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The Perils of Tantra, with Susannah Deane

Oct 6, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Susannah Deane, a scholar specializing in Tibetan medicine and Buddhism, explores the intricate relationship between Tibetan concepts of mental health and tantric practices. She reveals how disturbances in 'wind' can lead to anxiety and madness, and shares insights on why improper tantric practices are often blamed for psychological issues. Deane also addresses the cultural preference for spiritual over medical treatment in Tibet and critiques Western psychiatry, all while emphasizing the importance of understanding these complex traditions with caution.
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INSIGHT

Wind Bridges Body And Mind

  • Tibetan 'wind' (rlung) links bodily movement and mind, so wind disturbances map onto many mental-health symptoms.
  • Wind's meaning blends Ayurvedic vata and tantric prana, creating overlaps and tensions across medicine and practice.
INSIGHT

Conflation Explains Risk In Practice

  • Tibetan rlung conflates Indian medical vata and tantric prana, so a single term spans medical and spiritual practices.
  • That conflation helps explain why tantric practice can produce symptoms framed as 'wind' problems.
INSIGHT

Subtle-Body Maps Are Practice Templates

  • Subtle-body maps in Tibetan texts are templates for practice, not anatomical descriptions to cut open.
  • Practitioners use these templates to cultivate states, so variations across traditions are expected.
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