In article <1992Oct15.052050.10038 at cssc-syd.tansu.com.au>, pete at cssc-syd.tansu.com.au (Peter Alexander Merel) writes:
>rs69 at cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Rong Shen) writes:
>> This is the story. A reporter for a newspaper wrote that a
>>doctor in Japan did some clinical research on the corelation between
>>productivity and breakfast; he found that all the students in medical
>>school who did not do well academically and all the graduates who had
>>not received licenses for medical practice did not have the habit of
>>eating breakfast. Since neurons are unable to metabolize proteins or
>>other cell constituents, once the glucose concentration in the blood
>>falls, the brain can not function to its full capacity.
>> I don't know if this is so, but I have a related question. I've begun
> practicing the Taoist semen retention techniques mentioned in the alt.sex
> FAQ, and just as described there I have noticed a fantastic increase in
> mental alertness and physical stamina.
>> There are two rationales proposed in the Taoist literature to explain the
> phenomenon, and I'm not sure that I buy either of them. The first is that
> semen is 20% cerebro-spinal fluid, so if you ejaculate it your brain and
> spine kind of sag, and that's why males want to go to sleep after ejaculation.
>> The second is that your various organs and vessels spend 30% of their time
> just replacing lost semen, so if you don't lose any then they've got plenty
> of extra time to make you healthy. The argument goes that this doesn't apply
> to celibates on account of their bodies adapt over time to not manufacturing
> semen.
>> An obvious alternative explanation is that the effect is purely psychosomatic,
> that it is a placebo effect. I'd subscribe to this if it weren't for the fact
> that I have empirical evidence of the phenomenon.
>> See, I am a regular 'rave' participant - a rave is a prolonged intense
> dance party. Before beginning to retain I was unable to last for more than
> four hours at a rave before physical fatigue did me in, and for a day or
> more afterwards I would be good for nothing but sleep. The only way I could
> better this was with the popular varieties of artificial stimulants, which
> I'd rather avoid on account of their illegality and assorted risks.
>> I've been to three raves since beginning to retain, and on each occasion I
> was able to last in excess of seven hours, most recently for a complete ten
> hour party. I took no drugs of any kind, slept for only six to eight hours
> after, and felt and was fit and able after sleeping, bar the odd fatigued
> muscle and ringing eardrum. I'm thirty years old and not fantastically fit,
> I haven't regularly exercised in six months, and so I think the improved
> stamina and alertness can only be attributed to the semen retention. Friends
> of mine have experienced similar effects from the practice.
>> So, what say, doctors and neuroscientists? Are the two rationales above
> at all sensible? Is there an acceptable physical explanation? What's the story?
>> --
> Internet: pete at cssc-syd.tansu.com.au UUCP: {uunet,mcvax}!munnari!cssc-syd!pete
> Snail: 1/18-20 Orion Road, Lane Cove NSW 2066 Australia Phone: +61 2 911 3130
> I am a big pond in a small fish.
I'm so glad to see this in sci.skeptic (finally). It's shown up in a lot of
other newsgroups, but out of all of the postings, none of the men who've master
this live in D.C., and I was becoming skeptical myself.
Hugs,
Heloise
