The mandala, meaning circle-circumference or completion, seen extensively in Indian religions, is a key part of tantra meditation practices. Generally speaking, a mandala is any design, chart, or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos, whether metaphysically or symbolically. It incorporates the use of colors, shapes, symbols, symmetry, and repetition to facilitate in ordering and focusing one's life, and therefore help in healing.

Used as a spiritual teaching tool, mandalas help individuals focus their attention and induce a trance-like state. According to supporters of tantra meditation, the symbolic nature of mandalas can help individuals access deeper and deeper levels of the unconscious, which will in turn allow them to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the cosmos.

Mandalas were widely used by the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who saw the mandala as a representation of the unconscious self, which helped him identify emotional disorders. He believed that mandalas originated as dreams and signified the psychic center of the personality. In Tibetan thought, within the sand mandala reside deities that serve as role models, the most important one located in the center. The mandala serves as guidance along the path to enlightenment, helping to transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones. According to Buddhist scripture, sand mandalas transmit positive energies to the environment and to those who view them.