For those who would prefer not to become involved in issues of
the mystical and magical, we would suggest the following
physiological basis for the physical effects attributed to Tantrism.

Various actions of the human body (such as exercise, and possibly
 sexual activity) release Endorphins, which are the body's natural opiate.
 The existence of endorphins was only discovered in the mid-1970's.
 They are several times more powerful than morphine and are the body's
 own internal pain killer, released in response to great stress.

 At the most basic level Tantrism could be seen as a way to try to
 maximise the amount of endorphin released into the body. At some point,
 if enough are released, there may be an effect at the psychological
 level, which in some people could lead to a trance-like state. We would
 suggest this could be described as, "the achievement of an altered state
 of consciousness through psycho-sexual methods".

Of course there are other important issues to be considered. Your
 partner should be someone you like and, more importantly, trust
 implicitly. Without a fundamental level of trust and understanding you
 will be unlikely to give free reign to your feelings.
 
In the right surroundings, and with the right partner, prolonged, intense
 pshysological pleasure can be achieved.