There was a build up of intensity which seemed to reach a crescendo after twenty minutes or so, and then it gradually died away until there were just a few isolated moans and groans and the odd sob. The men emerged from behind the curtain, looking none the worse for wear. On the contrary, they were relaxed, bright-eyed and smiling. I learned that what went on behind the curtain was called the latihan, or more accurately the latihan kejiwaan. It is a completely spontaneous experience.
Nobody organizes or directs it.
There is no set form, no prayers or ritual movements. Everyone follows their own feelings and whatever sounds and movements might arise from inside. A couple of months later I was opened. At the moment of my opening, I felt as of there was a bowl of molten gold in my solar plexus and this warm fluid ran out through my veins to touch every particle of my body. I could hear acutely every sound of the night.