A close friend recently asked me the extent to which the adage "too much of anything is dangerous" is true. I just couldn't see any sense in his query and simply told him that it was just the way it was. But he insisted and asked, "I mean, is its application only limited to specific things? Does it really apply to sex?"The buddy's questions sent me dig out the ugly part of the game I had cherished so much.
Sex is a natural act that is generic to all higher animals, and whose sole purpose is procreation, hence extension of the species. Interestingly, unlike in all other members of the Kingdom Animalia, man has rendered this noble procreative cause secondary to pleasure.
Among bees, the queen plays sex (mates) only once in a lifetime and with only one male bee. Surprisingly, this lucky male bee turns out the most unlucky, for it always dies immediately after fertilising the queen.
Why die? Okay, first rest that aside. I heard of a guy who sneaked into a girls' dormitory only to be admitted to hospital in critical condition the following morning. Apparently, the poor guy had been gang raped by the "hungry" girls.
Consider that alongside the common practice of discouraging athletes from sexual intercourse in the run-up to a big race or match, and I confirm to you that an excess of sex can turn the fun ugly. Now read on!
As already noted above, all other animals stick to the natural cause of sex and, among them, sex takes place only at certain times of the year. In humans, however, most sexual activity isfrivolous -for pleasure -and can be indulged in all year round, which is clearly an excess. Our hedonisticbehaviour constantly bombards us with erotic images, conveying messages that an active sex life is vital to one's physical health, sanity, and happiness. As a result, sexual pleasure has increasingly become one of the false gods worshipped by modern society.
Self-indulgence, rather than self-discipline, is the overriding aim, which may reasonably explain why various mechanical, chemical, and surgical means arebeingused to avoid pregnancies. In most young victims, life is simply all about allowing unlimited sexual indulgence.
Some researchers believe that the more sex one has, the weaker one's body's immunity against disease. This can be attributed to the stress which follows sexual excitement. Frequent bouts of stress lower the body's natural defenses, making it more vulnerable to disease.
Orgasm sendsthe bodyinto convulsive spasms, which the mind interprets as pleasure, satisfaction and/or happiness. Close analysis, however, reveals that orgasms do not bring permanent satisfaction, for soon the cycle of sexual arousal and discharge begins all over again.
Giving in to every sexual impulse that takes hold of us is not a sign of freedom but of slavery and a bigger price is always paid by the body than the profits realised by the mind.
According to the old traditions in the Far East, habitual and/or recreational sex was seen, not so much as a sin, but as a weakness and a waste of time and energy, while sex for the purpose of generating a new body for a soul to inhabit was regarded as a creative and sacred act. From my adventure through Chinese culture, I found out that the old Chinese traditions in particular strongly discouraged men from excessive sexual indulgence, lest they did not live long.
They were told that to sustain one round of sexual intercourse, one would use an equal numbers of calories as expended in a five kilometre race, while every ejaculation is equivalent to losing one litre of blood. So for the fear of losing all-useful blood and life, most Chinese men would only have sex for procreation.
But the exact aftermath of excess sex lies in the devastation associated with some of the processes that ensue within the bodyduring sex. During sexual intercourse, heart and respiratory rates at least double, blood pressure increases considerably, and the nervous exhaustion that follows intercourse can induce a state of amnesia, disorientation, and lethargy. In some exceptional cases, the muscular excitement involved in orgasm can produce even more unfortunate effects, especially in men, as Havelock Ellis describes:
"Fainting, vomiting, involuntary urination and defecation have been noted as occurring in some young men after their first coitus... Lesions of various organs, even rupture of the spleen, have sometimes taken place.
"In some men, of mature age, the arteries have at times been unable to resist the high blood pressure, and cerebral haemorrhage with paralysis has occurred, while in some elderly men the physical excitement of intercourse with energetic young wives or with prostitutes has sometimes caused death!Many partners find that bouts of passion are followed by 'hangover periods', in which they feel emotionally alienated from each other.
Marnia Robinson links these see-sawprocesses to body electro-chemistry and, to him, the build-up to orgasm is accompanied by the release of dopamine, the craving neurochemical, which is believed to create intense anticipation of pleasure.
Orgasm triggers a burst of pleasure-neurochemicals (endorphins and oxcytocin), as do compassionate caring, altruism, and affection. But orgasm also causes release of prolactin, which can lower sexual desire and can cause depression. The common result is a cycle of compulsive sexual gratification followed by an emotional slump.
In males, semen is very rich in lecithin, calcium, phosphorus, iron, cholesterol, vitamins E and B, nucleoproteins, and sex hormones.
And loss of these substances has a devitalising and debilitating effect on the body, and the more semen is expended, the more the body strains to replace it. If it is conserved, the above mentioned substances are reabsorbed into the bloodstream and used to nourish body tissues, especially the brain and nervous system. No other two constituents of the body show greater similarity in their lecithin, chlolesterin, and phosphorus contents than brain cells and semen.
Stressful relationships are even worse, for theylead to release ofhigh levels of cortisol, which is sometimes called the "death hormone" because it can age us rapidly and lower our immunity to disease. Dr. Edwin Platto even describes sex as a catabolic action which can be very destructive, weakens the individual and places strain on the heart when done in excess.
Thus sex does not necessarily bring happiness and is certainly not synonymous with love. It is a great enemy to any form of success! So the next time you think of adding yourself another kisanja, first think twice and don't say you were ignorant of the consequences.
from All Of Africa
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