Castration is the deprivation of the power of generation by removing the testicles, and also represents the deprivation of vitality. It is a practice that has been present throughout history and is present even today. Depending on the culture and era, there have been many different reasons for castration. For some cultures, castration may have religious value, while in others it implies a renunciation of reproduction. Although castration has been viewed differently among different cultures, there are some prevailing similarities in the motive for castration. In whole, voluntary castration is an act to improve the life, whether spiritual or physical, of a mortal man.