this type of woman, I’ll subconsciously find myself seeking them and even though my gut tells me this must be unhealthy, I don’t want to necessarily change my drive to be with them. My issue (and what lead me to a Google search which lead to this article is I am wasting time with this. Too much time. More than I’m comfortable with. I am constantly distracted by chasing or entertaining this type of women. I’m weak for them in particular. Is this normal. What would you do? Please help/ respond.

    • It would be difficult to address this issue, Mr. Knowland, outside of giving general advice.

      You can try to determine the source of this particular prototype that you’re attracted to, and seek to understand it. (HINT: try to find pictures of your mother when she was that age.)

      You can try to find a woman that matches your desired criteria, and ask her to marry you.

      You can dialogue with the part of you that’s possessed by this particular image. See this guide:
      https://scottjeffrey.com/archetypes-psychology/

  • Hey Scott, what a good article you have written!
    So I have a question, do you believe that the full abstinence from masturbation is better for men in general or that moderation is key(of course, without the use of porn)?

    • Hey John,

      I have to wonder if teenage boys and men weren’t overly stimulated by sexual images (including in person), would there even be the drive to masturbation?

      Moderation might be more realistic once the conditioning is established in youth.

      But what’s the value of masturbation? You’re choosing to reduce your limited life force energy. Basically, masturbation brings a man closer to death (and weakens him in other ways). So not doing it, if possible, seems wise to me.

  • Hey Scott, so I’m interested to know more about sexual energy and how to cultivate it, what authentic sources or books / authors do you suggest to read as you are recommending against Chia.. ?

  • Hi Scott,
    Amazing article! Thank you for writing it. I’d like to ask some advise if that’s ok. Some background is required so apologies for the long post and for the crudeness of it in parts also.
    You mention in the comments (correct me if I’m wrong) that addiction to porn and/or masturbation may be linked to repressed rage, specifically; toward the mother. I believe I was, unintentionally, psychologically abused growing up (I do not blame my mother) leading to a severe addiction to porn and or masturbation. I’m 25 now and have masturbated since before I could physically ejaculate and have not been able to go more than 4 consecutive days without “leaking” since. I believe I have formed a very negative/destructive relationship with sex, masturbation & porn which contaminates my actual relationship.
    You mention also that it is possible for the Trickster to get the better of you. (admittedly I’m new to these concepts and need to do more reading) I believe this may be the case with me also as I am in a wonderful relationship with absolutely no reason to doubt it and even still I feels like it’s not enough i.e. I feel like the “Addicted Lover,” in which you state “one will never be enough.” Am I doomed to feel like this forever? It certainly feels that way.
    I guess my comment is basically reaching out for advise on how to learn more about this and “rectify” or “correct” my path or to understand it in depth so I can take positive action steps.
    I hope I’ve been clear in my post and apologies for it’s length.

  • Really enjoyed this but did find that it was very much from a male perspective. Do you have any recommendations about how sexual transmutation looks like from a female perspective? Thanks!

  • Great content here, explained well. If anyone wants to point me in the right direction for more info on this topic where the article is more inclusive for women, it would be appreciated. Thanks!

    • Oh nevermind- I see my question was already asked by someone else and not answered. I’ll just keep digging thanks!

  • Hey Scott, thanks for taking the time of researching and sharing this information. My question is……as a 38-year-old married man, with 2 kids, with a desire for manifesting and in the process of raising my level of consciousness.

    How do I balance my releases so as to receive the full benefits, especially as my wife is only now becoming sexually satisfied? I know it is recommended once per week or even longer but at the end of the day what should be the approach for married men?

  • Thank you Scott. I recently awakened kundalini using Taoist Alchemy (AKA Kan and Li), a mystical and life altering experience. Yet I still struggle with Sexual transmutation. I move breath energy easy and sexual energy is one of the energies of The Secret Smile which I cultivate and circulate, but I am unable to maintain seminal continence longer than 30 days (most of the time it is less than 7 days). I have a history of sexual indulgence. I am practicing with bandhas- tantric root locks, but I feel they create tension and congestion. Sex energy is a lot denser than breath energy. Any advice?

    • Hi Andrew, my advice would have first been not to “awaken your kundalini.” Most of these methods are harmful and you’re playing with fire because our overall understanding of these mechanisms is highly limited. For example, to my knowledge, there’s no “kundalini awakening” in Taoist energetic practices. And if you’re referring to Mantak Chia’s practices, as I mentioned in the guide, I do not recommend them to anyone.

      Depending on your age, seminal retention may not be a major issue. But it sounds like you haven’t learned how to “still your jing.” See my recommendation above — Damo Mitchell’s “A Comprehensive Guide to Neigong.”

      • Hi Scott,
        I read the respective chapter for stilling the Ying in the book and it can be summarised regarding the practice in sinking awareness to lower Dan Tien while sitting or standing till you experience some kind of warmth after regular practice.

  • Sir, why do you say that even orgasms deplete jing?Everywhere I look up, they only mention ejaculation as the means by which we lose our jing. I am not refuting your statement but could you please elaborate on the basis you base it on.

    • Yes, this is a common misconception. See Damo Mitchell’s “A Comprehensive Guide to Nei Gong” for a more complete treatment on this material.

      I would actually go one step further: my sense is that sexual activity and stimulation of any kind depletes jing in most cases. The more internal sensitivity you develop, the more likely you are to sense this.

      I’ve been told by several “old-timer” neigong adepts that sexual intercourse is not advisable if you’re serious about internal energy cultivation.

  • a great article..which methods should i consider for transmuting the sexual energy to achieve material success?

    • Hi Nithinsai. Unfortunately, I don’t know. The point of the article is that once you cultivate your internal energy, you can do many different things with it. I personally don’t think there’s a particular “method” for achieving material success in general. There are just different strategies based on the context of your situation and objectives.

  • Dear Scott, thank you for this article. I feel you could be the person who could give me an advice in something that I think is a rather weird situation. I am 26 and have been in 7 relationships one after another in last 10 years. Now after I ended the last one I realised that in all of them I felt not being able to trully conect. (Usually I get attached to a man physicaly, but at the same time I could never let myself fully go, so my orgasms were usualy stronger when I would masturbate) Now for the first time in ten years, since I started my sexual life, I chose not to go into another relationship. I have decided this not because of any feeling that sex drains me, but firstly because of other psychologilcal patterns i’ve noticed in my relationships. I was adicted to being in a relationship and affraid of being on my own. Now I’m facing my fears and I’m detemined not to get into any romantic situation at least for a few years until I am more centered in myself. But now since I’m on my own, I’m facing very strong sexual energy I never felt before. It is also unusual, because it is less physical – it is a bit deeper and upper in the belly and almost unrelated to my sexual parts. It is somehow related to breathing, sometimes I feel I could reach an orgasm just by breathing. It takes over my body and mind very strongly and I can’t operate at all before I reach an orgasm (which is
    so deep and mind blowing actually). This apearance of desire is also rarely related to any sexual imagery. It comes more when I have to concentrate on my work which is basically intelectual and sometimes rather stressful. I wish I could chanel this energy somehow, but even if I do meditation, I become excited just by breathing. Please tell me, if you know of any simmilar cases and what does it all that mean. I would be so grateful for your answer!

    • Hi Viktorija,

      I have heard of a similar report. I can’t say specifically what would be the cause, but it likely has to do with sexual energy (jing) being stuck in a specific area that’s causing heightened stimulation.

      The common view is that you should try to move the energy up along the spine.

      But most of the Taoist energetic practices first instruct us to sink the energy down.

      So you may try doing a standing practice like Zhan Zhuang and see if that helps:

      https://scottjeffrey.com/zhan-zhuang/

      And if you find that too stimulating too, try going for a run first, dancing, or doing some other form of physical movement. Then, return to the standing practice.

  • Whereas women gain energy from sex and having orgasms (g-spot and cervical only) right.. and it is very healthy for women to be able to harness her sexuality and this can actually lead to more money, more creativity, more peace, satisfaction in life and so forth. So it’s the absolute opposite for women. So then, who are women meant to be having sex with if all men started to transmute their sexual energy and neglect their female lovers? haha.

    • I’ve reflected on this too, Sofie. First, women can also lose energy from sex too, but they mainly lose energy from their menstrual cycles (according to Taoist energetics).

      But this issue was actually raised in the introduction of one of Mantak Chia’s books. (I believe it was “Taoist Secrets of Love.”) He suggests that the war between men and women comes down to the uneven energy exchange in sex. And that men subconsciously know that women “win” in sex, which is part of the reason they seek to dominate women, in general. It’s an interesting perspective.

      • I hear that before that women lose life energy through menstruation for that there was tantric exercises to control menstruation, have you any search or link about that too? Thanks a lot again

  • Hi Scott, thanks for the article and all the comments. For 2 years now I am observing what gives and takes my energy (observing and talking to others as well), and I found out that all people I know, sex and masturbation takes energy away, and this is how I came to your article, as I was not sure. On my list of things what gives me A lot of energy, is love making (so far I met only two women in life I had this sensation). Regular sex for me is neutral in energy, and masturbation definitely depletes energy, same as unhealthy/ processed foods, etc.

    My question: is it possible for a man, to gain energy or be neutral from Love making and sex?

    I became successful in my work and life when I met the first and then second person I was able to achieve love making

    I could compare low energy sex to eating processed food, where you have to consume big amounts and are looking for that satisfaction that never comes until you are at the bottom of the plate.

    But love making is like simple fine dining where a small bite already gives you satisfaction and you can stop there, don’t need more to feel charged by it.

    Do you have any material to read, about love making instead of sex, giving you energy instead of depleting it?

  • I am thankful I have stumbled upon your post. I have been frustrated lately due to blocks I have which, in turn, led me to attempt to work at unblocking them. Of course, this led to further frustration because this isn’t how it works. I am single and have strong sexual urges which lead me to self-pleasure for a release several times a week. But this makes sense to me. I have been self-pleasuring to climax to release that energy in my root. The energy never has the chance to rise beyond the root because I am releasing that energy during masturbation and ejaculation. Abstinence, to me, just makes sense. Keeping the energy in through abstaining is allowing the energy to move to other areas where I am experiencing the blocks. Thank you for giving me the revelation of this. It is a gift!

  • Deffinately eye opening , looking more in depth and certainly expanding more on this journey. That’s what life’s about . Knowledge of self oneness

  • Good advise. I read the tao of love & sex years ago. It spoke of the practice of sex without orgasim for men &!how this act of control was good for strength & longevity. Your system takes it further towards abstenance. It’s all interesting & well worth looking into.
    Thanks
    David

    • Hi David, I’m not really advocating abstinence as trying to simply abstain can cause all manner of challenges. However, over time, with greater awareness, sensitivity, and cultivation, abstinence can potentially become a viable path.

      • Hi Scott,

        Good question David.
        @Scott, with regards to practicing sex without orgasm and or ejaculating, is there an actual technique to doing that or it’s just a thing you can control mentally ( I’m speaking as a married man with a wife who really enjoys me and no doubt I really enjoy my wife too) nonetheless, it looks easy to achieve abstanance (now impossible for me) than to hold back orgasm and or ejaculation ( on a practical level), {I see the point of withholding the orgasm or ejaculayion though}
        Again is there a technique in achieving this or it’s just a mind thing? As compared to abstanance, which I find easy because you just avoid doing it in the first place and that’s all it takes.
        By the way I’ve fully understood that you’re not advocating for total abstanance, which brings me back to my question above..

        Aberdy

        • Hi Aberdy,

          I’ve already addressed your questions above.

          There are methods for seminal retention, but I believe they unknowing cause damage to your energetic system.

          “Settling your jing” is perhaps the best you can do.

  • Hi Scott, thanks a lot for this interesting article.
    I’ve kind of been on my our journey of transmutation for a little while now. Without going into all the details here, I believe in much of the ideas and benefits behind this way of thinking, and I think I’m being reasonably successful at what I’m trying to achieve.
    However I have just one little conflict in my thoughts on this topic.

    That is, it feels a little weird to me, the concept of reducing frequency of ejaculation and so on, as it feels a bit like I’m laying dormant, or even switching off, a part of my being, if that makes sense.

    Bit difficult to explain what I think, sorry. It’s a bit like say, if you could switch off one of our senses. Like the sense of smell, for example, if you switched that off – who would want to do that, right ?

    So to me, reducing a kind of sexual function a lot, even though I realise it is being channelled into other, positive avenues of my life, feels like I’m switching off a part of me, and that feels a little hard to get used to.

    Not sure if I’ve explained myself very well, but wondering if you’ve any insight into an answer for this.

    Thank you!

    • Hi DP. I understand what you’re expressing here.

      This tension has to do with knowledge and understanding. (As you said, it’s a conflict with your thoughts.)

      The tension stems from a culturally conditioned belief that it’s “normal” for a man to ejaculate often. Also, we’re taught to believe that it’s “healthy” to have sex often. In that way, a part of you may feel like you’re not a man if you’re not ejaculating (and if you’re not having sex).

      I’m reminded of a quote from J. Krishnamurti: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

      The truth is that we’ve been programmed and conditioned to be over-sexualized. (For this to reveal itself, you would need to study occult knowledge and symbolism and watch closely how the topic of sex has changed in the media — just within our lifetime.)

      Every other animal only has sex to procreate. Humans are the only ones that use it for pleasure. Is sex a way of expressing ourselves? We’re certainly taught to believe this in subconscious ways. But this idea can also easily be challenged and uprooted with the right knowledge.

      And when you fully understand the immeasurable high cost of this “pleasure” (that has diminishing returns anyway), your “context” and viewpoints about sex begin to change.

  • Hi, Scott! What an elaborate article!

    Here, I have but one question for you:

    What do you think about God?

    To be specific, I am speaking about Catholicism with respect to its moral teaching, ultimate goal, and respect of inherent human dignity.

    So far I understand that you teach these things because you have a GENUINE DESIRE to help other people be happy, but what happiness means for you, I do not know.

    Let me know what you think of these topics; I’m interested.

    Paul

    • Hi Paul,

      What you might want to reflect on is:

      Why are my beliefs about God important or relevant to you?

      Would my beliefs on this topic change the accuracy or validity of the information I’m providing?

      All religions provide moral teachings, but they generally do so in disingenuous ways. They use shame and guilt (or sin) as a tool for manipulation and control instead of true knowledge that naturally guides individuals to autonomy and self-reliance based on the cultivation of oneself using specific methods and practices.

      • Hello again, Scott.

        In response to your first question. I think I just wanted to know the origin of your beliefs, and what you thought of other belief systems. I think if I knew precisely what your beliefs were, I could better understand how you came to your conclusions.

        For your second, I don’t think that your beliefs could further change the validity or accuracy of what you’ve already said, but it could, I believe, possibly change what you say in the future, and how accurate that information is.

        I’m sorry to hear what you think about religions’ moral systems. Maybe it’s because I am a Catholic, but I have honestly never experienced shame or guilt because of my religion. I have only ever felt guilt because of the act itself, and I know this to be true because of how much I dwell on these acts, rather than dwelling on punishment from others or eternal punishment.

        However, I do sincerely uphold the search for Truth for the purpose of reaching full capacity of good for myself through specific practices and acts.

        Thanks for responding to me!

        Paul

        • In the course of your development, you may discover that belief is actually the enemy of knowledge.

          Reaching mature adulthood requires stripping away most of the beliefs we grew up with (which creates a great deal of ambiguity and uncertainty for a period).

          The ability to hold ambiguity is actually one of the defining characteristics of mature adulthood (according to 70+ years of developmental psychology).

          If you’re honest with yourself, your line of questioning was more likely a check to see if my beliefs align with yours. Because if my beliefs do not align with yours then the information I’m presenting would be suspect and less trustworthy.

  • Thank you for this. So for someone wanting to start these practices without having to learn lots of theory or history etc which of Damo Mitchell’s books do you recommend ?

  • Very enlightening. I must say most of the stuff I read is my first time to come across. I certainly will pursue and dig deeper, at the same time sharing with my friends.

    Thanks for the transforming revelations

    Aberdy Mureno

  • I have found a lot on this topic but all is focused on men and how they can do ST, but what are the way to achieve this in Women? When is the best time to focus on the ST? What happened after we reach ooh menopause? I have so many questions about this on women and I can’t find a proper guide.

    • I’ve addressed this question several times above in the comments. Only 14% of the above guide is “men only” — that means 86% applies to women.

      For women, there are methods of reducing their menstrual cycle, which is the predominant way they lose vital essence.

      After menopause, it’s still mainly about cultivating your life force energy.

      If you’re looking for an in-depth treatment on this subject for women, see “Daoist Nei Gong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon” by Roni Edlund and Damo Mitchell.

  • what would be the first book I should read for someone who doesn’t know anything about this topic?

  • Hi Scott.
    I am reading all of your guides and I have to say they are life changing for me.
    My spiritual transformation has recently taken place naturally. The concepts you not only outline but dive deeply into are delivered in the most concise fashion imaginable.

    I cannot offer you anything in return other than to let you know that I myself had a very troubled childhood, and the combination of my own spiritual transformation and the amazing toolbox of concepts you provide here has ensured that my daughter is not subject to the same experience that I was.
    You have become a hero to me.
    Thanks mate.

  • According to the Bible, God condemns masturbation and sexual intercourse was created by God so humans could procreate.

  • I have a goal to pursue after reading your guide . I will tell you what it was when it is accomplished. I am.76,, but there is still time.
    Have you ever heard of E
    Stanley Jones, a missionary to India ? You might find him interesting.

  • Interesting first look at the process of sexual transmutation. I did it as I read through it and I see this as a journey. Quite insightful, thank you

  • Hi Scott,
    i have been on semen retention for over 100 days now, and i have to admit that the amount of the energy that one obtains is just overflowing.
    My main issue here is the amount of energy i have right now, my sleeping qty has reduced from 6 down to 4 hours don´t need more, not even insane physical exercise is enough to calm down this vigor inside of me.
    Sometimes i have so much energy that my body is literally shaking and i have no idea what to do with such excess of energy, i have been meditating for over 2 years now (15 minutes a day) well now it started to interfere with my meditating sessions as i am not able to sit still for that long.

    Would appreciate any kind of advice.

    Wish you the most wonderful day in the background! :)

    • Hi Alexander,

      Semen retention as a practice is often done as a preliminary step in various internal arts.

      Various forms of qigong, the sister forms (tai chi, bagua, and xing yi), daoist nei-gong (spiritual alchemy).

      You may want to learn how to move the energy through your body and develop a deeper relationship with this energy.

      As a starting point, you can practice the micro-cosmic orbit. Or learn how to settle the energy using a practice like Zhan Zhuang: https://scottjeffrey.com/zhan-zhuang/

      • Hi Scott, you recommend to practise micro-cosmic orbit here which is exactly what Mantak Chia teaches in his multi org. man book. In other comments you say not to follow Chia’s teaching as not very safe.. so I’m a bit confused here

        • Hi Milos,

          As one of my qigong instructors said many years ago: “Qigong can increase your life (vitality & longevity) or it can take it away.”

          The point was that the repeated incorrect application of methods and principles can be damaging to your health.

          As I described above about the “Power Lock” technique that Mantak Chia provides in his book: this is a dangerous method that can easily lead to psychological and physical problems.

          I don’t recall his instructions on the Microcosmic Orbit practice specifically, but my guess is that it’s a similar issue.

          In proper training, you’re instructed to build your dantian first. Most practices in qigong and neigong require the application of Wu Wei (nondoing; effortlessness). Mantak Chia’s exercises, from what I recall of them, involve a lot of effort, exertion, and even force. (For example, attempting to “draw” the energy up your spine like you’re sucking it upward through a straw. This is an example of an ill-advised practice, from my understanding.)

          • I’ve read Chia’s some time ago and I can’t remember what “power lock” is but I do remember what microcosmic orbit is as it is very common teaching in tantra, it is when you draw energy from perineum up along the spine to the brain/crown and then down through the front channel to your belly where energy is stored and used when needed for organs and chakras, I don’t see anything wrong or dangerous in it. Chia highlights the importance to channel the energy down from the head to belly as if too much energy is stored in the head that can cause havoc, headaches, even mental illness, so I don’t think is wise to disregard all his teaching as dangerous. He also teach to “draw” energy up for the beginners while it will happen spontaneously when one is more skilled at this practise. Nothing wrong about that

          • You wrote: “so I don’t think is wise to disregard all his teaching as dangerous”

            I’ve yet to find an experienced qigong or neigong practitioner who holds Chia’s work in high regard.

            The central theme and ideas presented in his books like “Taoist Secrets of Love” and “The Multi-Orgasm Man” are dangerous and incorrect. They are “new age” concepts that are not part of genuine Taoist practices.

            His instructions will lead practitioners to what’s called “Du Huo Gong Xin” (Poison Fire Tainting the Heart). It distorts your psychological state.

            “Drawing the energy up” is how you can damage yourself. There’s quite a bit wrong with it. So anyone suggesting this isn’t someone I would suggest taking instruction from.

          • Thanks Scott for reply.
            Could you please recommend a book on how to move sexual energy up safely? Thank you

          • Milos, to clarify:

            You don’t want to move “sexual energy” up — ever. That’s part of the misunderstanding.

            The jing (essence) needs to be settled and conserved.

            Then, the qi is consolidated and stablized in the lower dantien. Trying to do anything with “sexual energy” is an error in one’s understanding — including Mantak Chia. And unfortunately, it’s become one of the many popular ideas in many “new age” circles.

            See Damo Mitchell’s “A Comprehensive Guide to Neigong” and “White Moon on the Mountain Peak”

          • Thanks again. The funny thing is that Mantak Chia is not the first one and only one who teaches that. The whole Tantra is based on principle of moving energy up and circulating through out the body via micro cosmic orbit. It certainly is controversial topic and few schools of thought that apparently each of them teach something else

          • From what I understand, it’s not so much that it’s controversial. What the tantric movement teaches is based on new age ideas — just like Chia. If you were going to look at the ancient texts in Taoism — or speak to one of the genuine elders (not that there are many of them around any more), there isn’t any controversy or debate. The “sex tantra” concept was a sales pitch from the beginning — and it’s not surprising that it became popular. (Who wouldn’t want an excuse to turn sex into a form of “advanced spiritual practice”?)

          • Sorry for the long comment. Your article and your comments really help me a lot, thanks!

            I’ve read your article in mid 2021, and I didn’t really understand the concepts presented here.

            Recently I came back to this subject as I’m again feeling that masturbation was taking to much of my time, and obsessing my mind on sexual thoughts.

            So I watch a video from a sex kung fu practitioner and he recommended a book called The Enlightened Sex by David Deida and in his book Deida recommends something really similar to what Milos is saying above about Chia, to inhale air from the front, imagining energy going down from tongue, throat down to your genitals, then locking your perineum and imagining energy going up the spine to the brain as you exhale. He recommends you to do this “breathing exercise” on a daily bases and when you are having sex, while you hold ejaculation. So the sexual energy can go to your body and cells in a way that it can be recycle and use to rejuvenate your cells…

            So I started to practice this and I thought that if I do get sexually stimulated and do not ejaculate, I would be triggered and wouldn’t stop thinking about sex, and would be almost physically forced to ejaculate, I thought I might be trapped in a cycle of masturbation, that would be taking even longer than I’m used to when I ejaculate every time…, but then again I’m ready to try this and see if with breathing exercises I could stop the sexual thoughts and could go back to my projects and planned readings…

            Four days after I stop masturbating, after a light exercise I started to feel myself and got a hard penis, I masturbate while doing the breathing exercise above, for about 10 to 15 minutes, after that I caught myself thinking about sex all the time, so in the evening before my last meal I got a spontaneous hard penis and started to masturbate again with the premise that I would be moving sexual energy up to my body and feel energized. After about 30 minutes of masturbation, I felt quite the opposite, I did not felt more energized and I started to get even more obsessed about sex.

            So I went to your article again and started to read all your comments, until I got your response to Milos, that felt like a spark in my mind. This whole tantric sex and moving sexual energy up to your body and avoiding ejaculation, but at the same time having sex as much as you want, It’s just a trap, you are going to get even more obsessed with sex and get even more unproductive in your daily basis… It’s really just a sales pitch that is just too good to be true and I think it’s why you said it can do more damaged than good.

            Please correct me if I’m wrong, but sex transmutation is a process of making goals while abstaining from sexual activities so that you can focus your energy on your goals, while deep breathing exercises, meditation, qigong and others ancient practices help you be on your center, conserve your energy and help you have more control over your sexual impulses.

            I’d love to hear from you on this one!

            I can’t thank you enough for your article and your so precious and wise comments! Thank you!

          • “This whole tantric sex and moving sexual energy up to your body and avoiding ejaculation, but at the same time having sex as much as you want, It’s just a trap, you are going to get even more obsessed with sex and get even more unproductive in your daily basis… It’s really just a sales pitch that is just too good to be true and I think it’s why you said it can do more damage than good.”

            Correct, Carlos. It’s a sales pitch. And anyone promoting it is either a charlatan or simply ignorant (it’s always difficult to tell). This type of technique will make you more obsessed with sex and it can lead to serious mental imbalances as I described in the guide above. Unfortunately, the concept is too tantalizing for many men who will innocently engage in these practices without knowing the consequences.

            “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but sex transmutation is a process of making goals while abstaining from sexual activities so that you can focus your energy on your goals, while deep breathing exercises, meditation, qigong and others ancient practices help you be on your center, conserve your energy and help you have more control over your sexual impulses.”

            Kind of. “Sex transmutation” is really just another misused term. Authors like Napoleon Hill popularized the idea that you can channel your sexual energy into achieving physical or financial goals. Is there really truth in that? I don’t know. There are many worldly successful people who are “whore mongers” so that kind of invalidates the concept. Yet, at the same time, excessive masturbation can certainly lead young men on a highly unproductive path.

            But yes, the ancient traditions provide practices and methods for stabilizing one’s energy so that “leakage” does not influence their state of being (at least to the same degree). Any form of “desire” is generated externally (it takes time and introspection to see this clearly). The very presence of sexual desire is a sign of leakage.

  • Scott, I enjoy reading your articles. They are extensive and you use lots of references. The follow-up on this article alone will keep me busy for months to come.

  • Hi Scott,
    Nice to read your thoroughly researched & neatly put the article on the subject most often tabooed and less frequently talked about. I am from India and here we have a vast array of ancient wisdom and texts on this topic of harnessing your sexual energies for the greater good. There is an ancient concept of “Brahmacharya” were people practicing brahmacharya, practice celibacy, and these people are the ones who often go on to become the gurus in their respective fields. Lord Hanuman the mythical Monkey God of Hindus is an example of an exemplary Brahmachari and he is considered to be the treasure house of valor,wisdom& strength who helped Lord Rama in the Ramayana.

    • Hi Josia, the article isn’t saying that you need to abstain from sexual intercourse — unless this is tied to a specific goal of yours.

      In many Taoist energetic-related texts, if I recall correctly, they suggest a person in his fifties having intercourse once every two to four weeks. But again, that’s for those practicing energy cultivation.

  • Scott, thank you for that detail. Thank you. I can now see how I feel after having ejaculated as a very sexual person. I felt I had a larger role than my addiction to sex, and now I see the reason for that. Great work!

  • The info you provided was very informative. I have read Hill’s book but now I have a clearer understanding of what meant. It was helpful to get a better understanding of how and what Qigong does. Thank you!!

  • Hi Scot
    Was wondering if you could explain &/or give a link regarding sexual activity & masturbation relating to repressed rage, please
    Thanks

    • Hi Tom,

      The best thing to do is to observe yourself carefully when the impulse to masturbate arises. Notice how you feel before — and afterward.

      We even call it “sexual frustration.”

      Virtually all porn images are driven by aggression and rage. Porn is like a visual projection of what’s happening in people’s psyche (mostly unconsciously).

      Watching porn and masturbating provides a momentary catharsis or release of rage because, for your brain, it’s actually happening. But, of course, the rage quickly returns since the underlying cause of the rage hasn’t been addressed.

      The vast majority of interactions in public have sexual overtones and emotional subtleties that the average person isn’t conscious of. These “exchanges” build up pressure in the unconscious and is then released through sex and masturbation.

      • Thanks for your response, Scott, am very grateful… & very confused!
        Have read somewhere that having sex or making love is a means of hurting each other, tho be it in that nice way, is this relative?
        Further to my confusion I have stopped watching porn many months ago and am currently on day 24 of no ejaculation & have masturbated about 4 times so far in that period. Before that I used to masturbate 1 to 2 times a day with no porn. I have done this out of my interest in sexual transmutation & also to use masturbation as a means of self love. So is what I thought to be sexual energy actually then sexual frustration?
        Thank you for your time, Scott, much appreciated

        • Hi Tom,

          I have to be careful with your first questions because others who are reading this can easily misinterpret it and it can become an emotionally-charged issue. But, yes, most acts of sex (and I’m not saying all) is an act of violence and aggression (even “passionate” love-making that people mainly learned from watching movies.)

          And yes, you seem to be confused with the nature of sexual energy. First, if you’re calling masturbation an expression of “self-love,” well, that’s definitely an idea worth challenging. Every time you expend your seed you are accelerating the aging process — moving you closer to death. Does that sound like self-love to you?

          As stated above, Jing is your life essence. While it’s related to sexual organs and fluids it’s not sexual organs or fluids or sex itself.

          One more word of caution: I know it’s common to count days when you’re trying to abstain from an addiction. But this is a trap because you’re giving the thing you’re abstaining from more power that’s building within your unconscious (body). Ultimately, the unconscious wins.

          The key to lasting change is found in what the ancient Buddhists called “clear seeing.” For example, when you masturbate, place more energy and attention to what you’re doing and what’s happening: What (or who) triggered the impulse to masturbate in the first place? What thoughts are you having? How do you feel (emotionally before and after)? What sensations are occurring within you (and not just around your root; notice the rest of your body including your head as well as your organs)? How do you really feel afterward?

          Bringing more consciousness to things like this provides insight that leads to understanding. And this understanding enables us to change our behaviors without resistance.

          • OK, thanks Scott… am still confused, I’m afraid, so will leave it there for now & keep reading. Thanks again

  • Hi Scott! i live in a very different strata of the material matrix than you, as a low-income artist maggot — but with a big heart, and thankfulness for all interesting, empowering people like you who are educating people on truths like the ones mentioned here. Keep up the great work, and be encouraged today.. (i especially appreciated the humming for no reason nugget!) It’s easy to take life too seriously ;)

    • No encouragement sought or needed, Andrew. But thank you.

      A “low-income artist maggot”? Be aware that our language influences and shapes our reality (even when our intentions are whimsical).

      • Thank you; I am no longer identifying as a maggot, as I have been illuminated by your forceful and direct implication of my faulty proclivity for generating self-abusive whimsical Trojan horses. (Truly, and without sarcasm.) I am curious which part of my larger self is responsible for this! Either way, thank you for encouraging me in the way of self-belief and empowerment. As cerebral and concise as your message was, and although I don’t know you personally, I believe that there is a substantial amount of of heart energy and love underpinning your work as well!! Amazing to interface with a unique consciousness like yours through the internet, I rarely have done this.. Finally, thanks as well for educating about the importance of supplementing with iodine — the suppression of which is perhaps one of the greatest conspiracies of the last 100 years.

        • It’s never your higher self that hijacks you like this, Andrew. It’s the conditioning and programming of our environment (what the Taoists call the “lower soul” and the Jungians call archetypes). Our Self (or what’s called our Original Spirit) doesn’t lead us astray.

          Our communication styles are largely conditioned by our personality type. (And yes, I am a cerebral type cultivated by years of in-depth study and research).

          To me, it’s less of a function of heart energy and love and more of an ethical framework that develops when you understand yourself well enough and the strange place we find ourselves in.

  • You are obsessed with rage. I read many comments and your answer was always the same: rage! You got rage!. No bro, many different things can lead to an increase of sexual energy, such like hormones, nervousness, anxiety, attraction where sex is not possible, etc etc etc. you are too fixated on rage.

    • Let’s see…

      First, you seem to be confused. Nowhere in the above commentary do I suggest that rage is the source of “sexual energy.” That would NOT make any sense. So if that’s you’re takeaway, you didn’t comprehend the article or my comments. Rage was discussed in relation to the impulse to ejaculate — especially in the context of masturbation, but also in the drive for sex (not “sexual energy”).

      Second, attraction alone does NOT trigger a desire to ejaculate. Beauty is beauty. We can witness beauty and admire beauty without ANY stirring of our lower energy center. BUT when the object of attraction is being provocative, seducing, and/or teasing (with their subtle body movements, attitudes, and facial expressions), it does produce a strong sexual impulse. Why? What emotion does teasing evoke in us? Rage. Hollywood and the media have made this commonplace. And we mimic what we see without knowing it.

      Third, I never suggested that rage is the ONLY source of the impulse to ejaculate. But it is certainly the dominant and most common drive behind our sexual impulses. Similarly, Dr. John Sarno found that rage was the primary source of chronic physical pain. Perhaps you think he was obsessed with rage too? Yet, he managed to heal many thousands of individuals suffering from chronic pain without surgery — just by explaining the root source of the pain (unconscious rage).

      Fourth, things like hormones, nervousness, availability, etc. are generally not the root cause. They are merely an effect. That is, alone, they won’t evoke a strong urge to ejaculate.

      Fifth, you wouldn’t have taken the time to read all of the above comments if the information presented here wasn’t hitting on something for you. And you wouldn’t have left your comment the way you did if you didn’t get triggered (emotionally) by what was being presented. Getting triggered means that you have something to examine within yourself.

      So perhaps you’re right and I’m obsessed with rage. Or maybe, my observations are quite accurate and you’re simply misguided.

      To know for certain, you would need to restore more of your native energy, access your center, and clearly observe what’s behind your impulse to ejaculate by identifying the root source.

      You have to catch the trigger the moment it arises.

      Then, work through the emotion. For example, the feeling of being teased. After that, see if your impulse for sex, masturbation, and ejaculation is still strong — or if it fades into nothingness.

      Only then will you be in a position to evaluate the validity of my commentary above.

      • “Getting triggered means that you have something to examine within yourself.”
        Spot on man! Your comments are mind blowing, I’ll have to save your whole article in pdf with all the comments so I can highlight phrases and study this more deeply. Thanks again!

    • I don’t know what you mean by “great,” Tedd. Perhaps you mean you find him to be a “great” teacher or a “great” person? If so, I don’t know him and I have no opinion about his character.

      My point was that if you follow many of his instructions — like his instructions on the Microcosmic Orbit and seminal retention methods — you’re likely to damage yourself.

  • There is a non negligible element in the equation to take into consideration in my situation. It is widely considered exceptional: trauma (from early life abuse). Without proper understanding of this determining point, relaxation remains practically impossible. Do you have technical advice as to managing energy channeling with a oversensitive reactive system? It would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank You!

    Yves

    • Everyone has trauma they need to work through in the course of their development. I know of no exceptions.

      I address the importance of shaking to begin to break up “body armor” (as Reich called) in this guide:

      https://scottjeffrey.com/zhan-zhuang/

      You might also check out “Trauma Release Exercises” (TRE). There are many illustrations on Youtube.

  • Very interesting article. I first found this idea in Hill’s book, so i went looking for any dicussion about that. Here is it! Very informative. I will try to do it. A hug from Brazil.

  • I greatly valued this information. So much learned in a short time and gave me firmer ground to stand on my journey of celibacy and why I keep falling short. I can’t express enough thanks.

    • Just keep in mind, Corey, that even calling it “celibacy” can cause more challenges. Words are like spells. They hold great power.

      “Celibacy” has all kind of known and unknown meanings that can hijack you if you’re intentions is to conserve your life force energy.

  • Scott thanks for opening up this interesting topic for discussion. My thoughts are that one has to be very careful with this. We do live in an over-sexualised culture and I can understand how too much sexual activity can be draining. I have noticed how some people fall into a good sexual relationship easily and others never find their complement, their other, their natural true love. They are either caught in exploitative frustrating relationships or may find themselves alone, often for a lifetime. I think when you are alone managing your sexual energy is equally, sometimes even more important. My caveats are that spiritual development occurs naturally and Nature must be respected. I think transmuting sexual energy to obtain special powers and ego desires could be dangerous and transmuting sexual energy to develop will-power is a very masculine thing to do. Frankly I haven’t got any answers. I’ve been thinking about these things myself for a while and surely seeing love, relationships and sex in the context of your whole life, your childhood traumas, your financial success or otherwise, your limitations, as well as your future needs, wants and desires, all of these things count.

    • Hi Luna,

      I think if someone is attempting any kind of sexual transmutation to obtain special powers or ego desires than their intentions are malaligned and they are unlikely to get very far with these practices.

      In fact, in the Taoist canons, they make it clear that the freedom from desires and cravings is a starting point for those interested in guarding and cultivating their energy.

      Exerting one’s will to abstain from sex or to use energy practices to develop will power would also be done out of misunderstanding.

      On the opposite side of the fence, it is all-too-easy to project “a loving relationship” on some couples and assume they have a “healthy sexual relationship.” Unless you’re examining a couple carefully through a secret double-mirror into their private homes and observing them carefully without their awareness, it’s virtually impossible to say what goes on their bedrooms.

      From my perspective, these “healthy sexual relationships” likely rare — IF it exists at all. Even if there isn’t a large degree of childhood traumas in the couple in question, everyone absorbs unconscious tendencies/spirits from their parents and “downloads” many unhealthy patterns from the media they were exposed to throughout their lives (whether they know it or not).

  • Is cold water bad for my kidneys? My partner and I broke up in may and I have not felt the same since. I feel I still love her. We met once but was not attracted to her sexually any more. What does this mean. I I also haven’t been feeling my self and find my self tearing up over her. What does this mean?

    • Is cold water bad for your kidneys? The answer to this depends on who you ask. I know numerous life-long internal martial arts practitioners with knowledge of Chinese medicine. They would certainly answer the question with “Yes.”

      But if you ask those in the Wim Hof community, they will say no. Cold water has a lot of health benefits, but I personally would try to avoid putting cold water on my kidneys for any prolonged period of time — especially in the winter when the kidney energy is weakest.

      As for your other question, it would be difficult for me to answer this. Generally speaking, when individuals have this type of experience after a breakup, there are energetic reasons. That is, a part of you was left with her; and vice versa. That would explain why you don’t feel like yourself.

      In these types of situations, it’s often important to recollect what’s yours and give back what’s not yourself. If this isn’t clear to you, you might try a general energy clearing process. As an example, Cameron Day offers a free “Self-Clearing System” series on Youtube.

      Also, you might try recalling experiences of yourself prior to this relationship.

  • I’m on Nofap. been 9 months already.
    I can definitely see some improvements in my life. Mentality, physically and spiritually also. My goal is to forever quit masturbation. Anyways love reading it.

    • Just be careful with identifications like “Nofap” and with keeping score (9 months). This generally doesn’t work out in the long term because you’re giving energy to what you’re trying to avoid instead of focusing on the present and where you’re heading.

      Also, stating your goals publically is not advisable. It draws energy away from your effort and can create opposition to your aim.

  • Yeah, lost me at the part where you said in my 30s it’d be “optimal” to have sex once a week. The very reason I was interested in the first place was to have a better sex life, not a worse one.

    • It doesn’t say anywhere in the article that you should have sex once a week in your 30s. So if that’s your takeaway, you definitely didn’t read the article carefully.

      If you’re interested in a better sex life, sexual transmutation is not likely for you. Try looking up tantric sex — that school of thought doesn’t concern itself with energy retention.

  • Thank you very much for this knowledge and the resources provided.
    I hope many more young men come to realise what a beaten down and abused position they are in are due to pornexcessive stimulation.

  • Your website is immensely helpful in healing emotional trauma.

    I am diagnosed with clinical IBD. Every treatment failed including various diets, medicines and surgery. Until, I found out that the disease is related to suppressing emotions. Reflecting upon my childhood, I discovered I was an introverted child, with strict parenting, sexual taboo, sexual hatred, body shaming, bullying, etc. I am in process of healing now and your website is great with references to books, Dr Sarno, etc.

    I have doubts, please help.
    1) Thanks for the warning about Mantak Chia books. Suppressing body forcefully is not good, awareness and acceptance are more better.

    Recently, I read ‘The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida’ is his methods similar to Chia’s?

    Chapter Seven- Body Practices- Section 2- Breathe down the front= “Inhaling deeply from nose filling your belly, solar plexus, and finally your chest. Then exhale fully, slowly, and smoothly. Throughout the day (or when we get aroused to send the sexual energy up the body) and during the sexual session, practice breathing so that your inhalation moves energy down the front of your body and the exhalation moves energy up your spine. Excessive, chronic thinking or addiction to ejaculation is often a sign that your energy is blocked and you are not yet breathing fully in this circle throughout the day.”

    Chapter Seven- Body Practices- Section 3- Ejaculating up the spine= “During sex, occasionally practice the upward contraction of the floor of your pelvis while breathing sexual energy up your spine, so it fills your whole body. Especially as you begin to approach orgasm, you can combine the upward contraction of your pelvic floor with breathing up the spine in order to shoot your orgasm up into your brain, and even out through the top of your head, rather than down and out your genitals. This upward orgasm will then feel like it is gently seeping down through every cell of your body, saturating you with thick open light.”

    DOUBTS=
    Is “Breathe down the front” safe to do when just thought or urge arises by seeing a sexy image or a girl passes by? Or just being aware of the thought or urge is enough?

    Is “Ejaculating up the spine” safe to do while having sex? If not? What practice you recommend while sex?

    2) Daily in morning I do “Reconditioning the Body to a New Mind Meditation by Joe Dispenza” which initiates with Mula Bandh Breathing. In evening and night I do Qigong sessions of 15 minutes. Are these conflicting practices as chakra and meridians are different forms and could disrupt my energy. Or should I concentrate only on Qigong?

    Thanks

    • Carl, the challenge with all of the practices you’ve described here is that they are generally done with force (intent). And this is where the mistake comes in that leads to problems later on.

      As I described above, it’s not safe to “ejaculate up the spine” (which isn’t really even possible). Taoist practices are based on naturalness and nondoing. And most of the material available (like the two authors you mentioned) introduce unnatural and active practices that lead to long-term problems.

      The key is to learn how to witness and observe (your breath, for example) — to settle and stabilize the energy in your body. Only then can it be safely moved via “Yi” (awareness/intent).

      I don’t know about the specific breathing practice you mentioned. But if you aren’t feeling the effects of what you’re doing, it may not be working for you. And if you keep doing practices that you’re not feeling, you may be wasting your time.

      It’s probably best to start with one or two practices and stay with those until you can observe a desired result before moving on to something else.

      • Thanks Scott, I will try and find out what works for me.

        I have been doing chakra meditations (Not involving Yoga, just sitting and meditating, I like the idea of moving energy upwards), Qi going is fairly new to me. Actually the second question was about the chakras and dantain. Chakra meditation involves sitting and sensing the space from root chakra upwards the crown chakra as seen in the above images in your article. And while performing Qi gong it is sensing sinking down in lower dantain. So one practice involves energy going up and the other going down. So, can I continue doing Chakra meditations while also performing Qi gong, I mean alternate days or hours apart. Or these are completely opposite energy systems, and only one should be mastered and practiced?

        *Just to mention, I was practicing yoga for internal healing but it didn’t provide the results as most people claim it, maybe it is only for physical body as you mentioned in a comment below. I tried Qi gong (Got the idea from: Eckhart tolle, “Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk” and your website), it really worked on my anxiety, stress and I realy felt the flow state while perfoming Qi gong.

        • So here’s my perspective on your question based on my knowledge and experience:

          In most cases, you should NOT attempt to move energy up. In fact, most of our collective mental illness is because we already have too much energy in our heads. (That’s why almost everyone struggles with meditation.) So trying to move energy up only exacerbates existing mental and emotional problems.

          Learning how to naturally sink the energy (and breath) down into the body without effort or tension is far more beneficial (and therapeutic).

          Only when you’ve developed the skill of sinking your energy and breath to the point where you naturally breathe from your lower torso should one even consider using intention to raise the energy.

          What I’ve explained above is found in virtually any verifiable text on Taoist alchemy and I’m confident that any qualified qigong teacher would agree.

          • Beautiful answer Scott,

            it’s like by always being in our minds we are sabotaging higher spiritual intelligence and bodies natural physical intelligence, leading to diseases (mental/physical).

            Thanks

  • Interesting. This psycho-spiritual machinery is particularly active in people with an awakened Kundalini. It pulls your energy up quite agressivly and rips through the body blindfolded, causing all sorts of psycho-physicals symptoms that can cripple an uninitiated practitioner. It’s a one way trip and there’s no return. An awakened Kundalini doesn’t take no for an answer and once the process has begun there is no undoing it. I can’t be too sure, but any attempt to “go back down” and indulge in sex during an awakening will only make life harder, even sexually, at least until the circuit is complete and there’s a free flow of Prana.

    It’s quite funny, actually. I was just talking to the guys on AYP about abstinence and its role in allowing a prematurely awakened Kundalini to complete its course without being “puled back” to square one (the root Chakra) every time one indulges in sex. After reading this article I can see that abstinence is key, at least until Kundalini/Prana reaches the third eye and facilitates some sort of free flow across the body.

  • I don’t fully agree with the statement that all sex drains energy from men, or women for that matter. Intentional, spiritually guided sex with a partner aligned with your same intentions can intensify Jing to be used for transmutation.

    • You’re certainly entitled to your viewpoint. And you can definitely find corroboration in many different “tantric” oriented texts.

      However, if you speak to any scholar who has studied this topic carefully or any long-time Neigong practitioner, you’re unlikely to find validation in your viewpoint. I’m not suggesting that there aren’t special cases, but in the context of men specifically, sex uses up the Jing. The idea of “intensifying” the Jing would be a misunderstanding.

      “Dual cultivation” was not meant in the context of two individuals — if referred to various processes within a single body. The idea of generating energy from partners was born from charlatans who sold books to the unsuspecting masses on how to improve their sex life or fallacious ways to intermingle sexuality with spirituality.

  • Hi Scott,
    Thank you indeed for your work and dedication.
    Scott, what is your consideration regarding ankhing practice?
    Cheers,
    Sandra

    • Sandra,

      I don’t know anything about “ankhing,” but it appears to involve orgasms. In this guide, I suggest that we (especially men) lose energy via orgasm. So to say that you can extend our life (eternal life) via orgasm — which seems to be the premise behind ankhing — doesn’t make logical sense to me.

      And from my understanding, when various “ancient texts” combine sex with spirituality, they are making an error.

      • Scott,
        Thank you very much indeed for your answer.
        I should have expressed myself more clear: I meant to ask concretely what are your consideration about the trajectory of the energy in ankhing practice? It is quite different since energy takes the shape of the ankh, while seems like every other type of practice suggests energy goes either up or down, so the trajectory is straight in terms of shape.
        When it comes about containing life force, I am totally onboard since many years now and happy with it :-), could not imagine going back to loosing it again.
        Thanks again,
        Sandra

        • Sandra,

          I don’t know enough about ankhing to comment.

          But in Taoist energetics, the energy doesn’t just go up or down. There are channels that go around your mid-region, for example, as well as various meridians that flow in a multitude of trajectories.

          • Thank you Scott. I appreciate your entire work as well I thank you for the time to answer to my question.
            Cheers,
            Sandra

  • Hi Scott,
    I came by this article by accident, but am interested in your reflections.

    I am wondering what the impact of these practices has on a relationship. When I was married, my husband and I had sex nearly every night/day for 26 years. It was always a very enjoyable experience, and brought us very close to each other. Sex was not just a physical experience but very spiritual for us both and the climax always an integral part of it for him as well as me. I really never saw sex as a ‘battle’ as described above in the comments, nor thought any one of us ‘won’, rather that it was an integral sharing of ourselves that was exquisitely authentic.

    After he passed away, I began a relationship with a man who withheld himself. I found the relationship very unsatisfying sexually. I felt as if I was in bed with someone who was being emotionally distant and who would not share himself with me. After a year during which he never once ejaculated, I felt very turned off by this person, and ended it. I wondered if he had some inability to trust me, and I didn’t like feeling as though I couldn’t satisfy him sexually.

    I can’t imagine a relationship without real intimacy and think that if that sex like this is an exercise in control rather than giving and loving, and it would be and was, a shallow experience for me.

    Recently, I have met someone I am very excited about. I think about him a lot and I am so alive to have sexual feelings and desire FOR HIM, not just desire for sex, come back into my physical and mental consciousness. The sexual experience and longing and feelings of love for someone is such a precious gift and a life affirming experience that I feel that ‘managing’ sexual energy so one can work and make money seems extremely sad. Where is love, and the joy or being and sharing with each other? People who enjoy sex aren’t all sex addicts. I can’t imagine that a spiritual practice needs to be at the expense of a healthy sexual relationship, or rationed out. Afterall, human beings have bodies that are self-renewing… it’s not like one will ‘run out’ of semen or anything. It’s natural a man will feel less energy after sex, but this is true of any exercise as well. The body is constantly leaking fluids in all places, from lungs, eyes, sweat glands, bowels mouth…. it’s what bodies do.

    • Hi Sandra,

      Your comments are well expressed.

      First, to clarify, I didn’t suggest in this article that one should use energetic practices for work and making money. I merely highlighted that this is how many people perceive “sex transmutation” from books like “Think and Grow Rich.”

      Second, I didn’t suggest that everyone should engage in energetic practices or internal alchemy. It’s a personal decision followed by one’s inner guidance.

      Based on your comments and experience, this topic may not be appropriate for you. And clearly, it sounds like you will need to find a partner who shares your worldview (which isn’t difficult since there are only a minority of individuals interested in this topic).

      You said, “Afterall, human beings have bodies that are self-renewing… it’s not like one will ‘run out’ of semen or anything.”

      This isn’t accurate in the context of life essence. There’s a finite amount of Jing in the body. And when it’s fully expended, it’s gone. While a degree of self-renewal does occur when you’re young, but as we age (due to a multitude of factors), this becomes less and less the case.

      In terms of the “battle,” most people wouldn’t perceive this in a relationship because it operates at a subconscious/unconscious level. And our conscious self-identity would not feel comfortable with this notion — especially when we perceive ourselves in a “loving” relationship.

      To delve into your comments more deeply about love and intimacy would require a great deal of additional context and a strong background in occult knowledge. It would be difficult to fully provide an adequate explanation here.

      But ultimately, it all comes down to what’s most important to you — what you value. Based on your comments, your primary values seem to be in conflict with inner alchemy, and as such, this topic will be in discord with you.

      • Thanks for your response, Scott.

        From it, the take away for me seems to be that you are saying this practice is only suitable for those who live an ascetic lifestyle. Is that correct?

        I am interested in how this practice would play out in a relationship, not in casual sexual experiences.

        Have you, or your readers, achieved to manage a relationship on the basis of 12 orgasmic experiences a year?
        Is this practice compatible with a relationship?

        Regards,
        Sandra

        • “From it, the take away for me seems to be that you are saying this practice is only suitable for those who live an ascetic lifestyle. Is that correct?”

          Absolutely not. There are many couples who use these practices while maintaining a close, personal relationship.

          Orgasms and sex are not requirements for a healthy relationship (despite our cultural conditioning that they are). Long-term relationships are about everyday, mundane living (mutual respect, taking care of each other as adults, etc). This is covered quite eloquently in Robert Johnson’s book titled, “WE.”

          The challenge with “mundane living” is that there are no highs. And we’re conditioned to seek pleasure and highs (passion). Without it (due to our unfortunate conditioning), we experience depression, disconnection, and a feeling that something is wrong with us or our relationship.

          Virtually all of our ideas about sex and intimacy were conditioned into us via media — to a level that it’s difficult for most people to appreciate. (Again, this is a deep topic that would require too much context to explore adequately here.)

          • Hi Scott,
            Thanks for responding.

            I understand that a couple may make this choice together. However, there seems to be a lot of onerous assumptions being made that people who engage in a less ‘controlled’ sexual practice are ‘conditioned’ or do so unthinkingly out of romantic tropes in the media, that they somehow are just going through the motions or playing out mediated roles

            While this may certainly be true of some, I feel it is definitely not true of all. It is sad to see people ‘play house’ and I agree these immature relationships are definitely poor examples of marriage or sexual expression.

            While I had 26 years of a healthy and fulfilling life with my husband, I also have had 22 years alone which were characterised mostly by abstinence due to the fact that I did not meet anyone until recently for whom I felt that special attraction, and I did not want to have unfulfilling sex for the sake of it. When one feels a genuine attraction to a person, not merely lust for the sexual act, it is so rare and also the sexual connection is or can be very spiritually transformative.

            Sex within a truly compatible respectful relationship is highly fulfilling and soul expanding. D.H. Lawrence was the first modern writer who dared express these ideas about sex. I guess what I react to in your pages and the philosophy underpinning it is that it constructs sex not performed for your purposes as somehow a depletion, but nonetheless an energy one can conveniently manipulate and harness for a sort of individual ‘magic’ or alchemy. It’s the assumption that when practiced as an expression of love and a means to channel the devine consciousness of creativity, it’s ‘mundane’ and somehow despicable. Certainly with the wrong partner it is, but this is a sad general view to take, and I feel, quite harmful if read by inexperienced young men in particular.

            While some Asian monastic traditions may state jing is finite, what actual proof is there that this is true?

            Finally, I too have read Napoleon Hill’s book a number of times, and I question whether you have read into it the idea that he was suggesting a subjugation or diversion of sexual energy as you suggest.

          • As I mentioned twice above, Sandra, too much additional context is required to go into this topic more adequately.

            But you might try this thought experiment: Imagine a child born in an environment with no toys of any kind. They don’t know or see anyone with toys. And they are never exposed to any kind of toy. Will the child develop a desire or need for toys? Will the child ask his/her parents to buy him/her toys?

            Now, once the child is exposed to toys — either seeing others with them or someplace else, now there’s desire. Children have toys. Children are supposed to have toys. Now it wants and desires (even needs) toys.

            Originally, the child might have been quite content without toys. But once toys were introduced to its consciousness, now toys become a central theme. The desire for toys exists, and with this desire inevitably comes suffering.

            What if you were never introduced to the idea of sex? What if you weren’t told that sex is important for a “healthy relationship”? What if your parents never mentioned it, sex wasn’t a topic of discussion in school, and you never heard a story or watched a film that referenced it? Would it such a strong necessity for you? Would it become an integral part of what you call being human? Would you still have the desire for sex and intimacy with another via sex?

            Notice, for example, how you might feel a sense that something in your life is missing since you had an active sex life before and now you don’t. That is, you might feel incomplete now. Is this feeling of incompleteness (suffering) innate — or is it experienced because of preconditioned beliefs?

            It’s difficult to appreciate just how deeply our consciousness is influenced by social and cultural forces from early in life that instructs us on what’s “important” for a “good life.”

            This topic is one of the few “fringe” ideas I present on this website, but I don’t do so carelessly. There’s a great deal of occult symbolism that points to something much deeper than any conscious belief or association we might have toward sex.

            Everyone is, of course, in the position to evaluate the information and make decisions for themselves. As I clearly state in the article and in numerous comment replies, I’m not advocating abstinence or anything of the sort. I don’t suggest that all young men should follow seminal retention. In fact, the information I shared above suggests that this is less important when you’re young.

            I personally held views closer to your perspective about sex and intimacy for most of my adult life. It was only after becoming more integrated with my body through extensive energetic practices and studying various aspects of occult knowledge that my viewpoints (and behaviors) related to sex changed drastically.

            To clarify your last two points:

            “While some Asian monastic traditions may state jing is finite, what actual proof is there that this is true?”

            The ancient Taoists were not monastics at all. They lived normal, everyday lives. This is actually an important aspect of Taoist philosophy. (In fact, most of the Eastern adepts were not monastics — despite our cultural imagery to the contrary.) The proof is in the energetic experience for anyone who opens up to their energetic body. There truly is a deeper meaning to the term “La petite mort” — despite what many of us would be comfortable believing.

            “Finally, I too have read Napoleon Hill’s book a number of times, and I question whether you have read into it the idea that he was suggesting a subjugation or diversion of sexual energy as you suggest.”

            I’m not sure this is really relevant since this article isn’t about Hill’s ideas on the topic (I only referenced his book because a lot of people first hear about this concept from that book), but if you go back and revisit it again, I believe what I stated is accurate. Also, many boxers and other athletes use short-term retention methods to improve their performance as well.

          • For Sandra and others reading through these comments, the question was raised, “While some traditions may state jing is finite, what actual proof is there that this is true?”

            There’s actually a simpler way of answering this honest question.

            Why are children constantly throwing off their jackets even though it’s cold outside despite their parent’s best efforts for them to keep them on?

            Conversely, why do the elderly often complain about being cold no matter how warm the room temperature or how many layers they wear? Why do the elderly often feel compelled to migrate to warmer climates as they age?

            The answer comes down largely to their level of jing. Children have a seemingly boundless supply of jing, which helps them preserve their internal temperatures. (Despite what we’re often taught, children do NOT “catch a cold” from being outside without a jacket. This belief is pure nonsense passed down through the generations.)

            Here are some of the comment signs of jing depletion (also related to kidney deficiencies):

            – weakness or pain in your knees
            – weakness or pain in your back (especially lower back)
            – muddled thinking / lack of mental clarity (brain fog)
            – chronic fatigue (often masked by excessive consumption of stimulants like caffeine and sugar)
            – aching in various joint regions
            – coldness in limbs (especially your feet) as well as general internal chills

            These are just some of the signs of jing depletion that most people would never know to attribute to sexual activity (especially from the context of Western medicine).

            These symptoms become more commonplace as we get older to the point where we think it’s “normal” to start having pain and soreness in our 40s (which is also nonsense).

            This brings up another common sign of jing depletion: aging.

            We’re led to believe that aging is “normal” and that living until 80 or 90 is some kind of achievement. Yet, if you talk to any well-informed MD or cellular biologist, they will explain that cells are innately regenerative (under the right conditions).

            I’m not suggesting that jing is the only factor here (there are certainly many external/environmental factors), but a loss of jing from excessive sex and ejaculation seems to be a logical (yet unspoken) cause of aging.

            While “Westerners” are largely ignorant to the relationship between sex/ejaculation and aging, there are Eastern practices from various traditions that highlight this connection.

  • Scott, as Ibrahim mentioned above, this is the source my recent experienses brought me to. My mind is too shallow to embrace it all yet but many of the above resonated strongly (leakage of energy/jin, pornography, imprinted beliefs). Thank you for sharing your great knowledge and compassion. Great to meet you and your on my life yourney. Probably will return with some comments/questions. All the best for you!

      • Scott, one question if I can. You are mentioning in comment section that we are over-exposed to sexual contents in media, advertisements etc. Sex sells.This creates tension for intercourse and/or masturbation. I fully agree to that. You propose to imagine what would happen if we were not taught that sex is so important and were not attacked by such images. I like such idea – to imagine whether the current approaches e.g. to religions, marriages etc. is indeed a natural in our life or are just a result of imprinted beliefs.

        And here is my question: do you believe that such alienated persons would not have a pressure for frequent sex acts or masturbation? I can imagine that first contact with orgasm would result in striving to repeat such experiences. In other words I would like to understand whether we should treat the idea of transforming of sexual energy as something natural, or as something worth practicing, but in fact incompatible with our nature. Many thanks. Kriss.

  • Wow! Thanks Scott for taking the time to write this informative article. I’ve taken a look at the responses you write to the comments left by your readers and I’m impressed with your patience and courteousness.
    As most young men in the west today, a few years ago I had next to no knowledge on the influence our thoughts have on our lives. Nor did I appreciate that “where focus goes energy flows.” For most of my twenties I dispelled my creative energy on basic pleasure until I reached a point of spiritual disconnection which catalyzed an awakening.
    I’ve been practicing Vipassana meditation since late 2017 and can attest to the power of calming the mind. A calm mind is a pliable mind. Taking the time to train our minds so our highest selves may direct our focus is essential to self-realization.
    Keep up the good work. Will definitely check out the resources you posted!

  • Hey Scott,
    I read again this very interesting guide and some of the comments. In the past I took a very unhealthy relationship with retention. I was counting days and I considered every ejaculation a failure. I was hard on my self. Right now I try to work more on acceptance and awareness. Every time I realease I try to be more aware and compassionate. I liked your comment about clear seeing. In fact, the risk of the no fap movement extremists is exactly this in my opionion: they consider no fap beneficial as an axiom without feeling how they truly are after and before the ejaculation. In my opinion in their case (and part is still my case) most of the benefits comes from the hype of the movement, and on the contrary the negative effects of relapse are accentuated by this sense of failure.

    Having said that I noticed that most of my relapses come from when I drink alchol. I drink sporadically, but in general it is very difficult for me to control these impulses. I tried to abstain from alchol altogether. I stayed sober for one year. But then I realized that It was excessive, I was cuttting out my self from many human experiences. I mean same reasoning as above. You have to try to stay sober for the good reasons (i.e. through understanding of what happens when you drink too much)

    • Well said, Matteo.

      No fap (or 100% retention from ejaculation), to me, is like dieting. It never works in the long run. And the backlash is always significant. (Research shows that most people who go on diets end up gaining more weight after the diet.)

      When we’re young, we don’t appreciate our limitations and how unconscious forces rule our behaviors.

      So it tends to take a while to find our balance as we have to develop greater consciousness before we can do so. The reality is that we aren’t generally conscious of why we do things like masturbate or drink. We “think” we know — that is, we have a conscious reason we can tell ourselves. But most of the time, there is another driver that we are unaware of. That’s why the application of “clear seeing” is the only way (that I’m aware of) to develop this understanding.

  • Hi Scott, thank you for this valuable article! I read it all & i have a question to ask. :) Can we do sexual transmutation through anal sex or is it just the vaginal sex? Thank you in advance :)

  • Hi Scott, thank you for this valuable information! I have a question to ask. Can i do sexual transmutation with anal sex or is it just possible with vaginal sex? Thank you in advance!

    • I’m not convinced that you actually read the article, Eve. “Sexual transmutation” is not done through sex in general. That’s the misconception I tried to cover in the article above. As such, it would stand to reason that sexual transmutation could not be done through sexual perversions like anal sex either.

      • Now i’m clear about it, Scott! So, any form of sexual activities from pornography, masturbation to real sex only results in pleasure? Thank you very much!

          • Hi Scott, I have one more question. Will there be leakage of sexual energy if women reach sexual climax but suppress ejaculation(It is said 10% of women ejaculate while orgasming)? Since the same activity (seminal retention) leads to sexual transmutation in a man? I want to be clear on it, Scott. Thank you, your work is much appreciable!

          • Hi Eve, this is unfortunately not a question that I’m able to answer as it is not something I can speak to experimentally and I haven’t seen it addressed adequately in the literature I’ve reviewed to provide more context.

            My understanding is that the primary way women lose this energy is via their period/menstrual cycle. And I’ve heard that there are specific practices women can use to reduce the duration of their period to help minimize energy leakage. But again, I’m out of my league here.

          • Your response means a lot Scott, each of it deliver fine information!
            So, ejaculation or orgasm in female is not possible to suppress! & even if possible there is no way it could lead to sexual transmutation? I want to be clear about this thing in women.
            If you can suggest me any source where I can find answer to this question, it will be my pleasure Scott.
            Thanks! :)

          • There are internal practices to transmute the energies of the body. Sex is not a practice used for transmutation. And I believe that anyone suggesting otherwise has been deceived.

            Naturally, people would want to believe that you can “become spiritual” through sex — that’s why it’s a popular notion.

            I haven’t read it, but Damo Mitchell is highly knowledgeable in this area and he and his wife wrote a book titled, “Daoist Nei Gong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon.”

          • Hi Scott. Thanks for your article. May I suggest you read the Book ‘The Perfect Matrimony’ and ‘The Mystery of The Golden Blossom’, by Samuel Aun Weor. Available at Glorian.org, they also have free online courses there where you can delve into the sacred mystery of Alchemy further. Blessings!

  • This is a really priceless information. There is only one thing I didn’t understand when I read think and grow rich and that how can we transmute our sexual energy with a partner? Is that even possible? I read some articles that says that you can have multiple orgasms without ejaculating and that even increases your life force is that true? Or if I am aiming to the best version of myself I should just stay celibate.
    Thank you.

    • I’ve addressed your question in the article and in numerous comments above.

      Although there’s a lot of literature out there about transmuting sexual energy with a partner, I believe they are all misguided. (And every qigong teacher I know agrees.)

      When the ancient texts talk about mixing ying and yang (feminine and masculine) energies, they are referring to energies in one’s own body. Orgasms still leak energy — with or without ejaculating. Although you’ll lose more energy from discharging seminal fluid. And pushing the energy up during sex can cause all kinds of mental and emotional disorders.

      In terms of staying celibate, that’s a personal decision. Moderation is often a better approach to balance but we each need to determine how to achieve that for ourselves.

  • Nicely written blog. It contained almost all the important topics an individual needs to know about sexual transmutation. Its such a deep and meaningful subject which was underestimated by me till now. But as I have seen the negative impacts of it on my life, I am giving utmost importance to sexual transmutation. I totally resonate with the taoist texts. Appreciate the work @scottjefferey.

  • This article is deep!
    I read Think Grow Rich, years ago on transmutation but nothing worked. Any tips on how to even have sexual desire, if there are books to recommend reading, or videos, etc. I used to be highly creative, art and design} but this has died over the years of trying to turn my works into business venture but didn’t achieve any success. Would love to feel that pleasure and excitement in but nothing In life is exciting.

      • Read your article on Let your passions die , lead me to the article on Self Realization . Yes I think I’m partly stuck on Basic needs level in terms of Lack of money, unemployment, depression, etc this why I can’t think or do anything creatively!

        Im sure since first reading your articles, (the one on vampirism and energy had me hooked ) is confirming some of the things I thought was just me thinking to deep about life in general .Thankyou for writing!

      • Reading your comment here. Why should they let their passions die? How does that differ from in this article on knowing what you want, and using imagination etc.? Passion is like excitement, when we’re passionate we usually are not in fear.
        If one follows the steps in your article What do they do in the meantime, surely it would be better to be passionate about it than glum, àlso what is wrong to use passion as a way to profit, everyone has to eat,?

  • I love this guide it is very comprehensive and kind of simple to follow best of all it actually brings out state of the art technology that can help somebody learn faster

  • I am so pleased to have found this. My partner asked me if I knew anything about this sexual transmutation and I had no clue so I researched. This is the best full encompassed informative read this far. I feel the Qi flowing through me as I get excitable to learn and practice this teaching

  • Hi Scott! I’m so grateful I came across your website, thank you for all the incredible info & guidance.
    I have a question that is only kinda related to the topic. I’m asking here because I see how caring, understanding & nice you are, putting so much time & effert into every single reply.

    It’s about a friend of mine. He’s bisexual & married to a woman, also has a male partner. His problem is that he’s addicted to sex chats with guys, it’s ruining his life & he’s miserably trying so hard to quit. He receives more sex than he needs but it’s like he can’t get enough.
    He’s a really nice, strong preson, has lost his father when he was only 3, but dealt with it very successfully. I care about him a lot & wanna help him. He has no experience in spirituality & I have only been doing basic meditations for a couple of years.

    I reccomanded him to start with very basic, short guided meditations (focusing on breathing and stuff) as a warm-up. Then start doing the chakras meditation (a 30min. guided one, which focuses on each of the 7 chakras one by one, sending them your breath, imagining their color & feeling them radiate, etc.) as I have heard it helps balance the physical & sexual desires.
    Do you think it makes any sense and is there anything else you reccomand?

    I think what can help him is not exactly sexual transmutation as he enjoys sex & wants to have it, but rather balance out his sexual desire not to look for more online. Do you think any of the sexual transmutation techniques would still help?

    Thank you soooo much.

    • It’s very simple, Artin:

      Stop trying to help your friend.

      If he has a problem that he’s struggling with, he will seek out and find solutions.

      What you’re doing — behind your “good intentions” — is actually harmful. You’re fostering a co-dependent relationship, which is unhealthy for both of you.

      I don’t have any reason to believe the type of meditation you suggested to him will be helpful at all.

      Instead, focus on your own life and work with your own personal challenges.

  • The total negative stance on porn. Like many things in the world mostly corrupted to create negative outcomes. When used right to view the right material it is the key to something much bigger

      • Without running into an eight page essay I dont think I can give a complete answer to your question but I will try. Porn is an instrument of discovery, education and a library of experiences. The internet is where people go to find answers being it somewhere you can search privately and alone, sexual desire and identity questions are the most sort after. Like with many raw materials being exposed to whole world of porn can be damaging, dangerous and misinformitive. But with the right guidance people would be able to find and use the right types of content and understand what they may experience. Sexuall preferences and desires are pre programmed into us from early ages, porn was my matrix moment showing me behind the curtain that nearly everything I believed I liked in terms of age,shape,size and even race in a woman were totally incorrect, also to me brought down the straight, bi or gay pidgeon holes and showing sexuality being a spectrum. In turn in the wrong hands porn can be bad but in the right hands it has such potential for a vessel for good.

    • I’m not qualified to answer this question.

      Personally, I would do everything in my power to avoid doing anything “unnatural” to my body — and that would include a vasectomy.

  • Almost everything I read about sexual transmutation relates to men and semen retention. Does the same apply to women? I tend to feel more energized by my orgasms than drained. Will abstaining from sex give me the same benefits as it would for a man?

    • I’ve received this comment many times before. It’s a curious thing. Look at the table of contents at the top of this guide. Semen retention is less than 10% of the material covered, yet many women seem to think that the entire article is for “men only.”

      In the context of sex, men are more prone to losing their life force energy via ejaculation and sex in general, so some gender-specific guidelines needed to be addressed.

      “I tend to feel more energized by my orgasms than drained.”

      Right. That’s why the topic of sex needs to be addressed differently for men versus women.

      “Will abstaining from sex give me the same benefits as it would for a man?”

      As I’m not a woman, I can’t answer this. There’s an ancient branch of Neigong specifically for women. Traditionally, men and women trained separately. You might check out the book “Daoist Neigong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon.” (Note: I haven’t read it.)

  • Insightful Article.
    When I first head the word Sexual Transmutation in ” Think And Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill I was eager to more, and making more research on, Being applying some of those principles in my life that’s Transmutation of energy I have been able to unlock doors of creativity, abundance, productivity and et al.

  • Hi Scott! First I truly enjoyed reading this post as it correlates well with a book I have been reading. I was going through the comments but admit I didn’t go through all so please forgive me if you talked more on it. A lot of sexual transmutation is focused on men, and I enjoyed learning this encase I chose to have a partner.

    I truly enjoyed learning more on where I have leakage that I need to learn to control, however I was wondering if there was more on the woman’s side. Im a virgin still at 29 and I know I have leakage based on this and other things I’ve read, but when a woman has sex is it taking from her life force also? Instead of semen retention what are woman suppose to be retaining? Sorry I’m not sure how to word this better. My life goal is higher magical energy and preserving my life force and understanding the sacredness of this I feel is a key factor.

    • Hi Argo,

      I’ve addressed these questions numerous times in the comments. Hit command/control + F on your keyboard and type in “women” in the field that pops up in your browser. Then, you’ll be able to read my comments to other readers.

  • According to the description, Jing seems like it’s non-material / some sort of energy, yet follows the seminal fluid. Are you entirely convinced it’s non-material?
    Back in the early 2000s, I came across stories of Ormus, and started trying to optimize my diet for Ormus intake, and it’s worked wonders for my health and how young I look.
    There is an old website about it (subtleenergies, which is absolutely non-commercial), but I guess people can find this on their own. It’s about a not-quite accepted form of some of the common metals, as well as many of the platinum-like elements, which all seem to be on the dimensional border of what we currently exist in.

    I’ve found that some fruits (especially oranges) and nuts (hazelnuts from France) are particularly rich in some of these, and will unerringly increase sexual energy.
    Some brands of green and white tea also have this effect.
    There’s also a mostly south-east asian supplement called Shilajit (common name, not specifically a product), which drips out of cracks in the himalayas, and seems to be similarly rich in Ormus, but also has a plethora of minerals and trace elements, which I’ve found to work to rejuvenate you.
    From what I’ve read, the body or maybe kidneys retain only roughly 20% of this Ormus, so unless you’re aware of it, in general your level of it would be dropping slowly/constantly with age.

    The past 20-ish years of my life has been about trying to get everything the body needs on a daily basis, and avoiding what it doesn’t need, and at times, I seem to have accomplished it, as even though being fairly active, a whole day can go by without getting hungry, and doing the occasional fast is also easy.

    I know this guide is about energy transmutation, but I just want to bring across, that it’s absolutely doable to have a more youthful level of this Jing energy later in life, than what’s commonly thought, from optimizing intake of Ormus. I did look at the Hierarchy of Needs guide, but there wasn’t anything about it under physiological needs, and no mention of nutritional needs, even though, to my mind, this is quite essential?
    I’m sorry if I put this comment under the wrong section/guide, but it seemed like the most appropriate.

    • This article isn’t about “anti-aging” or “increasing your libido” which is ultimately what your comments are about. These are different topics.

      “According to the description, Jing seems like it’s non-material / some sort of energy, yet follows the seminal fluid. Are you entirely convinced it’s non-material?”

      Yes, I’m sure. The three treasures of Taoism (Jing, Qi, Shen) are non-physical. They are energetic while having certain physical correlates.

  • The comment about the connection between our emotions and our organs, particularly between fear and the kidneys, resonates. You have provided links to potentially useful resources, but once a lifetime of damage has accumulated, is it possible to lessen or reverse it?

    • Although there may be certain limitations based on certain levels of damage, yes, I believe a great of damage can be repaired, lessened, and oftentimes reversed. The body has natural, self-healing mechanisms once we stop inflicting damage on it.

  • I’ve been receiving subtle messages for a couple months and in this case I was led to your article which I find very helpful and offers excellent suggestions; thank you !

  • Hi Scott,
    Since my first comment in the January 13, I’ve been continuously reading a lot of your articles, practicing the standing like a tree exercise, and I begin to be more aware of my breathing, in a way that I think now I can say I’m able to put myself in a more center position, and I can sense when I’m going out of that center position as well.
    It’s really nice to be aware of that.
    Now I’m in a process of reviewing your articles and finding more resources.
    This week I had an insight of why I have uncontrollable sexual urges. My desire for it comes from a thought process. This thought process comes in, after every time I felt, a then perceived by me, as a negative feeling or emotion. I think I was using the pleasure from it as a coping mechanism. And not because my body needs it, as I thought by then.
    Every time I got a period of agitation, stress, anxiety boredom, frustration, excess stimuli, a confrontation with someone and specially after a bad night sleep. When I was alone the thought process that will make me have an urge starts.
    Now, I can sort of see when I’m getting agitated or anxious, and I can be aware of that, I’m aware that I’m going to be out of center, so I started to observe my breathing and come right back to my center again.
    The same goes for the though processes that will lead myself to have an urge, I can catch myself now, I feel my breathing scattered and a change of my heart beat. But now I don’t act on it and I can pause, focus on my breathing and sort of empty my mind, and the urges goes away.
    My question is: Am I using my will power to control both my feelings/emotions and my urges, or I’m truly being able to center myself and avoiding this all together?
    I think that I’m not using my will power to repress this urge, other wise I would be feeling it getting momentum. When I used will power or even deciding not to do it, and the thought process started I couldn’t resist for more than a day.
    Anyhow, I realized as well, that I kept moving my legs all the time when I sat down, like opening and closing my legs. Now I don’t feel like doing that any more. Other impulse that I had that I’m able to control more was biting nails.
    But I still make an annoying noise with my throat, like a nervous tick, that I can’t seem to get rid of!
    Well, this was more to tell you I really appreciate your guides, and if you have an insight about my progress here I will be pleased to read! Thanks!

    • Hi Carlos,

      “Am I using my will power to control both my feelings/emotions and my urges, or I’m truly being able to center myself and avoiding this all together?”

      In the context of impulse control, the ego is wrestling with the id (animal/impulsive self). And this battle draws energy, hence “ego depletion.”

      If you’re able to stay more “in the Center” there’s less need for this battle to ensue. So it’s possible that you’re no longer using willpower (at least most of the time). You’ll likely know after more time passes. If you’re getting more agitated, irritable, or aggressive, these are indicators that you’re repressing your urges (via willpower).

      The main thing is just to continue to observe. As you stand more like a tree (Zhan Zhuang), you are building new qualities into your body over time. As you learn to sink your awareness into your body and stabilize your energy within, you’ll gain more access to the neutral Observer.

      From here, the archetypes will not hook as easily or as often because there will be more “space” between you and these “ghosts and monsters.” You’ll be witnessing their tendencies without identifying with them.

      Just be patient with the process. And be mindful of the mind’s tendency to seek novelty (“The Dabbler”) as this tendency derails many people from the path of self-mastery.

  • This is fantastically helpful. I have delved into this topic before and kidney health was never addressed, and I think that this has been a HUGE stumbling block for me. I plan to begin cleansing my kidney ASAP. I’ve done massive amounts of meditation, breathwork, shadow work, energy healing and emotional alchemy, but I’ve continually struggled with the “sexual energy problem.” I’ve been getting the message over the past couple days to revisit Tai Chi / Qigong, and I will take this as confirmation that I should follow that inner guidance. In the past, I explored Mantak Chia and various Tantric practices, but I was dealing with a lot of energy blockages and pelvic floor dysfunction, and I found it to be more harmful than helpful for me at the time. Thank you for putting this information out there. I feel much more empowered in being able to deal with sexual energy in a constructive and healthy way going forward.

    • You’re welcome, Derek.

      As I mentioned above and in other comments, I suggest avoiding Mantak Chia’s work. He knows just enough information to be dangerous, but I don’t consider him a responsible teacher of qigong and especially neigong as a lot of the material he puts out in his books can be harmful to the average person. Just my opinion.

  • I congratulate you for this article that you have written, it is really superb. You managed to speak just about everything I came upon, without me even dwelling in this realm on purpose.
    Please, allow me to share with you my journey, on something that happened to me. It is not from this realm, but it matches with what you had related here.

    Since 11 years ago (21 years young), I have experienced something huge, that only a handful of the population could’ve done it too.
    That experienced, changed my life forever. And when i got 24 years young, I decided to write a book about it.

    By the time i got 24 years young, I decided to write a book about it, because it was so powerful and beyound mesure.

    I didn’t do anything consciously about semen retention, I was more focused on how to preserve my energy and expand it. I found out, that when we get surprised in life and ask questions, we exhaust ourselves. Also, when we verbally interact with people, we leak energy like crazy.

    So i decided at that time, to stop speaking and beibg surpised and stopped to ask questions. I was allowed to write in paper my thoughts but thats it. By that time i was living with my older brother and mother, thankfully they both respected what I was doing. Did I mentioned that I stopped technology too for 3 days, yes i stopped it.

    For 3 days I continued to stop speaking, asking, getting surprised, and no technology. Plus, back at that time I was “Raw vegan” (not anymore now). But, I didnt stop thinking though, because that was too hard for me.

    In day 4th… The glory of othe Lord of the Earth, had descended to my soul… I felt totally different. I felt thoughtless for the very first time. Without having the need to meditate. There was not even a single thought running in my head, even if i was not careful enough, thoughts were not being invited into my head at all.

    I felt what you described in your post, the “burning sensation” in one’s chest, when we dont share with anybody anything. This feeling had climbed to the throat and I felt the need to break that “fast” to see what happens.

    I went outside in our garden, our house was surrounded by a forest, and my brother was making a bone fire. And I decided to make a manifestation. So I said the following:

    – “I create that it rains”. My brother looked at me surprised, cuz I wasn’t saying a word for 3 days. Nothing happened for 30 seconds. But then… I heard from afar wind coming, closer and closer. After 1min, there was this “sideways tornado” that arrived in full force, bringing a very strong rain and we had to run inside the house.

    We were both laughing and highly impressed. Btw, my burning sensation vanished. This was my storey, and it only gets better. But i will stop right here, because i do not want to spoil my book from sharing prematurely. This was just one tiny experience, and each time was just fetting 100x stronger. Plus there is 2 things that I was doing there, that made everything easier and pissible, these things i’ll also keep private.

    The only thing that I can share, is that the SR (Semen retention), was also a big key in this experience. I am still writting that book. As I am now 31 and ill be 32 this year.

    Humanity is in great need of help for the ones who seek it. We shall do something while we can. Your article helped hundreds if not more. And I wish to do the same, I actually feel driven, it is my purpose. Thank you for your time in reading my big comment. It isn’t just a comment, it is a story of my life. A small part of it.

    Thank you,

    Hugs, André

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