No PMO War XXXIX

Hello everyone, I decided to quit this vulgar habit, I need your help, tell me how to do it. Thanks

Sexual energy is not a mystical force but a concrete package of nervous-system, hormonal, and motivational activation. When strong arousal arises (libido, desire, erotic tension), the brain releases dopamine, sympathetic nervous-system activity rises, and the body enters a state of readiness for action. Transmutation means consciously redirecting that state into other productive activities instead of automatic discharge or suppression. This article is divided into three parts: what the issue is and why it is worth addressing, what contemporary science says, and concrete techniques (what works and what does not) together with the benefits. Part 1: What Sexual Energy Is and the Costs of Uncontrolled Discharge Sexual energy is simply a high level of physiological and psychological arousal linked to desire. In practice it shows up as bodily tension, intrusive thoughts, strong motivation to seek erotic stimuli, and readiness to act. When it is regularly and automatically discharged (pornography, masturbation, casual sex), typical side-effects appear: A short-term drop in motivation and a “flattening” of mood after orgasm (the refractory period and dopamine dip). Habituation to fast, intense rewards, which makes it harder to focus on tasks that require sustained effort. In some people — a sense of diffusion, lower energy for creative work or sport, and greater impulsivity. On the other hand, pure suppression (repression, guilt, fighting the thoughts) often leads to frustration, tension, and rebound — a stronger return of desire. Transmutation is the third path: notice the energy, do not fight it, and channel it into concrete action.

I’ll be honest, I’ve really struggled these last couple of years. I used to be on the top of my game, did plenty of these wars (under an old account) where I’d not even think about PMO. But in the last couple of years, I’ve backslid to the point where I’ve not been able to get past 3 weeks. I’m reaching the 3 week point, but this time it’s different. I’ve managed to convince myself that PMO holds zero benefits. I noticed the other day that my mind idly thought “I’ll PMO later to relieve this stressful day” before catching myself and genuinely believing my challenge of “that won’t relieve anything, you’re just feeling a craving.” This is the most free I’ve ever felt since I first realised I was addicted, back in like, 2012. I’ve never truly believed that PMO is the cause of any misery, even when I’ve had multi-year streaks going. I’m not currently using willpower to resist anything because there’s nothing to resist. PMO isn’t an option on the table and I believe that now. I don’t want to speak too soon but I do believe my subconscious believes it too. I guess my point is, try and figure out how you can truly convince yourself that PMO holds no benefit, and that it is the cause of a lot of problems you may be facing. And not the objective sort of “yeah of course it’s bad for me, why would I be here?” But that lower level “how can it be that bad, it’s only once, I’ll quit next time” thought process. Remember, why would you quit and then spend the rest of your life wishing you hadn’t.

People who successfully cut back report higher life satisfaction, greater mindfulness, stronger feelings of autonomy and competence, reduced loneliness and stress, and improved self-esteem. Mental-health symptoms often improve noticeably—sometimes within days to weeks. Sustained attention recovers. Sleep lengthens and quality rises. Many find more time for exercise, in-person connection, hobbies, and simply being present. The improvements are not merely the absence of harm; they reflect the return of cognitive bandwidth, emotional regulation, and the ability to choose how attention is spent. Quitting scrolling is not about rejecting technology. It is about ending the default of passive, algorithm-driven consumption so that the phone becomes a tool rather than a master. The newest research is clear: the costs of unchecked scrolling are real and measurable, the mechanisms are increasingly understood, and practical, evidence-based steps produce meaningful recovery. Start small, design friction into the environment, replace the habit rather than merely suppress it, and the gains in focus, mood, and free time arrive faster than most people expect.

Day 4, and so far it's been pretty uneventful. No epic battles against my urges, no spiritual enlightenment, and no superpowers yet either. But at least my morning routine is running like clockwork. To be fair, this challenge couldn't have come at a worse time. I originally had completely different plans, but sometimes you've just got to set your priorities straight. One thing I've noticed pretty quickly, though: When I stop giving myself that familiar dopamine rush in the evening, my entire daily routine starts to shift. I wake up earlier, have more energy for my morning routine, and can really go all out at work afterward. I've basically traded PMO for my morning routine. And so far, that's been a pretty good deal. The only thing that still needs some work is my time after work. As soon as I've finished my biggest meal of the day, it feels like my evening is already over. Sometimes I'm literally too lazy to even play video games. So I'm making a few adjustments: a small snack after work, then getting out and doing something, and finally having a proper meal afterward. Dinner is basically the exit ramp off the highway. And if I still want to keep driving, I probably shouldn't take that exit too early. What I particularly appreciate about NoPMO is this feeling of experiencing life more intensely. For me, NoPMO isn't an end in itself. It's more like a performance-enhancing supplement. I feel more driven, more aware of my everyday life, and more eager to get things done. And honestly, it's not necessarily about reaching 30, 60, or 90 days. It's about asking myself one simple question every morning: Am I ready to experience life a little more intensely today? And if things eventually stop going so smoothly, there's one thing I want to remind myself of: It's not about never failing. It's about staying in the game. A setback isn't the same as surrendering. This time, I started with worse conditions, but more experience and a stronger mindset. Let's see how far this journey takes me. And if my motivation happens to disappear by Day 30, at least one thing will remain certain: Even when the motivation fades, the big balls remain.

Create resistance, not just willpower. Tools that insert a pause or require extra steps (e.g., apps that force a short wait before opening social media, physical “brick” devices that block apps until the phone is tapped against them) cut opens substantially. Grayscale mode removes the colorful visual rewards that drive compulsive checking and can reduce daily use by a large margin in experiments. Block or restrict mobile internet for a defined period. A two-week block of mobile internet access produces broad, lasting gains in mood, mental health, and attention for many people. Calls and texts remain available; computers can still be used. Reduce rather than fully abstain. Cutting daily use by roughly one hour often yields more durable benefits than total detoxes. Self-chosen reduction targets (10–30 %) outperform assigned targets. Change the environment and cues. Charge the phone in a fixed place away from the bedroom and sofa. Use a physical alarm clock. Hide or delete the most addictive apps from the home screen. Turn off non-essential notifications (or batch them). Keep the phone out of reach during focused work or the first/last hour of the day. Replace the habit with a specific alternative. Vague intentions fail. Write if-then plans: “When I feel the urge to scroll after finishing a task, I will set a two-minute timer and step outside / stretch / read three pages of a book.” Pair the urge with a short, rewarding offline action. Track and set clear goals. Built-in screen-time reports create awareness. Combine them with concrete, self-selected limits and review progress weekly. What tends not to work (or works poorly alone) Relying solely on willpower or vague resolutions (“I’ll just use it less”). Aggressive total bans without replacement activities or environmental redesign—relapse is common once the ban ends. Leaving notifications on and hoping to ignore them. Focusing only on total screen time while ignoring the quality of use (passive scrolling vs. purposeful communication or learning). Expecting a single weekend detox to permanently rewire a deeply practiced habit without ongoing supports.

Part 2: Newest Scientific Research on Scrolling and Smartphone Use Research published in 2024–2026 has moved beyond simple correlations to larger reviews, neuroimaging syntheses, and experimental interventions. A major umbrella review published in eClinicalMedicine (a Lancet journal) in 2026 pooled 121 earlier reviews covering more than 9 million people under 25. Compulsive use of phones, social media, and games was associated with roughly twice the likelihood of depression or anxiety, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, poor sleep, and loneliness. Conduct problems and persistent negative emotions were even more elevated. A systematic review of short-form video platforms (“Taming the Endless Scroll,” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2026) examined 42 studies with nearly 47,000 participants (mean age ~17). Intensive, unstructured use (≥4 hours/day of continuous scrolling without purpose) showed small-to-moderate increases in inattention and impulsivity, moderate reductions in working memory and self-regulation, and moderate elevations in anxiety, depression, and stress. Imaging data pointed to gray-matter differences and altered neural synchrony. Neuroimaging syntheses (covering studies up to 2025) consistently find structural and functional changes in reward, control, and emotion networks among people with problematic smartphone use. One review of 35 studies highlighted reduced gray matter in key frontal and insular regions. Experimental work has begun establishing causality. A randomized trial that blocked mobile internet on smartphones for two weeks (while allowing calls, texts, and computer use) produced significant improvements in subjective well-being, mental-health symptoms (reductions in depressive symptoms comparable to or larger than typical antidepressant effects), and objectively measured sustained attention (roughly equivalent to reversing a decade of age-related decline). Ninety-one percent of participants improved on at least one outcome. Benefits were partly mediated by more time spent socializing in person, exercising, and being outdoors. Other controlled studies show that reducing daily smartphone use by about an hour (rather than total abstinence) can produce more stable long-term gains in life satisfaction, reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, and increased physical activity. Self-selected reduction goals outperform assigned goals. Grayscale mode, friction tools that insert a short delay before opening apps, and app deletion have also demonstrated measurable reductions in use. Collectively, the newest evidence indicates that the problem is less about total hours and more about how the phone is used—especially passive, unstructured, attention-fragmenting scrolling—and that meaningful change is possible with relatively short interventions.

Hi!

003 Heaven Knows On one occasion, a man by the name of Cui Jia came to me for a consultation seeking information concerning his future. Cui Jia was handsome, tall, and very fit. Upon asking the gods in the spirit realm for guidance on his behalf, I received the answer: "Heaven knows." The response initially seemed a bit strange. Of course "heaven knows" but what did that have to do with Cui Jia's future? I asked my question a second time. Once again, the response given was, "Heaven knows." I made a third attempt to ask my question, and the response was the same. However, this time, I received the additional message, "Due to the merits accumulated from 'heaven knows,' extra blessings will be bestowed upon this individual, and his fame, career, and prosperity will flourish. A bright and beautiful future awaits him." I then directed my next question towards Cui Jia, "Why do the gods keep replying with 'heaven knows'?" Ciu Jia was taken aback. Blushing in embarrassment he related the following story to me. In his college days, Cui Jia had rented a room in a residential home near his school. The landlady, a very beautiful and charming woman, was quite a flirt, and the young Cui Jia found himself rather enamored with her, particularly her alluring eyes in which he also detected affection toward himself. The mere thought of her would send flutters through his heart. One day, the landlord traveled out of town on a business trip. As Cui Jia happened to pass by the master bedroom, the door opened, and inside, the landlord's wife stood gazing seductively at Cui Jia with an inviting, flirtatious expression across her face. Cui Jia stood motionless as his eyes locked with hers. Heat rushed through his body, and he could hardly contain himself. The young woman spoke, "No one will know." He was young and full of sexual desire. As Cui Jia took a step forward, his heart pounded with excitement. She continued, "It's all right to have some fun once in a while. No one else knows but us." Suddenly, Cui Jia recalled a phrase he had learned in school as a child: "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. These are the 'four witnesses'." He stopped in his tracks and said to the young wife, "It may appear as though no one else knows, but heaven knows." The young woman then replied, "So what if heaven knows?" Cui Jia responded, "Heaven knows, heaven knows, heaven knows!" He then turned his back on the young woman and quickly walked away. That same night, she came to knock on Cui Jia's bedroom door. She was leaning against the wall right outside his room, and he could smell her perfume wafting in through the cracks of the doorframe. Several times, he almost unlocked his door, knowing perfectly well that as soon as he opened it, her warm, voluptuous body would fall into his embrace. "Why not open the door?" he asked himself. But the phrase heaven knows, heaven knows, heaven knows, persisted in his conscience. Other people may not know, but heaven knows. Human beings may be deceived, but one cannot deceive the heavens. Eventually his will power prevailed, and he never opened his door. The next morning, Cui Jia hurriedly moved out of the building and moved in with another classmate. He did not dare mention the incident to anyone; even to his closest friends, he gave the simple excuse that the house had merely been unsuitable for him. So, as it turns out: Indeed, No one knows, Yet Heaven knows. Cui Jia then proceeded to tell me of another strange incident. During his college days, he had moved five different times. This particular event, which occurred after the incident with the young woman, took place while he was lodging at a boarding house for students. One night while he was fast asleep, Cui Jia suddenly heard a voice in his dreams saying, "Heaven knows, get out of bed quickly. Heaven knows, get out of bed quickly. Heaven knows, get out of bed quickly." The voice had been very clear, and waking from his sleep, he jumped out of bed. Running to look outside his window, he saw flames and thick smoke billowing from the house next door. Immediately he woke the other students in the house and, before escaping, made an emergency call to report the fire. By the time Cui Jia had run out of the house, the flames from next door had already spread to his residence. Soon even the house in which he had been living became completely engulfed in flames. Altogether, six two-story buildings burned down. Many were killed and injured in that fire, and there was a great loss of property and possessions. As Cui Jia shuddered in terror, recalling this incident, he was reminded that had he not heard the words "heaven knows, get out of bed quickly," he would have remained deep in sleep. He and his friends, trapped in the sea of fire, would likely have been burnt to charcoal corpses. Prior to this event, Cui Jia did not believe in the world of spirits and held no religious beliefs. Afterwards, however, he no longer doubted the existence of gods in this universe. The alarm call, waking him from his sleep, obviously had been a warning message from heaven. I spoke to Cui Jia, "Gods and spirits indeed occupy the invisible world around us. One may try to deceive others in a dark room, but the penetrating eyes of gods perceive everything." Cui Jia responded, "Indeed, heaven knows." I said to him, "You should be commended for your high morals and will power." Cui Jia's face reddened and he said, "Oh, but it was just luck!" "Good and evil..." I began. Cui Jia finished my sentence, "...are only separated by a single thought." "A moment's error may become the regret of a lifetime." "When one repents, one may be already at the end of one's life." I explained to Cui Jia, "In today's world, with increasing interaction between men and women, relationships have become increasingly complicated. People no longer concern themselves with traditional principles governing relationships between the sexes. What differentiates humans from other animals is man's sense of ethics. Without morals and guiding values, men are no different than birds and beasts. There are actually people who have abandoned ethics, and they are worse off than the birds and beasts." "How should we maintain our vigilance?" Cui Jia asked. I replied, "As the Forty-two Chapters Sutra says: regard all older women as your own mother or elder sisters, all younger women as your younger sisters or daughters. Developing this kind of view can help extinguish one's licentious thoughts." "What if one finds it difficult to maintain this view? Then, what should one do?" "Learn to practice the unclean view. What remains of a beautiful woman once her outer skin and flesh are removed? All that remains is a skeleton. When the body is viewed anatomically, one sees internal organs filled with blood, feces, and urine reeking of an unclean and offensive stench. By engaging in this kind of view, one will find the body's physical characteristics quite horrible and disgusting." "What if one cannot perform this visualization?" "As one's sexual urges begin to rage out of control, just stop and imagine the consequences. Taking that one step may very likely prevent future loss of wealth and reputation. Otherwise, not only might one bring shame to one's family and ancestors, one's infamy may spread, having adverse influence on one's children and grandchildren, and even destroy the career one has worked so hard to build up. Just thinking of these consequences is absolutely terrifying. This should cool down those surging sexual desires right away!" "What if one still cannot restrain oneself. Then what happens?" I could only respond, "A moment's pleasure will bring unending disaster and misfortune." "But so many people enjoy engaging in such pursuits of momentary happiness," Cui Jia said. "Some would have no regrets even if they had to risk death!" "The Buddha has taught: pleasure is emptiness, form is emptiness." "Generally though, people cannot see this." My final response was, "One creates one's own blessings and disasters." In fact, our dialogue addresses a serious issue facing many members of contemporary societies. Ultimately, these matters can only be decided by each individual depending on his or her conscience, moral character, and power of stability developed from spiritual cultivation. In the invisible world around us, gods and spirits do exist. You may think that no one else knows but, in reality, heaven knows and cannot be deceived. It is my wish that everyone will cherish their bodies and souls, preserve their purity, and engage in spiritual cultivation to transcend the sufferings of transmigration.

Thought today about how we can be vulnerable to believing there’s nothing different about the next time we try. Every time we do try is another new opportunity to stay free from pmo.