Where does the superstition that Masturbation causes Blindness originate from?

Answer 1

It goes back to Onan in the Old Testament.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masturbation

Etymology

The word masturbation is believed to derive from either the Greek word mezea (μεζεα, "penises") or the Latin manus ("hand") and the Latin turbare ("to disturb").[2] A competing etymology based on the Latin manu stuprare ("to defile with the hand") is said by the Oxford English Dictionary to be an "old conjecture". The esoteric and little-used synonym manustupration is similarly derived from manus stuprare.

While "masturbation" is the medical term for this practice, many other terms and expressions are in common use. "Onanism" is a term with religious roots (see below). In the vernacular we find terms such as "pleasuring oneself," "wanking," "jerking off," "spanking the monkey," "choking the chicken," "beating the meat," as well as others.
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Religious views

Main article: Religious views on masturbation

Also see Sexuality and Religion for broad coverage of this topic

Religions vary broadly in their views of masturbation, from completely impermissible[53] to encouraged as a way to achieve greater spirituality (see, for example Tantric sexuality and Taoist sexual practices).

Answer 2

This remark originates from before Victorian times. It will make you go blind. It will make your palms grow hairy. Such myths about masturbation are largely a thing of the past. But the latest research has even better news for young men: frequent self-pleasuring could protect against prostrate cancer.

Of course the Victorians took thier fear of masturbation so far, that they forced their daughters to wear gloves made of a steel-wool-like material (like Brillo pads) at night and to put a powder on their genitals that made them painful to touch.

They made their sons wear metal chastity belts at night that made it painful to have an erection.

During the 1820s, some parents in America prevented male masturbation by piecing the foreskin with a wire and soldering the ends together. Boys and girls were discouraged from masturbation by the threat of blindness, madness and illness. Of course, none of these masturbation-induced maladies proved true.

it was thought that people in the Georgian Bedlams, early mental hospitals which charged visitors to view the afflicted - who continually masturbated had lost their eyesight because of this. The reason that some of them had turned blind, was due to the poor light in these dark places.

Then the Victorians, tried to apply science to the 'problem'. and the only correlation between the two is that semen contains a large amount of zinc and a deficiency in zinc (although nearly impossible to achieve solely by masturbating) will cause a decline in a person's vision. It was enough for the parioniod Victorians.

Answer 3

this remark originates from victorian times
it was thought that people in mental institutions who continually masturbated turned blind,what wasnt realised was that many mental patients had bad eyesight in the first place

Answer 4

Stevie Wonder

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

I have never heard that but I don't masturbate any more as I have to wear glasses

Answer 7

Ne idoa..surry aboot tne tiping onle uzin one hnd and spyglss, othr hnd busy.

Answer 8

I have no idea. I can look it up for you....just a moment while I find my guide dog and white stick.

Answer 9

Maybe it got in someones eye? You have to be careful when doing these things.

Answer 10

it was also said that too much of it would make you get dark rings under your eyes.

so check in the mirror for them LOL