Western mysticism blatantly hijacked the concept of the third eye from ancient Hindu beliefs about chakras

A closer look

Nothing says 'profound mystical insight' like taking an ancient eastern philosophy and slapping it on a $40 yoga mat. The concept of the 'third eye' stems directly from ancient Hindu and Buddhist traditions regarding the ajna chakra, a subtle energy center linked to perception. In the late 19th century, Western esotericists completely hijacked the concept, stripping away thousands of years of deep theological context so they could market it as a cool psychic superpower for bored aristocrats wanting to see ghosts.