It is natural and desirable to have sexual release-sex is our strongest motivator for the survival of the species.

If it was left up to humanity to regulate the species by common sense and his intelligence-there would be a lot less people on the planet today.

We know that amongst higher educated and wealthier people that the birth rate is much lower. This is either because these people understand that there is a limit to how far we can expand the species or that their time is taken up with work and social issues-leaving little time for child rearing.

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

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

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

Masturbation like many other strong physical feelings can be addictive if not controlled-it can become a negative social issue. Religion has done a very poor job of trying to control the social issues of dealing with sex. Religion has tried to control sexual feeling with harsh alternatives and repercussions for transgression. The religion that best demonstrates 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 for a very long time but only recently has it been brought to public awareness. This practice of sexual abstinence has been carried too far. Because sex is a great motivator, and a huge part of what we are physically-it takes up a lot of our time in thought and practice.

It is thought that if one can master sexual deprivation, then one can focus on other things. Religion and other spiritual belief systems have used meditation, affirmations and prayer for millennia to help humanity focus on more 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 necessary for the total welfare of the individual. Sex is a natural expression of humanity and it is the sex drive that is primary in driving the species to mate. It becomes something else when we try to suppress and regulate the natural ability to have sexual intercourse or release.

Socially, sexual behavior has been deemed to be acceptable 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-acceptable norms for sexual behavior is distorted at best. Fear has been the major factor against frank open public discussions on sexual issues, and religion has been the greatest motivating force behind the fear.

Masturbation is normal, sexual intercourse and interaction is normal-addiction is not. We don't masturbate in public and we don't have sexual intercourse in public as acceptable norms. But that is not to say that this kind of public expression of sexuality is not natural. It is simply where humanity for the most part has drawn the line.

One should never feel guilt for being sexual, and acting upon it. However if one crosses the line socially, then one should expect to be taken to task for it-forced sex is something else whether it is with another or yourself. I find it so hard to accept that such a natural thing is met with so much guilt, fear, and tribulation. Truly it reflects poorly on the awareness and enlightenment of humanity in the 20th and 21st centuries

My mother was horrified when my brother ratted-out on me. She didn't know what to do-you would have thought that she was just born yesterday.

Not surprisingly in my earlier days having become sexually active and experimenting with girls-how few of them even knew how or what it was. Or they thought their fingers would drop of, or they would never be able to have children or some such distorted thoughts. Humanity has been around for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, and we just discovered masturbation-I don't think so. Like most things sexual-it may be hard for parents to talk to their children about it. But I am sure if the parents are patient enough, that their kids will be able to talk to them and enlighten them.