Tantra and tantric philosophy are a beautiful spiritual discipline that is focused primarily on the freedom, liberty, and self-fulfilment of the individual, and, in the West, even couples. Some of its followers even go so far as to describe Tantra as being an ancient science and "the path of ecstasy."
The Meaning and Origin of Tantra
In the ancient language of Sanskrit, the word Tantra means "web" or "to weave" and is described perfectly by writer Georg Feuerstein in his book Sacred Sexuality: The Erotic Spirit in the World's Great Religions as "that which expands understanding."
Feuerstein adds more: "Tantra can be explained as a system of principles and practices intended to expand the human mind, to guide its followers to higher knowledge, or gnosis. Tantra celebrates the divinity in and of every being and thing. Its goal is personal liberation, which is understood as the transcendence of the ego-personality, of the ordinary consciousness."
Even back in the ancient world, Tantra was viewed with suspicion, with many labeling it a seditious sect from more traditional philosophies and religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The fact that Tantra promoted acceptance of anything as being a spiritual path toward self-fulfillment was seen by many as a threat, so it was subsequently looked down on, shunned, and classed as radical.
More from Georg Feuerstein in his book Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy: "Ancient Tantric groups endorsed practices that were considered sinful from within a conventional moral and spiritual framework - earning it the term antinomianism (Greek, anti-against, nomos-accepted norms or law) which was exemplified in the "left-hand" schools of Tantra. Their members avail themselves of "unlawful" practices such as ritualized sexual intercourse with a person other than one's marital partner and the consumption of aphrodisiacs, alcohol, and meat (a taboo food in traditional India's vegetarian culture), as well as frequenting burial grounds for necromantic rituals."
Is There Such a Thing as Authentic Tantra Anymore?
Some people will state with great passion there is no such thing as "authentic Tantra" in the modern Western world. They often hold the position that there is only "traditional Tantra" (a Hindu/Indian Tantric school's teachings and practices passed down through a lineage of teachers), or Neo-Tantra, which promotes many teachings and practices that are founded on traditional Tantra but have been "updated" with fresh interpretations and descriptions. Neo-Tantra is taught almost exclusively in the modern world and especially in Western countries such as the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc.
Traditional Tantra vs. Neo-Tantra: Which One is Right for You?
The traditional teachings of Tantra adhere to a very rigorous and non-sexual spiritual practice – think something akin to Buddhist monks – and is known as the "Right-Hand path" or "White Tantra". This traditional belief system is heavy with religious dogma that has roots in its spiritual connections and traditions it shares with Buddhism and Hinduism.
The more modern Neo-Tantra, on the other hand, is characteristically focused on sexual energy and sexual interaction between participants/lovers and is known as the "Left-Hand path" or "Red Tantra". Neo-Tantra is built upon many modern interpretations of ancient dogma that include various new-age alternative practices and theories.
So, it comes down to these two options.
If you are seeking a more traditional, religious experience on a path to enlightenment, then the study of ancient "traditional Tantra" will do you well.
If you want to connect with and work with your sexual energy and learn how to raise your vibration and discover spiritual sex, then the contemporary Neo-Tantra is for you.
Please just be mindful that there are many teachers of Tantra promoting studies that claim to be "authentic Tantra" when it is Tantra blended with elements of Buddhism and Chinese Taoism. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these, but please do your research if you are seeking genuine ancient knowledge.
The one inauthentic thing to be wary of with any type of Tantric teaching is that if any processes or practices advocate harm or negative energy towards another person, then it is not Tantric at all.
The Good and the Bad – What You Need to Watch Out For
In all probability, if you have landed on my website and you are reading this article, you have most likely heard of the word "Tantra" before. And it is also likely Neo-Tantra what you have seen and heard about, not the ancient traditional Tantra. No matter which path has led you here, there are many noble reasons and just as many benefits for wanting to learn and explore Tantra. Of course, there are some dangerous and unhealthy things to be wary of as well, with some things being outright damaging. All of these things you should know about at the start of any journey.
The remainder of this article will be written in the context of Neo-Tantra. This is the most common version of Tantra you are most likely to find and is the one that has most likely sparked your interest in the subject. Neo-Tantra came into being in the West during the free love spiritual days of the sexual revolutions in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tantra – The Good
Tantra is a path for people who hold a deep interest in exploring spiritual sex as a journey of personal growth, sexual healing, and spiritual awakening.
Many Tantra learning circles, events, and workshops often have activities that can look like a new-age party with lots of dancing, movement, and music. The facilitator will lead participants through different types of sensual energy exercises that can have participants rotating to new partners around a group circle. These activities normally centre on activating and working with sexual energy. There is lots of exchanging and sharing of this energy between participants – completely nonsexual interactions – and almost always fully clothed.
A genuine Tantric workshop is not a swingers party!
A genuine Tantric workshop will get participants plenty of sexual energy exercises that can be taken home and practiced between intimate partners.
Some of the benefits that come from regular Tantric practice include:
Improved physiological and sexual health
Enhancement of intimate and personal interactions
Emotional and mental health benefits
Spiritual enhancement and growth.
Through the enhanced sexual experience achieved with Tantric teachings, singles, and couples can personally feel the positive effects it has on their health and well-being. Tantric breathing practices increase blood flow around the body, and its exercises (like the 'PC pump' and the orgasmic reflex motion) encourage pelvic muscle tone and body flexibility. In addition to this are all the usual health benefits of regular sex and orgasms – enhanced substantially by Tantra's spiritual approach and non-judgmental perspective.
People who practice Tantra together form a close, intimate, and profound relationship together. Tantra inspires participants to look past the ego and appreciate their partner as representing the perfect specimen of male/female energy. It shows devotees how to drop their tension, stress, or judgments (denials, resentments, or upsets) and unite in the present moment - binding heart to heart.
Tantra offers a healthy body, mind, and soul integration, discharging trauma and boosting self-esteem. Followers of Tantra are taught how to experience the combining of their mind with the body, with emotions, and with spirit through the mindful presence of pleasure immersion, erotic sensation, and connecting with energy. By learning how to be mindfully present to pleasure and sensation, one can make sex a meditative experience and deepen human sexual consciousness.
However, if you journey far enough down the Tantric path, it will inevitably activate or trigger any unresolved trauma (especially sexual trauma) you may have that is yet to be released and healed. But in doing so, you will produce a much clearer state of self-fulfilment and a more wholesome interaction between partners. The knowledge of self that can be gained through Tantra will also create feelings of empowerment, higher self-esteem, and greater sexual confidence.
To journey down the Tantric path means to realize the spirituality within oneself and your partner and experience transcendent states of consciousness. Tantra delivers a sense of alignment with the higher self and closeness with celestial energy. Ongoing Tantric practice will attune and condition people to a higher spiritual sexual consciousness which expands into all other areas of life, not just sexual.
Tantra - The Bad
As with most things in life, there are some negative aspects to any path, and some things to be wary of.
Some of the negative things to be careful of when exploring Tantra and Tantric practices:
Premature Kundalini energy activation
Triggering of unresolved trauma
Tantric trance addiction and loss of control.
What is Premature Kundalini Energy Activation?
According to ancient yogic teachings, Kundalini is an erotic, primal, life force energy that lies in each of us at the base of the spine. While dormant for many people, it is quite harmless. However, once awakened – especially prematurely – there are many experiences that a person needs to be ready for to withstand and control the energy flowing through their body.
Therefore, in the ancient Tantric teachings, much was written about Kundalini, and warnings were made about anyone and everyone indiscriminately teaching Tantra where there was potential for a premature Kundalini activation.
When correctly prepared for, a Kundalini activation or awakening can happen in several ways. Some of these include Tantric breathing, body movement, energy exchange, meditation, sensual touching, sexual interaction, spiritual growth, a peak emotional eruption, or a combination of any or all of these. A Kundalini activation feels like an electrifying, tingling rush of warm energy that bursts out and upwards from the base of your spine.
There is certainly nothing wrong with Kundalini, and Tantric teachings do indeed encourage its awakening. If a person is properly educated and made fully aware of the process, then the experience can be safe and beneficial.
That said, if they are not adequately prepared, or have unresolved trauma or mental blockages, then the outcome is likely to be unpleasant. An unwanted or poorly planned Kundalini activation or awakening can cause pain and distress, it can feel like you are on fire inside your spine, or even like being electrocuted. Other side effects can include prolonged emotional and physical symptoms of soreness, confusion, fragmentation, and even psychosis. All of this comes about because of the massive energy overload and surge through the body.
Kundalini's awakening most often comes about due to being in a very heightened state when orgasm is reached. However, the energy surge associated with kundalini is not the same as the energy eruption and surge from an orgasm. Kundalini can be much deeper and more powerful.
A normal orgasm will gently adapt and flow in direct harmony with the emotional and physical condition of the body of the person experiencing it, while Kundalini won't and will instead surge its way through any available energy pathway and overpower a person's energy system. Try imagining a fiery explosion that seeks out any available oxygen source as a fuel source. This is sought of what Kundalini is like as it explodes inside the body.
All these negative aspects of kundalini and premature activation can be avoided by going slow and by working on Tantric breathing exercises, balancing, chakra charging, energy clearing, and spiritual grounding. This is done because we want to prepare and condition the body's energy system as well as the physical endurance to be able to best handle the increased charge and explosion of kundalini energy.
Triggering of Unresolved Trauma
Tantra will help a person unlock and overcome trauma and other blockages. The downside of this is that Tantra, in the act of healing, will activate and trigger these unresolved traumas and subconscious blockages.
What this means is that things can get worse before they get better. Tantra wants to help clear and heal what has gone lurking unnoticed inside or purposely ignored by the ego. It wants to help show people a path to be able to sense and work with sexual energy and grow clearer and healthier connections between partners. It must be said, however, that for some people opening this trauma can be distressing, saddening, or destructive – if it is not channeled and overseen by a capable sexual healer.
If anyone is promoting Tantra services or Tantric healing and they are still suffering trauma or sexual abuse issues from their past, then they should consult and counsellor or therapist before learning or teaching Tantra any further.
In other words, you can't heal others until you heal yourself first.
Tantric Trance Addiction and Loss of Control
Because Tantra works with energy, including sexual energy, it has the power to send people into a trance-like state which can cause ailment with conceivably harmful outcomes: Tantric trance addiction and loss of control.
This is best described as the process of how individual consciousness transforms to unconsciously embrace the prevailing viewpoint of group consciousness. People do get swept up in the moment of what is happening with the group in the room and lose all sense of control and morals, some even becoming addicted to the trance-bliss state it induces. It goes above and beyond simply being horny and lost in the moment. Often people can suffer from embarrassment, shame, and regret, sometimes they may even feel they have been tricked, assaulted, or taken advantage of by the practitioner or others in the workshop group.
In any professional Tantra session personal consideration, preparation, and safety of every participant should be paramount to the Tantra teacher. Time should be taken to advise, educate, and obtain consent for what activities will be undertaken. This is especially required for heavy-duty emotional and physical healing treatments that focus on intimate areas such as the vagina, penis, and anus. A genuine Tantric session should never take a participant in a direction that was not discussed or explained before the session commenced.
Being in a Tantric trance is being enslaved and trapped by the increasing influence of Tantric energy which makes a person less conscious or aware of acute sensations or critical thinking processes. The lure of erotic pleasure merged with the deep relaxation produced by Tantric therapies, methods, and exercises creates a state of mental unresponsiveness which stumbles and delights in an open, homogeneous harmonic state of being - reluctant or incapable of distinguishing or evaluating activities and relying on trust in the honesty of the facilitator or other participants as a protector against harm.
When Tantric trance addiction happens with a reliable and trustworthy healer or partner, who has another's safety as a primary concern, there is no need to be afraid or concerned about falling into this state of absorption into pleasure. However, it can be risky to experience Tantric trance addiction when a Tantra teacher or healer lacks professional honesty and integrity and takes advantage of a client/student's mesmerized state for their gain or erotic release.
Surrender to Tantric trance and its sensual energy can provide healing and promote sexual liberation, provided the recipient is consciously prepared to enter this state and has stated their boundaries of consent.
However, everyone should take caution that this state also creates a fairly weakened moral capacity and can produce circumstances where people can be subjected to dishonest and unscrupulous behavior that causes damage, either emotionally or physically, or both.
To avoid coming to harm while in a Tantric trance state, keep alert and be active and present with what is happening around you. Please do remember to engage and be open to the pleasure sensations that come your way but remain aware at a level you can avoid surrendering wholly with someone you have only just met, don't know very well, or didn't have boundaries or consent worked out with at the start.
Please make your choice to enter a Tantric trance state only with someone you know well and trust.
Tantra – The Undeniably Horrible Stuff
1. Dishonest, irresponsible, predatory coaches/healers/practitioners/teachers
2. Emotionally insecure and immature people.
It is no secret that in the past (and probably in the future, still) some Tantra coaches, teachers, healers, and the like have been accused of rape, sexual assault, and other predatory behaviour.
As a result of this, I strongly urge you to undertake your research and background checks on any people you are considering receiving a Tantric service from or you are wanting to sign up for their workshops. If you can get referrals from past clients, even better.
Many service providers promote Tantra and Tantric services but are just erotic massage services or prostitution. If a service provider is advertising things such as Tantric massage or is displaying pictures of themselves naked, half-naked, or in sexy lingerie, chances are the service isn't genuine Tantra but instead naughty adult services.
There is certainly nothing wrong with these types of services, but it can lead to disappointment if you are going in expecting one thing but receive something that is completely the opposite. Tantric services are much more than simply lighting some incense, playing spiritual music, and doing everything slowly.
Unfortunately, it is not just the educators in Tantra you have to look out for – some attendees and fellow students may look to take advantage of other people and ignore emotional, physical, and sexual boundaries, or look to use classes and workshops as an opportunity to perve or satisfy their voyeuristic fetishes.
One of the best things you can do is attend any Tantric session with a personal buddy or friend for support and who will look out for you whilst you are in vulnerable situations.
At any stage, should you sense something is happening to you that is not within your boundaries or you haven't consented to, please speak up and stop the activity immediately to re-establish the boundaries and consent before continuing further. If need be, withdraw your participation completely.
Don't be afraid to report any bad behaviour or unwanted advances to those people responsible for hosting the event you are attending. If necessary, do report the matter to the local police if the behaviour reaches the level of criminal assault. Mistakes and misunderstandings do realistically happen, and one should take this into due consideration and only respond with the appropriate measures when the full matter has been scrutinized.
That said, when immoral behaviour is thoughtlessly endangering, callous, or predatory and premeditated, and leads to sexual assault or rape - report these incidents to your local police.
At the end of the day, there are many genuine, knowledgeable, and responsible coaches, teachers, and healers out there who sincerely want to share what they know and spread the light about Tantra with other people. I encourage you to reach out to the Tantra providers in your local area about the topics mentioned in the paragraphs above and find out their position on these matters.
Tantra can be enjoyably beneficial, illuminating, therapeutic, and transformative when taught, learned, and experienced in a respected, safe, and consented environment. Going on a journey to become Tantric will mean there is so much more compassion, empathy, and experience of sexual energy and sexual interaction in the world. Tantra offers the potential to grow truly deep intimate and rewarding relationships through Tantric sex and the expanded bliss states of being and awareness that it produces.
The information contained above is provided for entertainment purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice on your personal situation and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. The Writer and this Website disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.
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