Sexual Energy and Transmutation

[Radha]

I may regret this, but here is a summary of what I've learned after approx 45 years in esoteric orders of the east and west.
1) Sexual energy is the energy of BEing.
2) As it flows up the spine, it might be utilized by different centers according to your propensity...or unconscious desire.
3) All true esoteric orders have a methodology involving Seeing, Feeling, BEing.  Each of these uses this energy.
4) what we call "sex" is a matter of polarity on the planes.  Women and men have different polarities as they go deeper within.  Managing these gives result.  Not managing these gives lust as the energy falls back to its lowest level, having failed to complete a circuit while within.
5) On the physical plane:  The female is outflowing (positive polarity) on the astral.  She projects feelings there.  Males are inflowing on the astral (negative polarity) so they can inflow this energy from a female.  The male is active/outgoing (positive polarity) on the physical.  He outflows his BEing energy into the female.  She is negative polarity so absorbs the energy (s) by extracting them alchemically from the male ejaculate.  The female converts these energies and at least part of them strengthen her on the astral...and the circuit is complete.  (as regards what we call "sex" between humans).  IF this circuit is not complete it CUTS OFF THE BEING from higher energy sources, and they invert in their evolving.  Reality will be replaced with imagining.
6) One reason esoteric schools exist is so the competent teacher can detect when you are contacting what is real as opposed to the imaginary.  It is subtle.
7) celibacy is used especially by black magic cults, in order to prevent the enrgy from completing a path to ground on any level except inside their group.  For example, a roman catholic nun is taught to direct her sexual energy into an image of jesus christ.  This build up an energy reservoir that can then be tapped by the black arts.  The male "priest" then attempts to BE jesus christ, seeing himself in the same sort of visual image as the one the women visualized.  He can then "download" this energy and by exploiting the feminine (with black magic) he becomes more powerful.  He thinks.
A much deeper ( and far cleaner) version of this was used by Celtic and Druidic peoples.  Maybe I'll write what little I know on that method later.
 If you are not in an esoteric order (a real one) you won't have much opportunity to learn how these polarities work.  In the eastern way of Bahkti, for example, the chela strives to blend (as a spiritual being) with the Guru.  Of coursde the Guru is not a human being so this has nothing to do with exploiting your energy.  To the degree he blends with the Guru (The Light that activates the body of the human teacher)  to that degree he is practicing Bahkti (or in western terms Devotion).  THIS minor union is what the ancients called "Yoga".  Next you learn to do it on progressively higher (or more inward) planes, and the final step is Yoga, (Union) in the fullest sense.
Namaste,
Radha

[Radha]

Hi Paul,
Yeah, thumbnail sketches don't always suffice.  The various Orders, in both East and West, have several hundreds, or even thousands of years of historical data on their subject and related topics.  One of the advantages they offer, in that regard, is that it saves a student a lot of trial and error...re-inventing the wheel etc.
The energy we use to give life our to our individual lives comes in at centers located in the bodies.  In popular literature they show 7 centers, usually termed, chakras. We've all. I'm sure read about these.  There are actually more than 7 centers.  The adept is trained to increase the inflow of life energy through some of these "hidden" centers.  This energy moves to the base of the spine area, then it's upward path mingles it with energies that come into our system through these 7 centers.  The "new" life energy gives life to the energy pulled in through the centers.  The energy we pull in through the usual 7 centers is attracted to us, on that wavelength, by our habits.  By the past actions.  It is energy that had it's BEing in the past.  It has now returned to us, for various reasons, and provides an impetus in our lives.  Not an enforcement but a tendency to go certain directions.
The energy that seeks to express itself as reproduction, will, at the next level center, have a different vector, and so on up the cerebro-spinal system.  
It was long known that if the energy was spent on sexual intercourse of whatever nature, including solo practices, then there would be less energy to use in the higher centers for other purposes.  That is UNLESS the person knew how to expend their energy "in-circuit" with the universe.  That's another story entirely.
If celibacy was enjoined in the usages of the Order, it was purely so the energy of BEing would rise higher.  At the spleen center it might seek expression as a beautiful body.  A person fascinated by making their body as beautiful as possible, for whatever express purpose.  At the next center, the energy might seek expression as trying to get ahead in business or BE as success of some sort in roup activity of various kinds..political, economic etc.  At the next leve it might seek expression as emotion.  Emotional creation always creates it's opposing polarity, so the more so-called"love" you try to express, the more "hate" will be created in the race mind as a result.  And vice versa.  This center might seek to express itself in various religious or metaphysical activities.  Next might be an expression of intellectual genius, and on up the will to dominate others using your will.  Being ego driven this is the self-destructive path for sure.  
Now the religious or esoteric order doesn't want it's members exprexxin intercourse, so that center is celibate.  They don't want them becoming body builders or supermodels, so the spleen center is celibate.  They don't want thir members expressin economic or political interests so that center is celibate EXCEPT for activity which strengthens their group.  Remember this point.  They don't want the members expressing emotions in any direction except in a way that alchemically transmutes , for example, "love" into something of a third force which being neutral in polarity can handle the vagaries of emotion.  They channel the members reading, thinking and discussion only into literature of that Order.  These are simplistic examples, but the point is the only expression of BEing allowed is one that serves that Orders purpose.
The so-termed "raising" of the energy is NOT DONE by the ego.  The true raising is not done by you at all, although for awhile you will think you are doing it.  Now, we have celibacy more or less in place in most of the students centers.  Now what?
He/She is taught how to contact energies on the inside.  These energies are rather like stair steps that trial and error over the centuries has shown are safe, and provide some useful imparting of knowing to the student.  In order to reach, let' call it "level 1" we have to learn how to See (not visualize or imagine...actually see) the level first.  That takes awhile usually.  Then as you progress you learn to feel that level and most important learn to discriminate so you clearly distinguish the enrgy of level 1 from your own body/personna energies.  Then, in time, you learn to blend as a spiritual being with Level 1 and now your BEing is lifted up one notch.  This process repeats as one goes deeper and deeper inside.  Each levels energy is more and more powerful so if the lower "junk" in the body hasn't been cleaned up to some degree, then when more energy of BEing enters, it will give BEing to some old parts of the subconscious that are from many lives past.  Trust me you don't want to go there or be near anyone who does.  This is why the wives tales about raising the energy of BEing as "dangerous".
I know you asked me what time it was and I'm telling you how to make a watch but I don't want mis-conception on this topic if I can help it.
The ancients learned the simple truth.  Put men and women together in a monastary and sooner or later the energy goes to ground in a wrong way.  Wrong for their purposes that is.  They found that if you separated me and women monastically this helped and energy could be kept in the channel so to speak, but as higher energies were touched, they made the lower energies even stronger, so the sex urge would increase.  The pressure often resulted in solo expressions which simply wasted the energy from it's intended purpose.
Then it was found that since the cycle was usually initiated when the female gave forth certain wavelengths on the astral, the best thing was to channel it upward to Mind.  An image of some diety was made the focus and it became charges with this energy from the female students.  In the clean schools,  they taught the women to work hard on BEing one with the diety of that level.  This was a lesser union or Yoga.  They taught the men the same thing.  Now they had a way of transmuting the energy from human activity upward in direction toward the eventual ultimat goal of the Order.  The key difference is both men and women were TOLD they were doing this, and WHY they were doing it, and allowed to participate, if they chose, as willing, informed participants in this alchemical work.
The black schools did exactly what I said in the first post.  They did NOT tell the members how they were using them and they did NOT allow them to participate as willing, informed parties.
Briefly, in Celtic/Druidic times in Eire, they used this concept to usher in the age of chivalry.  Orders taught pubescent girls to envision their "knight in shining armor" and that he would someday come to them etc etc.  So young girls were trained to envision like this as well as to see the knight as having various virtues.  Men who then envisioned becoming brave knights, downloaded this energy...and it's programming, into their mind and gradually culture improved.
When you put a celibate state on a center, just remember the energy will still, like electricity (which it is) seek it's path to ground, or back to source through hyper space using more modern words.  If you choose to have whatever number of centers celibate, just work out ahead which higher centers you'll let the energy flow out of and express it in actions.
Continence is the preferred usage in Orders where members live lives, work, have families etc.  It's usually safer.  Having said all this, remember the bow cannot always remain strung.  From time to time cease your work, go to a good pub and have as rowdy a night as you can and include several ladies.  Then the next day...back to celibate work.  You won't live longer, but the living you do will have at least been a bit of fun here and there.
Cheers,  Radha

[Radha]

Hi Paul,
I would only suggest going it alone to people I considered my enemies.  You are correct, in the concept of pitfalls as well  as tests along the way.
If a person feels drawn to an Eastern path, there are schools of Radh Soami now growing very rapidly all over the world.  There are, for those who don't live near a Sat Teacher , some schools who have the portfolio of presenting the material in a lesson format so people in outlying areas can study.  Eckancar is one of these in the Radha Soami tradition.Self Realization Fellowship is one such.  Their materials are factual, and if practiced, Kriya Yoga can take one as deep within as their consciousness will let them.   They also supplement this with  teachers who travel around.  I'm sure there are others, but these I know will produce results and are clean.
The Sufi Orders are workable for some.  My personal inclination has always been to the Naqshbandiyya Order as they were the first I was initiated into.  They may be having a period of upheaval now, so check the group out.  Chistiyya of India formed under Hazrat Inayat Kahn were designed to train westerners in a non-Islamic framework and theirs is an excellent group.  I still visit their people often.
If the Dervish way appeals, I'd say shop around.  Their are a few groups now, under guidance from Sheikhs from the middle east...again just be sure they aren't in upheaval having been polluted with political noise.
In the western, alchemical tradition I would suggest one investigate Builders of the Adytum.  Paul Foster Case founded this Order and they have a mail-lessons format.  Their's is the best I've seen for Cabala and Tarot.  If the Celtic Orders appeal, Arthurian Legend etc, The Servants of Light Order in the Channel Isles in the UK is also top notch.  Their teachers travel as well.  The Fraternitatis Lux Occulta (Fraternity of the Hidden Light) is well grounded.  These groups are "outer courtyard" groups.  Upon satisfactory completion of their work one might receive an invitation to check out a more withdrawn Order.  One not publicly available.
If you train Eastern, There are also Tibetan Orders springing up around the globe.
The Sat (SantSat Guru) is always the better choice.  (Called Zat by the Sufi)  They have become one with the Source.  The Light and Sound from the Source activates their body and personna.  They can most readily put YOU in direct contact with the Source.  Once tasted, your inner sensorium will probably not allow you to stray to far from the Source.  i.e. it recognizes truth.  As one writer said so aptly "One develops a taste for things that are true."  
This inner power if discrimination will guide you unerringly if you listen to it.
I would also, when considering a path, simply go inside and having quietened the noise, ask "Will you show me where I need to go for training?"  You might be surprised at where you end up.
If I can be of more specific asistance, having kep this rather general, please email me privately and if I can be of service, I would happily aid you all I can.
Namaste,  Radha

[RoyHarper]

This was mentioned in a thread just recently and I thought I'd clear up some of the misconceptions.

There resides in us a powerful source of energy, nothing pales in comparison.  This energy can be beneficial or detrimental depending on who is harnessing it.  

On the one side you can have enlightenment, shift in consciousness, abundant physical and mental energy et cetera.

On the other side you can have insanity, psychotic break, hypertensive crisis et cetera.

There are far more effects to list but I have not the time to do so.

This energy has been described in a thousand different ways in many different practices over the years.  It is the Kundalini, sexual transmutation.

This energy is primarily fueled by sexual energy.  Sexual energy is built up during sex and arousal (and kinesthetic imagination for some).  Although the details are not exactly known (at least to me) sexual energy is expelled through semen (in men of course).  Although this may or may not be the semen itself, since certain thought patterns can expel this energy also.  These thought patterns could be generally categorized simply as negative thoughts (although I once highly disagreed with this, it can not be avoided).

Now this is where people are frequently confused, as a result of puberty (especially in men) often habits are created out of desire combined with a surge of hormones.  It is a mistake though to think of these habits as what is natural for the body, just as it is not natural to eat as much as possible because you have the desire to do so.  Keep in mind natural is relative.

Another confusion is often associated with celibacy and sexual energy.  The most basic purpose of celibacy (of what we are talking about here) is to harness sexual energy and to use for other purposes.  Obviously with normal sex you are expelling the energy, thus we want to stop that.  Yet as stated above, the energy is expelled mainly through semen.  Thus we are simply trying to avoid ejaculation, not the arousal.  Using either kinesthetic imagination or arousal is still of the utmost importance.  Otherwise this energy will simply evaporate out of misuse.

Yet another confusion is that the building up sexual energy will cause the Kundalini to rise.  This will very very rarely ever occur, if it was only that simple we would have widespread enlightenment.  This state is what many would call sexual tension, this only the beginning.

As previously mentioned sexual energy is the fuel, from that you can begin other practices to raise this energy.  From what I've found there are two general types of raisings (although there are thousands of variances in between).  The minor Kundalini and the major Kundalini.

The minor Kundalini is quite simple and can cause effects as subtle as a warm tingling sensation up the spine to a burning and extreme pressure.  The movement is dictated (usually) by you kinesthetic imagination.  The changes in consciousness are not profound, but still quite uplifting.

The major Kundalini is much more difficult and much more profound.  The physical effects are usually strong, fierce, uncontrollable and quick to raise (the after effects can last for some time).  When awoken properly it feels as if an arm (or serpent) is being forced up your spine while at the same time a electrical firestorm is going through your body.  As a result your body is forced into movements, you utter noises and you completely lose grip on reality.  The state that can be achieved from this deserves much more than any words can do justice.

The after effects are too long to describe here, but for better or worse you are not the person you were previous to the experience.  You can loose this quickly or slowly depending on how you act.

Nonetheless it is foolish to think that sexuality and spirituality do not go hand in hand.  It is the ultimate goal of many religions and nearly all occult practices (if you think otherwise you may want to rethink where you are going).  At no point in time should you eliminate sexual arousal, only ejaculation.  Without this key we cannot open the door to the mind.  Although you get a glimpse with certain psychedelics.  In general those who disagree with what is espoused above are those who will rarely achieve higher states of being.  Those who agree often achieve these states and can live with them.