As far as I know there is no known benefit, but for males at least there is the possible downside of very slightly increased risk of prostate cancer/dysfunction. Frankly it isn't that well studied, but it's worth saying that quacks, mystics, ascetics and charismatic leaders have claimed "nofap" is profoundly beneficial. It's also worth saying that they've never managed to demonstrate that alleged benefit in a satisfactory way.

The current movement bears all of the hallmarks of cults.

I mean it’s far larger than a normal cult and not centralized around a figure, but i get where you’re coming from.

I keep wondering if the internet age + social media is helping to create another kind of cult, a decentralised new type of cultish beliefs without necessarily a single charismatic leader but a network of them feeding each other.

It's happening with conspiracy theories, there's no single central figure commanding them but a stochastic machine reeling people in, which then feedbacks into itself.

Nofap has definitely traces of cultish behaviour, I'd like a new word to describe such movements because it seems they will only increase over time.

> It's happening with conspiracy theories, there's no single central figure commanding them but a stochastic machine reeling people in, which then feedbacks into itself.

Interesting view. Kinda reminds me of stuff in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Reducing all those things will make you more dopamine sensitive, hence motivated and appreciative of earning real stimulation.

On what basis do you make this claim? On google scholar I can find 100s of studies pointing to negative impacts which have biological basis. https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/review_article/pdf/131357/...