Precis: The Eastern spiritual system known as Tantra has been growing at an explosive rate in the West. In this exclusive interview, The Llewellyn Journal discusses the subject with the author of books such as A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook and Ecstasy Through Tantra. There may be no better author and lecturer on the subject. He is a genuine Tantric initiate and has been writing and teaching for four decades. Here, he reveals some of the common misconceptions about Tantra and reveals new information.

The Llewellyn Journal: Dr. Mumford, your initiated name is Swami Anandakapila Saraswati. Your first book, Psychosomatic Yoga, was published in 1962. At that time there was very little interest in the spirituality of the East, although it exploded during that decade. Why do you think the popularity of Eastern spirituality has grown over the past 40 years?

Dr. Jonn Mumford: The 1960s represented a tremendous opening of the Western mind to concepts of Yoga, particularly through the popularization of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his popular Transcendental Meditation or "TM" movement.

However, the soil in America had already been richly fertilized by Swami Vivekananda visiting at the turn of the nineteenth century and then by Swami Rama Tirtha who visited America shortly after Vivekananda. It is also worth remembering that American counter-cultural movements from the transcendentalists to the beats were drawn to Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. But it was not until the 1960s that teachings became widely available to the general public.

There is a popular belief is that no one, outside India, attempted to practice or integrate Tantra until the Post World War II period. However in 1906 the "Tantrik Order In America" published the International Journal: Tantrik Order. The copy I saw was a lush, 200-page journal. It had a cover in rich red, gold, and black, and was full of translations of Tantric texts and articles eulogizing love.

The founder of the Tantric Order In America was a remarkable individual who galvanized the American landscape with his exotic Tantric teaching. Pierre Arnold Bernard who was dubbed "Oom the Omnipotent" by scandalized journalists early in the twentieth century. You can find a detailed history of this seminal figure in American Tantra at: http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/VolumeIII/HTML/Oom.html — a fascinating discussion by Hugh B. Urban, Ohio State University.

The amazing work of "Dr. Bernard" (as he was also known) in the 1900s was such that he could correctly be called The Father of American Yoga and Tantra. His magnetism drew to him the intellectual and aristocratic elite from the Eastern seaboard of America including a collection of celebrities and the wealthy Vanderbilt family. He established the highly successful Clarkstown Country Club in 1918 which included many of the most famous and prestigious names in America.

There is a photograph appearing in Bernard's Journal in which he gives a demonstration before a panel of M.D.s of the death trance (Kali Mudra). In this trance his pulse and heart have stopped. Such demonstrations were unheard of outside India.

The argument that Bernard was really the "Father of Tantra and Yoga" in America gains credibility with recognition that his influence lead to the emergence of America's greatest Indologist, included some of the most famous names in America. This outstanding man was Pierre Bernard's nephew, Theos Bernard Ph.D., an Indologist and that rare academic with a practical grasp of Yoga technology exceeded by none since or before. The bulk of Theos Bernard's work was done in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Unfortunately, he was murdered in India in 1947, a great loss to American Indology and perhaps the most tragic loss to the world of Indology.

The key to the present awakening and search for meaning through Yoga probably started in the 1970s with a growing awareness that materialism and consumerism represented little solace. It was fueled by the sixties' counterculture and the influence of Timothy Leary, Bhagavan Das, and Ram Das and the arrival in the west of Trungpa Rinpoche and other Tibetan refugees. But why did this counterculture grow?

Our mainstream Western attitude, at a superficial level, favors the ideal that nothing matters — except the pursuit of wealth and power; consumerism has become almost the sole object and goal of life. Our way of living, reinforced by relentless media bombardment, molds us as voracious, bipedal eaters of goods and chattels.

Poverty is evident in India but not impoverishment of the being — nor is to be poor in India synonymous with destitution and decadence. The Pujas (rituals of Hinduism) sustain each individual's dignity and ensure a meaningful existence within the whole — good "old-fashioned values" that we have lost in a sea of technology and economic obsession. Do not misunderstand me as implying India does not have problems — they certainly have — but to me they seem more fixable than our present Western dilemma.

TLJ: That first book has now been massively expanded as a new title: A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook. There are lots of books out there about Chakras and Kundalini. How is this one different?

JM: The matrix from which the subject matter comes is based upon a lifetime of my personal initiation by Indian teachers, classical training and my affiliation with traditional Indian orders. The success of A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook rests with much original material, exercises, and techniques that have never been so explicitly expressed. Let me give an example.

In A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook I have clearly stated that correlating the Chakras with physical entities is really a clumsy Occidental tendency to find physical explanations for abstractions about metaphysical realities. One of the values of my book is that through working on the techniques and exercises students come to clearly understand this difference and that so-called location of the Chakras is really a switch-point to the realm of the Chakra and not the Chakra itself.

I define a Chakra as possessing the same qualities as the Euclidian point. That is, a Chakra, like the point, has locus or location but not dimensionality — however working with this concept gives rise to concrete materializations. This is rather similar to the architect whose plans exist in his head, are translated to paper, beginning with the point or first stroke, and ultimately crystallize into an objective three-dimensional skyscraper or installation.

TLJ: I note that there is information in your book which I have not seen in other popular books on the subject. For example, on page 87, you show a diagram that includes two extra Chakras, the Surya Chakra and the Chandra Chakra. What is the purpose of these chakras and how can the people reading this interview use them?

JM: The Surya (Solar) Chakra and Chandra (Lunar) Chakra are really psychic representations of the Liver (the largest heat producing organ) and the Spleen (the source of stored red blood cells and the origin of some complex immune responses in the early years of our life).

Before I explain this it is best to understand that the most traditional form of Tantra conceptualizes seven primary chakras, based on the seven classical Grahas or planets of Ancient India. (Some systems are designed around nine psychic centers by including the non-physical nodes of the moon, Rahu and Ketu, which are recognized entities in Jyotish — Indian astrology.)

The photograph of a rare painting is from the late Dr. Swami Gitananda's wall paintings at his first Ashram, which is now a Madam or graveyard for Tamil saints. The seven classical Chakras of Tantra are depicted here and we can learn much from this encapsulation. The serpents on either side represent the Ida and Pingala psychic flows that are simultaneously coiled and straight channels — something I demonstrate in my courses to students.

Looking at the left side of the image, you will see a seven-headed serpent. This reveals an important secret: the main contact points for all the chakras are really subsumed in Sahasrara or the seventh chakra.

The pyramidal formation represents the ascent of Shakti from the base to a fine point of concentration at the top. This is the original "Pyramid Power" secret for the Sadhaka engaged in Om-Kara Kriya � forms a pyramid with his body thus moving energy from "below to above."

Individual systems developed that enumerate many more Chakras which are really considered minor (although in some cases not so minor!) or "subchakras."

My first Guru, Dr. Swami Gitananda, taught a system of twelve Chakras and these are based on the traditional twelve signs (Rashis or zodiacal signs) and houses (Bhavas) of Jyotish or Vedic Astrology.

In the next rare photograph of another picture from Swamiji's Ashram wall, you will see the five Chakras of the head used in his system. This painting exists in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, close to his burial or Maha Samadhi site. As you may well guess the symbology of this beautiful painting is extremely complex.

At Bihar School of Yoga in India, another place where I studied, we utilize a scheme of eleven chakras based on the dynamic Kriya Yoga taught there.

When talking about Chakras it is important to note that Tantric concepts are intrinsically intertwined with Ayurvedic (Indian system of traditional medicine) and Indian astronomical schools. The practical application of the Chakra mapping is exemplified by the further enumeration of 108 (South Indian) Marmas or vital points utilized by Indian martial artists and practitioners of Indian acupressure and acupuncture (Bhedana Karma).

Any given chakra has multiple names and often Chakras exist in combination with subchakras. For example the Manipura Chakra located between the navel and the tip of the breast bone is also called the Nabhi (navel) Chakra and Surya Chakra on the right along with the twin Chandra Chakra on the left are really extensions or ramifications of the force field represented by Manipura Chakra.

At a therapeutic level the locations of Surya Chakra and Chandra Chakra represent key marmas which may be used if massage can benefit liver and splenetic malfunctions, respectively. This is something that is best left to well-trained Ayurvedic and Yogic specialists who give such treatments.

However, in Chapter 14 of A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook, readers will discover a Tantric secret regarding what we might term psychic acupuncture (Bhedana). This is a mental piercing of the focused consciousness, as well as a physical piercing. Thus, an etheric Rose can be used to penetrate Surya Chakra and Chandra Chakra to balance out disorders associated with these Marma points.

TLJ: On page 175 you discuss the four brainwave states, alpha through delta, which relate to levels of consciousness. As you know, there are machines, which flash lights into your eyes and sounds into your ears in an effort to help you reach these various levels, especially the deeper ones. These machines cost hundreds of dollars. Yet your book claims that the same thing can be done through the practice of Yoga Nidra. The book has instructions for this practice, but can you give us the theory behind Yoga Nidra and how it works?

JM: Yoga Nidra is the most stunning practice because it moves the attention so rapidly through the body that you do not have time to get bored or restless. Thus, the brain wave patterns spontaneously change from active, agitated Beta Wave to creative, nurturing Alpha and Theta Wave oscillations.

Implications of Yoga Nidra can best be understood from the following research paper reproduced with the kind permission of Bihar School of Yoga, Monghyr, Bihar South-East India. This is early research done by the University branch of Bihar School.

Yoga Nidra is a yogic practice developed by Paramahamsa Satyananda and promoted by the Bihar School of Yoga. It is a systematic method of inducing deep mental, emotional and physical relaxation. Yoga Nidra is usually performed in the yoga pose Shavasana (supine with the arms to the sides and palms upwards), but it is often performed with the subject seated.

The first characteristic feature of yoga Nidra is the systematic rotation of awareness through the different parts of the body. This originated from the tantric practice of Nyasa, in which a seated yogi would, in ritual fashion, place or feel specific mantras (sound vibrations) at different parts of the body.

The second feature of the practice is a period of visualization, usually of symbols or scenes selected by the yoga teacher from a standard series set out in the Bihar School of Yoga publication Yoga Nidra. Instructions are normally given by a yoga teacher or a tape recording. With experience the subject can give instruction mentally to him or herself.

During the normal decent from wakefulness to deep sleep the brain wave frequency changes from fast beta waves of more than 14 cycles per second, to alpha waves of 7-14 cps, then to theta of 4-7 cps and lastly to delta of 0-4 cps.

The difference between sleep and yoga Nidra is claimed to be that in yoga Nidra an intermediate platform of alpha wave predominance associated with relaxation, is created between the beta wave patterns of the wakeful state and the slow delta rhythm of deep sleep. The result of this is said to be profound relaxation of mental, emotional and muscular tension.

It was our intention to verify whether these changes did take place, reasoning that if they did, then a corresponding alteration of EEG should be detected.

The study took place in January 1988 at the Charing Cross Medical School in London, UK. 34 female subjects, all right-handed, were divided into three groups:

Group I consisted of experienced yoga practitioners selected from a pool of volunteers associated with Swami Pragyamurti of the Satyananda Yoga Center in London. Group 2 subjects consisted of Charing Cross medical students, with no previous experience of meditation or yoga; randomly selected.

Group 3 was a 'control' group of medical students drawn from the same pool as group 2.

All subjects were studied while seated in a sound attenuated, light controlled neurophysiological chamber (Faraday cage). Data was taken by means of a Brain Electrical Activity Mapping (BEAM) instrument, manufactured by Neuroscience Pty Ltd, USA. This instrument transforms brain electrical activity from the three dimensional curved surface of the scalp and cortex, to a two dimensional color image on a computer screen, with an outline of the physical head at the center. Input was derived from 26 electrodes on the scalp.

At the commencement of each session subjects were asked to sit quietly for five minutes with their eyes open whilst basal data was recorded on computer disc. Subjects were then asked to gaze at a target and suppress their eye blinking until one minute of artifact-free recording was established. Verbal communication ceased and the lighting was dimmed.

Group I (experienced yogis) and group 2 (inexperienced) then listened to a tape recording of a yoga Nidra practice with the eyes closed. The practice had four sections: progressive awareness of the parts of the right side of the body from the fingers, through the arm, to the legs and toes; followed by awareness of the left side (100 seconds duration each side); then awareness of the face, chest, back, abdomen and thighs (155 seconds duration); and finally a visualization process which included images of walking through the mountains, on a beach, and returning to home (255 seconds duration).

Group 3 listened to a 'control' tape by the same speaker, using the same tone and rate of speech. The subject matter concerned the physiology of meditation.

After listening to the tape, subjects were again asked to sit quietly while basal data was recorded. Subjects who had listened to the yoga Nidra tape were questioned as to the nature of the visualizations in order to determine whether the subjects had fallen asleep.

While practicing yoga Nidra both group I and group 2 subjects showed a normal increase in the alpha activity in the eyes closed state; ... at the beginning of the rotation of consciousness, there was an increase in the alpha activity on both sides of the brain; by the time the subjects entered the visualization, this alpha activity had spread further. At this stage, delta activity appeared in the right hemisphere of the brain. Gradually this delta activity became more conspicuous in both hemispheres, representing a very calm state by the end of the visualization and yoga Nidra.

The emergence of slow-rhythm delta waves during visualization showed the brain passed into a state electrically equivalent to deep sleep. However, most of the subjects with yoga experience (group 1) remained perfectly aware throughout the entire experimental period, as shown by the fact that they had a good recall of the scenes from the period of visualization. The study also revealed that yoga Nidra brings simultaneous activation and relaxation in both hemispheres of the brain, which under normal circumstances seldom operate with such balance.

By the end of the visualization a synchronized, very slow and low activity of the brain in both hemispheres was clearly recorded. This suggests that yoga Nidra is a 'sleepless sleep' because we enter the state equivalent to sleep while maintaining clear awareness.

© Saraswati Swami Satyananda, Yoga Nidra, Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, India 1984.
© Anon B.K. et al. 'Some aspects of EEG studies on yogis', EEG and Clin. Neurophysiol. 1961; 13; 452-456.

TLJ: Perhaps the best-known association of colors with the Chakras, moving from root to crown, is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. However, on page 194, you give the colors yellow, silver, red, blue, black, white, and red. Why the differences?

JM: The idea of assigning the spectrum colors to the Chakras is a Western fallacy probably based probably upon a misunderstanding when looking at a traditional Tantric mandala containing an elemental geometrical shape (Yantra) and color. Below is the Mandala for Muladhara Chakra (taken from Ecstasy Through Tantra) and you need to observe that the basic geometrical components consist of four lush red petals (Dalas) around a circle enclosing a yellow gold square. Many other symbolical elements are present, however for simplicity we will ignore them.

Because Muladhara represents the first Chakra many people focus on the Red color of the four Petals and and assume a seemingly logical connection between the first visible color in the spectrum and the first chakra. The trigger color for the essence of Muladhara is actually gold, and the square echoes the message of the four Dalas i.e. solidarity, earth, foundation, base, root. The ultimate transmutation that takes place in the Earth is the extraction of gold as one of the heaviest and certainly the most valuable of earth products.

The symbology of the circle enclosing the square is a universal motif of squaring the circle or materializing our desires, intentions, wishes, into manifestation upon the physical plane.

When we get to the second Chakra, Swadhishthana, the petals (six in number) are orange while the crescent Yantra is silver. This further reinforces the idea that the color of the petals is the key color and it will follow sequentially. Unfortunately, this scheme breaks down fairly quickly, for the third Chakra, Manipura, contains a red triangle surrounded by ten petals of greenish hue, while the fourth Chakra, Anahata, reverts, most commonly, to orange for the twelve petals.

The system of visualizing the spectrum colors aligned to the Chakras in an ascending scale is incorrect from a classical viewpoint, however it is not without some merit because intent and concentration upon these points will always produce some result.

A few comments from my book Magical Tattwas [included in the Magical Tattwas Cards kit] may assist the reader in understanding how primal the correct Tantric colors which represent the essence or element associated with each chakra are. Here are two examples:

EARTH: The color is YELLOW. The Indian philosophers wanted an Earth element as devoid of moisture (WATER) as possible so the yellow desert sand became the choice.

If you travel across the desert in Rajasthan, the hospitable locals will proudly show you their farms. If you are visiting in the wrong season all you will see is miles of arid, dry, yellow desert. You will be puzzled at your host's enthusiasm and pride. Come the monsoons the desert erupts with crops.

WATER: The color is SILVER. This goes back to the Hindu religious Lunar calendar and their awareness of the link between the moon and the tides. If you stand on a cliff, with a moon in the sky, overlooking the sea the most magical picture emerges. Moonlight splashes across the WATER turning into iridescent rivers of silver. This happens anytime moonlight is reflected in water, even containers of water.

We very thoroughly go into the full symbology for each Chakra with our new Chakra-Kundalini Online Course, which is now available, courtesy of the Kailash Center Personal Development Inc.,Yorktown Heights, N.Y, New York http://www.tantrapm.com/ or HTTP://WWW.JONNMUMFORDCONSULT.COM.

TLJ: A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook is really a course of study. You have a twelve-week practice schedule for learning and being able to perform the techniques in the book. Is this really effective? I know of some teachers who charge hundreds of dollars for just a tiny bit of what is in here and advise many months of practice. How would a person be different after completing this book?

JM: It would be impossible to work through each chapter systematically and not become changed for the better in the sense that an internal integration of Yoga practices would occur. The alchemical affects of this work result in a more confident, focused searcher who has accumulated experiences that will reinforce his or her desire to pursue the inner life. Personal transformation from working with A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook will result according to a precise mathematical ratio of the student's readiness, sincerity, and "stickability."

I am reminded of Shivananda's comment in Kundalini Yoga:

A man who digs a well should not dig a foot here, a foot there, a few feet in another place and then a fourth. If he does this, he will not find water even after digging in fifty places. Once a spot is chosen, he must dig on and on in the same place and lo, he will reach the water. Even so in Yoga, one teacher, one path, one method, one master, one idea and one-pointed pointed faith and devotion — all the above make up the secret of success in spiritual life.

Our Chakra Kundalini Online Course, sponsored by Kailash Centre New York, is designed to guide the student through the material on a personal tutored basis. Students will progress through each chapter directly under my guidance in a series of online lessons sent as each stage is completed. The end result is summed up in the glyph synonymous with A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook so that this tree incorporates into the very being of the student and begins a process of psychic fruition.

TLJ: On page 168 you describe the use of a penny as a biofeedback device for tension headaches. How does this work?

JM: The use of the Penny at Ajna Chakra is one of the most delightful methods for providing a focus to meditation and simultaneously relaxing the Frontalis or forehead muscle.

The Frontalis muscle is responsible for tension headaches as this muscle reacts to emotional changes by tightening and relaxing according to our mood. It is such an accurate barometer of our mood that when you know what to look for it readily indicates, for example, if a person is lying by spontaneously twitching in a particular way. We have only to remind ourselves of the brow furrowed in concentration, the supercilious raising of eyebrows, and the rapid appearance and disappearance of horizontal lines across the forehead when some people talk in an excited or agitated fashion to realize what a sensitive mirror the forehead is when reflecting internal changes.

The Frontalis muscle attaches to a strong ligamentous band comprising the skullcap which in turn hooks into the Frontalis' twin at the base of the skull, called the Occipitalis muscle. The three components are collectively termed the Epicranus and what is important is the recognition that any muscular tension at the Frontalis or Occipitalis produces vice-like pains of the classical tension headache.

Students have written me and told me the Copper Meditation Technique is worth twice the price of the book alone!

TLJ: All through A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook there are associations between what you are sharing and Western occultism. What would you say are the major similarities between Western and Eastern systems?

JM: Yes, A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook is really a bridge between Eastern and Western Systems.

The front cover is a depiction of this blend as it shows the basic Chakra map of Tantra superimposed over the Tree of Life glyph of Kabbalah. This is the mystery of "turning into and back to." Close observation shows that the first two Chakras, governed by Earth and Water, have parallels with the two lower Sephira: Malkoot and Yesode.

By pushing the Sephirot together, on each side pillar, into the central pillar you will see how the seven Chakras emerge. This demonstrates a geometrical and conceptual equivalence between Western Magic and Eastern Tantra in regard to psychic mapping of human. A generalization that might be made about the similarities concerns the remarkable recognition in both systems of psychic centers, or key energy spheres, within the subtle structure of humans.

TLJ: In this book you reveal the previously secret technique of delaying male ejaculation by "Tantric Breath Power." Why is this of value? Is there something similar for women? Why or why not?

JM: An essential aspect of Tantra for the male is prolongation of the excitement and plateau phases of the Sexual Stimulus cycle. In this way, the male Tantric bathes in the psychic aura of the Shakti. This is not to be misunderstood as meaning it is essential to never ejaculate.

The method given is little known, has a solid physiological basis and is very accessible to those who have even the slightest acquaintance with the Bhastrika and Kapalabhati Pranayama elements of Hatha Yoga. The object of the practice is for a mutual alchemical experience to occur between the participants.

TLJ: As a master of Tantric knowledge, what would be the one thing you think people should learn and practice? Why?

JM: My friend, Dr. Georg Feuerstein, put an ironic spin on the term "NeoTantra," coined by Rajneesh [now known as Osho - Ed.] to describe his approach of combining human potential psychology with tantric philosophy. Rajneesh, by the way, was not initiated into traditional Tantra, and his entire movement is a modern invention.

At first I thought Feuerstein was unduly concerned and perhaps in dismissing these NeoTantric movements, throwing the baby out with the bath water. Several years later I have changed my attitude and am much more inclined to agree with him.

It is very important for people to understand exactly what is available and not be confused that NeoTantra has anything necessarily to do with traditional classical Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain Tantra. What is available to the American public may be classified into three groups.

1: NeoTantra aka "Sacred Sex": This is the bulk of teaching and the most abundant. A lot of it is directly inspired by Rajneesh and follows his model of combining Pop Psychology and Western perception, or interpretation, of "Tantric Sexuality." A plethora of books exist on the topic and I am tempted to say most, but not all, are rubbish. I must admit this is very harsh and despite my criticism I am still supportive of anything that people feel encourages their sense of learning, adventure and hope, faith and courage. Remember this is only an opinion of mine from a traditional perspective.

2: Sex Magick: This has a lineage extending back centuries to some aspects of "left-handed" so-called Tantra as spread by the Arabs into the European world and picked up by the OTO, disseminated through that cantankerous genius Crowley, and spawning many Western Magical groups.

3: Traditional Tantra: This has its origins in Indian and Buddhist teachings.

Indologists and those who have been initiated in authentic Tantric lineages, including myself, are apt to throw up their hands in horror at the potpourri offered by contemporary NeoTantrics. The bulk of Tantric teachings emanating from India have little to do with sexuality and much more to do with experiencing the reality of Shakti and Shiva through very serious meditation practices. Formal initiation and instruction in the various aspects of Tantric Sadhana are prerequisites and this is not to everyone's taste.

So, if an individual wishes to explore what is so temptingly offered under the banner of NeoTantra, he or she must understand that this modern movement bears little or no relationship to Traditional Tantra and its sublime philosophy. Moreover, in the absence of a traditional lineage, there is little accountability regarding authenticity of information.

My concern with NeoTantra revolves around the way it is marketed and what it promises. A number of misconceptions are propagated by many of these groups. Two of the most common are:

1. The Phallic Fallacy: This is a teaching that your semen is your life blood and if you ejaculate you have diminished your Prana or vital energy. A teaching does exist in Tantra about conservation of semen, however the Ojas (or power in the semen) may be extracted before ejaculation by appropriate concentration so that what is emitted is the form and not the spirit of the semen. Most people take the teaching of conservation to mean literal non-ejaculation, which is confusing (for the uninitiated) the letter of the law with the spirit of the law.

A further consideration is that Tamil Siddha techniques often use elixirs consisting of Lingam and Yoni secretions to compound talismans and medicines.

My Guru, Paramahansa Satyananda Saraswati, suggested years ago that misunderstanding of this doctrine concerning non-ejaculation may lead to a state of psychological poisoning. Interesting enough Freud had a rather similar idea. In essence, the concept of Brahmacharya [Tantric ascetic] in terms of non-ejaculation has much more to it than the uninitiated conceive. It is not a literal injunction.

This neurotic fallacy has been widely promoted by several Taoist and NeoTantric groups. It has becomes so common that it seems to be turning into a kind of dogma. In my view, it is based on Taoist ideas and the misinterpretation of certain Tantric texts.

As a physician I believe this is very bad mental hygiene leading to performance anxiety which destroys the ecstasy of union by over-control. I have carefully explained why this is a fallacy in Ecstasy Through Tantra, pages 22 and 23. However, in a consumer driven society endlessly in search of "power, profit, and passion," this is not a popular message.

I might add that it is time someone openly stated that those traditional or Tantric teachers who maintain that the sexual aspects of Tantra are only symbolic are deluding themselves. A special group of Tantrists very much espouse literal sexual activity as an act of worship.

Indian philosophy contains antagonistic viewpoints regarding
the use or nonuse of sexual activity for spiritual gain.
— Ecstasy Through Tantra, page 20

The Yoni Tantra (c.1700 C.E.), mostly available in Bengali palm leaf and only recently partly translated, is a frank discussion of Puja given to the naked Yoni of a chosen representative of Shakti. South Indian Tamil Siddha tradition to this day has groups seriously engaged in manufacturing elixirs from male and female sexual secretions and indeed this may well be the origin of "Sexual Magik" concepts perpetuated by the O.T.O. Healthy fresh semen mixed with newly ground pepper is considered an excellent tonic while the consummate elixir is obtained by extracting the mix of semen and yoni secretions from the freshly impregnated and aroused Shakti. So much for semen-loss phobia!

For more information on this, consult the Chicago University Professor Emeritus, Kamil V. Zvelebil's The Siddha Quest For Immortality, (Mandrake of Oxford. 1996) or anything written by my friend Layne Little, a Ph.D. candidate out of UCLA."

2. G-spot/Goddess-spot Myth: This idea has swept America and is probably the dominant feature of current NeoTantra. The Grafenberg spot is a very interesting concept vindicated in classical Indian erotic literature and also erotic novels in eighteenth century Europe.

Classical Tantra would equate this point with the trigger area for Swadhishthana or the second chakra. Unfortunately, the current misguided teaching is that the G-spot is a sexual healing panacea, where all a woman's traumatic experiences are stored. At the same time, stimulation of this spot in order to encourage female ejaculation is presented as being the holy grail and the key to the kingdom of heaven. This is such patent nonsense that I am left breathless contemplating it!

Variations of seminal retention techniques sometimes enhance the possibility of men having multiple orgasms, just as stimulation of trigger points for the Swadhishthana Chakra (G-spot) may allow some women to experience ejaculation. Neither male multiple orgasms nor female ejaculation constitutes a test of "sexual success" — they merely represent extra-dimensional aspects within a wide spectrum of normal human sexual response
—Ecstasy Through Tantra Page 23

The search for "power, passion, and profit" is unlimited, and sex sells. There are many desperate people out there who think spiritual experiences can be obtained for a few dollars. No wonder Indologists such as Georg Feuerstein and Panditji at the Himalayan institute are nonplussed.

It must be understood that I am not impugning the sincere, if misguided, efforts of NeoTantra teachers in promoting such rubbish, but it is best to be clear this has nothing to do with traditional lineage-based Tantra and that the concept of "sexual healing" is totally alien to the Tantric tradition.

I am very wary of catharsis and emotional clearing, and the idea that G-spot stimulation will lead to emotional catharsis strikes me as rather dangerous; however, some people may benefit from these approaches as the range of human sexual responses is very broad and individual differences allow many options.

I feel it is important to understand exactly what you are studying and realize that even some NeoTantra groups have claimed spurious Saraswati connections and other even more recondite initiations that are either totally incorrect or not verifiable by virtue of such links coming through "channeled" contacts.

Notwithstanding this I have to add that "NeoTantra" and "Sacred Sex" are here to stay and much good can come from these movements in America in terms of divinization of sexuality. A recent meeting in America with the topic "Sacred Sex" attracted some top experts, researchers and academics and is very much to be applauded. Without such people, the American scene would be at risk of descending into puritanical hell.

TLJ: How do you feel that people can best deal with the terror attacks of 9/11/01?

JM: By constantly returning to the inner depths through Meditation, Relaxation practices, Autogenic training and Yoga Nidra. The peace within and the refuge within is the only true source of solace and also to remember that it is all a play or Lila and although we cannot help becoming involved — and indeed often have a Dharmic duty to be involved — it is best to simply witness what we do and what is happening knowing the World scene will change once again.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My gratitude to Umeshanand and Veenanand for their assistance in preparing this article: Kailash Center Personal Development Inc. Yorktown Heights, New York http://www.tantrapm.com/, http://www.jonnmumfordconsult.com

Photos reproduced with kind permission of Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Editor's Notes:

A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook and Ecstasy Through Tantra, by Dr. Jonn Mumford, are © by Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. All quotes are used by permission.