What Happens When You Give Up Sex For 12 Months? – Dialogue With Peter Lynagh

A casual bet between two friends changed Peter's life. He embarked on a journey to accomplish something bigger than himself. Peter Lynagh gave up sex for a year and raised more than $50,000 for a charity. Was it easy for him who was sort of a player?

We talked to Lynagh about how he managed to complete the challenge for a great cause, his spiritual awakening and take on intimacy.

The 33-year-old vowed to work for Free to Shine, a humanitarian organisation, which believes girls should be in schools and not brothels.

IBTimes AU: You gave up sex as well as all sexual contact, how did you survive 1 year without sex? Did you have a method or help from a tool like chastity belt?

Peter Lynagh: The only reason how I survived the year was by making the bet about something way bigger than me. If I had of just had the bet between my housemate and I, I would've broken it within the week of starting. That's why I donated the bet money of $2000 to www.freetoshine.org who I had been a sponsor with. That way I wasn't going to let those girls in Cambodia down and had to follow through.

IBTimes AU: Did this experience change the way you see intimacy in a relationship?

Lynagh: Yeah I don't think I knew what intimacy was before, but now I do. I view women and relationships completely different now. Before I was shallow, went for looks, sex was a number to me and it was a need, to now, I value connection, conversation and the sex is completely different in a good way. And it's a want rather than a need.

IBTimes AU: On January 1, 2014 you completed the mission. How did you celebrate the end of 1 year without sex?

Lynagh: On NYE there was a lot of hype around who I'd be bringing in the new year with since my year had finished. Instead, I opted for a quiet dinner with my boys and was in bed at 10.30pm alone and sober. This alone shows me how much I've changed. It wasn't until the 4th Jan that I actually got back on the wagon. It was very special too, I couldn't have scripted it any better.

IBTimes AU: You tweeted Dalai Lama's words - "We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection." How did the experience affect you at a spiritual level?

Lynagh: I actually discovered what spirituality means in my year of chastity. Apart from starting Transcendental meditation and reading books from authors like Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra etc I found myself delving into watching documentary after documentary on YouTube about consciousness, spirituality, psychedelics and anything to do with alternative ways of thinking. Some people said I went through a spiritual awakening looking in at my life. I've since researched this and I feel it's quite fitting.

IBTimes AU: Would you attempt something like this again in the future?

Lynagh: I don't think I can top this, but I'm open to suggestions.

IBTimes AU: Are you dating someone now?

Lynagh: Yes I've just started dating someone and it's completely different to anything I've ever experienced in a good way so I'm happy to see where it takes me.

IBTimes AU: Can you share details about your next mission for 2014?

Lynagh: I'm completely focussed on a video production company that I set up on my year of chastity called www.djinsider.tv as well as working on a project about bringing meditation into all schools globally. The Dalai Lama said 'if every 8 year old was to learn meditation, we would have world peace in just one generation' - Considering the state of world affairs at the minute I think this is the best place to start as I personally have felt the effects of meditation in my own life.

If you want to reach out to Peter or support his new mission, you can email him at pete@peterlynagh.com.