The Man as IT System Analogy
Think of it this way: We men come equipped with hardware and software. A man has a body (hardware) and mind and spirit (software). He also has peripheral devices and input/output ports. The sensory organs are the peripheral devices there are the input/output ports.
If you compare yourself to an IT system or to a smartphone, you’ll have to admit that you don’t know a lot about how to use all the features and apps, so you can’t use the device to its fullest potential or enjoy all the bells and whistles it has hidden in its circuitry. You’ll have to experiment, research, troubleshoot if you want to improve performance, won’t you?
Very often, you’ll need an expert IT technician or engineer to show or teach you the finer points of your hardware and software to get the best performance for your efforts. Similarly, in Homoerotic Yogic Tantra℠ you have an “IT” expert to guide you to a top performance experience; he’s called your Daka.
Homoerotic Yogic Tantra℠ and the Tāntric IT System
Well, that’s where homoerotic yogic Tantra and the Mascul-IN-Touch℠ Mascul-IN-Timacy℠ programs come into this analogy. You have the hardware but chances are you don’t know a lot about it. You also have the software and the apps but really don’t know how to get them to work ideally with the hardware, or even what magic it can do once it’s up and running, and operated expertly. You have a sophisticated OS (operating system) but you need an efficient UI (user interface) in order to coordinate all of the inputs and responses.
Human beings have many buttons to push and they frequently run on macros. When someone pushes this button, why do I respond in a certain way? Plug in here and what happens? Why? How? How do you create a macro for your body app and how do you run it? What key sequence or key combination elicits which response?
Tāntric IT: “Intimacy Technology”
Im using a well-known acronym, IT, but you probably have misunderstood it to mean “information technology,” but you’d be wrong. In homoerotic yogic Tantra jargon, “IT” means “Intimacy Technology,” and it’s here that we refine our understanding of the term, “technology.” Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes; it is used to solve problems, improve human life, and to interface and innovate across the full range of human experience from the senses, to eros, love and relationship, anatomy and physiology, philosophy, ritual, spirituality, etc. When you consider your homoerotic yogic Tantra journey in these terms, it might become a little clearer why the intense and extensive learning involved in the Mascul-IN-Touch℠ and the Mascul-IN-Timacy℠ programs is so essential, why learning the technical jargon makes it possible to talk intelligently with other “system” users, why studying the modules is comparable to reading the manual or user’s guide, why knowing all the features, special functions, and stepped routines is so important if you want to become proficient in Masculine Intimacy Technology, “MIT.”
If you stop for a moment and step back from the radically unfamiliar of Homoerotic Yogic Tantra℠, and just think of the entire process in terms of the hardware and software analogy, you will be better able to get your arms around an otherwise elusive and complex system, and find it much easier to understand and appreciate its complexity and versatility. It’s not all that foreign or exotic when you think of it in familiar terms, is it? And no special equipment is required.
The Difference is Outreaching vs. Inreaching
A. The Anti-social Media and Outreaching
The single most important difference that we all must understand about cyber IT and one of its most widespread applications, social media, is that it is all about outreaching. This means that almost everything produced by IT and application of IT, and significantly by social media is focused outwards, externally, away from the operator, away from a man’s inner self while it taps, and sometimes exhausts his core energies. Moreover, the whole process of outreaching moves the man farther away from his inner self, estranging him from himself, and further distances him from his essential nature. Again, figuratively, he exiles himself into a desert of algorithms, AI, and cyber-relationships, none of which give him any real sense of value, belonging, or even reality. The road back to himself and his core being is very long and hazardous; a man may never make it back if he’s become addicted to cyber relationships.
B. The Intimacy Media and Inreaching
Inreaching starts with the man himself reacquainting himself with his Self. It starts with self-examination, reflection, carefully and honestly approaching the question of Who am I? Or better still, What am I? That’s not a question that he can answer in one sitting or without some serious work. In fact, a man may have to make the trip back to himself from somewhere ‘out there,’ before he can even start to ask those questions.
C. Proportionality and Synergy of Outreaching and Inreaching
A man must first know and appreciate himself before he can even hope to know and appreciate another man. He must then have some solid values and goals because he can’t discern the gems from the junk if he doesn’t have a way to tell the difference, and if he doesn’t have values he certainly can’t have goals.
In order to function healthfully, outreaching and inreaching must obey a certain rule of proportionality and operate in a sort of synergy, if a man’s triadic (erotosensual, physical, and psychospiritual; awareness, realization, union, etc.) goals are to be attained. In other words, outreaching must cooperate with inreaching with the aim of achieving a synergy for attaining the triadic goals.
The Obstacles Challenging Progress
I could start off this section with a discussion of the common kleśa-s like greed, pride, anger, etc. but we dive deeply into the kleśa-s elsewhere in our studies.[1] Let’s just agree that ignorance or “unknowing” is the parent of all other obstacles.
I’ve already mentioned the obstacle of cyber IT being used solely for outreaching, particularly in interpersonal relationships. Another obstacle is failing to understand how social media can be addicting — called cyber relationship addiction, a behavioral addiction defined by compulsive involvement in online relationships substituting for or replacing real-life connections, and facilitated by the anonymity and ease of self-disclosure online, or the creation of fictitious identities that can evolve into intense emotional, romantic, or sexual engagement that replaces in-the-flesh interactions. This behavioral flaw is being weaponized by promoters of anti-human agendas focused on replacing embodied divinity with cypher consumers. The decline of critical thinking certainly doesn’t help because humanity is confused by the onslaught of Information Overload and distracted by mixed messages, while questioning every post and image asking: Is it real or fake? Is it true or false? Is it AI? All of this creates a devastating anxiety in a human being; frustration and depression follow, resulting in total paralysis physically, mentally, and spiritually. Job done! A man becomes a cypher.
Sensuality Starvation
Most men are sensually starved. You may have read “sexually” but the word is “sensually.” Gotcha!
Sensual starvation comes from indoctrination by a toxic culture and society that feeds a man stereotypes, social scripts, and ideologies and agendas that are designed to separate him from his true nature and create a cypher — there’s that word again — that is controllable. Sensually starved also includes a deficit in emotional intelligence, psychospiritual confusion — think for example of gender and body dysphoria — his self-concept is not himself but a fiction; the two, his personal true self and his social false-self (ego, persona), are at odds with each other.
Two methods we use in homoerotic yogic Tantra for self-awareness and acceptance are mirror meditation[2] and expressive writing, which may be practiced separately or together. There are many other methods but these two are the simplest in the beginning.
Two of the unfortunate consequences of excessive outreaching and toxic cultural conditioning are gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia. Dysphoria and dysmorphia refer to two different psychological experiences that are often confused but have distinct causes and approaches to deal with them. Both experiences can cause significant distress and it is beneficial to understand what they are and seek support if you are afflicted by them. We commonly refer to “gender dysphoria” which centers on gender identity and the discord between a person’s subjective sense of gender and his objective physical (biological or genetic) gender. Body dysmorphia, on the other hand, is a psychological condition of distorted perception of one’s physical appearance, and characterized by a preoccupation — sometimes intense or debilitating — with perceived flaws in physical appearance that may be minor or invisible to others. Body dysmorphia may cause distress, obsessive behaviors (mirror checking, grooming, camouflaging), and social impairment.[3]
Honestly, many men come to Homoerotic Yogic Tantra℠ because of some form of dysphoria or dysmorphia and walk away “cured,” even though homoerotic yogic Tantra is not a therapy routine and is not intended to be therapy in the conventional sense. Religion, for example, may heal or cure a great many psychospiritual wounds but it is never presented as a therapy. Homoerotic Yogic Tantra℠ is neither religion nor therapy but it often heals. It’s important to understand that point.
Interconnectedness and Interconnectivity
In principle, the concepts of interconnectedness and interconnectivity are as old as humankind itself. Most of society is built upon some adaptation of these concepts. Most every religion or spiritual discipline teaches some version of these two concepts. Modern agendas and ideologies like environmentalism and DEI promote some adaptation of interconnectedness and interconnectivity.
Basically, interconnectedness is deeply rooted in the principle of dependent origination or chain of causation (pratītyasamutpāda, प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद[4]) and signifies that all life and phenomena exist only in relation to one another, with nothing existing in isolation. It implies a web of mutual interdependence, where every being, sensate and insensate, helps sustain the whole. This concept emphasizes that our actions have widespread effects on others and the environment, and that we must live according to that understanding with the aim of benefitting all creatures, that is, by helping them to overcome suffering.
Interbeing, interconnectedness, interconnectivity are important doctrines in some religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions. Some traditions in Buddhism place great emphasis on the interconnevtdness of all sentient beings, to the point that a practitioner is called upon, even required to share merit to relieve all sentient beings of their suffering. While such grand intentions are not central to homoerotic yogic Tantra, they play an important role in our overall personal and social ethical structures.
Unlike interconnectedness, the concept of interconnectivity doesn’t have much of an ancient pedigree, and is a more modern adaptation of the concept of interconnectedness.
A. Interconnectivity
Interconnectivity is the state of being linked together, referring to a direct, private, and secure connection between disparate networks, systems, or devices. It enables seamless communication, information exchange, and improved performance by bypassing the public pathways or Internet. While interconnectivity has always been around in some form or another, it has become crucial for modern IT ecosystems. Its core benefits include lower latency,[5] increased reliability, and enhanced security for relational or transactional operations. Sound familiar?
The Yoga of Interconnectedness
Obviously, human beings like interconnectedness. That’s why clans and tribes formed in prehistoric times. Cities grew because human beings recognized the value and importance of interconnectedness. Today, all you have to do is think social media: the most perverse form of misguided interconnectedness.[6] Environmentalists and religious institutions have picked up on ancient doctrines of interconnectedness.
Just as IT technology appears as computers which come in desktop, laptop, tablet, and handheld varieties for receiving, processing, and communicating information, the analogy again extends to human beings, men, who come in a wide variety of types and functionality ranges and applications. The external appearance and assembly may be different but the inside workings are pretty identical; components and functionality has to be compatible, otherwise the entire concept falls apart. Think about that for a moment and consider how the concept applies to human relationship and connectivity.
Tantra openly admits the physical focus of tantric practices and the importance of clear sensual perceptions. As daka, I provide my śiṣya (Tantric student) or Tantric Warrior Lover with physical connectedness primarily through touch. The physical sense of touch creates the emotion of being in sync with something transcendent. As you learned or will learn, a practitioner of HYT doesn’t need physical contact with another man to receive all of the benefits of erotophysical touch. This is the essence of the mit1sm program. In fact, you will learn to “embrace” and “arouse” yourself, using your own hands and knowledge. You learn to connect with others through erotophysical self-touch and intimacy, we can do the same for others on the same network.
What’s the Point?
This discussion has become a bit complex and at first blush it may not appear to have very many clear segues. If that’s the impression so far, I apologize. Sometimes I just go on as if all of my readers are advanced HYT students and can follow the logic with no speed bumps. Let me connect all of this for you.
I’m going to risk introducing another term to round things off: empathy. Empathy can be developed only if a man is aware of and understands himself. Empathy is essential to establishing and maintaining an erotosensual and psychospiritual healthy relationship. There are three approaches for enhancing empathy: self-introspection and the use of an intimate friend for self-reflection, associating with like-minded men, and engaging with communities of men who are training in or practicing erotosensual or psychospiritual emotional sensitivity. True generosity or selflessness, doing something without expectation of acknowledgement or reward, and empathy are two human qualities we develop for improving intimacy in erotosensual and psychospiritual relationship and social relationships. Communication skills without the three approaches and guided by the two qualities will be ineffectual. Remember outreaching and inreaching, proportionality and synergy, you’ve just learned the results.
In addition, there are two basic tendencies in every man; the first one inspires the desire for relationship and intimacy, and the other nudges him towards solitude and isolation. These two tendencies are not mutually exclusive but complementary — just as the tantric principles of the Cosmic Masculine and the Cosmic Feminine are fundamental to the Divine Masculine Spirit —- the unified man has managed to incorporate the two tendencies in a healthy proportion. A proportioned orientation, rather than exaggerated social or self-centered orientation, allows one to appreciate the other’s perspective as being valuable for attaining one’s own stage of realization. This results ultimately in the development of a tantric yogic interaction and engagement.
I’ve wandered away from the original topic of man viewed as an IT system but not very far. You may not fully see how it all connects but give yourself time; you’ll enjoy the Aha! Moment. Don’t rush. Stay in the moment. Stay oriented. Be patient. Just let it all happen and let’s let it happen together. Namasté!
Notes
[1] If you’re not a practitioner or unfamiliar with Sanatanadharma or dharmic disciplines, just think of the kleśa-s as being mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions. Some states of mind that are examples of kleśa-s are anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, etc. A guiding principle of Sanatanadharma or dharmic living is that the whole world around us has been conceived as part and parcel of the Divine. Hence, every aspect of creation must be viewed as having great and noble qualities. Such an approach to creation empowers a man to discern the essential values of interconnectedness from nature and to draw lessons of dharma from every creature, sensate or insensate, around him.
[2] I’ve taken a bit of author license here because mirror meditation is not true meditation; it’s more mirror reflection or mirror contemplation. I like the alliteration of “mirror meditation,” and tried to avoid the quaint and confusion “mirror reflection,” while “mirror contemplation” doesn’t do much for me. The important point is that you understand I’m not trying to pass it off as some neo-meditation technique.
[3] I mention these two conditions because they are so common and understanding both dysphoria and dysmorphia will help you to recognize them and how to avoid their adverse effects or seek support. Again, think of social media and how you are constantly assailed with airbrushed or AI depictions of ‘perfect’ men or models of masculinity but how rarely “real” men are depicted in a positive sense. Most “real” men appear ordinary, even unattractive because the standard being applied is the “unreal” model masculinity of social media. Another problem is that many of the selfies and self-depictions are actually examples of the outreaching I describe above.
[4] A compound formed from the Sanskrit word pratītya (प्रतीत्य) meaning ‘dependent on’ or ‘based on,’ and samutpāda (समुत्पाद), meaning ‘origin,’ ‘cause,’ ‘production.’ Literally, ‘based on a cause.’
[5] Latency is a term we use connote a situation in which erotosensual or psychospiritual impulses can be repressed or sublimated into social, intellectual, spiritual, or athletic pursuits; in behavioral psychology, “response latency” refers to the delay between a stimulus and a response, and it is often used to assess mental processing speed, decision-making, or time lapsing between a stimulus and a behavioral response.
[6] I do not wish to be misunderstood, since I use social media as an important vehicle to carry my message out to my followers. But the major difference is obvious between using social media as a vehicle to enhance delivery of a message and the perversion of using social media as a substitute for human relationship. When a human being becomes addicted to sitting in front of a computer screen or gazing for hours into a handheld device rather than exploring and experiencing real physical, psychological, and spiritual connection with another human being, that is where the perversion begins.
DKT
n my professional writing I have coined the phrase “
Toxic cultural conditioning
On the individual level, there are a number of warning signs to be aware of if you are in a TCC environment, particularly when you feel or experience that you:
So, what can a man do to confront TCC? Well, this is where the 
reness, I make clear that awareness exists at three levels: awareness of the physical environment, the world; awareness of your mental/emotional states and traits; awareness of your psychospiritual disposition. For men who come to 
By applying the principle of detachment, one can identify the fruit of the action. The fruit is the actor’s intention motivating the action. To take the example of a project, if one inquires honestly as to what is the intention motivating the action, one will discern that the true inner motivation is for a promotion, a pay rise, award, recognition, etc. All such motivations are what we define as the fruit of the action. In other words, the fruit of the action is always what the actor expects and not intended for the sake of the action itself. As long as the actor is attached to the fruit of the action, the action is tainted by the expectation of benefit and there is no “ease in action;” there is no detachment because the expectation is still there, a speed bump at best, or an obstacle. If one frees himself of all such ulterior motives for an action, and engages with full dedication and commitment in the action solely and uniquely for the joy of the action itself, we can then say there is ease in action, detachment or dispassion. A man should practice ease in action in all of his activities; this is called detachment.
Unfortunately, many men rely on feedback from their surroundings or peers. Big mistake. It’s a big mistake because such reliance usually takes the form of comparison, which inevitably urges the man to use their behaviors or external (others’) expectations as a benchmark, thus perpetuating and propagating the adverse effects of TCC. When in doubt and when seeking feedback your recourse should be to the five steps or to a trusted mentor, who will guide you to finding your own answers, rather than appropriating the rubble of other men’s lives.
Clearly, the 5-step model is very rudimentary but it’s a start. The 
Other steps in your plan to disentangle yourself from TCC, to de-energize any negative thoughts or other obstacles, and to move forward with your life include:
Homoerotic Yogic Tantra & Masculine Intimacy 