kmaloka

Kmaloka, sometimes written Kamāloka, is a term found in a range of religious, philosophical, and esoteric writings to denote a realm or plane associated with desire, attachment, or the astral dimensions surrounding human existence. The exact status and geography of Kmaloka differ among traditions, but the common thread is its association with kama (desire, passion) and loka (world, realm).

In traditional Hindu cosmology, kamaloka is referenced in certain tantric and ascetic texts as a realm of sense-experience that souls pass through after death before proceeding to higher or lower destinations. In some Jain and Buddhist discourses, similar terms are used to indicate astral or mental planes tied to passion and karmic residues, though the usage is not uniform across schools.

In Theosophical and other occult writings of the 19th and 20th centuries, Kamaloka is described as an astral plane of desire that forms part of a broader ladder of planes mediating rebirth. Adherents often characterize it as a transient domain where attachments exert force on the soul’s next incarnation, influencing movement toward or away from spiritual realization.

In modern popular culture, Kmaloka has appeared as a fictional realm in speculative fiction and games, typically depicted as a liminal space tied to emotion and memory. As with other cosmological terms of uncertain origin, contemporary uses vary and are frequently adapted to narrative needs.

See also: Kama, Loka, Kamaloka in esoteric literature, Lokas in Hindu cosmology.