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The adage above adage poignantly illustrates our situation. The hard times may arrive soon, and the question is, "Are you prepared?”

If you aren't, it's time to start preparing. If you continue along the path of ease like the majority, you'll falter when faced with even a minor challenge.

In this Mastery Letter, we focus particularly on semen retention, as it is within our semen that men hold their vital life force energy, drive, character, and the capacity to withstand adversity, as well as their willingness to engage in procreation.

Call it testosterone or call it yang (masculine) energy, either way it is what we need as men to thrive. I have witnessed how crippling it is to become a man who is too soft. Lacking in emotional stability, addicted to smoking weed and binge eating on sugar, I was driven to a point where I could not see value in living life. 

This subject is not disconnected from the prevention of male suicide. I have been there, and maybe you have too…

Life force energy lies at the core of all creation. Many of us have depleted this force through the misuse of pornography, masturbation, and careless ejaculation. Therefore, the journey to regain strength begins with semen retention, which grants us back of vital life force, which we must then use with the intent of taking massive, meaningful action. 

Master Tip: Order the book “Hard Times, Strong Men” by Stefan Aarnio either during or after reading this Mastery Letter. Commit to reading that book cover to cover, you won’t regret it. Every man should read that book. 

Wasting The Seed

Are you aware that excessive masturbation and pornography consumption deplete testosterone levels? Testosterone is the essence of manhood, driving us to embrace challenges and prioritise strength and character.

Our semen holds within it a potent vital life-force energy capable of seeding new human life. Semen retention entails conserving this vital life force energy by retaining your seed (not ejaculating) and harnessing your potential for any endeavour you choose.

Consider this miracle: a single sperm cell can fertilise a woman's egg, giving rise to an entire human life with boundless potential, impacting the world and continuing the cycle for generations. 

Every time we ejaculate for mere pleasure, we squander this precious resource.

This life force energy isn't limited to procreation; it extends to all aspects of materialising the immaterial. From ideas to inventions, visions to communities, change to impact, and gifts - the energy within our semen can fuel the creation of beauty on Earth. 

All human creations begin with an idea, requiring the drive of creative life force energy to transform it into reality.

The cultivation and channeling of creative life force energy can achieve anything a man desires, including spiritual development. This occurs when one transcends base instincts and identifies more with the immaterial than the material.

Notice the fatigue that follows ejaculation, especially after indulging in pornography and masturbation. If you've been regularly indulging in these acts, embracing semen retention will likely yield a remarkable surge in energy, joy, and zest for life.

This renewed drive will motivate you to fulfil your biological role as a protector and provider, essential for nurturing loving, meaningful relationships with women.

Ultimately, this is the true purpose of sex: creating and raising children, extending our lineage, and perpetuating the human race. Pornography tricks your brain into thinking you've witnessed sexual encounters, leading to a sense of mission accomplished upon ejaculation. 

This illusion hampers your drive to pursue genuine, loving relationships, as you believe you've already achieved it.

These are the costs of wasting one's seed: the castration of your drive to fulfil your biological purpose and the desire to form profound, loving relationships that bring children into the world. 

Sadly, excessive indulgence can impact fertility, rendering many modern men incapable of fathering children due to their abuse of sensory pleasures.

Surely this is known by powers driving the media and internet? If so, why are porn and sexual imagery pushed so invasively upon us, and why are these so freely available and not banned by the government? 

Nutrition & Sexual Urges

Many people often overlook the critical link between nutrition, dietary choices, and the surge of sexual urges. It's a topic that doesn't receive the attention it truly deserves.

If you're committed to practicing semen retention and preserving your vital energy, it becomes considerably more challenging when you're constantly battling strong urges for self-indulgence. These overpowering cravings often stem from the consumption of highly stimulating, processed foods that heavily impact dopamine levels.

Refined sugar, sugary treats, overly salty processed snacks, and refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, noodles, and grains are particularly dopamine-spiking. Among these, sugary snacks and salty processed items have a more pronounced effect on dopamine release than grains.

These so-called foods disrupt the body's natural reward system, creating an insatiable pursuit for pleasure. Modern processed foods offer an unnatural and disproportionate burst in pleasure (in the form of dopamine release) compared to the minimal effort required when obtaining them.

Today, we can simply walk or drive to the nearest store, select our cravings, swipe a plastic card, and indulge as much as we desire. There's no farming, milling, extraction, transportation, cleaning, or refining involved. It's all done for us and ready to be consumed. This unnatural convenience spikes dopamine levels, encouraging the relentless pursuit of instant gratification.

What's the most rapidly accessible source of instant pleasure at our fingertips today? Adult media content, which can easily overwhelm our reward system due to the intensity of pleasure achieved with minimal effort—just a few thumb movements.

If your goal is to reduce the intensity of your sexual urges, I strongly recommend cleaning up your diet and consumption habits, including quitting cigarettes and vaping nicotine. Anything that enters your body and triggers dopamine release will likely intensify the urge for self-indulgence.

Replace refined sugars and artificially laden snacks with healthier alternatives like fruits and nuts as you make this dietary transition.

Master Tip: Establishing scheduled meal and snack times has been a game-changer for me. I used to eat excessively from morning until night, but now I follow a structured plan that consistently builds my willpower and ensures that I eat for nourishment rather than boredom. 

An even more effective approach is to outline precisely what you'll eat during your meal windows. Keep it straightforward and consistent. For instance, my meal windows are at 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, and 6:30 pm, while my snack windows are at 12:30 pm and 7:30 pm.

Add these meal and snack times to your habit tracker so there’s consequence for either sticking or not sticking to them.

Casual Sex vs. Waiting for Marriage

With the widespread availability of contraceptives such as condoms and birth control, sex is no longer what it used to be, a sacred act primarily reserved for those seeking to bring children into the world.

The rise and fall of nations revolve around the oscillation between good and bad times, reflecting our ability to manage ourselves during peace and demonstrate unwavering resolve in times of turmoil.

Today, casual sex and hookup culture thrive in Western society. For many, this is considered normal. When the urge for release strikes, instead of channeling that energy into personal, professional, or spiritual development, people often head to bars and clubs with the hope of a brief encounter.

I must confess something (and seek forgiveness from Allah). I once engaged in such an intimate experience with a woman I barely knew. It happened shortly after I returned from over two years of solo travel, and I had pent-up energy to release.

We started kissing on her couch once my friends had retired to their rooms. Things escalated quickly, and soon we found ourselves in her bed. Within moments, I ejaculated, leaving both of us unsatisfied. We lay there in silence, realising we knew almost nothing about each other.

Honestly, I felt disgusted and disappointed in myself. Not for lasting three seconds, but for treating my sacred human body and valuable semen with such disrespect.

In such a situation, many might continue pursuing sexual activity. For me, however, I decided to get up, go downstairs, and sleep on the couch. I preferred my own company, the sincere and loving relationship I had with myself, over lying naked next to a stranger.

This experience was enough to deter me from pursuing such encounters ever again. Not only did I feel no connection with that woman, but I also sensed a fragmentation of my soul after sharing such intimacy with someone I had no genuine knowledge of.

I thank Allah that, at that time, I was sensitive enough to feel this deeply. For those whose hearts are already blind or desensitised, they remain numb to that which does not serve their souls.

Western culture often celebrates casual sex, seemingly without regard for the soul or higher nature. It's considered normal to meet someone on a night out, engage in passionate kissing, and soon find yourselves in bed, sharing one of the most intimate experiences possible with another person.

Once again, Western culture faces a perilous path if it continues to promote and celebrate the absence of virtue.

So, why should you avoid casual sex? Why should you consider waiting for marriage instead? In many cultures, sex holds both practical and spiritual significance. Pleasure is not its sole pursuit; heightened pleasure is reserved for the safe and sacred confines of marriage.

Marriage, however fragile it may appear today (marriage has been infiltrated), is fundamentally a commitment that binds a man and a woman on a spiritual level. When two souls unite, there is a merging, a commitment to withstand any challenges that arise within the relationship, seeing them as tests for personal and spiritual growth.

A relationship is the ultimate school, exposing our underdeveloped aspects. It tests us in countless ways, making us stronger and more complete through the process. Partners act as mirrors, revealing the unconscious elements that need illumination within one another.

What sets marriage apart from other relationships is its promise to endure until the very end. While casual romantic relationships may end at the slightest sign of difficulty, marriage aims to persevere. Divorce is only considered in the direst of circumstances.

Marriage, in its true essence, is not something to be eradicated but rather something to be revitalised. Islamic marriage, free from government intervention, is often seen as the most rational, logical, and desirable form of marriage today. Western governmental marriages often put men in precarious positions, requiring them to share their wealth and assets with their spouse even if this seems unjust.

Saving one's sexual desires for marriage allows for intimacy with someone you genuinely know, trust, and love. Sacred sexuality within the bounds of marriage is perhaps the greatest experience of spiritual union humans can attain.

The union of man and woman, the merging of yin and yang, moves from duality to oneness. This is possible when both partners are consciously connected, spiritually practiced, and deeply feel safe and open with each other.

Consider the two following options:

Casual sex with someone you barely know, trust, or care for on a deep level, potentially leaving your soul fragmented. Or sacred sex within a committed marriage with someone you are profoundly connected to, love, trust, and care for to the extent that you would sacrifice for them. 

This rejuvenates the soul or may even lead to one of the most profound spiritual experiences known to humanity – dissolution and union with the divine.

There is no question as to which option is more rewarding, pleasurable, and beneficial to one's life.

Taking marriage seriously ensures that children are raised in stable families where they feel safe, secure, loved, appreciated, respected, and encouraged. Such conditions are crucial for the healthy development of any human being, as outlined in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

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When these needs are met, individuals can thrive in their growth and development, achieving great possibilities. Marriage provides the foundation for this flourishing.

Casual sex often leads to illegitimate children and a staggering number of single mothers, as mothers usually assume primary caregiving roles during a child's earliest years. Unfortunately, single mothers often struggle to provide the necessary support for their sons and daughters.

The statistics are disheartening. Children from fatherless homes are: 

• Nearly four times more likely to live in poverty
• Significantly more prone to substance abuse
• Over twice as likely to commit suicide
• Comprise seventy-one percent of all school dropouts
• Have a higher risk of criminal involvement
• And are more likely to engage underage sexual activity, leading to teen pregnancy

Raising children is a monumental task that cannot be handled by one individual alone. Wealth generation and nurturing the family home are distinct responsibilities, each requiring one person's full commitment. This is where the roles of father as provider and mother as nurturer come into play.

Together, two parents can ensure children's needs are met and create an environment conducive to optimal development. In a single-parent household, it is nearly impossible to fulfil all these needs.

Some may argue that it's not the parent's fault for being unable to handle the workload of two people. However, I contend that in most cases it was their responsibility to engage in casual sex, live without self-respect, and reject God's will of waiting for marriage.

While some may claim ignorance, countless warnings have been provided in holy scriptures. To those who believe there is no manual for the human experience, I disagree.

With a rational and open mind, read the Quran or the Bible. Evaluate whether the teachings align with the principles that foster strong nations, or if they lead to our downfall. In my opinion, the Quran offers guidance on living life to our highest potential, preventing our own demise, and maintaining strong families within integrated communities.

It took me years to let go of the emotional baggage I carried towards God and religion. I was raised in a single-mother household after the age of ten and unconsciously was made to resent the way of the Father.

When I finally approached the Quran with a rational, non-emotional mindset, I was consistently amazed. It became clear that these holy scriptures serve as a manual for the human experience.

Infertile Nation

Did you know that fertility rates have been experiencing a noticeable decline? Over the past decade, they've dropped by about two and a half percent each year, a substantial increase compared to the previous four to five decades when the decline was just one percent annually.

In simpler terms, this means that the average levels of testosterone in men have fallen by over sixty percent in the last half-century. This decline is quite astonishing when we consider that our grandfathers and great-grandfathers had testosterone levels that were more than double what we have today.

This trend is expected to persist due to various environmental factors contributing to the decline. 

One significant factor is excessive indulgence, often associated with explicit content or casual sex encounters, which have a substantial impact on lowering testosterone levels.

This raises a pertinent question: Why would someone seek a partner when instant gratification is available through a smartphone or computer screen? It's a thought-provoking concern that reflects the changing dynamics of our society.

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“Why use courage and willingness to meet women in person when you can use dating apps?”

If these trends continue, we could be facing a fertility crisis. It appears that explicit content is strategically used to weaken men, making them less motivated, less fertile, and less inclined to protect their families (assuming they even have families in this scenario).

As millennials reach their thirties, they should ideally be considering starting families. Women, in particular, feel the urgency due to their biological clocks ticking louder than men's. What will happen? Will men in their twenties and thirties partner with women a decade younger, who still have ample fertility?

The uncertainty looms: Will our own lack of fertility prevent us from passing on our legacy? Or will we grow old, alone, having sacrificed the potential for a family and the profound meaning it brings for fleeting pleasures that offer no lasting value?

Could these circumstances be by design? Were you aware that during the Covid pandemic, certain adult media websites distributed free premium memberships? Some individuals recognised that billions of men worldwide were confined to their homes with ample free time, making it the perfect opportunity to target male fertility and transform them into pleasure-seeking fap-artists.

In the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):

"O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty. And whoever is not able to marry should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.”

Another Quranic quote states:

"those who control their desires, except with their spouses or whom their right hands possess - they are not to be blamed. But those who seek more than this are transgressors" (Qur'an 23:5-7).

Self-pleasure may not be explicitly forbidden in Islam, but it is certainly discouraged as it can be detrimental to one's well-being, society, and future potential, albeit not as severe as certain other adulterous or promiscuous acts.

Did you know that some companies are preparing to mass-produce babies grown in artificial womb-like structures? This development bears a resemblance to science fiction narratives.

For reference, search for "EctoLife: The World's First Artificial Womb Facility." 

The strategy seems to revolve around inducing infertility while knowing people possess a deep biological urge to establish families, ultimately forcing them to seek alternative means.

The core issue appears to be control; that's the underlying objective.

I acknowledge that this letter has had a rather somber tone thus far. The truth is, knowledge of the darkness inspires us to move towards that which is true and light.

Rest assured, I will soon shift to sharing potential strategies to address these concerns.

Until now, my intent has been to raise awareness about the consequences of excessive indulgence and the pursuit of momentary pleasures.

Master Tip: Look up EctoLife next time you’re on Google. I can’t believe this shi* is real…

The 5 Levels of Semen Retention

If you recognise a concern or are interested in practicing semen retention, begin by identifying your current level.

Self-awareness is key; you must acknowledge where you stand before progressing. Keep in mind that the true benefits and challenges of excessive indulgence can only be fully comprehended through personal experience.

Levels:

• Level One - Regularly consuming explicit content and self-indulgence.
• Level Two - Regular self-pleasuring without explicit content.
• Level Three - Engaging in intimate activity only within a consensual relationship (preferably within marriage).
• Level Four - Engaging in intimate activity within marriage but abstaining from ejaculation.
• Level Five - Celibacy (complete abstinence from intimate sexual activity).

Be honest about your current level. For instance, if you're in a romantic relationship with frequent ejaculation, alongside regular self-pleasuring and explicit content consumption, you're at level one.

Many people continue self-pleasuring even within a marriage, driven by addiction or a lack of attraction to their partner. This phenomenon is often due to what is known as depolarisation, a topic we'll explore further soon.

Challenge yourself to reach a specific level within a defined timeframe. Expect initial resistance as you transition away from comfort and pleasure toward a disciplined approach.

Channelling Vital Energy

Upon successfully completing your challenge, you'll have surplus energy demanding an outlet—either through physical training or purposeful work.

Napoleon Hill, in his book 'Think And Grow Rich,' explains why many individuals find success after the age of forty. At this stage, they've shifted their focus away from pursuing desires, indulging less frequently, and have a surplus of vital energy that can be harnessed for meaningful projects and pursuits.

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The Physical Channel: 

Once you've curtailed indulgence and other habits, you'll discover newfound energy. Consider your preferred forms of physical activity, such as lifting weights, bodyweight training (callisthenics), martial arts, cycling, swimming, running, climbing, hiking, dancing, or whatever you prefer.

The Professional Channel: 

As you make progress in your physical pursuits, you may still sense untapped potential, a reservoir of energy waiting to fuel a meaningful project. If you're already employed, you might become more engaged and committed to your work, as fulfilment hinges not just on what you do but how you do it.

Put your best into all that you do, regardless of whether or not you like the particular activity. This is how a man fulfils his duty without generating resentment for what he does. 

A job that pays the bills serves a vital purpose, enabling a person to provide for loved ones. However, vital energy can be channeled differently in the realm of work.

Creative endeavours, job advancements, and entrepreneurship all require creative life force energy. Embrace this vitality, embark on new ventures, or elevate existing ones.

The Playful Channel: 

The acquisition of new skills can change the game when looking to replace old, destructive behaviours with new ones. Consider interests like learning musical instruments, acquiring programming skills, or exploring various hobbies. 

Semen retention or ridding yourself of any destructive habit calls for behaviour replacement, not behaviour deletion. Enhance your ability to enter a deep flow-state and develop new skills that occupy your mind, provide a sense of enjoyment and make use of time in a more fulfilling and beneficial manner.

The Spiritual Channel: 

Semen retention is a significant practice in various traditions and features prominently in certain religions.

Engaging in semen retention brings individuals closer to the Divine—the source of life force energy, creator of all existence, and the eternal, formless reality without beginning or end.

If you're caught in a cycle of watching adult content and wasting away your man-juice, you might find these spiritual aspects less appealing. However, I encourage you to be open to the possibility that there may be more to existence than what meets the eye.

Humility is a rare trait these days, and I encourage you to be humble enough to admit that you do not have all the answers. There might be more to this existence than just physical matter and scientific discoveries.

Over time, repeatedly making choices that conflict with your inner values can lead to desensitisation, where guilt and shame are no longer effective signals for change. This is when one's conscience becomes less responsive, and base desires take control.

“(They are) deaf, dumb, and blind, so they will not return (to Right Way).” - Quran (2:18)

To overcome this, one must repent for wasting the gifts of time and energy, cultivate discipline and willpower, shifting focus from base desires to higher aspirations. This process involves aligning with the aspects of ourselves that seek greater meaning beyond sensory indulgence.

There is more to life than the material world. To rise, we must live for qualities such as character, spirit, heart, connection, and submission to a higher force that guides all of existence.

Semen retention and abstaining from impulsive gratification thus bring us closer to our true spiritual nature. As a result, we experience a deeper connection to life, inner peace, and a renewed sense of purpose. These are some of the invaluable rewards for committing to the practice of semen retention.

Connection, Peace, and Purpose await those who embark on this journey.

Master Tip: Write four lists for Physical, Professional, Playful and Spiritual channels. 

For the physical channel get clear on one to three ways in which you can expend physical energy. Personally I practice yoga, I run every other day and I do callisthenics in combination with high intensity kettlebell training, occasionally I also like to lift weights and go climbing. 

For the professional level, outline one to three areas you wish to develop in. At the moment I have my creative pursuit (this writing), social media growth and my transformational coaching business. 

Next, for the playful channel, list one to three skills you would like to channel time and energy into. Currently I’m working mainly on juggling and handstands. 

Finally, list out one to three spiritual practices you can use as aiding tools in semen retention. For me I practice daily meditation, balls breathing (which I will share with you soon), and islamic prayer (which involves sounding and has incredible healing qualities). 

Transmuting Sexual Energy 

What I've discussed so far about redirecting sexual energy, often referred to as vital life force energy, can be profoundly beneficial when integrated into your life.

However, there's always more to explore. Therefore, I'd like to offer you a practice that you can employ whenever you experience a surge of sexual urges. I understand that the energy within your body can be intense, so let's discuss a method to help you regain control and manage these urges.

It's important to recognise that if you can't master your own impulses, you may pose a risk to those around you. Emotional volatility and a lack of self-control can lead to impulsive actions that could potentially harm yourself or others.

I'm sure you'd prefer to avoid that outcome. Therefore, it's crucial that you learn to harness and regulate your inner desires for self-indulgence and sexual release.

Follow these instructions closely:

For a moment, place your hand on the area between your anus and scrotum, which is known as your perineum (get your laughs out now). This region corresponds to your root chakra. You may already be familiar with how to engage this area; it's akin to the sensation when you attempt to halt the flow of urine mid-stream.

Go ahead and practice this contraction briefly as if you were pausing urination mid-flow. This is how you engage the perineum.

Now, let's delve into the technique I'd like to introduce: 

Balls Breathing:

• Begin with a deep, slow inhalation through your nose. Utilise your diaphragm to allow for a fuller expansion of your lungs (this will become more natural with practice).

• While drawing in the breath, simultaneously engage the perineum and hold this tension. At the peak of your inhalation, hold the breath and perineum engagement for five to ten seconds.

• Intentionally draw energy and attention upwards from the base of your spine up through the spine and to the top of your head. 

• On your exhalation, again making use of your diaphragm, release the tension in your perineum. Hold your breath at the bottom of your exhalation for another five to ten seconds.

• Repeat this breathing pattern in combination with engaging the perineum for five to ten repetitions.

In essence, one full cycle consists of inhaling deeply while engaging the perineum, holding the breath, then exhaling while releasing the perineum and again holding the breath. Repeat this cycle five to ten times.

If you're not already familiar with such practices, approach it with an open mind and reserve judgment until you've given it a try.

If you are well-versed in these practices, diligently implement this technique when you feel sexual urges surfacing. Set that intention right now, applied knowledge is power, remember? 

This will aid you in controlling your inner impulses, soothing your nerves, and cultivating an on-demand sense of tranquility.

Depolarisation: The Diminishment of Attraction

Frequent self-pleasuring can lead to a shift toward more passive qualities in men. This transformation results in traits such as passivity, reduced motivation, emotional instability, and unpredictability in mood and action.

Such characteristics are not usually desirable to feminine women, who typically seek partners displaying masculinity. On the other hand, masculine women may be briefly attracted to these traits, as it can give them a sense of control and dominance.

The most enduring, fulfilling relationships usually involve a strong contrast in sexual and energetic dynamics between partners. These relationships tend to feature predominantly masculine men and predominantly feminine women.

A feminine partner thrives when she can embrace her feminine traits and fulfil roles like nurturer, healer, and homemaker, provided she feels secure in the presence of a strong masculine energy.

However, if there is a lack of masculine presence and her partner is more lead by self-indulgence and emotional instability, she may feel unsafe and naturally adopt a more masculine demeanour, leading to relationship issues.

Similarly, a man can embody his masculine traits and fulfil roles like provider, protector, and leader when his partner is receptive and not confrontational. A yielding, trusting, and submissive partner elevates a man to his role as a leader in the relationship.

But when there is a lack of a nurturing, feminine presence, the man may adapt by becoming more passive, possibly regressing into child-like behaviour. In such cases, the woman may take on a more motherly role, which can harm the romantic aspect of the relationship.

These scenarios illustrate depolarisation. I share this connection to semen retention because self-indulgence and explicit content tend to shift a man towards a more passive state, making it challenging to maintain the required masculine energy for a fulfilling relationship.

From this state, a man is likely to attract partners who may tend to dominate or control, as their energy aligns with someone less emotionally attuned and more focused on material pursuits.

If you find this topic intriguing, I can explore it further. Based on what I've learned from my students over the past three years, discussing depolarisation might be one of the most crucial conversations we need to have.

Depolarisation often leads to divorces and casual encounters between feminine men and masculine women, contributing to declining fertility rates and an increase in single-parent households. If this trend continues, it could lead to depopulation due to depolarisation, incompatibility, and infertility.

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Master Tip: Be honest with yourself, by consulting the tables of diagnosis above, what is your current condition? Is it more extreme yin, balanced yin, balanced yang or extreme yang? Your answer may be a combination of more than one. 

Reviving Masculinity

The solution to the looming crisis, where men and women are rarely attracted to each other, and fertility rates plummet, lies in reviving true masculinity. We must aim to be like our forefathers and even better.

The journey begins by asking the fundamental question, "What does it mean to be a man?" 

Central to this answer lies the embodiment of stoic values. These values emphasise the development of character over the pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

Furthermore, these values revolve around a foundation of spiritual and religious faith, acknowledging that certain aspects of life are beyond our control, and focusing on those we can influence leads to a content and successful life.

Ask yourself: "Do I feel like a real man in my current state?" Do men spend excess hours in bed hypnotised by their screens, only getting up when external obligations demand it?

Be honest in your self-assessment and sincere in your quest for understanding. Explore stoic philosophy, study the concept of yin and yang, read books on masculinity, and consume content created by masculine figures.

Men like: 

• Elliott Hulse 
• Hamza
• Bedros Keulian
• Andrew Tate
• Stefan Aarnio (author of Hard Times, Strong Men)
• David Deida (author of The Way of The Superior Man)
• Jordan Peterson

You must use your own discernment to separate that which is true from that which is not.

It's essential to be aware that, within every layer of truth, there are falsehoods waiting to be uncovered. The revival of masculinity is an ongoing movement, and within it, you'll encounter both authentic and inauthentic figures.

Your judgment may be compromised if you're currently embracing more feminine traits and haven't rekindled your masculine core. False prophets may appear as saints, while truly honourable men might leave you disinterested or resentful.

The revival of masculinity necessitates a detachment from hedonistic pursuits and an embrace of sacrifice, discomfort, and risk. As the saying goes:

”The treasure you seek the most lies within the cave you least want to look into.”

Master Tip: Ponder frequently on what it means to be a man, even if you have done so already. What is masculinity? How can one define it accurately, simply and with clarity? I suggest studying my works on masculine and feminine energy. This knowledge truly changed my life. 

An Era of Sexploitation

In today's world, suggestive imagery and sexual content vie for our attention from all directions. It's a constant battle for our focus. Women, naturally more feminine, tend to draw attention toward themselves—a useful trait for attracting a mate and nurturing offspring.

However, society has exploited this inherent quality by normalising and making the over-sexualisation of women easily accessible. Media promotes revealing clothing, encouraging women to flaunt their bodies, thereby attracting the gaze of men. Unfortunately, this encourages other women to follow suit, perpetuating the cycle and diverting attention away from those who are modest and virtuous (often considered ideal life partners).

Modesty is sometimes frowned upon, and women are encouraged to expose themselves, contributing to the over-sexualisation issue. This is particularly evident in the soft-core content on platforms like Instagram.

One simply has to tap the "explore" button, intended for discovering new content, only to be bombarded with an endless stream of scantily half-naked women. You end up seeing more skin in a single session than your ancestors might have seen in their entire lives.

This triggers sexual desires, prompting the opening of a private browser tab to view more explicit content. The escalation happens rapidly, leading to feelings of guilt and shame.

Remarkably, it all starts with a simple mobile app, easily accessible even to children today. Not having an Instagram account is considered unusual, or at least, you'll be seen as somewhat mysterious or even weird if you reveal that you're not active on social media.

These devices, while integral to our social lives and work, are also the fastest path into a vortex of explicit content and its consequences. Smartphones may be affecting us negatively, but, as per stoic philosophy, we should focus on what's within our control—the frequency of our device use and how we allow them into our lives.

Master Tip: Create the habit of unfollowing any people on your social media feed who’s images trigger sexual desire, urgency and an impulsive state. In fact, the next time you use social media I recommend you unfollow five to ten pages that post images which draw in your attention. 

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Notice how the ego will make excuses and resist letting go the option to see that which invokes pleasure. Consider how pathetic this is… you’re looking at a screen, there’s nothing real about any of this. Unfollow. 

What is In Your Control

I encourage you to start setting rules around your smartphone and set the intention to reduce your screen-time and overall phone usage altogether. I place my smartphone outside of the bedroom every night when I go to sleep. This has proved invaluable, for if the phone is beside where I sleep, I simply cannot trust myself not to grab it, hit snooze, and go back to sleep.

Another rule I absolutely know I must adhere to is no phone in bed, which serves as a complement to having the phone outside of my room. By the way, even now as I write in my bedroom, my phone is outside. I cannot see it, nor is it within arm's reach. These are the measures some of us have to go to…

I stick to the rule of no phone in bed as best as I possibly can because I know that if I’m scrolling in bed, I’ll soon enough be touching myself and regretfully engaging in self-pleasuring. Then, opening my eyes, looking at explicit content and thinking “what on earth was I doing there?” Yet it is too late, for the seed has already been spilled…

This is exactly what happens when we are hijacked by an impulsive state. It is as though we are not ourselves, until the mist clears and we come back to our senses.

You can read more about mastering impulsive behaviour in a previous Mastery Letter here.

Give yourself rules as you would your children. Why? Because smartphone abuse is making you miserable and serving as an incredibly distracting factor from your goals, health, and real-life relationships.

Rules are not set in the name of self-denial but rather from a place of self-love. When a parent loves their children this is sometimes expressed through the placing of restrictions such as a set bed-time for best brain development and rest, and no chocolate after certain hours to prevent tiresome emotional spikes. 

Self parenting is key…

Just notice how often you look at your phone. Pay attention to how you can be surrounded by people, yet everybody is on their phone. Connected to the internet yet disconnected from one another.

The explicit content-ridden world is breeding loneliness, infertility, and disconnection from our higher nature. It is placing the lower nature in the driver’s seat, making impulsive, self-sabotaging, and pleasure-driven behaviours the default for many of us.

This has to change, or more accurately, we have to change.

There is no use in complaining about the condition of the world today. My intention for sharing what I have this week has been to shine a light upon the dangers and true cost of using explicit content and self-pleasuring. 

The solution is semen retention, which will open you up to the world of abstinence, self-mastery, and stoic embodiment.

If you wish to practice semen retention, which means simply to raise your station on the five levels we discussed before, then draw your attention to that which you can control.

Your thoughts, your behaviours, your choices…

You’ll come to see that being virtuous is not as easy as you may have imagined. It’s hard to be a strong and good person, and much easier to be passive. 

Building virtue is like living life on hard mode, surrounded by unlimited opportunity for pleasure yet being pulled by none of it, or drastically reducing the amount of control it has over your choices.

Become immovable…

This is what life is really about, and I believe that although conditions are much harder today than they were for our grandfathers (regarding temptations), we therefore have before us the capacity and opportunity to become even stronger than our ancestors, for the greater the resistance, the greater the strength gained.

Master Tip: Write one to three rules around smartphone usage that are going to ensure your screen time and chances of regretfully releasing semen are reduced. As mentioned, I do not allow my phone in bed with me, and I place it outside of my bedroom so that I must stand up in order to turn off my alarm in the morning.

Another rule I have set which has made a great difference is that I can not turn my alarm off unless my bed is first made. This ensures I will not get back into bed and fall into the spell of comfort-scrolling.  

Isn’t Ejaculation Healthy?

It took me until the age of eighteen years old to kiss a girl. I remember how all the boys around me in school came off as so much more experienced than I did, which left me feeling a little insecure. 

“What was wrong with me?” “Why wasn’t I getting girls like they were?”

Packing on some muscle and being seen as the guy that lifted weights raised my confidence and status in school, my first kiss soon followed. It was a girl called Margaret, I couldn’t believe there was finally a girl I could kiss whenever I wanted to, what a dream (for me at that time).

One day I remember her asking me to go back to her place, romantic intimacy was surely on her mind and I remember disappointing her by telling her that I couldn’t, and that I was going to the gym instead. It makes me smile to look back at the younger version of me. He was disciplined, more-so than most guys back then.

Margaret couldn’t believe what I was saying, I was willing to pass on sexual activity for a good old gym session? Yes, and she found it hard accepting some other aspects of my character too, like the fact that I did not engage in self-indulgence like most other guys did. She told me it was healthy to engage in self-indulgence and that I should do it so that we can have better intimate experiences together.

You might be surprised to hear that I, in fact, listened and succumbed to this poor advice. The greatest of men can fall due to his lust for women. 

Although I had discipline at the time, I also struggled severely with please-pleaser-itis (I just made that up), especially with women. If I felt their approval slipping away from me, I would do whatever it took to get it back. Even going against my discipline and doing something as silly as engaging in self-indulgence, fooled into believing that it was healthy.

Make sure not to get the wrong message from this Mastery Letter. I am not in any way stating that masturbation is something you should absolutely never do in your life ever again. But daily, weekly, even monthly… is what I would consider too much. Examine your life and come to your own conclusions about what is acceptable, based on the standard of man you wish to be.

Engaging in self-indulgence makes us weak, it is proven that when intimate with a woman, if one engages in sexual activity and does not engage in self-indulgence, there is a four-hundred percent increase in his testosterone levels. In other words, his creative life-force energy will multiply by four!

When we masturbate and ejaculate, we lose our yang masculine energy and become more yin (feminine). Over time the effects compound, rather rapidly in fact, leading to a scattered mind, low confidence, lethargy, weakened immunity, poor concentration, and an array of other negative side effects.

After enough time without engaging in self-indulgence, you may have a wet dream. This is fine, for your body is releasing what it must, you did not engage in self-indulgence due to a craving for pleasure while lamely touching yourself, it happened as a natural effect of high testosterone levels.

Ideally, engaging in self-indulgence is best saved for your spouse. I know, I know… You’re probably thinking “who is this guy?” But trust me (and I’m not the only one saying it), this whole modern girlfriend-boyfriend thing is immature, rarely leading to long-term relationships and the building of great families.

Bottom line is (and your ego probably won’t like it) intimate activity is best preserved for marriage, and sex is for the purpose of creating children.

Wow, isn’t that simple compared to the complicated discussions we tend to have around this topic? It’s as though we’re trying to force some sense out of casual intimate activity and engaging in self-indulgence, even though many of us know deep down that it isn’t right.

The ego loves to argue against any possibility of being wrong and dislikes giving up that which it finds pleasure in.

Breaking The Pattern

The next time you feel a sexual urge, here’s something you can do. Firstly, if you’re scrolling on your phone looking at explicit content or engaging in self-indulgence, notice how you’re breathing.

When we’re in an unconscious, lizard brain-driven state, we tend to breathe very shallowly. This looks like holding the breath, breathing through the mouth, and breathing into the chest.

Therefore, the first step in breaking the pattern that often leads to regret is to deepen your breathing. Breathe with more strength and depth, notice how you instantly become more aware. Even try it right now. Breathe deeply!

In this moment of awareness, a small window of opportunity opens up. This is where behaviour change wants to take place, yet your ego will most probably prefer the pleasure and hypnotic trance that come with engaging in self-indulgence and explicit content.

To broaden this window of opportunity, the next helpful tip I can offer is to make sounds. This might sound strange, I know, but do not knock it until you’ve tried it. Notice how when in a lustful trance you tend to remain silent. Making any sound or speaking out loud will instantly break you out of the spell.

I suggest sounds like “ohhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm” for example. 

It’s then your choice to put the device away, take your hand out of your pants, and to get up. 

Making sounds and speaking out loud is a practice seriously underrated when it comes to snapping out of the pattern of engaging in self-indulgence. Give it a try.

Posture plays a massive role in the behaviours and activities we engage in. Notice how whenever you’re engaging in self-indulgence or looking at explicit content, you’re either sitting or lying down. Such behaviour is not compatible with standing up, at least nowhere near as much as it is with sitting or lying.

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Additionally, in order to get yourself out of the desiring and lustful state you can do anything that makes you more yang. Things like taking a cold shower, going for a run, doing some other exercise, deep-conscious breathing or releasing aggressive sounds from your abdomen, these are all helpful so be sure to give them an honest try.

Master Tip: Use this knowledge to your advantage and combine what I have shared with what you will discover for yourself. The next time you find yourself engaging in self-indulgence while knowing you shouldn’t and would rather not, take massive deep breaths, make sounds or speak out loud in a way that motivates you, and stand up!

It’s normal to feel embarrassed when doing this, however life is too short not to be a little weird, especially in the name of helping yourself. Forget your concerns with how others will perceive you.

To Conclude

Semen retention is the practice of reducing or eliminating how often a man engages in self-pleasuring via masturbation, ejaculation which are often times coupled with the use of explicit content. You may be familiar with another name for this practice, that being NoFap. The principles are the same; however, I consider semen retention a bit more mature and inclusive of the spiritual gains that come with retaining one's seed.

Great civilisations like Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt all declined when Epicurean culture became rampant. A nation is born stoic and dies Epicurean, overindulgent in sense pleasures, forgetting the value and importance of virtue.

The western world is on a similar trajectory to those fallen civilisations. Readily available sources of pleasure and reward are making us weaker than ever. If things continue on this path, the west could fall due to weakness, infertility, or invasion by a stronger nation.

Good times create weak men, weak men create hard times, and hard times create strong men. 

We need challenge in our lives, and right now, with so much temptation surrounding us and in our pockets, there is no shortage of trials. If we want to come out on top, we must voluntarily choose to live a more stoic lifestyle. One centred on the development and cultivation of virtue, humility, surrender to the Divine, and respect for the immaterial aspects of who we are.

Daily self-indulgence and ejaculation destroy a man’s drive, vigour, and vitality. He becomes frail, timid, under-confident, scattered in the mind, and dull in his concentration as a by-product of abusing his brain and sense pleasures. 

Such men do not find enjoyment in the normalities of life but rather seek extreme sources of stimulation like explicit content, drugs, alcohol, and highly processed foods (which spike dopamine and increase the likelihood of consuming explicit content).

When a man lives for pleasure in such a way, he falls into effeminacy. Feminine men do not attract feminine women as life-long partners but rather attract masculine females. Relationship dynamics are crucial in maintaining long-term relationships and strong families. The depolarisation of masculine and feminine energies is core to the rise of divorce we see today.

The bottom line is, if you choose to practice semen retention and channel your creative life-force energy into directions that are more meaningful and generative to yourself and others, you will surely only experience positive change. There can be no negative to the preservation of your power as a man. The only caution you must have is that this energy will want to move once it builds up again, therefore you must find better things to invest time into.

If you: 

• Want to build a strong, loving and fulfilling family life
• Wish to build success in your profession or business
• Desire a strong, energetic and capable body 
• Would like to become more attractive to wholesome, feminine, beautiful women

Then semen retention is for you. 

This will not be the last I write on the topic of semen retention. I’ll also make extra effort to write out a clear, concise action plan that will help you in getting started. If you want me to create The Sexual Urge Survival Guide (a simple, powerful PDF with all of my best practices included) then please let me know by responding via email or messaging me on Instagram @usman_unchained. 

For now, that is all. I wish you well and as always am thankful for you reading until the end.

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BOOK A FREE 60 Minute Call with me if you’re looking to develop Discipline, Inner-Peace, Confidence and/or Self Love here. (Let's Talk!).

Take care now.

Save your seed.

And share this Mastery Letter with somebody else…

Let’s become stronger individuals together.

Stay sharp.

Usman

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