In this post, we look at the NoFap myths that have been reinforced by No Fap forums and websites over the years.
But aren’t true.
Myths are powerful things.
They can propel a (new) culture. Conversely, they can disintegrate an already established one.
Some of the myths surrounding No Fap have helped the movement. In the sense that it’s gotten a lot of people excited to give NoFap a try.
But, myths can only hold for so long. Till reality sets in.
And this is where myths become dangerous things. They lead to relapses.
It’s my responsibility to expose those myths (both the negative and the positive ones) so that you’re fully informed and set your expectations accordingly.
What you will learn
Nofap Myth #1: NoFap will give me superpowers
This is the first myth that can be most devastating to your nofap challenge.
I can’t trace the origin of this myth.
But if I were to blame somebody for its propagation, I would blame the several porn addiction forums across the web.
Yeah!
It’s these guys that couldn’t separate facts from fiction.
They painted the NoPMO benefits as a form of superpower—while conveniently ignoring any other thing they were doing alongside their NoFap.
This NoFap myth of getting superpowers is like a castle that new Fapstronauts psychologically build in the sand.
1 or 2 months into their NoFap challenge, the sandcastle comes crashing down—when they find out that NoFap isn’t everything they’ve made it out to be in their head.
As a result, they’ll conclude that the NoFap challenge is a scam that doesn’t work.
But you don’t magically become superman on NoFap.
You don’t get an unlimited energy reservoir.
You don’t become happy all the time when you’re on NoFap.
You don’t start building muscles out of nowhere.
Don’t get me wrong, if these are things you’ll want to have one day, bar the unlimited energy reservoir thingy, it’s possible.
And NoFap will surely make it easier for you to get them.
This leads us to the second most popular myth about NoFap.
NoFap Myth #2: NoFap will solve all the problems in my life
All the expectations you have of your life; those afflictions you wish to cure, those cool new features you wish to pick up, NoFap won’t just hand them to you.
The direct benefits you’ll get from completing the NoFap challenge are:
- the increase in energy because you’re not ejaculating every day anymore,
- you have more time on your hands to use for productive pursuits—since you’re no more spending 2 hours every day, jerking off to porn,
- increase in testosterone levels (up to a point),
- reversing erectile dysfunction if it’s the porn-induced type,
- the increase in mental resilience and willpower because your prefrontal cortex will have more gray matter. (This is because you stood your ground and completed NoFap as difficult as it was),
- more focus and ability to concentrate because you’re no longer thinking of porn 24/7
The bulk of NoFap benefits that people report are indirect benefits.
Indirect as in it’s up to you what you do with the increase in energy, the extra 2 hours daily, the mental resilience, and the increased focus.
So, if you decide to be wise with the platform that NoFap has provided you, only then, not before, can you use NoFap to indirectly solve some problems in your life.
Problems like;
- Curing your social anxiety; when you socialize more,
- Building muscles; when you start hitting the gym consistently,
- Getting a girlfriend; when you go out more, approach more, and hook up more,
- Being more productive; when you focus on doing things that matter to your growth and you stop wasting hours browsing social media on your NoFap,
- Solving your premature ejaculation; if you practice some kegel exercises with your NoFap, and so on.
But if you don’t get off your ass, you don’t get to solve these problems and achieve these feats.
Check this space for more benefits you can get from the NoFap challenge.
No Fap Myth #3: No Fap is a new thing
It might not be called No Fap back then (because there isn’t high-speed internet porn back then), but No Fap is as old as time.
In its older and much different-to-what-it-is-now form, it’s referred to as semen retention.
The origin of semen retention can be traced back as far as 8000 years ago.
In ancient India, the practice of semen retention was referred to as Brahmacharya. Mahatma Gandhi (among other great people) (was an adherent practitioner of Brahmacharya.
Ancient philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle all discussed (and practiced) semen retention in one form or the other.
NoFap Myth #4: Only dorks do NoFap
You’d be surprised to know of the number of high-profiled people in our society that have used NoFap and(or) semen retention to either launch or propel their careers for the better.
You’d be surprised at all the famous people you know that have abstained from PMO at one point in their lives.
NoFap is so wide-ranged that there are people from different cultures, and people from all walks of life practicing it.
From creatives to athletes. From politicians to regular Joes.
The reason for this widespread increase in deciding to abstain from porn is because of the increase in the way porn is spreading from home to home.
The more mainstream porn becomes, the more people get addicted to it.
The more addicted people get, the more they suffer the consequences of porn addiction.
And the more the consequences, the more the need to break free from porn addiction.
NoFap Myth #5: NoFap isn’t backed by scientific evidence
Funny that a lot of people still claim that the benefits of breaking your porn addiction are nothing more than “bro-science”.
That all the benefits people report from abstaining from porn and masturbation is nothing but a placebo.
Gary Wilson (May God rest his soul), owner of yourbrainonporn.com, in his Ted talk named the great porn experiment, was the man that exposed me to the research-backed effects of internet porn addiction on my well-being.
He didn’t stop there!
He dedicated his time to authoring and co-authoring peer-reviewed studies on the effects of porn and internet addiction on the mind and the body.
He also published a book called Your Brain on Porn that’s filled with scientific studies that showed the side effects of porn addiction.
You can also go through the several studies on Gary Wilson’s website.1
Apart from Gary Wilson’s website, a lot of new studies have gone into looking at what the effects of porn and masturbation are on us.
So, before you criticize NoFap for being an unsubstantiated science, you should know that it’s heavily backed by research.
NoFap Myth #6: Panties will start dropping when I’m on NoFap
This myth is a funny one.
A lot of people go on NoFap with the sole intention of becoming a more attractive male that will start walking on the road and girls will start swooning around them.
But doing NoFap won’t automatically make girls start falling at your feet begging to be bedded.
Sure, your confidence increases and you’re able to maintain eye contact with strangers when you’re on NoFap.
You have more energy and confidence to pursue the girls you like. And you’re somehow more talkative and engaging.
But, that’s it!
That’s the extent of NoFap attraction!!
If you don’t get off you’re a$$ and actually approach and make the effort to date girls, you aren’t seeing any changes in your dating life.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s the truth.
NoFap Myth #7: NoFap helps my immune system
As far as I can tell, doing the NoFap challenge doesn’t have anything to do with your immune system.
There hasn’t been a direct or indirect link to NoFap boosting your immune system.
I can’t dispute the fact that when you go on Nofap, you might pick up new good habits that are good for your immune system.
Habits like; eating more fruits and veggies, drinking more water, sleeping better, exercising, and so on.
But there hasn’t been any proof that NoFap will single-handedly boost your immune system.