Spiritual and Masturbation

[anagogy]

It reduces your red ray, vitality energy, for a time.  But that doesn't really mean anything, because somebody might have an overabundance of red ray energy they need to discharge.  So really it could be detrimental or completely benign.  Depends on you as an individual.  If somebody were drained of energy and depressed, I would recommend to them to stop for a time, in order to more quickly charge up their vital energies.  If somebody had too much energy and could never calm down, I would recommend the opposite.  

Like everything in life, it is about balance.  And the center point on that see saw is how you feel about anything you do in life.  Just do those things that lean in the direction of emotional well being.  You'll find most "spiritual progression" boils down to the emotional journey.  The tangible journey is just the dressing on the side for the most part.  Its relevance is only insofar as it compliments the main course.  

I think you'll find though with many advanced spiritual individuals that they are sublimating those red ray sexual urges up to higher energy centers.  Not that there is anything wrong with the act or in releasing it at the lower energy centers, but it can be used to potentiate higher energies.  What we call libido or sexual energy might be better thought of as prana itself, or creative energy, and it can be sublimated to higher energy centers in a way that is just as satisfying as the lower ones.  But that process is one that takes some time to learn.