“Spiritual practices tend to be individual exploration of your own direct experience…”

QUESTION:

Don’t get me wrong: I love to bate! Only it’s gotta be a sin if anything is! Depravity and perversion are part of its appeal! How on God’s Green Earth can it be considered something “spiritual” as I hear you and some others say sometimes???

RESPONSE:

Apparently many human beings, who now total close to eight billion on Earth, ascribe to some kinds of religious beliefs. With all due respect, Brother, from your language it’s clear that religious conditioning and beliefs are involved in your opinions on this matter.

Religion serves some important purposes for human beings, or we would not see so much of it globally. Personally, I always seek to respect the religious beliefs of everyone, so long as those beliefs do not cause harm to anyone. Unfortunately, some beliefs associated with religions can cause problems such as intolerance, negative judgments, shame, and self-judgment. 

So, like every other major cultural institution, religion is like a two-edged sword. Sometimes it helps people to behave well, and in other cases not so constructive.

To me, “spiritual” means simply that there is more to our existence than meets the eye, though I cannot claim to know what that “more” is. Spiritual practices tend to be individual exploration of your own direct experience, sometimes associated with a religious tradition, and sometimes not.

In these terms, what I call Mindful Masturbation is a spiritual practice, when we do not confuse the issue with judgment that comes from elsewhere. When we look at it through the lenses of science and medicine, we see that masturbation is natural, healthy, even beneficial.

One definition of sin is “separation from God.” As a child in Sunday School, I was taught God was everywhere, and in everything, no exceptions. That part still makes sense to me. So, how can you be separate from what is everywhere, in everything? These days, I know quite a few men who say they never feel closer to God than when they masturbate.

These are my own opinions on this matter. I am not judging you or any of your beliefs, whatever they may be. Please examine your own attitudes and try to be sure you don’t judge yourself for your love of masturbation.

A note from The Batemaster: I’m honored that the guys at BateWorld have asked me to respond to some questions from male masturbators around the world every week.

Always check with your doctor about any issues you might be experiencing with your sexual organs. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important. This article’s purpose is to inform and entertain readers and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

The Batemaster (Bruce P. Grether)

How Bruce P. Grether became the Batemaster

Among his earliest memories, Bruce recalls seeing an adult man’s penis swing about anchored in a nest of curly brown hairs when the man was changing clothes. That penis fascinated him and he somehow knew it was of major importance. He also remembers how good it felt to slide down a stairway banister or to climb a tree with pressure between his legs sending delicious sensations all through his body.

At an early age, he played doctor with another boy his age, and the frottage he enjoyed as they rubbed their penises together made him feel One with All Things.

He was older, maybe 9 or 10 years when he figured out how to actually masturbate while taking a shower. Immediately Bruce became a fan of self-pleasure, though, with puberty, he became extremely shy about his body being seen. Still, when his pubic hair sprouted and his penis grew bigger, it astonished him how incredible the sensations could feel with adult genitalia.

All through his 20s and 30s Bruce loved masturbating and did it often. Something kept tell him though, that there could be more to it. None of the books he read about Tantra and Taoist erotic cultivation provided simple how-to instructions. Finally, in his early 40s, he came upon Joseph Kramer’s video about male genital massage: FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN.

Having no playmates to try this with, he tried it on himself. In the process, he discovered what he soon named “Mindful Masturbation.” For 6 weeks he masturbated for hours every day, and did not ejaculate once! This was the Penis Paradise he had been looking for since his adventures playing doctor as a young boy. He was changed forever and lost most of his shyness and insecurities.

Bruce began to listen deeply to whatever his penis told him. This way he learned more and more about male masturbation, the penis, and he studied human sexuality. Soon he was hired to write professionally for the sex education site JackinWorld (dot) com, which he did for some years under the name “Bruce McFarland.”

Since then, his erotic activism is more radical and he uses his actual given name: Bruce P. Grether, AKA the Batemaster. He has hosted workshops and now does online masturbation coaching. In 2012 his best-selling book THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN PHALLUS was published and with his handsome young friend Blue Tyger he created the Erotic Engineering site to explore advanced male self-pleasure practices.

Bruce considers himself a Missionary of the Male Mysteries and his work continues.

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