The term sodomy derives from the name of the ancient city of Sodom, which according to the Bible was destroyed by God for its misdeeds (see Sodom and Gomorrah). In today's common language it identifies the practice of anal intercourse, even if Sodom in the Bible was not primarily or exclusively condemned for homosexual acts.

Traditionally, the misdeeds of Sodom have been understood to be male homosexual anal intercourse, but it should be noted that the primary crime stated in the narrative in the book of Genesis was attempted homosexual gang rape (though this interpretation is very much in debate: see Sodom and Gomorrah for a fuller treatment of this issue.), not simply homosexual behavior. Furthermore, in the book of Ezekiel, God speaks through his prophet saying, "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" (16:49-50, ESV). Clearly from the Biblical perspective, the sins of Sodom were many, though not all were explicit in the narrative account, and the act of attempted homosexual gang rape may be read into it, serving to emphasize the Sodomites' depravity rather than uniquely characterize it.

The epistle of Jude in the New Testament, however, echos the Genesis narrative and recalls mainly the sexually immoral aspects of Sodom's sins: "...just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire" (v. 7, ESV). The phrase rendered "unnatural desire" is literally translated "strange flesh," but it is not entirely clear what it refers to. The ESV translators supply one plausible paraphrase in making the phrase refer to the illicit sexual activity of the Genesis account (cf. the language of the epistle to the Romans 1:21-32), but another theory is that it is a simply reference to the "strange flesh" of the intended rape victims, who were angels, not men.

The first known use of the term sodomy used in a more general sense to mean "crimes against nature" is found in the writings of Jewish historian Josephus (circa A.D. 96) as he summarizes the Genesis narrative: "About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their riches and great wealth; they became unjust towards men, and impious towards God, insomuch that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers, and abused themselves with Sodomitical practices" (Antiquities 1.11.1). Note that the final element of his assessment goes beyond the Biblical data, even in the New Testament. Despite the inaccuracy, this meaning is the primary one that we use today.

Shaktipat is a term from Sanskrit and Hindi that refers to the act of a guru or spiritual teacher conferring a form of spiritual 'power' or awakening on a disciple/student. This power has been referred to by various terms, such as Shakti, Kundalini, Chi, Holy Spirit. Shaktipat can be carried out by either touch or presence, intentionally or accidentally.

The most famous recent yogi in the west to do shaktipat was Baba Muktananda. Brought to the US by his students, Muktananda would perform group shaktipat in public Q&A ("satsang") sessions. On one documented occasion, it was performed in a television interview. Comparative Literature professor Paul Zweig wrote of his experience in receiving Shaktipat from Muktananda, published in the anthology Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment by John White, editor, (ISBN 1557783039).

Current gurus notable for their shaktipat powers are Mata Amritanandamayi (the "Hugging Mother") and Sai Baba. In India there seems to be quite a few, however, as well as one New York-based Maha Yoga guru. Others who claim this power include Yogi Amrit Desai, Da Free John, and Shoko Asahara. The last two examples illustrate the potential for abuse of this practice, where psychologically needy 'disciples' are encouraged to become dependent on the guru for periodic 'fixes' of energy treatment, that are doled out in exchange for financial donations or sexual abuse. It is one of the main factors in cult abuse, and explains the difficulty in deprogramming cult victims, as they are literally undergoing a form of withdrawal as if from a drug addiction.

The schools of yoga whose gurus perform shaktipat are as follows:

Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion.
Maha Yoga, a school using shaktipat as its main tool for spiritual liberation. Maha Yoga initiation typically consists of 3 full days of receiving shaktipat, followed by further meditation with the guru.
Some feel that shaktipat is related to the "laying-on of hands" form of faith healing. Author Barbara Brennan in the book Hands of Lightdescribes shaktipat as the actual projection of the guru's "aura" on the disciple, whereby the disciple acquires the same mental state of the guru, hence the importance of the high spiritual level of the guru. The physiological phenomena of a rising kundalini then naturally manifests.

Imperfect shaktipat can be conferred unknowingly at times by un-enlightened massage therapists and even yoga teachers, some believe. Or, a shaktipat experience can be a result of the subject's conferring power upon a person via the phenomenon of psychological projection. Conversely, an experience of shaktipat can be prevented from occurring from an otherwise qualified teacher by lack of faith of the subject, analogous to the experience of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Mark