The notion that man, besides his physical body, also possesses a subtle anatomy is central to Western esotericism, contemporary New Age spirituality, alternative medicine, and modern yoga. Concepts related to subtle anatomy have historically been found in religious traditions worldwide. However, the contemporary "western" subtle anatomy has a relatively standardised structure, typically linked to seven chakras or subtle energy centres in the human body. This model was to a large extent developed one century ago by the Theosophical Society and the influential works of the English orientalist John Woodroffe. The paper will centre on the experiential dimension of contemporary yoga and meditation practices in Sweden. Records of personal experiences, along with qualitative and quantitative data from an ongoing dissertation project, will be discussed. The informants’ cognitive schemas for subtle anatomy and their use of terminology will be analysed in relation to their background in Eastern concepts and Western esotericism. Theories regarding the role of pre-cognitive as well as cognitive frameworks in religious experiences will be examined and approached from 1) a historical, 2) a cognitive, 3) a phenomenological and 4) an embodiment-perspective. How can contemporary conceptions of the subtle anatomy be understood in the light of its historical Western reception, that is, how Eastern terminology was popularised, interpreted and appropriated by significant key figures in the late 19th and early 20th-century Western esotericism? Is it possible to find an interdisciplinary terminology for the study of spiritual experiences and altered states of consciousness so that researchers will be better equipped to compare data and theories from a broader field of disciplines? Further, the questions of which function the concept of the subtle anatomy occupies in the secular West and how we can analyse it in relation to personal meaning-making and psychological health will be highlighted.