Tibetan Mediumship: Insights from Lineage, Lived Experience, and Philosophy

Researching experiences, such as Oracle work, in the Tibetan tradition requires an in-depth review of the complex processes that precede them. In this section, I explore some common and uncommon experiences of mediums, utilizing personal oral accounts from the Kuten la and covering philosophical topics with Geshe Lobsang Nyandak. Here, I will discuss the complex nuances behind the history of former oracles, the  records of physical experiences that occur in trance based on a series of accounts from various oracles, and an introduction to the Buddhist philosophical lens on trance.

3.a. An Introduction to Key Terms 

Before I dive into the physical attributes and lived experiences of Oracles, I will share a brief introduction to a few key terms important to understanding the logic of Tibetan tantric phenomenology. The first recurring term in this paper is the term Rlung (Skt. vāyu, vāta). The closest direct English translation for this term is “wind”. In the Tibetan context, the term is used to describe how ailments can occur in the body because of the proximity to which Rlung brings together consciousness and emotion. In Tantric Buddhism, Rlung flows through channels called rtsa (Skt. nADI,) which converge at points known as 'khor lo' or 'wheels,' akin to chakras. The central channel (dbu ma) runs along the spine, with two other channels winding around it. These channels can be obstructed, impeding the flow of Rlung for unenlightened individuals. In some cases, the blockage can be a cause for major illness in the body. The second term comprises three terms describing the body: the gross mind, subtle mind, and very subtle mind. The gross mind can be viewed as reliant on the physical body, whereas the subtle and very subtle minds exist external to the physical body. In this research, my interviews with Geshe Lobsang Nyandak provide a comprehensive overview of these terms, identifying the subtle mind as supporting the five senses and the very subtle mind as the locus of conscious awareness that influences both the gross and subtle minds.

Previously,  I touched on the value of embodied practice within Tibetan tradition. In this research, these terms are viewed as embodied concepts that can encompass more than one definition. For example, the term Rlung can represent a channel, wind, energy, and consciousness, and can be used interchangeably when referring to the physical processes of the body. The gross mind can reference the physical body, while the subtle mind is directly influenced and at times used to describe concepts such as Rlung within the body. For this paper, I will use these terms interchangeably when discussing how Tibetans conceptualize these states of trance.

3.b.Patterns and Lineage in Mediumship

One fascinating aspect of oracle work in the contemporary world is the tradition of lineage, which has kept this practice alive for centuries. Whether these practices were established through blood ties, familial lineage, karmic merit, or a spontaneous selection by the deities themselves, it represents a compelling aspect of tradition that has become ritualized over time in the Tibetan context. In my personal interviews with the current Oracle, the Venerable Thubpten Ngodup shared that he entered the Dharma practice through his father's guidance. Born into the Ngadak Nyang lineage, one of the twenty-five lineages within the Sakya tradition, he attributes his affinity for and selection as the Oracle to the strong Dharmic influence he experienced while growing up, influenced significantly by his father. For the current Kuten la, this push towards Buddhist practice was instilled from a very young age as he shared in a 1992 interview with the Tibetan Bulletin, where he stated, “As a child, I had a natural inclination to engage in anything religious…my father was a good Buddhist practitioner”. This inclination was naturally produced over time, highlighting this existing interplay between individual predispositions and familial influence on lineage over time.

As previously discussed, the Nechung Oracle is affiliated with the Five Bodies (Sku Lnga), and is specifically recognized as one of the Five King Spirits . Within this pantheon, the current deity manifesting in the Nechung is the wrathful deity Dorje Drakden. In the tradition of the Nechung, the deity linked to the Nechung Oracle typically selects mediums based on criteria that extend beyond familial lineage.

In some instances, like the lineage of the Ghadong mediums, familial connections bind the mediums together. Glen Kelley's research on the Ghadong Oracle displays this tradition commonly transmitted from father to son, a custom formalized by the Fifth Dalai Lama due to its communal importance. Similarly, as a mother would pass down her knowledge to her daughter, the tradition of the Tenma oracle persists. However, there are exceptions, exemplified by the Yudronma medium in Dharamsala. Despite her father's involvement in mediumship, the deity selects mediums regardless of gender in her case.

3.c. Early Signs of Becoming a Medium

Another engaging aspect of Tibetan mediumship is the common predispositions that individuals experience prior to becoming Oracles. While there is not a definite timeline for the trend of mediumship and its onset, Glen Kelley’s work with mediums in Dharamsala notes that the onset of mediumship experiences typically occurs between the ages of ten and twenty, often marked by possession episodes where mediumship is not a result of personal aspirations but rather an outcome determined by divine intervention. Nebesky's observations align with this, suggesting that most Tibetan mediums experience their initial trance during puberty, often accompanied by fear and physical strain. However, it has been two decades since the publication of this work, and the trends in Oracle and mediumship signs may well have evolved over time, underscoring the need for further exploration.

During my own meeting with the Kuten la, he recounted a personal anecdote about his initial experience with possession. He vividly described experiencing symptoms like a nosebleed, indicating the cleansing of his subtle channels (Rlung), along with accompanying emotional shifts.

“The first time I was possessed by the Oracle, a few days before, I developed a nosebleed which lasted a few days. Then I had a sudden vision of the Nechung Oracle coming my way. It was the morning when I  was holding an incense pot while Drepung monastery was holding an invocation. I was feeling very anxious and perhaps…nervous if you will. All of a sudden, it was like an electrocution that ran through me. A red kind of light appeared before me and I cannot remember anything after that. The Tibetans uses this term Shel Sig (shal zhigs), which means vision in which we say this is the point at which a deity selects you.”

In a separate interview by Study Buddhism- an online resource for Buddhist topics, Kuten la also shared that in order to prepare for the invitation of the deity into his body, he had to partake in an approximation retreat of Hayagriva for three months after he was personally recognized by the Dalai Lama. 

My interactions with Kuten La brought to mind the deeply human aspect of spiritual experiences, reminiscent of Tim Ingold's insights on Cognitive Anthropology, where individuals construct order from chaos. I pondered how, in Tibetan phenomenology of the body, every physical sensation is intertwined with an emotional state. In this instance, the reference to the nosebleed and attributing it to the cleansing of the Rlung serves as a direct example of this type of cognitive phenomenology, where reasoning is employed to create "order" or, in this case, reason.

This connection between physical symptoms and spiritual experience is further echoed in Diemberger's work “Female Oracles in Modern Tibet”, in which she recounts an anecdote of meeting an  elderly female oracle who experienced symptoms leading up to possession. These examples illustrate the intricate relationship between the body, emotions, and spiritual practices in the Tibetan tradition. The Oracle I interviewed shared various scenarios where she felt the deities poke and prod at her. At one point, she became very ill and visited the local monasteries, where she was introduced to the lama of Phuntsoling. It was here that she began to open up and clear her energy channels (rtsa-sgo). In an interesting perspective, the female Oracle referred to the onus of her Rlung as being “owned” by the deity. "My main god, the 'owner of my energy-channels' is a deity known as Targo". Similarly, Hanna Havnevik’s work, titled "Tibetan Female State Oracle,'' states that the female state oracle she interviewed began experiencing signs as young as age three when Lobsang Tsedron (the State Oracle) began attending rituals of Tārā to aid in her symptoms. By the time she was twenty-two, she underwent a ritual in which she was primed to receive the deity through her channels with the aid of Amdo-based lama, Ribtse Chodze.

As more examples arise, this pattern of bodily autonomy and connection to the deities re-appear in the process of cleansing the system (Rlung) in order to heal the ailments that these oracles were experiencing. There are some cases wherein Oracles who are not properly tuned in to their physical body can experience multiple issues in the body, so far so as to include death. In conversation with Geshe Wangchuk from the Nechung Monastery, he shared an anecdote of a former Ghadong oracle who could not formulate words while in trance; he would be mute during these invocation rituals, and it was due  in part to the conditions of his channels not being cleared. During the mid-17th century, there was another Nechung Oracle who struggled to speak. In an effort to aid this oracle, a ritual composing ceremony took place in order to un-obstruct it. 

3.d.The Experience of Trance

The following section is focused around the dialogue I shared with Geshe Lobsang Nyandak in his residence in Dharamsala, India on June 25th, 2023. A series of discussions over a plate of Chu-tse (chive) momos took place during my stay in Dharamsala, and I was accompanied by Gen Tenzin Tselpa as my translator to aid in translating Tibetan philosophical terms and scientific ones in turn. 

As discussed earlier, the experience of trance is typically accompanied by a series of pre-labor signs and the event of trance puts the Kuten la in a non-conscious state. During this non-conscious or non-aware state he performs his ritual offerings and is able to communicate with the audience or the Dalai Lama as the deity, Dorje Draken. 

One of the key interests of this research surrounds the question of: How does the medium perceive the state of trance both before it begins, during its occurrence, and after it ends?

One important framework to consider is the Tibetan system of Buddhist Philosophy which can include aspects of various Tibetan epistemic paradigm such as the Abhidharmic consciousness, Sautrāntika-Svātantra schools, and the Yogācāra-Svātantra school of thought. These frameworks all underpin the general experiences described by the gross, subtle, and very subtle mind, all of which are mentioned in Geshe Lobsang Nyandak and the Kuten’s own understanding of trance states. In the following section, I present a part of our conversation regarding the Nechung Oracle’s state of trance with Geshe Lobsang Nyandak. In accordance with this work, I will dive deeper into the philosophical underpinnings that Geshe la references in his responses. 

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Interview conducted on June 25th, 2023 

Question: “What is separation of self, or what is occurring in trance when the Medium goes into that state?”

Answer: “When the subtle body which is in the form of energy (tsamo), when that subtle body, the form of wind energy manifests or becomes active, the gross sense of “I” is not present. So when Nechung enters Kuten la’s body, the subtle wind energy of Nechung manifests in kuten’s body. Kuten’s own sense of self dissipates. Maybe, “Overpowering” can be a good term to use to describe this, or rather “suppressing” on the behalf of Dorje Drakden. One point I want to make is that when the subtle wind-mind energy meets in the right conditions, only then can that deity enter the medium.”

Question: “Geshe la, does this posit the argument that there are two consciousnesses at the same time?”

Answer: “No- in one person you cannot have two different selves. So when the gross self subsides, a subtle kind of mind energy manifests. It is at this point that we don't have the sense of gross self at all. That is what is occurring between the Kuten and deity. When the Subtle mind wind energy is active the “self” is not active. 

Question: “When Kuten la comes out of trance, I understand that he is unable to recall what occurs during trance, does this also mean that in some way our  memories are connected to this subtle mind-wind factor”

Answer: “ – With regard to the Nechung Kuten la, when the oracle or the deity enters, it’s like there is a subtle mind wind energy of the deity which is the main thing which goes into the body of the Kuten. Here is an example: when we become intoxicated, what happens is that we become semi-conscious. We are not fully conscious but we remember very little things and from this what we know is that to some extent the drug impacts our body. It does produce a biological effect on the body and it affects our memory. The conditions of intoxication do not allow for our memory to recollect or maintain a state of conscious awareness, so in some cases, people forget their experience.  In comparison to the Nechung Oracle, we have a similar account for considering the conditions of the Body of the Kuten and the Deity’s condition. The Deity is able to suppress or overpower the Kuten’s subtle mind-wind factor.”

Question: "As you know, when Kuten la enters trance, one of the key factors of his state is communication. Since the deity is speaking through Kuten la, Kuten la’s speech is no longer his volitional speech. How do we understand this kind of occurrence?"

Answer: “The philosophical background can be observed in sutra Alamkhara and Asanga’s texts, Changsha and Nyensa, known as the 'Four Reasonings', encompassing the four principal functionalities of things:

1) Principle of functionality

2) Principle of dependence

3) Principle of nature

4) Principle of evidence

So, when two things converge, they generate something, akin to the energy produced when two wires connect. Hence, when the subtle mind-body energy of Dorjee Drakden intersects with the conditions of Kuten's channels and body, it can permeate them. Due to this relationship between the two, actions like speech occur; this is functionality. But why does it happen? 

On one hand, when causes and conditions converge, something must ensue; it's the nature of things. Analogous to planting a seed, enabling the upward growth of a plant, which is interdependent on the soil and environment. Thus, the functionality of the seed acts as the cause for the sprout's emergence. It's because causes and conditions are appropriately aligned; the only action the seed can take is to grow upwards."

Question: “Does the deity which enters the body have its own consciousness?”

Answer: “When the spirit enters the body, Kuten la’s mind is turned off. So yes in some ways it does have its own consciousness.”

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In this interview, the main points revolve around the separation of self and the various differences between how Tibetan phenomenology asserts bodily experience. 

1. Trance State and Separation of Self: When the Medium enters trance, the gross sense of self dissipates as the subtle wind energy of the deity manifests in their body. This state can be described as the overpowering or suppressing of the Medium's sense of self by the deity's energy. However, there is not a simultaneous existence of two consciousnesses; rather, the gross self subsides, and a subtle kind of mind energy manifests. This case presented by Geshe Lobsang Nyadnak is a reference to the terms the subtle, very subtle and gross mind. Partially inspired by Geshe Lobsang Nyandak’s own thesis which examines how the self is understood in Buddhist philosophy, particularly concerning its connection to the subtle wind-mind factor drawing from Indian and Tibetan scholarly perspectives.

2. Memory and Subtle Mind-Wind Factor: The inability of the Medium to recall events during trance suggests a connection between memory and the subtle mind-wind factor. When the deity's subtle mind-wind energy enters the Medium's body, it overrides the Medium's consciousness, akin to heat being added to water.

3. Communication During Trance: During trance, communication occurs as a result of the convergence of the subtle mind-body energy of the deity with the conditions of the Medium's channels and body. This phenomenon is explained through the philosophical background of the Four Reasonings, emphasizing the interdependence and functionality of causes and conditions.

4. Deity's Consciousness: When the deity enters the Medium's body, the Medium's mind is turned off, suggesting that the deity does have its own consciousness to some extent.

3.e.Making sense of Trance through the Abhidharma

Bridging the gap between the ritual practices in Tibetan tantric lineages to traditional Buddhist scholars requires a general understanding of Tibetan schools of thought. Expanding upon the preliminary understanding of deities such as the Nechung and its relationship to the larger body of Buddhist ontology, a brief introduction to the Tantric lineage practices and a focus on several key terms will be referenced.The Buddhist school of thought I use in this research which holds a distinct perspective on consciousness is the Abhidharma School and the view on consciousness. In the Abhidharma tradition, consciousness is categorized into various types, each with its own characteristics and functions. Consciousness is seen as momentary and arising in dependence on preceding factors, such as sense faculties and sense objects. Abhidharma texts extensively analyze the nature of consciousness and its role in the process of cognition and perception. Some of the Abhidharmic terms for consciousness include the subtle body (ལུས་ཕྲ་མོ་), Channels (རྩ, Nadi), Energy nodes (རྩ་འཁོར, Chakra), and Energy-winds (རླུང, Prana). Becoming the Kuten relies heavily on cleansing and preparing the physical body for the deity or god, Lha (ལྷ), to enter the body. Tantra is a conventional and pragmatic process for the mind to experience a conscious state. With certain empowerment practices, there is a desired effect such as the result of an initiation ritual. Tantra uses the coarse body, and with proper training, initiation, and cleansing of the system, these experiences can lead to a separation of the body and mind. Tibetan Buddhism– also known as the Vajrayana school, is a branch of the three Vehicles (Yanas). The first branch is the Hinayana (individual liberation vehicle), which comprises teachings primarily from the Four Noble Truths, 37 aspects of Enlightenment, and the 12 links of dependent origination.

The second branch is the Mahayana (Universal Liberation Vehicle), made up of teachings with the Bodhicitta practices and the six perfections. The Vajrayana branch is the final vehicle, also known as the Diamond or Tantric Vehicle. This school takes from both Hinayana and Mahayana foundations, creating a large, complex system of practice that focuses primarily on tantra and ritual work to accelerate spiritual development. With an emphasis on deities, rituals, and iconography, the Vajrayana school introduces concepts regarding the Subtle and Coarse (gross) body. Geshe Tashi Tsering describes the Vajrayana perspective on the body as having three types: the coarse, subtle, and very subtle body. The coarse is coined as the physical, sensational self that experiences everyday movement in the body. The subtlest body is the network of channels, winds, energies, and subtle drops.​​ The very subtle body is known as the subtlest level of consciousness and energy, sometimes referred to as the "clear light body" or the "indestructible drop." This is located at the center of the heart chakra, where the very subtle consciousness resides. Within this practice, the layers of the body are broken down into three sections. The first is drops or essences (Skt. Bindu, Tib. Tig-le ཏིག་ལེ), the second is Winds (Skt. Vayu, Tib. Lung ལུང), and the third is energy channels (Skt. Nadi, Tib. Tsa ཙ). The manipulation of these subtle energies allows one to attain an ultimate Bodhicitta (mind realizing emptiness).

The wind energies (Skt. Pranayama, Tib. tsogsol ཙོག་སོལ) in coalition with subduing mental afflictions aid in the practice of cleansing the channels (Tib. Tsalam Shangpa). The final aspect of the Vajrayana school that will be highlighted is the practice of Yidams. This is a rich tradition of meditational deities that are visualized during meditation to attain spiritual realization and Enlightenment. Each Yidam serves and represents a specific aspect of Enlightenment which can be thought of as a manifestation of Buddha nature. While there is a range of well-known meditational deities, such as Tara, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Vajrayogini, the Nechung oracle is not considered a part of the Yidam. However, despite this difference in practice, the importance of meditative practice and a relationship between Tibetan deities and personal manifestation is a shared practice among the Tibetan protectorate deities and meditational ones. As aforementioned, the Kuten meditates with Hayagrīva, associated with the wrathful manifestation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig. 

Though there are a myriad of Buddhist philosophical approaches to consider when analyzing the experience of Trance, this paper provides a brief introduction to the methods of the Abhidharma approach to consciousness. Other schools to consider in this work include the view of consciousness from the Sautrāntika-Svātantrika and Yogācāra-Svātantrika Schools of thought, where the Sautrāntika-Svātantrika school posits consciousness as momentary and external to the mind, influenced by objects. In contrast, the Yogācāra-Svātantrika school views consciousness as continuous and internal, arising from the mind's nature and conditioned by past experiences.

Collaborating with the philosophical insights from Geshe Lobsang Nyandak and the Abhidharma school of thought, this paper will further examine the diverse methodologies and approaches for observing trance states.

Geshe Lobsang Nyandak (2023, Tibet House)