What is the relationship between Tantra and modern pornography?
Can there even be a relationship between these two seemingly disparate approaches to sexuality?
At IHS, we don’t believe there is one easy, overarching answer to this question, as there are several factors to take into consideration, such as:
- What is the student’s relationship to porn? Has there been an overconsumption of porn or a balanced approach?
- What type of porn is the student consuming? Internet porn, video, audio, reading/erotica? What flavor and manner of consumption is being used?
- Why is the student using porn? Is there a reliance on it for stimulation? Or is it being used to enhance or explore different aspects of their sexuality?
- How often is the porn being consumed?
- Are they single and watching it alone?
- When they do watch it alone, what are their habits around it? Meaning- are they sitting in a chair in front of their desktop with a Kleenex handy? Or are they creating mindful, sacred ritual around the experience?
AT IHS, we take a non-dualistic approach to porn consumption, meaning that, based on our over 27 years of combined expertise, we don’t feel that porn is inherently good or bad; it’s more about the way in which the pornography is used that can have beneficial or detrimental effects.
Some forms of “porn” have existed for millennia, such as the Chinese Pillow Books, Japanese “Shunga Prints”, and images from the Kama Sutra. These are examples of erotic art that have been valued not just for their erotic content but also for their artistic and cultural significance. The need for eroticism is part of our human blueprint, and watching other people have sex is, quite frankly, erotic. In short, humans have been watching other humans have sex since the dawn of time.
The type of porn and the way in which it is consumed are the areas that we believe require mindfulness and awareness again, not because of judgments around “good” or “bad” sexual behaviors, but because the porn industry is not designed to foster sexual health and well-being. It is designed to exploit and profit.
And exploitation and profit do not necessarily = good, healthy, or enriching sexual expression.
In this 2025 Tantra Talks Throwback episode, Dr. Erickson and Devi take on the very nuanced topic of Tantra vs Porn to discuss:
- The difference between p✨rn and erotica—and why that distinction matters
- How habitual p✨rn use can dull your imagination (which is essential for Tantra)
- Why fantasy and visualization are powerful tools in solo practice
- What happens when your sexual nervous system is trained to climax fast
- When and how p✨rn can actually be used skillfully (yes, really)
- Why Tantra is about refinement, not restriction
We also share personal stories, cultural context, and practical tips for anyone navigating solo sexual cultivation, especially those working with semen retention, orgasmic awareness, or deepening their connection to pleasure.
So what do you think? Can your Tantra practice include porn?
Listen in and share your thoughts below! 👇🏽
*AI was used to create the episode talking points list.
