Soaking: When Premarital Abstinence Meets Creative Loopholes
Ah, dear reader, the things we humans do to convince ourselves that our actions don’t count. Enter the world of "soaking," a sexual trend with origins tied to strict religious boundaries—specifically among Mormon college students looking to indulge their desires without breaking the rules of premarital sex. Or, at least, that's the idea. Part biology, part cognitive gymnastics, and 100% human ingenuity, this so-called loophole is a fascinating study of what happens when desire collides with doctrine.
@dearmedia @Sofia Franklyn explains soaking #soaking #mormon #mormonstories #loophole #goodguyspodcast #sofiafranklyn #podcastclips ♬ original sound - Dear Media
At its simplest, soaking is the act of penile penetration without the one thing that traditionally defines sexual intercourse: movement. The thinking here (and I use "thinking" generously) is that if there’s no thrusting, friction, or orgasm involved, the act stays in some ambiguous, gray zone that doesn’t technically cross the line into "real" sex. Inserting tab A into slot B is totally fine, as long as you hold still.
But wait, how do you just stay still? Gravity is a thing. And impulse. Enter "jump humping," a teamwork-focused innovation where a third party jumps on the bed to create a movement for the soaking couple. It’s collaboration at its strangest: one person soaks, the other person provides the motion, and someone else does the jumping (or, perhaps more awkwardly, a push-off-the-wall sort of bounce).
@thread_the_light #soaking #freefromsin ♬ Jump Jump - ZooFunktion
The idea here, of course, is that none of this counts as intercourse because the person soaking isn’t the one creating the thrusting force. It’s sexual Twister, wrapped in a neat bow of plausible deniability.
What’s Behind These "Loophole" Tactics?
The real meat (pun not intended but highly enjoyed) of this topic isn’t necessarily the mechanics or even the veracity of soaking but what drives someone to consider it an option. Strict religious teachings often include a prohibition against all premarital sexual contact, even masturbation. That’s right: a solo date with yourself? Off-limits. A cheeky thrash session between the sheets? Also no.
These rules don’t magically erase human urges, though. In fact, many studies suggest that sexual repression can amplify desire. With masturbation widely seen as a no-go and sex a definitive hardline sin, it’s no surprise that creative workarounds like soaking and anal sex emerge as ways to satisfy cravings while still clinging to the "good enough" side of morality.
For some, the stakes of premarital sex might include feelings of guilt, fear of community judgment, or anxiety over divine repercussions. Loopholes like soaking provide a mental escape hatch: the act feels physical enough to scratch the itch, but the moral “burden” is cushioned by a technicality.
To an outsider, soaking can sound fascinating and hard to believe. However, let’s take a step back from the giggles and eye-rolls to unpack the bigger picture: why are some cultures so obsessed with policing sexuality? Much of the drama surrounding topics like soaking comes back to societal constructions of purity and sin. Sex, especially outside of marriage, is villainized in certain religious frameworks, creating shame, suppression, and a whole lot of complicated feelings for participants.
The irony here? By trying so hard to follow the "rules," soaking and its partners-in-loopholes actually fixate heavily on sexual preparation, desire, and (ultimately) performance. Simply put, this so-called avoidance ironically places enormous focus on the exact subject it’s trying to skirt. The more taboo sex becomes, the harder—pardon the pun—people work to engage with it in regulated, roundabout ways.
Does Soaking Work?
From a purely practical standpoint, soaking is still sex. There’s penetration. There are shared bodily fluids. There’s vulnerability, some kind of intimacy, and the possibility of contracting and spreading STIs. Just because the participants have creatively avoided thrusting doesn’t mean their bodies will avoid its natural responses. Arousal continues. The penis can release pre-ejaculate, which is infamous for sneaky sperm. This means the whole act isn’t necessarily as consequence-free (read: pregnancy-proof) as its practitioners might hope.
Moreover, soaking ignores the emotional complexities of sexual intimacy. Many people underestimate how deeply their first physical union—loophole or not—can impact their relationships and sense of self. A hurried workaround built on half-logic might salve religious guilt temporarily but risks adding layers of complexity over time.
Humans are wonderfully clever, resourceful creatures, pushing boundaries and bending rules as far as they’ll go to scratch an itch and still walk away feeling guilt-free. Soaking and jump-humping aren’t new in concept—just the latest entries in a timeless list of sexual loopholes people use to circumvent cultural or religious restrictions.