While sexual activities are most commonly practiced for pleasure and procreation, there has been a secret knowledge held among various groups that that the energy raised during sexual activity, as well as the mental state that occurs during prolonged sexual activity, can be united to create remarkable changes in our spiritual selves and physical environment. The techniques to do this are commonly called Sex Magick.

Many thousands of years ago, the philosophy and techniques that would become known as Tantra developed in northern India. Over the centuries, it developed into a complete spiritual system, involving worship of deities, rituals, magick, healing, and virtually every aspect of life. This includes an in-depth study of the non-physical aspects of the body (such as the aura, chakras, and energy paths) and sexuality, especially the use of sex in a way that can lead to spiritual enlightenment. In the West, the Tantric sexual techniques (often confused with the complete spiritual system that is Tantra) have been popularized and described by numerous writers and authors.

Over the past century, there has been an increasing link between Western Sex Magic and Tantric sexual techniques such that some people equate them.