Tantra has become more well known in the West than the other Vedic teachings mainly for the sexual Tantras, those giving various sexual practices for attaining ecstasy, union with God or awakening the Kundalini. These in fact are quite rare among the Tantras and are not at all indicative of them as a whole. Tantra has also been associated with the worship of the Goddess. It is true that there are many Tantric teachings to the Goddess. Yet there are many Tantras to the Gods like Shiva and Vishnu; hence Tantra as such cannot be equated with Goddess worship. On the whole, the Tantras do not give the Goddess any more prominent a place than other levels of the Vedic and Hindu teachings, as the Goddess is important in all levels of the teaching. 

Tantra has also been associated   with energy teachings and practices. These include mantra, yantra, visualization, rituals and pujas. While such practices are often more specifically Tantric they can be found in all layers of the Vedic and Puranic teachings. Tantra has been specifically linked to the development of Kundalini. Kundalini does play a more prominent place in the Tantras than in the Vedas and Puranas. 

In these earlier teachings the emphasis is more on knowledge (jnana) or devotion (bhakti), and less on techniques. But there are also Tantras which emphasize knowledge or devotion, while technical practices are sometimes given in the Vedas and Puranas (though these were more part of an oral tradition as they had to be adopted for each individual).

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