What is Tantric Deception?

Be very careful about who you submit to, body, mind, and soul. Why? Because you may not be able to come back from that. You may become completely brainwashed and controlled by another person you barely know before you have a chance to object or escape. And in the process, you may also become possessed by the deities that possess your guru. It could happen so fast that you would not be able to protect yourself. And all it takes to fall under their spell is to participate in a few tantric initiations and repeat some vows after someone, in most cases a total stranger. Perhaps you are thinking that you are too smart and discerning to become deceived or mind controlled, and that it could never happen to you. But what would you do if a very charismatic man or woman suddenly focused their full attention on you? What if this person came with an esoteric system that appeared to hold the secrets to the most amazing spiritual path you’d ever encountered? The aim of this website is to show that all that is not as it seems, and all that glitters is not gold. And you may find that the end of this road is not enlightenment at all, but the worst sort of hell you could ever imagine.

Definition of Tantra

Tantra is a spiritual and philosophical tradition that originated in ancient India. It encompasses a diverse range of beliefs, rituals, and texts, often associated with esoteric strands of Hinduism and Buddhism. The word tantra comes from the Sanskrit root tan, meaning “to stretch,” “extend,” or “spread,” combined with the suffix -tra, which denotes an instrument or means. In its most literal sense, tantra can be understood as an “instrument of expansion,” a method or framework through which consciousness or awareness is extended.

At the same time, the root tan is also used in the context of weaving, referring to the stretching of threads across a loom to create a structured fabric. For this reason, tantra has also been interpreted more poetically as “that which is woven” or “a loom.” This is not a strict literal translation, but it reflects how tantric systems present themselves as structured frameworks that interweave body, mind, energy, and ritual into a unified path.

Taken together, these meanings point to Tantra not simply as a belief system, but as a set of methods that claim to integrate multiple dimensions of experience into a coherent whole.

Tantric traditions typically emphasize working with and directing subtle forms of energy, both within the individual and in relation to the wider cosmos, as a means of spiritual development. These practices are often framed as pathways to transformation or enlightenment. These claims form the basis of tantric systems, but they are also the subject of ongoing theological and philosophical critique.

The guru is a key concept in tantric practice and submitting your ego to his is paramount. Samaya (“sacred bond”) is another very important concept though it is never fully explained to most Western aspirants. In fact it is a very precise set of arcane laws that must be taken extremely seriously in order to succeed on the tantric path. In Tibetan it is དམ་ཚིག, “which literally means “sacred word.” Samaya is a set of vows taken by initiates in Vajrayana Buddhism, usually as part of an empowerment or initiation ceremony. Few people in the West are adequately informed about samaya or warned about the dangers of tantra in general. Buddhist centers are usually too eager to sign people up, often total beginners, to participate in long retreats. I was made to believe that a tantric Buddhist retreat was a place to learn meditation techniques and to develop loving kindness and compassion, and that in some rare cases a person with the right karma and motivation could become enlightened. 

I was not warned about the dangers, and the great risks involved in undertaking this retreat. Instead, I was strongly encouraged to participate without being told much if anything about the practices or samayas. It wasn’t until after I took the empowerments for the retreat that I happened to come across a book that talked about the serious dangers involved. I was shocked to read that “People can make grave errors that cause them to be reborn in miserable rebirths in the lower realms.” After reading this I went to the lama in charge of the center and showed him the passage I had just discovered. “I don’t want to do anything dangerous,” I said. “It’s not dangerous,” he replied, “but if you don’t do the retreat, you will go to hell anyway because you have already taken the empowerments.” I was stunned. Why hadn’t he told me this before I took them? Around the same time he announced to me, “Now you must do whatever I say.” He never explained what he meant or why he said that to me. And I had no context at the time for understanding him. Now I understand what he meant–that once you receive the highest yoga tantra empowerments from a guru, you become bound to him through samaya, the “sacred bond.”

Besides the guru who must be appropriately obeyed and served, there are myriad non-human beings to contend with and please such as dakinis and dharma protectors. Dakinis are integral to the tantric path. In tantric practice, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism, the term dakini is translated as “sky dancer” or “she who traverses the sky,” (Tibetan: མཁའ་འགྲོ་མ་, khandroma). Dakinis are often depicted as energetic and fierce female deities representing the dynamic, transformative aspects of enlightenment.

Along with dharma protectors, dakinis can either aid or punish the practitioner as they see fit. At the very least they set up a lot of tests for aspirants. As one advances in the practice, one will get glimpses of them during dreams and meditation. Depending on whether they feel appropriately propitiated or not, they can be either loving and motherly or demonically cruel. In any case, the highest yoga tantra empowerments and practices involve inviting these deities into one’s mind and subtle body. This is actually a form of possession, though it is never explained this way. In Sanskrit this is called āveśa. It is a subtle form of possession. However, Tibetan Buddhist teachings go out of their way to avoid this explanation, instead couching the process in esoteric language that makes it seem benign and mystical. We were told that the deities are just aspects of our own mind that have no inherent existence apart from our minds. But that is not true. What is actually going on is that an external deity or spirit is invited into one’s mindstream during initiation and meditation and becomes bound with the mind. In fact, the very term for meditational deity in Tibetan is yidam, which means “bound to the mind.” 

Spiritual Alters

Once this alchemical process occurs, the dakini is always with you for good or ill. Along with the guru who becomes bound with your mind through the practice of guru yoga, the yidam is like a familiar spirit who gives advice, guidance, and prophecy. For all intents and purposes, she is a deity of divination. As she abides in the subtle body energetic system of the aspirant, she also greatly influences the movements of “divine” energy throughout one’s body. This energy is also know as the kundalini. These energetic currents often initially manifest as a difficult process of cleansing and purification that can eventually lead to sensations of bliss and ecstasy. In fact, another definition of āveśa or “possession” is “ecstasy.” It is important to note that the highest yoga tantra practices in Tibetan Buddhism usually involve the physical practice of yoga requiring extreme forms of breath work including breath retention. 

In this way the dakini or yidam deity is a form of alter entity or personality that abides within you. The guru has also “entered you” by this point. If all goes well with your practice and your relationship to your guru, you could become enlightened by the guru and dakini, and receive all the supreme and ordinary siddhis “magical powers” promised by receiving empowerment and practicing their sadhanas. In Western spritual terms, this is a form of “perfect possession.” Alternatively, if all does not go well with your practice, the dakini will leave your heart center and chakras and both the yidam dakini and the guru will manifest like the worst sort of Satanic demons, both within your body and your mind. Thus the risks in practicing tantra are extremely great and the punishments are ruthlessly cruel beyond your wildest imagination. Gurus who may seem benevolent and wise at first, and the tantric deities who possess them, are capable of turning on their students in horrible ways for perceived slights and criticisms that might naturally arise in the students’ minds after witnessing, or experiencing first hand, sexual and other forms of abuse.

The Cult Phenomenon 

Both tantric and occult practices often give rise to cult-like groups that exploit the vulnerability and naivety of seekers. Such groups will employ mind control techniques, emotional manipulation, and even abuse to maintain control over their followers. The allure of secret knowledge and promised enlightenment can lead individuals down a treacherous path, where their autonomy and well-being are sacrificed in the name of spiritual attainment.

Protecting Seekers and Practitioners

In conclusion, it is essential to approach all tantric and occult practices with great caution and discernment. Tibetan Buddhism in particular is an esoteric system encased in a deceptive wrapper of sanctity and compassion. Seekers should thoroughly research and critically evaluate any teachers, organizations, or groups they consider aligning themselves with. Maintaining personal boundaries, practicing informed consent, and trusting one’s intuition are paramount.