Continuity and Change in Neo-Tantra: An Ethnographic Contribution

Abstract

Critical scholarship on neo-Tantra has underscored how it has distorted Tantric practice into a consumerist pursuit of so-called sacred sex that bears little resemblance to the South Asian traditions it originates from. However, some scholars caution against simply dismissing neo-Tantra as misappropriation. Instead, they call for a nuanced investigation into its creative synthesis of Western countercultural themes with South Asian sources. This paper responds to that call through an ethnographic study of tantric women’s workshops in Belgium. I begin by situating these retreats within the development of the Osho movement and its transformation into a loosely connected network of therapists and workshop facilitators. I then trace the sources and inspirations behind the workshop practices, showing how the combination of Tantric teachings with therapeutic New Age techniques fosters a focus on regaining one’s sexual and vital energy through taking the body and self as locus of authority. Engaging with recent ethnographic work on Tantric communities that remain rooted in or seek alignment with South Asian traditions, I finally highlight neo-Tantra’s emphasis on self-determination, women’s empowerment and the revaluation of the feminine and point out some of its key dynamics of continuity and change.