There are counterexamples for jhana reducing desires for casual sex. Culadasa got a lot of flack for hiring prostitutes late in his life (no judgement from me on this) and he undoubtedly could access high strength jhanas. Also sexual abuse from prominent meditation teachers is not rare.
I only have access to low strength jhanas (which is different from numbered jhanas) so I cannot confirm/deny this desire aspect first hand. For me, while I see the comparison to sex, I think of it like comparing chocolate cake to vanilla ice cream. They're sweet and tickle something in the brain but I could see myself wanting both, unless I've stuffed myself on jhana(or cake). Also, wouldn't there be some sort of adaptation to whatever chemical cocktail is released by jhanas in the brain?
Subjectively, jhanas are close to the most pleasant moments I can achieve, but I don't spend all my time meditating because at least for me, there's also friction in meditation, which builds with duration and also a sort of activation friction in the beginning.
There are counterexamples for jhana reducing desires for casual sex. Culadasa got a lot of flack for hiring prostitutes late in his life (no judgement from me on this) and he undoubtedly could access high strength jhanas. Also sexual abuse from prominent meditation teachers is not rare.
I only have access to low strength jhanas (which is different from numbered jhanas) so I cannot confirm/deny this desire aspect first hand. For me, while I see the comparison to sex, I think of it like comparing chocolate cake to vanilla ice cream. They're sweet and tickle something in the brain but I could see myself wanting both, unless I've stuffed myself on jhana(or cake). Also, wouldn't there be some sort of adaptation to whatever chemical cocktail is released by jhanas in the brain?
Subjectively, jhanas are close to the most pleasant moments I can achieve, but I don't spend all my time meditating because at least for me, there's also friction in meditation, which builds with duration and also a sort of activation friction in the beginning.