Two different practices, one name
"Edging" in the recreational sense means deliberately delaying climax to make the eventual climax bigger and longer. "Edging" in the tantric and Daoist sense means deliberately working at the edge of arousal to train the nervous system to hold higher arousal without tipping into release. Same word, fundamentally different goal. The recreational version is hedonistic. The tantric version is contemplative.
The tantric goal
To extend the time you can spend at high arousal, to map the territory between 7 and 9 on the arousal scale (territory most people fly through), and to gradually decouple the orgasmic experience from the ejaculatory reflex. The eventual goal — months out — is the trained capacity for non-ejaculatory orgasm and multi-orgasmic states. The immediate benefit, weeks in, is much better arousal-tracking and significantly extended IELT.
The basic protocol
Solo practice. 30-45 minutes. Slow self-touch. Track arousal continuously on a 0-10 scale. When arousal reaches 7, stop. Slow breath. When arousal drops to 4-5, resume. Hold the pattern for 30 minutes. The first several sessions, you will lose track and either over-stimulate or wait too long. By week 3-4, the tracking sharpens. By week 8, you can sustain 7 for extended periods without tipping over.
What changes after practice
Better awareness of your own arousal arc. Significantly increased IELT during partnered sex. The beginnings of capacity to peak without ejaculating. A different relationship to climax in general — less goal, more flow.
When this practice goes wrong
Treating it as a hedonistic technique rather than a discipline. Using high-stimulation porn during the practice (defeats the point, since porn is designed to bypass arousal-tracking). Doing it without the foundational breath work. Trying to hold at 9 rather than 7 (you will fail repeatedly and not learn anything). Skipping the integration time after.