Looking at long term shaman apprenticeships recently. It seems that many of these have a ban on students having sex for the duration of the apprenticeship, among others such as bans on alcohol and other drugs.

My question is, what is the purpose for the sex ban, and is masturbation banned as well? If the purpose is to prevent students from developing intimate relationships and interfering with each others' progress, then it makes sense given the highly personal nature of self-discovery through ayahuasca ceremonies and the need for introspection in deep solitude.

But if the idea is that sex/ sexuality is "impure" or "bad", I've got to heavily disagree. Sexuality is a fundamental feature of human nature, and if one is going within to understand oneself, heal, etc., isn't sexuality a necessary part of that journey?

Anyway, curious to know everyone's thought and experiences.