Mental and Physical powers such as the ability to fly,

the ability to see into the future and read minds are
said to be related to the retention of semen, while the
opposite effect of physical and mental impotence is related to sexual relations (Olson 165). “The
celibate body is extremely fit, and as such evokes a divine and heroic mystique of epic
proportion” (Alter 46). The internal, unnatural heat (Tapas) found in a celibate renouncer can
lead to the acquisition of powers. Comparing the celibate renouncer to the sexually active
householder, who generates a different kind of natural heat with no control over the excessive
indulgence of sexual behavior, reveals a theme. The heating of the renouncer and cooling of the
householder is the tension visible throughout the history of devotional Hinduism (Olson 167).