Translation from German by Robert Hutwohl

Question: — Why should one not indulge in sexual excesses?

Answer: — The question is posed very reasonably; for most people are so constituted that they want to know a reasonable reason for their actions or omissions. For many, an unmotivated commandment is an incentive not to follow it. Theosophy consists in the distinction between good and evil. What elevates man is good, what degrades him is evil, and that a man is degraded by allowing himself to be controlled by his animal or bestial passions requires no proof. But sexual excesses have another significant disadvantage, which has an occult background. Man’s essence consists of the substance which Schopenhauer calls the “will,” and with every sexual excess a part of his essence, which is also the creative power bestowed upon him, and consequently a part of his individuality, is lost. The signs of this are: diminishing willpower, memory loss, shyness, fearfulness, and if the excesses are continued to a certain extent, the end result is mental and physical depravity and perhaps suicide. Of course, these excesses also include perversions of all kinds.

The best remedy for such tendencies is to ignore them, to ignore them and to give one’s thoughts a different direction. This remedy is particularly effective at night before falling asleep, as the autosuggestion it produces continues to work in the subconscious during sleep and directs the will in a different direction. The result is that the images produced by pathological ideas gradually become weaker and finally disappear. Evil tendencies do not cling to us if we do not cling to them. They are like vampires who feed on our life force as long as we are fond of them, but die if we let them go and stop thinking about them. As far as permissible physical treatment goes, a natural way of life is better suited to curing states of weakness than any medication. The main thing is to avoid infatuation of any kind and to strengthen self-confidence; for only by strengthening self-confidence can self-control be achieved.

Note:

Hartmann, F. (1907). “Theosophical Correspondence. Why shouldn’t one indulge in sexual excesses? Hutwohl, R., (trans.), Theosophischer Wegweiser 8, no, 7 (April), 221-223 [Translation from German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}