Masturbation is considered as the great release for stress and sexual frustration. It is also a quick release when a release is all that we want at the moment, without getting physically and emotionally involved with a partner. There is a saying that men have a bath to get clean while women have a bath because it is a total experience. Sometimes the pressure of the water against the dam has to be released, masturbation is the perfect outlet.

Our sexuality is with us from the time of birth to death. We stimulate ourselves sexually as infants and through all stages of our lives. When the pressure of being a sexual being becomes intolerable and sexual release is not enough, we try to numb our feelings with drugs, religion, exhaustion, over work or fear of retribution or damage.

Sexually stimulating ourselves is natural, if it were not so we may not have the ability to do it. It is satisfying, gratifying and reassuring that we are sexual human beings. Masturbation allows us to focus on other things and releases us from a strong sexual grip.

Masturbation like many other strong physical feelings can be addictive if not controlled, it can become a social issue. Religion has done a very poor job of trying to control the social issues involving sex. Religion has tried to control sexual feeling with inconsiderate alternatives and repercussions for transgression. The religion that best shows the absurdity of repressed sexuality is the religion that has recently been exposed to sexual abuse charges against priests. Of course this has gone on a very long time but only recently it has been brought to public awareness. Because sex is a great motivator, and a huge part of what we are physically, it generally takes a lot of our time in practice.

It is thought that if one can master sexual deprivation, then one can concentrate on other things. Religion and other spiritual belief systems have used meditation, affirmations and prayer for millennia to help humanity focus on so-called enlightened issues at the expense of being human or sexual.

Masturbation alone does not satisfy the sex drive, sexual contact with another human is needed for the total welfare of the individual. Sex is a natural expression of humanity and it is the sex drive that is mainly in driving the species to mate. It becomes something when we try to suppress and regulate the natural ability to have sexual intercourse or release.

Socially, sexual behavior has been deemed to be satisfactory between consensual adults in the dark and hidden corners of private rooms and other out of the way places. Because it is not an open topic for discussion in public in all its ramifications, only acceptable norms for sexual behavior is distorted at best. Fear has been the major factor against frank open public discussions on sexual related issues, and religion has been the greatest motivating force behind the fear.

We do not masturbate in public and we do not have sexual intercourse in public as acceptable norms. But that is not to say that this kind of public expression of sexuality is not so natural. It is just where humanity for the most part has drawn the line.