The Roots of Tantra Tantra is an ancient body of beliefs that
has been held sacred by many groups of people throughout
history. It was a widespread practice in ancient India and
Tibet. Its influence was also felt as Tantric ideas and
practices spread to other regions such as Egypt and China.
Tantra was very prevalent between the seventh and thirteenth
centuries. Tantra is a term that is most commonly used to refer
to this philosophy of beliefs directed at forming a spiritual
connection with the universe. The term also refers to the sacred
writings related to those beliefs. However, other types of
written Hindu documents — such as those related to scientific,
medical, and astrological topics — are sometimes also referred
to by the general term of Tantras. It can be tricky to try and
trace the history of Tantra because much of it is shrouded in
secrecy. This was partly because it was misunderstood. Tantra
was often perceived as involving sorcery or black magic. To the
uninformed, casual observer of early times,