Some arguments against the "your brain on porn" thing...

...because I love porn and it bothers me to see it defamed by this interesting, but flawed quasi-science.

I'm sure this has been stated previously in the "your brain on porn threads" but that thread is so convoluted I thought I'd start a discussion just for these counter-arguments.

The people behind this "your brain on porn" material and associated websites are not scientists in the fields they are offering their perspective on, and don't quite understand all the issues involved. Their conclusions are very biased, and sex-negative enough that it makes me feel uncomfortable, almost like its a religion. And some of their supporters I've seen on various forums act exactly like religious proselytizers...trying to convince people they need to be saved from a problem they didn't even know they had. There IS indeed some very valid info in their anti-porn material, but the whole thing is just too negative on porn and orgasms in general. They are missing a few important factors that are the REAL underlying problems. Porn is just part of the smoke...the fire is here:

-neurotransmitter deficiencies caused by a poor diet with not enough minerals and quality fats and proteins (especially in early childhood) which is epidemic in the west, consequently their studies are skewed by the fact that almost every one of their subjects is not a "normal", "healthy" human but a damaged human. So their conclusions may be true for damaged humans, but with a healthy diet, exercise, positive attitude etc for a prolonged period you can heal your brain and properly enjoy porn, masturbation, and traditional orgasmic sex (in reasonable amounts of course) without "depleting your neurotransmitters" and all the other problems they try to scare you with. Depleted neurotransmitters are only a problem if you ALREADY had issues before you started porn, etc. Which leads me to...

-early childhood trauma regarding sex and orgasms. Even beyond the widespread problems of sexual abuse and religious guilt, which are guaranteed to create sexually repression of one sort or another...the negativity with which most parents in western countries tread their children's sexual development, leads the child to sort of "lock down" their sexual energy out of shame and fear, and thus severely dull their capacity for true, normal full sexual pleasure for the rest of their life, unless/until they manage to reprogram their brain. Even a simple thing like telling a 2-year-old "don't touch that" with a disgusted look on the parent's face, can deeply imprint upon the child a negativity towards all things sexual. That's part of why even in this modern, more sex-positive world, we still think of sex as "dirty" and words associated with the act and our parts as being "foul". I think all the people who get "addicted" to porn or orgasms and have negative side effects from same, have collectively been through the childhood trauma of having our sexuality negativized by our parents/guardians. In impressionable children, this can cause permanent brain changes. Our brain associates sex with negativity and thus releases stress hormones during or after a sex act, which leads to neurotransmitter dysfunction and a less satisfying experience that leads to addiction. THIS, not porn or orgasms, is what I believe is mostly behind the phenomenon of neurotransmitter depletion and the common feeling of being "drained" and disinterested in sex after an orgasm, and having mood swings in the hours and days afterwards. It's not porn's fault...porn is just revealing that your brain/body is damaged and your capacity for pleasure is lower than intended.

After saying all of that, I do think the "your brain on porn" people have some good info. But they're only seeing one side of the story, and I'm afraid, only increasing the damage done by being afraid of sex. Sex is natural and awesome and good. Watching porn, I believe, is a lot more positive way to spend your time than watching the violence, strife and jealousy of most other modern entertainment (assuming the porn itself is not full of violence, personally I only watch and support porn that is respectful and honoring to the participants). What's better, watching a bunch of guys shoot each other and a bunch of women bitch at each other (most TV drama), or watching beautiful people enjoy their bodies?

So in conclusion, please enjoy porn. In moderation...because there IS a limit to your neurotransmitters, especially with a health-compromised Western diet. Watching porn 6 hours a day every day is not sustainable for most people, and you probably have more productive things to be doing...but we'd say the same thing about someone who drank 6 hours a day, and that doesn't mean all alcohol consumption is bad or dangerous.

And you can change your junk-and-stress-damaged brain. You can DRAMATICALLY increase your capacity for pleasure, whether in masturbation or real sex with partners. Look into the dietary changes you can make for sexual health, as well as exercises like kegels for strengthening your pelvic floor, or pilates for strengthening your whole core. Look into tantric practices for prolonging the sexual experience, because that's just more fun than cumming in five minutes, and healthier too.

It's fine if you feel motivated to quit porn/masturbation/orgasms for a while to see if it makes you feel better...I think that's a positive thing. But don't just cut out a whole enjoyable part of your life because some people on the internet made you feel guilty and scared...instead learn how to use your sexuality to positively transform your life and increase your pleasure and happiness! Then you can have the best of both worlds, and eventually with a lot of effort see yourself transform into one of those fit, confident alpha males who can enjoy their sexuality as much as they want! :) :cheers:[googlevid]