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Masturbation: Another versant of Sexuality
By: Dr. Massoud Beaini,
Lebanon, January 2008

Masturbation is not regarded anymore as onanism(1), but it rather refers to erotic stimulation especially of one's own genital
organs commonly resulting in orgasm and achieved by manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse, by
instrumental manipulation, occasionally by sexual fantasies, or by various combinations of these agencies.

Masturbation is a universal sexual phenomenon well known in the animal kingdom. It was concretized through human history
and in many different cultures:
•        There are depictions of male masturbation in prehistoric rock paintings around the world.
•        Male masturbation became an even more important image in ancient Egypt. When performed by a god it could be
considered a creative or magical act: the god Atum was believed to have created the universe by masturbating to ejaculation
and the ebb and flow of the Nile was attributed to the frequency of his ejaculations. Egyptian pharoahs, in response to this,
were at one time required to masturbate ceremonially into the Nile.
•        The ancient Greeks had a more relaxed attitude toward masturbation than the Egyptians did, regarding the act as a
normal and healthy substitute for other forms of sexual pleasure. They considered it a safety valve against destructive sexual
frustration. The Greeks also dealt with female masturbation in both their art and writings.

In humans, this sexual behavior concerns boys and girls at different rates, and makes up an important part of their sexual
experiences and psychosexual development as far as it is maintained in its normal range. It is also known in single adult people
and celibates who do not have a sexual partner or who prefer practicing it for socio-cultural and religious reasons. Masturbation
also exists in married couples and is looked at as a way of understanding the partner’s organic sexual responses through his/her
“sexual map”. But what happens if masturbation exceeds its limits and becomes a problem?

Even though masturbation is an instinctive human psychosexual behavior and development, it is still regarded today as one of
the taboo subjects within our society. Many feel ashamed just mentioning the subject even if for inquiry purposes. This is
related to their fear of culpability, under-estimation, and punishment.

However, everybody should know that everybody masturbated at different times and in different circumstances. For centuries,
masturbation was regarded as a sin, an immoral act, and many started to implement unreal health risks related to masturbation
such as blindness, deafness, spinal cord atrophiation, low IQ, etc…

It is well known that fetuses practice a form of masturbation in the womb of their mothers. This versant of sexuality takes
other means after birth:
•        Babies between 9 months and 1 year do caress their genitals because they are exploring themselves and feeling out
some pleasure.
•        Till the age of 5 years old, the infant is trying to establish the link between the genitals he/she has and the concepts of
masculinity and feminity as conceived by his educational environment through self-touches.
•        Between 6 and 9 years old, human sexuality becomes latent.
•        At adolescence, sexuality reaches its peak differently between genders. Their sexuality that will define the rest of their
intimate life in bed is accompanied by phantasms that outline all the scenes of the sexual encounter with the Other. For them,
masturbation is not only regarded as a private and intimate way to explore their body and its responses to sexual stimuli, but
also as a compromise between sexual desires and the trials for concretize them with their temporary incapacity to fully live
these desires with a partner.

Masturbation is totally integrated into everybody’s daily life: in average, 95% of men admitted they have masturbated in their
adolescent age to 65% of women according to international surveys.

Masturbation is a versant of human sexuality: fighting against it is loosing the game against the forbidden fruit.

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(1): Refers to Onan, son of Judah (Gen. xxxviii.9), who spilled his seed on the ground rather than impregnate his dead
brother's wife: "And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's
wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother."