How did Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh adapt Tantric techniques for Western followers?

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh adapted Tantrism for Western followers by reinterpreting and repackaging its ancient techniques to align with the sensibilities of an audience more familiar with psychotherapy.1

Rather than advocating for traditional asceticism, Rajneesh encouraged his disciples to live fully in the world while maintaining detachment. To help Western followers overcome psychological repressions, he developed a practice known as "dynamic meditation." This technique incorporated expressive physical actions—such as shouting, screaming, and dancing—designed to facilitate a direct experience of the divine. By framing these spiritual exercises in a way that resonated with Western therapeutic concepts, he transformed traditional Eastern practices into a distinct, eclectic doctrine that emphasized individual religious experience over organized belief systems.21