International School of Temple Arts


The International School of Temple Arts is an organization which facilitates workshops and tribal gatherings in the field of sexual shamanism, sexual healing and integrative attitudes towards mind, body, emotions, sexuality and shadow work. ISTA is a modern mystery school, intended to guide participants towards a holistic and empowered lifestyle.
ISTA was founded in 2007 by Baba Dez Nichols as an international non-profit educational organization. Initially, ISTA had a central office and manager, but trainings are now worldwide, and there is no longer an operational location. Instead, a "Governance Circle" of trainers oversees the organization. Nichols remains involved in the trainings, but stepped-down from his participation in the Governance Circle in 2019.
Tantra and shamanism influence its teachings. Nudity and other practices believed to occur at ISTA have caused controversy around ISTA trainings at some locations.
ISTA holds four main programs. Level one is a radical week-long experience for the integration of spirituality and sexuality. Level 2 is a deeper initiation journey, working more with shadow aspects and the transpersonal self. Level 3 is designed to train people who want to work in the field of sexual shamanism either within ISTA or autonomously. The Practitioner Training is a structured program for developing practitioners to offer this work one on one.
Many thousands of individuals have taken the ISTA trainings all over the world. In Israel, a large community of ISTA graduates have developed and created other programs that are carrying the ISTA teachings to a larger audience.