""Gooning, Daniel Kolitz in the November issue, is "a new kind of masturbation at the heart of an internet-based, pornography-obsessed, Gen Z-dominated subculture every bit as defined and vibrant as the hippies or punks in their prime." The gooner, unlike most masturbators, seeks to defer climax in order to attain the "goonstate," "a supposed zone of total ego death or bliss that some liken to advanced meditation.""
""The shame thing is interesting because, to at least some of gooning's practitioners, the self-evidently depraved nature of the act is a massive part of its appeal. They are getting off on the idea that if their friends or colleagues knew they were up to, they'd be horrified. (Though the way things are trending, those friends or colleagues might very well be closet gooners themselves by now.)""
Gooning is a Gen Z-dominated, internet-based sexual practice focused on prolonged masturbation to achieve a trance-like 'goonstate' of ego dissolution or bliss. Practitioners intentionally defer climax and often construct dedicated 'gooncaves' and seek specialized pornography tailored to extended arousal. The practice blends obsessive porn consumption with ritualized behaviors and community norms within fringes of online subcultures. Pandemic isolation and pervasive internet access contributed to the growth and normalization of the practice among certain demographics. Many practitioners are willing to describe their habits, and some view shame and perceived depravity as integral to the appeal. Prolonged immersion in the GoonVerse can exact a measurable psychic toll on participants.
Read at Harper's Magazine
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