Thank you for helping us recover our lifes. Me and many others wouldn´t be where we are without you.

Gary gave voice to a struggle I lived with in silence and shame for 20 years. I remember finding YBOP online and thinking "oh my God, this is me". Without the slightest exaggeration, Gary's bravery, tenacity, and commitment to speaking the truth about an uncomfortable subject saved my life.

And that was before I had ever met him.

When we finally did meet, I discovered a humble, kind, generous man. Inspired by Gary's example, I had waded into the world of porn addiction advocacy, and before that first meeting, I worried that Gary might see me as an upstart. Those fears melted when we spoke. Gary was warm and encouraging. Together with his amazing wife Marnia, he became an enthusiastic collaborator and a trusted, understanding friend who stood by my side during some of my own most difficult moments.

I was only vaguely aware of Gary's health struggles, but I had a front-row seat to the relentless, unfounded, unhinged abuse he absorbed almost daily over the internet; undue recompense for speaking his mind about a controversial topic. But I never saw him waver or back down from his mission to gather and disseminate information that he knew would help people find their way out of problem porn use and toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.

For me, Gary's dogged determination in the face of adversity brought to mind the Wordsworth poem, "The Character of the Happy Warrior" (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45512/character-of-the-happy-warrior), and in particular this passage:

Who is he
That every man in arms should wish to be?
[...]
'Tis he whose law is reason; who depends
Upon that law as on the best of friends;
Whence, in a state where men are tempted still
To evil for a guard against worse ill,
And what in quality or act is best
Doth seldom on a right foundation rest,
He labours good on good to fix, and owes
To virtue every triumph that he knows:

Gary met his adversaries with reason, facts, and an abiding, always-good-natured belief in the virtue of sharing knowledge so that truth can prevail. He never backed down from his principles, he tended to his family and friends, he gave his time and energies generously, and he carried the burdens of his fame with humility.

He was, in other words, the type of person we all should wish to be. Someone (to borrow another passage from the Happy Warrior) "whose high endeavours are an inward light, that makes the path before him always bright".

Thanks, Gary, for lighting the way for so many of us. We love and miss you.

Like many people, Gary's wisdom has had a massive impact on my life that I will never forget. His presentation on "Tedx Talks" will always have a positive effect on me. Never before had there been somebody so courageous to talk about what he did in front of a massive audience, he has my utmost respect for that as his wisdom surely saved me.

Thank you for everything.

Very sad news about Gary. He inspired so many people.

RIP Gary

So, so sad to hear this tragic news. Gary has been such an inspiration to me and the team at the Laurel Centre and his work has helped not only the clients we work with and the therapists we train, but thousands, perhaps millions, of others. He has left an amazing legacy and I feel honoured to have known him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. God bless you Gary and all you have loved.

Over a decade ago I first started speaking and writing about how neuroscience and pornography interface, and quickly became aware of Gary’s work. Over the years, as we have participated in various events related to this subject I came to know him better personally. One enjoyable memory is a conversation we had about the metaphysics and meaning of existence we shared while we were both on adjacent treadmills working out at some conference hotel. There were also many phone conversations over the years which were always valued.

Gary’s sudden loss is obviously immensely difficult for Marnia, Arion, and those who knew him best, but he leaves a big hole in my heart as well. He was fiercely loyal to his friends and to the movement, and combined that loyalty with tenacity, a keen intellect, and a gifted ability to sift through data and concisely distill out and articulate the essence of the matter at hand. He was simply brilliant, but combined that asset with an indomitable warrior spirit and a desire to lift and help those captivated by exploitation.

As a loss to the movement he is simply irreplaceable. While it will be impossible to replicate who he is and what he has done, he has set a standard for those of us who remain to fight. His message of never backing down before the bullies of exploitation, and of answering lies with truth is a timeless one, and we will honor Gary by continuing this fight with renewed determination and vigor.

Don Hilton

I came across his famous ted talk about the great porn experiment. This may very well have initiated my process of recovery from porn addiction.

Thank you Gary for your clear and calm message, it has improved countless lives, including my own.

The Universe has a mysterious way of bringing healing to the suffering.

Gary's work gave me hope as I was stumbling in the darkness of ignorance and addiction. While the scientific community and doctors that I knew reaffirmed that there is nothing such as addiction to pornography, it was Gary's study and TED talk that made sense to me, and helped me understand my addiction.

It may seem but a vanity for the readers, but words can seldom convey the way this man's work touched my life, nay, brought me back to my life...We haven't met...Hell I have never been to your country! Yet this man's work turned out to be a torch light in the journey of my redemption. And I owe a great deal to this man's work for my recovery.

This man's work has done such a priceless service to the society. And his works shall be the guiding light to young people and millennials like me whose life was affected by addiction to pornography.

Please accept my prayers.

Your works and your efforts will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Gary.

The Universe has a mysterious way of bringing healing to the suffering.

Gary's work gave me hope as I was stumbling in the darkness of ignorance and addiction. While the scientific community and doctors that I knew reaffirmed that there is nothing such as addiction to pornography, it was Gary's study and TED talk that made sense to me, and helped me understand my addiction.

It may seem but a vanity for the readers, but words can seldom convey the way this man's work touched my life, nay, brought me back to my life...We haven't met...Hell I have never been to your country! Yet this man's work turned out to be a torch light in the journey of my redemption. And I owe a great deal to this man's work for my recovery.

This man's work has done such a priceless service to the society. And his works shall be the guiding light to young people and millennials like me whose life was affected by addiction to pornography.

Please accept my prayers.

Your works and your efforts will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Gary.

Gary Wilson positively affected millions of lives, including my own. After reading the site for years, I had just finished the book for the first time not weeks before his passing. While I am still in the middle of my recovery journey, if it were not for Gary, I likely wouldn't even know where to start. The book's third section is the best starting place for those looking to take action steps to recover.

Sometimes there's a man...that man was Gary Wilson. Your work touched millions, but it would have been worth it for just one person, myself. I'm sure others feel similarly. Your passing comes as a shock. I didn't know you, but I knew you through your work, and I'm in shock; I'm sad, because I feel like I knew you if only slightly. You will be missed by the multitudes who knew your name and what you stood for.

A man who saw something going on, who stood up and did something about it, for those who could not figure out what to do for themselves. That's a hero in my book.

Rest in power, Gary.

I have suffered with addiction to pornography eventually escalating into sex, for the past decade, and Your Brain On Porn was a book that truly helped me to understand and see that it wasn't only my problem, and it also wasn't my fault. I hope that this book doesn't get lost in the ether and that it drives ever more research than it already has into the understanding of the problems porn can cause to all of those younger people now growing up in a society obsessed with sex and the quick and easy use of porn. I don't know what else to say but I hope he finds peace in another life and knows how many of use he has helped.

I'm a porn addict from Nigeria and Gary made me aware of my problems and gave me the encouragement to do something about it. Ive never met him personally but I feel so sad about his passing;That shows the level of impact the man has had on millions of men like me worldwide. Rest in Peace

I would have killed myself if not for the information Gary published on his site.

He is a legend and I will never forget the help he provided by listening and taking
seriously the ramblings of lost souls online.

Thank you for everything, Gary.

After watching Gary Wilson’s Ted talk and then buying his book has cured my PIED. Before when I had sex with my wife, I could not stay hard and now it is no problem.
Even though I have never met Gary, he has greatly change and improved my life and my relationship with my wife, he has given me a second chance at life and I do not intend to waste it.
Thank you Gary for all you have done, you have change so many people lives and now heaven has just gotten one of their angels back

I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for Gary. I had a serious porn addiction and Gary's work was the catalyst for my healing. His content was the first to make me realize and see the truth of how porn was effecting me. I was fortunate to find him early on. Over the years the guidance that I have gotten from his work has immensely helped me. Gary's influence also largely shaped my content on youtube. As a content creator on porn addiction and men's issues, the very first video I made on porn back in 2013 I share that Gary's TED Talk and website led to the start of my pornfree journey. Gary has massively improved my life, and his work has created amazing positive ripples throughout humanity. I am blessed by his existence and it was an honor to meet him in person a couple years ago. Thank you Gary. 🙏

I was saddened by the news of Gary's departure from this life, I was touched by his book and also his twitter account. For me and for millions like me battling with porn addiction I say to Gary: "Rest in Peace we will Never forget you"

Gary's book touched and helped the lives of so many, this is not only a loss for his close ones, but for the thousands his writing has helped.

It is with such profound sadness and grief to have recently discovered this true legend’s passing😩😭. I give my sincere Condolences to the fellow people and loved ones who knew Gary Wilson and to such an amazing man that is Gary Wilson and the wonderful man that he was and his amazing legacy he left behind, he left a deep positive imprint in my life aswell as so many others. I will deeply miss this wonderful human being who has helped millions around the world including myself. I truly enjoyed his book and currently reading it again because it’s that good and informative. This legendary man truly brought much knowledge to me and has made understanding of the topic of “Your Brain on Porn” very understandable and helpful to know just how detrimental pornography really is on the human brain. God Bless you Gary Wilson! Rest In Peace, and someday when I get there too, I want to thank you and shake your hand for all that you have provided in your extensive research and for creating the resources that you have which has helped and continues to do so to so many around the world, what a great legacy you have left for the world to get access to in order to learn about the harms of pornography addiction and break free from pornography. Thank you for all your amazing hard work in the fight against pornography! On behalf of all of us who are against pornography and it’s effects, we truly thank you for your hard work against the new digital age drug and we truly thank you for all that you have done, you made it very interesting to learn about it and its effects and I wouldn’t know where else to gain access to such highly informative, knowledgeable information about this issue if it wasn’t for your research and resources that I came across that you have done with such quality information and dedication in helping others. By far my favourite works of Gary Wilson is his legendary and iconic famous TedX Talks Video “The Great Porn Experiment” found on YouTube which I’ve watched numerous times because he details everything so well and makes it easy to understand the topic at large. This wonderful man is a true saint and a true public health legend that deserves to have won a reward for all his dedication in educating and helping people all over about this global issue that is Pornography and it’s harms. To all of those who have known Gary Wilson and were close to him, you are all truly blessed to have known him personally and have a relationship with him, it was one of my dreams and on my bucket list to have been able to contact him someday to thank him for his great work and perhaps meet him to have a conversation with him and share to him my personal testimony of how he has made a positive impact in my life. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had never discovered his famous TedX video on YouTube to learn more about how pornography harms and its effects on the brain, it was because of that video that inspired me to educate myself more on the issue of pornography especially through his famous website “YBOP (Yourbrainonporn.com)” and gain freedom from the menace of pornography, which thanks to Gary Wilson, I have successfully gained complete freedom from pornography, thank you so much Gary Wilson for all that you have done, I could not have done so without you.
Thank you Gary Wilson! Rest In Peace, and God Bless!

-Brayden Robb (22)
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
05/23/2021

I was introduced to his book by my therapist. Which then led me to his site. Where I found studies and such all in one place. Eventually I found his Twitter in which we talked a few times on different questions that I had. He was a great person. A man who understood what I and many guys have gone through. Because of him many have the knowledge and the power to heal and quit. Thank you Gary for your work.