How To Transform Sexual Energy Into Alternate Pursuits

These two extremes often push people into a corner, leaving them little wiggle room when it comes to managing their sexual energy. But what if I told you there was a third route?

If you’ve ever taken a psychology class, you’ve heard of the name Sigmund Freud. Known as the founding father of psychoanalysis, Freud coined the term “libido” and made it the center of his psychoanalytic theories. Freud, however, was not alone in his focus on sexual energy (libido) and its influence on human behavior. Sexual energy has been observed for thousands of years, but thanks to Freud’s colleague, Wilhelm Reich, we’ve been able to take sexual energy from an idea to a scientifically observable phenomenon. 

What Is Sexual Energy?

Sexual energy has had many names throughout human history and has been observed by cultures and religions across the world for thousands of years. Many have heard it referred to as “chi,” “prana,” “ojas,” and hundreds of different names, but ultimately all generally view it as “life force.” Taoists, for example, base one of their first principles on the conservation of sexual energy, traditionally practicing semen retention as a way to do this because they believe their sexual energy is expelled through their semen, weakening their body and life force. In Hindu culture, they practice celibacy and pranayama, a type of yogic breathing, to preserve and convert their sexual energy.

These cultures are not the only ones who talk about the power of sexual energy and the practice of energy conversion to protect and utilize life force. Many key figures and geniuses throughout history have recognized the power of sexual energy and the key role it plays in human vitality, including one of the most radical leaders in the history of psychiatry, Wilhelm Reich. Through several experiments, Reich discovered that he could bio-energetically measure fluctuations in emotion and the enhancement/retrieval of energy in the body. He found that when a person was annoyed energy would retreat from the body, but when a person felt pleasure energy would become more present in the body. He also found that the more blocked energy a person had, the more anxious they were.

“It is sexual energy which governs the structure of human feeling and thinking.” – Wilhelm Reich 

Reich referred to this energy as “orgone energy” and came to find that it was unique in that it didn't obey any laws of electromagnetism. This led to the discovery of “bions,” named after the Greek word for “life.” He found that bions could break free from larger vesicles and create new cells, quite literally creating life itself. It’s through these observations that Reich concluded that sex energy is more than just a physical quality but rather a creative energy manifesting itself as our entire life force. 

Upon observing this “life force,” Reich invented the orgone accumulator and found that people would report back feeling more lively and even healed from certain health ailments after sitting in it. Reich also found that the people who had the most potent amount of sexual energy were more likely to remain faithful in monogamous relationships as both partners were sexually satisfied. This indicates that producing and protecting life force helps us maintain our relationships, further contributing to better overall health. 

How To Accumulate and Retain Sexual Energy 

In the physical sense, limiting our toxic burden and living a healthy lifestyle are essential to increasing libido. Hormonal issues caused by unhealthy diets and a high toxic burden have become increasingly more common today and have taken a toll on the sex drive of both men and women. Limiting hormone-disrupting chemicals such as xenoestrogens in plastic, eating nutrient-dense, whole foods, having a healthy amount of body fat, and refraining from medicines, such as birth control, that meddle with our hormones are all important steps in increasing and retaining libido. Practicing sexual abstinence and energy transformation also allows us to conserve our sexual energy. 

How To Transform Your Sexual Energy 

The more sexual energy someone has, the more life force they have; however, not having a healthy way to express that sexual energy can lead a person to expend it on negative outlets. Most people either drain all of their sexual energy through endless sexual pursuits or anger and frustration from sexual repression, but there is a third option: sexual energy transmutation.

Sexual transmutation is the practice of transforming sexual energy into creative energy. Sexual transmutation consists of accumulating sexual energy and then redirecting our energy to our goals. In the famous book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Hill says, “A river may be dammed, and its water controlled for a time, but eventually, it will force an outlet. The same is true of the emotion of sex. It may be submerged and controlled for a time, but its very nature causes it to be ever seeking means of expression. If it is not transmuted into some creative effort it will find a less worthy outlet.” 

Hill also talks about how some of the greatest achievers throughout history have harnessed their sexual energy to generate action and thought. He says, “The desire for sexual expression is by far the strongest and most impelling of all the human emotions. For this very reason this desire, when harnessed and transmuted into action other than that of physical expression, may raise one to the status of a genius.”

Sexual desire, when transmuted into action other than that of physical expression, may raise one to the status of a genius.

Hill uses Dr. Elmer R. Gates as an example. Dr. Gates, a scientific inventor who practiced sexual transmutation, used the following method: 

1. Stimulate the mind. There are many different ways to stimulate the mind. Hill suggests the human brain responds most freely to focusing on the desire for sexual expression. Other ways to stimulate the mind include: music, the desire for money, and autosuggestion. 

2. Concentrate. Once your brain is stimulated (motivated), focus on your goals, where you are now, and where you want to be. Dr. Gates did this by sitting in a dark room, closing his eyes, and focusing on known factors (the finished parts) of his inventions and creating in his mind a detailed picture of unknown factors (the unfinished parts) of his inventions, holding the picture in mind until it was ingrained in his subconscious mind.

3. Relax. After Dr. Gates felt motivated and focused, he then relaxed his mind and waited for creative thoughts to come to him.

4. Transform. This process allowed him to channel his energy into creating inventions like the fire extinguisher and the electric iron. 

By stimulating the mind and meditating on our sexual energy we’re able to transform our energy into alternate pursuits such as:

• Working out

• Writing

• Playing sports

• Dancing

• Painting

• Working

• Reading 

• Breathing

• Yoga

• Meditation

• Socializing 

• Learning

• Creating thought

• Building

• Cooking

Closing Thoughts 

When we view our sexual energy as a creative life force rather than just “libido,” we’re less likely to pursue fruitless endeavors and negative outlets. Protecting our energy and being cautious of how we use it is important in protecting our well-being and overall vitality. Because sexual transmutation is dependent on willpower, when we focus our energy on alternate pursuits rather than giving in to it and expending it whenever it begins to build up, we better master the art of self-control, in turn, better mastering ourselves. It’s this mastery of self that has influenced and helped some of the greatest thinkers and achievers in human history. 

Regardless of what you believe in, we could all benefit from this protection of energy and practice of self-control. Preserving and transmuting your energy might just be what you need to achieve your goals and dreams. 

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