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Ecstasy Through Tantra
Now, you and your lover can engage in specific sexual techniques and positions for ritual intercourse that will flood you with the overwhelming physical ecstasy which triggers expanded state of consciousness. Tantric yoga will teach you how to build sexual love and passion to an amazing peak - and how to push your mind even higher to achieve transcendental bliss.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 6, 2023
Dr. Jonn Mumford takes the complex topic of tantra and attempts to translate it from its Eastern roots for the Western mind. He is somewhat successful, but gets bogged down in the history of tantra coming to the west as well as the etymology of tantric terms.
"The Tantrist seeks freedom (Moksha) through life (sensation, sentient, sensual) and not through escape (abstinence, abstaining, absence), using the body as an instrument of evolution." pg 47
I think when Westerners consider tantra, they generally think about exotic sexual positions. This book tries to show that tantra is so much more than that.
Through the recognition of the divine in your partner, tantra can be a method of reaching divine states of being. I think it is more of a mindset than any particular exercise.
"The key secret of the Western tradition lies in the demonstration that the sexual function has deeper implications than procreation." pg 30
Dr. Mumford provides a few rituals in this book so that readers can choose to practice some of his interpretations of tantra if they choose. He also includes illustrations of various chakras in order to encourage meditation upon the complex symbolism they contain. Through these practices, he says, one can begin to investigate the mystery that is tantra and the self.
"Although the major topic of this book has been sex magic and Tantric sexual practices, it must not be assumed that the whole of Tantra is concerned with these aspects. Tantra is the life science concerned with producing true individuals." pg 122
I'm dubious about the efficacy of some of the exercises described in this book, like the practice of sucking ones bodily fluids back into oneself after expulsion. Maybe some of these things were meant to be metaphorical rather than literal? Who's to say...
If you don't allow yourself to be caught up in the strange (at least to my mind) details, there is some wisdom to be found in these pages. But the biggest problem of this book is that it tries to tackle too much.
It begins to do a comparison of witchcraft to tantra, which I feel could fill an entire book on its own. It also touches on similarities between tantra and western sex magic. Neither of these topics receive a thorough treatment, which was rather disappointing.
He also does a brief history of tantra coming to the west which I felt was over-simplified. History buffs might find that section off-putting.
However, if you're looking for a brief introduction to tantra written for a Western audience, this might be a good place to start.
"The Tantrist seeks freedom (Moksha) through life (sensation, sentient, sensual) and not through escape (abstinence, abstaining, absence), using the body as an instrument of evolution." pg 47
I think when Westerners consider tantra, they generally think about exotic sexual positions. This book tries to show that tantra is so much more than that.
Through the recognition of the divine in your partner, tantra can be a method of reaching divine states of being. I think it is more of a mindset than any particular exercise.
"The key secret of the Western tradition lies in the demonstration that the sexual function has deeper implications than procreation." pg 30
Dr. Mumford provides a few rituals in this book so that readers can choose to practice some of his interpretations of tantra if they choose. He also includes illustrations of various chakras in order to encourage meditation upon the complex symbolism they contain. Through these practices, he says, one can begin to investigate the mystery that is tantra and the self.
"Although the major topic of this book has been sex magic and Tantric sexual practices, it must not be assumed that the whole of Tantra is concerned with these aspects. Tantra is the life science concerned with producing true individuals." pg 122
I'm dubious about the efficacy of some of the exercises described in this book, like the practice of sucking ones bodily fluids back into oneself after expulsion. Maybe some of these things were meant to be metaphorical rather than literal? Who's to say...
If you don't allow yourself to be caught up in the strange (at least to my mind) details, there is some wisdom to be found in these pages. But the biggest problem of this book is that it tries to tackle too much.
It begins to do a comparison of witchcraft to tantra, which I feel could fill an entire book on its own. It also touches on similarities between tantra and western sex magic. Neither of these topics receive a thorough treatment, which was rather disappointing.
He also does a brief history of tantra coming to the west which I felt was over-simplified. History buffs might find that section off-putting.
However, if you're looking for a brief introduction to tantra written for a Western audience, this might be a good place to start.
January 10, 2016
Though there were a few instructions for actual physical practices here, this was mostly a nonsensical exegesis on Hinduism and Crowley-esque magick that made bold claims with little to no scholarly backup (as in "Christ" has etemological roots in "semen?!"). It's almost worth the price for the hilariously dated sexy pictures and trippy diagrams, but as reference, it's not very useful.
January 30, 2022
Great book if you're looking for bold and poorly referenced claims, almost no acknowledgement of queer relationships, and statements like "just as a sheath without a sword is valueless, so a Shakti (female) without a Shaktra (male) is worthless." I only finished slogging through this one because Mama didn't raise a quitter.
November 16, 2024
excellent introduction to tantra, with philosophy and practical exercises. easy read, half of it was erotic-esoteric images which is fine as it cut down the word count. would recommend as an introduction to sex magick.
September 9, 2016
Reference-ish
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews