Does masturbation and not lowering one's gaze affect the pursuit of religious and worldly knowledge, and what is the relationship or the true secret behind the impact of sin on the pursuit of knowledge, given that some may reconcile it with academic excellence?

Masturbation is a sin with multiple harms, including memory loss and lack of concentration. The punishment for sins and transgressions may be delayed and is not limited to the realm of studies. Apparent well-being after a sin may be a form of istidraj (gradual enticement towards perdition), and the worst punishments are those delayed until the Afterlife.