Detaching from the Western Lens: Decolonizing Tantric Sex

Abstract: Sacred sexual rituals occupy an important place in the Western imagination of Tantra. To decolonize “Tantric Sex”, this paper explores the Western misappropriation of these rituals and how they came to be by critically assessing the impact of colonization, capitalism, and neoliberalism. Meanwhile, this paper also acknowledges the value and opportunities within Westernized Tantra, validating participants’ lived experiences and spiritual traditions’ ability to evolve. Finally, this paper suggests a paradigmatic approach as a decolonial path forward. One that encourages depth and breadth in the study of Tantra and prioritizes critical self-reflection and exploration on the part of the Western consumer/practitioner.

Presenter bio: Yinuo Norah Chen is a 4th year PhD student in the Women’s Spirituality program at California Institute of Integral Studies. Norah’s research centers on womxn’s sacred sexuality and its spiritual and political significance. Norah writes from the perspective of a cis-woman of color and an immigrant.

Affiliation: California Institute of Integral Studies