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Mystical Tree of Kabbalism, with its roots in God and its branches reaching to the microcosm of man. The ten major divisions, known as Sephiroth, refer to parts of the body and higher qualities of the mind. From an engraving, R. Fludd, Divine Numbers, 1626.

sexual region, between the anus and the sexual organ. Fix your mind on it, without touching anything. When the mind has attained concentration on the green point, try touching various things, all the while keeping the mind focused so the point becomes even more brilliant. When vividness is attained, stabilize the concentration and draw in the point to the Heart Chakra.

Mix the different-colored effulgent points within the Heart Chakra and imagine them dissolving into one another and, finally, into nothingness. Then, rising up from the state of Innate Tranquillity, imagine the colored points emerging simultaneously and spontaneously, reaching out

and extending to the sense organs. By meditating thus, the whole being becomes purified and the senses exalted. This visualization evolves out of voidness, recedes into voidness, yet is truly filled with the conscious being-bliss experience.

This type of psycho-sensual visualization is typical of the Tantric method for gaining ascendancy over faculties that normally remain purely mechanical. It leads to an expansion of consciousness and a heightened awareness. All visualization evolves from the play of the senses with the mind.

Hatha Yoga is particularly helpful to visualization and many of the postures are linked directly to specific meditation practices. The Katha Upanishad, an early Hindu teaching text, states: "The Tree of Eternity has its roots in Heaven above and its branches reach down to earth below. It is pure Brahma, the Immortal Spirit, on which all worlds rest. By knowing this, Immortality can be found."

This enigmatic statement is directly linked to the Yoga head stand (shirsasana) and to the accompanying visualization for the correct practice of this posture. It also tells of the Tantric method of controlling life energies by reversing their autonomic involuntary flow. The Yoga head stand requires the support of a triangular shape made by the hands and elbows, reminding the Yogi that three forces underlie all phenomena. If you visualize an equilateral triangle with a central focal point, the Yoga head stand will be easy to hold; a natural resonance is created between the form held by the mind and the physical triangular shape, or Yantra, which is the outer support for the posture.

The Tree of Eternity, with "its roots in Heaven above and its branches reaching down to earth below," is a very evocative symbol and is found in several metaphysical traditions. A similar meditation on the microcosm as an inverted tree, with roots in Heaven and branches extending to the Earth, is part of Kabbalistic lore. Throughout this book we have illustrated simple visualizations that are part of the Tantric and Taoist traditions. The only way to understand the "how" and "why" of visualization is to try it. The remarkable faculty of imagination will reveal more about the true nature of mind than a whole library of psychology books. Transcendental visualization requires only a relaxed and willing mind uncluttered by worldly

The base of the yoga head stand is an equilateral triangular form made by the two elbows and interlocked hands. By visualizing this triangle as symbolizing the natural threefold division of all worldly phenomena, ascendancy can be gained. The mind should be focused on an imagined dot at the center, physically located at the Third Eye region of the forehead.

The Bhagavad Gita states: "A person who knows the Sacred Tree, with its roots in the Primal Being, its trunk the body of Brahma and its leaves the Holy Teachings, is a true knower of reality." When practicing the Yoga head stand (shirsasana) a person should visualize the whole being as an inverted tree, channeling energy from feet (roots) to crown (upper branches).

Tantric visualization for a couple in embrace, showing the emanation of an eight-petaled lotus from a central syllable "OM" at their conjoined Heart Chakra. Eight scepters, each with the syllable "OM" at its center, emerge from the tips of the petals and encircle the lotus. A ring of water and one of fire create psychic insulation around the visualization. From a Tibetan woodblock print of the seventeenth century.

Dancing Yogini wearing traditional Tantric symbolic ornaments. Erotic visualization is an important aid to conscious spiritualization.

thoughts or mental chatter. Once the mind is stilled, it can be focused and concentrated on internal imagery.

Try erotic visualization as an energizer. Tantra teaches that visualization must proceed from conscious awareness, which, in turn, makes a kind of subtle channel through which the natural energies reveal themselves in forms, colors, and symbols. A Tibetan text known as The Yoga of Psychic Heat outlines a simple erotic visualization for generating an inner transcendental passion:

Visualize yourself as an erotic red goddess in the full bloom of youthful vigor, dancing, surrounded by flames of Wisdom. Visualize her as yourself, externally in the shape of a deity and internally altogether vacuous, like the inside of an empty sheath, transparent and radiant; empty inside, like a tent of red silk or a tube distended with breath. First let the clear visualization be your own body size, then as large as a house, then as big as a hill. Finally, make it vast enough to contain the entire universe. Concentrate your mind on this projection and become it. Then reduce it.

The Chakrasambhara Tantra gives another version of this type of erotic visualization:

The goddess is to be visualized as red, which is symbolic of dedication and passion. Her single face indicates the essential nature of all things; her two hands

symbolize that truth is both "Absolute" and "relative." Her three eyes blaze with passion, her tongue is lustful, devouring all poisons and purifying them with her inner fire. She is naked, with disheveled hair, symbolic of freedom from all bonds of delusion. She is the symbol of the intuition, reminding us that phenomena do not last forever. Blazing like fire, she expresses her Wisdom-essence by embracing her partner without restraint.

Throughout the Tantric teachings similar visualizations are described, with commentaries on the symbolism of the component parts. All mystical traditions make use of visualization for psychic transformation. By doing away with verbal explanations and concentrating instead on symbolic forms, Tantra makes use of the higher faculties of the mind to speed an understanding of the nature of reality.

Meditation on simple colors or colored lights can be very helpful in developing the capacity for complex visualization. Imagine yourself emitting colored light through the pores of your skin and try to focus your mind on creating a consistent tone and quality for the visualization. You'll find that the light will be more intense during the period of breath retention. This type of technique has many practical applications, the most useful of which is psychic healing.

Holding the hands over an injury, while prolonging the period of breath retention and

Tantric representation of Kurukulla, the enchantress, depicted as a dancing erotic goddess garlanded with red hibiscus flowers and shooting love-arrows of flowers from her flowery bow. From a Nepalese painting of the sixteenth century.

psychic protection

Learning to confer psychic protection on yourself and your lover is an integral part of Tantric training. Psychic protection prevents energy leakage from the "inside" and the intrusion of polluting influences from the "outside." You can do it for yourself, but ideally it should be done by lovers for each other as a preliminary to love-making. Psychic protection plays a major role in all ritual acts and endows the person with a feeling of self-confidence and invulnerability.

Energy can be lost through the nine body orifices: the mouth, nose, two eyes, two ears, the top of the head, the anus, and the sexual organ. Energy may also be dissipated through the pores of the skin, the fingertips, toes, the navel region, and especially through the Subtle Body. Tantric Yogis developed simple techniques for preventing such energy losses. The main principle is the concentration or focusing of consciousness on the various parts of

the physical and Subtle Body, "seeing" the

body and imagining the Subtle Body as a field of force, with energy vortexes at the psychic centers. By an act of Will, linked to the touch-

ing of parts of the body lightly with the fin-

gertips, all openings can be "sealed." This ritual of touching the various body parts is known as Nyasa, which means "placing," and should be accompanied by visualization of the "openings" being sealed. Any protective Mantra,

such a s " O M " o r " O M - B H U R -

BHUWAH—SWA," can aid the concentration of the mind in performing this act.

The rites of psychic protection provide an ordered awakening of consciousness throughout the body. The parts identified in the ritual correspond to the erogenous zones. The effect is twofold: first, energy loss or "psychic pollution" is guarded against; and second, there is an overall ex-

citation that generates an increase in erotic energy. Various tra

ditions differ in the order of the parts of the body

Bending all fingers, except the forefinger, into a fist, the adept should make a circular movement with the hands, as if to encircle the sacred fire. This confers psychic protection and aids the devotee.

LAKSHMI TANTRA

Saliva has a natural protective power. In Taoist and Tantric traditions saliva is used for psychic protection and for empowering amulets. From a Japanese woddblock print of the early eighteenth century.

Psychic protection is achieved by consciously focusing the mind while touching parts of the body in turn. Magical acts require intention to be truly effective. From an Indian miniature painting of the mid-eighteenth century.

May the head be protected, and the face, the heart, throat, the two eyes, ears, nose, lips, teeth, cheeks, chin, neck, nape, arms, hands, shoulders, back, sides, hips, navel, thighs, feet, sexual organ and all bodily parts. May the Supreme Power protect these thoroughly.

MAHANIRVANA TANTRA

to be touched. Some advise starting at the feet and moving up to the head; others, beginning at the head and touching parts of the body until reaching the feet. Still other traditions suggest beginning at the right foot and advancing up the right side of the body until the top of the head is reached, and then reversing the procedure until the left toe is reached. The following typical but rather complex ordering is found in the Mahanirvana Tantra, a late Hindu work: top of head, forehead, eyes, ears, earlobes, nostrils, cheeks, lips, teeth, chin, neck, fingertips, palms, wrists, lower and upper arms, shoulders, chest, heart region, navel, thighs, ankles, insteps, toes, and finally, the sexual organ. A simplified ver- sion—top of head, throat, hands, navel, feet, and sexual organ—is equally effective, provided the mind is correctly focused. It is, above all else, the mental attitude that creates a potent protective field.

The establishment of a field of psychic

protection should be part of every love-act, and is ideally suited to foreplay. Many couples experience sudden and unaccountable feelings of fear or loss during particularly pas-

sionate l o v e - m a k i n g . Simple psychic protection will prevent this.

A positive aura or golden cosmic egg should be visualized surrounding you both, protecting you against the entry of polluting

or disturbing forces from the outside, and at the same time conserving your inner vital-

ity. This mystic "circle" or "sphere of pro-

tection" is taught in all magical traditions. It should be visualized by both partners and made more real by moving the hands in such a way that its limits are clearly defined in the mind's eye. This can take place in the mind or can be externalized through ritual, using sweeping gestures of arms and hands to create a protective field around you both. Touching of various parts of the body should be incorporated into this rite for the stimulation and release of erotic energy.

One of the simplest methods of self-

protection is to move your arms in circular sweeps from the navel outward while visualizing the flow of energy and imagining that it is protecting the whole psycho-organism. This type of protective "dance of the hands" can also be performed on your partner's body. Given a positive mental attitude, you'll both experience an immediate feeling of invulnerability and energization. When touching any part of the body, do so with the consciousness focused and the attention directed. Dance can be a form of psychic protection, and many cultures use dance in this way, as a prelude to rites of initiation.

The kiss, the scratch, and the embrace are all aspects of psychic protection. The Kama Sutra lists the forehead, eyes, cheeks, throat, breasts, lips, mouth, thighs, arms, and navel as places particularly suited to kissing. Kissing with the intention of conferring psychic protection is an effective measure and helps distribute the energies of love in a balanced and harmonious way. Couples often find themselves unconsciously wishing "psychic protection" on each other during foreplay or before separation. Try to incorporate psychic protection into your relationship, without self-consciousness or exaggeration. It's a wonderful means of increasing intimacy and ensuring that the energies of love are not dissipated. Psychic protection effectively guards against negative influences and increases the potency of love-making.

Touching of parts of the body prior to or during love-making is referred to as Nyasa and has the power to confer psychic protection.

With the first two fingers, touch the partner's head, forehead, eyes, throat, earlobes, breasts, upper arms, heart, navel, thighs, feet, and sexual organ.

Charge these places with the vital energy of transformation.

YOGINI TANTRA

the sensual elements

The Prana Upanishad, an early Hindu scripture, states: "The powers that hold together this body and support it through life are known as space, air, fire, water, and earth." These Five Great Elements are familiar to all ancient metaphysical systems. Unfortunately, modern science has misunderstood the original meaning and significance of these five elements, as well as their subtle relationship to the microcosm and macrocosm. With the advent of atomic theory and the compartmentalization of science, the Five Great Elements have ceased to have any meaning to the scientist. The Sushruta Samhita, an important Hindu medical work of about the third century B.C., states: "The five fundamental principles of space, air, fire, water, and earth enter into the composition of all substances. A predominance of any one of these principles determines the characteristic of a particular substance." The element of space is, in Yogic texts, related to subtleness and diffusion, air to formation and movement, fire to heat and expansion, water to cohesion and contraction, and earth to density and solidification. The space element dominates the faculty of hearing, the air element the sense of touch, the fire element the sense of sight, the water element the sense of taste, and the earth element the sense of smell.

In the Tantric view of the human microcosm the inner fire and inner water are conceived of as complementary and are related to the principles of expansion and contraction; Taoism refers to these forces as Yang and Yin. The faculties of sight and taste are, according to Tantra, expressions of the cosmic principles of expansion and contraction, which characterize the male and female sexual organs when aroused. The inherent orgasmic nature of the fire and water elements serve as a potent symbol of transcendental eroticism. Tantric cosmology suggests that in the formation of worlds, the water element plays an important role in cooling the fire element sufficiently to allow life forms to emerge. Sexual union causes a harmoniza-