Aside from NoFap’s more obvious associated experiences like increased energy and motivation, there are others that are subtler with their own potential benefits. Keep in mind that these are subjective and do not necessarily apply to everyone, but here are 3 interesting things you might experience on NoFap:
Deepened Empathy for Others
Depending on how empathetic you already are, you might experience deepened empathy for others on NoFap.
In my experience, my general emotional responses to situations are actually stronger on NoFap, but luckily I’m able to regulate them. This is also the case for me when considering another’s point of view in conversation or reading their body language. There’s a strong sense of understanding that is levels above what would be experienced if not on this practice.
There are many anecdotal accounts of this that you can find on YouTube, as well as one here from Gary Wilson’s forum yourbrainonporn.com.
Heightened Awareness
Another interesting thing you might experience on NoFap is heightened awareness of your surroundings and of yourself.
In the case of your surroundings, it’s likely that you’ll be able to pick up on social cues with more ease or scan an environment quicker. This combined with increased energy and motivation from the practice will propel you to take action accordingly in the world.
In terms of yourself, you might notice negative thought patterns or bad habits that were once subconscious processes. What was once subconscious becomes conscious, which better enables you to make any necessary changes to improve your life. As with anything, awareness is the foundation for change.
To enhance your awareness further, ensuring you’re living a general healthy lifestyle is critical. Among the other practices to integrate into your life, I’d recommend meditation as one of the most important. I’m not as consistent with it as I used to be, but I can attest that then I was, my level of self and outer awareness were at their best.
For beginners looking to learn more, try Headspace. They offer a range of instructions for best practice techniques as well as guided sessions for specific states such as mindfulness and sleep. Get started with your first two weeks free here.
Creative Thought Processes
You might experience creative thought processes in the form of sudden ideas or the ability to think outside the box to solve problems while on NoFap.
Since you’re abstaining from the constant depletion of dopamine, there lies more space in your brain for the experience of pleasure and less space for brain fog. In the case of the latter, less brain fog could equate to more clarity for your brain to work at a higher capacity. This could explain the creativity that some people document on the practice.
See here for some documented accounts on the official NoFap forum.