Stanislav Grof gained worldwide fame thanks to studies of the effects of LSD, altered states of human consciousness. Being one of the founders of transpersonal psychology, he is also its main theorist. The author of more than 20 books, which are translated into 16 languages. Behind his shoulders are numerous therapeutic sessions and training seminars on holotropic breathing, held in different countries.
The "mystical" direction of modern psychology
Transpersonal psychology began to take shape in the 60s in America. The focus of research in this direction is altered states of consciousness, near-death experience, as well as the features of the experiences of being in the mother’s womb and at the time of birth, memories of which are stored in the depths of the human subconscious.
Psychotherapeutic work includes spiritual and religious practices. To solve intrapersonal problems, remove physical blocks, clamps, people are offered techniques for experiencing a transpersonal experience. It can be achieved thanks to a special way of breathing, hypnosis and self-hypnosis, working with dreams, creativity, and meditation.
Participation in the experiment provoked a steady interest in the study of expanded states of consciousness
Having volunteered, in 1956, while participating in a scientific experiment using psychedelic drugs, Stanislav Grof experienced an expanded state of consciousness. Being at that time already a practicing psychiatrist-clinician with a scientific doctoral degree, he was stunned by the experienced state.
It became obvious to the scientist that consciousness is something much larger than described in the literature on medicine and psychology. This determined the further course of his scientific activity. He was actively engaged in the study of expanded states of consciousness. Since 1960, for several years, Stanislav Grof was engaged in legal work with psychedelic drugs. Until 1967, he studied their effects in Czechoslovakia, then in America until the time when psychedelics were not banned - until 1973.
During this time, the scientist spent about 2500 sessions using LSD, and collected more than 1000 protocols for conducting such studies under the guidance of his colleagues. Stanislav Grof devoted all books to the results of these and subsequent studies in the field of an altered state of consciousness.
Esalen - Center for Humanist Alternative Education
The Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 by Stanford alumni Michael Murphy and Dick Price. Their goal was to support alternative methods of studying human consciousness. This educational institution is located in the regions where the Esalen Indians once lived - on the coast of Central California. This is a very picturesque place: on the one hand the Pacific Ocean, on the other - mountains.
The Esalen Institute played a key role in the heyday of the public "Movement for the Development of Human Potential", the ideological basis of which was the concept of personal growth and realization of the extraordinary potential opportunities that everyone has, but not yet fully disclosed. Innovation, focusing on the connection between the mind and body, constant experimentation in terms of personal consciousness led to the emergence of many ideas that later became mainstream.
In 1973, Grof received an advance fee, which made it possible to write the first book. At the invitation of Michael Murphy to work on her, he moved to Essalen. He was offered to settle in a house on the ocean. From there, a beautiful view with a panoramic view of 180 degrees. He came there for one year, and lived and worked there for 14 years, until 1987.
1975 was marked for Stanislav by the fact that he met Kristina, his future wife. From this moment began their personal relationships, closely intertwined with professional ones.
Holotropic breathing
From 1975 to 1976, through joint efforts, Stanislav and Kristina Grof created an innovative method, which was called "holotropic breathing". Thanks to this, it became possible to enter an expanded state of consciousness without the use of LSD and other psychedelic drugs.
At the same time, they began to use the new method in their workshops. Between 1987 and 1994, the couple conducted holotropic breathing sessions for approximately 25,000 people. According to the authors, this is a unique way of self-knowledge and personal growth.
Subsequently, this method served as the basis for holotropic therapy, the sessions of which the scientist actively practiced. He also taught training courses for practicing transpersonal psychologists.
Together with his wife, Grof traveled the world with his seminars and lectures, talking about transpersonal psychology and the results of studies of consciousness. Over the years, he supported people who survived the psycho-spiritual crisis - episodes of expanded consciousness.
Books about the conscious and unconscious
If you read the books of Stanislav Grof in order, you can trace the development of ideas about consciousness and its expanded states in the framework of transpersonal psychology.
Stanislav Grof in the book “Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death, and Transcendence in Psychotherapy” summarizes the results of the author’s research conducted over 30 years of his scientific work. It speaks of expanded cartography of the psyche, the dynamics of perinatal matrices, psychotherapy and spiritual development.
Grof suggested that most of the mental conditions classified in psychiatry as diseases, for example, neurosis and psychosis, are crises of a person’s spiritual and personal growth, which almost anyone can face.
The reason may be a spontaneously experienced spiritual experience that could not be handled independently. The author offers psychotherapeutic approaches based on the use of the human body's ability to self-heal.
The book of Stanislav Grof “Space game: the study of the boundaries of human consciousness” offers readers a synthesis of modern science and ancient wisdom, psychology and religion. The author's theoretical views are based on extensive clinical studies.
In the book "Call of the Jaguar," the results of many years of research are presented by the author in the form of a work of art - a science fiction novel. The plot is based on real experiences of the transpersonal experience of both the author himself and those observed by other people.
20th century: books of Stanislav Grof in chronological order
1975 year. "Areas of the human unconscious: evidence from LSD research."
1977 year. "The Man in the Face of Death," co-authored with Joan Halifax.
1980 year. "LSD-Psychotherapy."
1981 year. Beyond Death: The Gates of Consciousness, co-authored with Christina Grof.
1984 year. "Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science," edited by Stanislav Grof. The book includes articles by many speakers who spoke at the 1982 conference of the International Association of Transpersonal Psychology in Bombay, India.
1985 year. "Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death, and Transcendence in Psychotherapy."
1988 year. "Human Survival and the Evolution of Consciousness," edited by Stanislav Grof and Marjorie L. Waler. In total, 18 collaborators worked on the creation of this book.
1988 year. "Traveling in search of yourself: dimensions of consciousness and new perspectives in psychotherapy."
1989 year. "Spiritual crisis: when personality transformation becomes a crisis," co-authored with Christina Grof.
1990 year. "Frantic self-search: a guide to personal growth through a transformational crisis," co-authored with Christina Grof.
1992 year. “Holotropic consciousness: the three levels of human consciousness and how they shape our lives,” co-author Hal Zina Bennett.
1993 year. "Books of the Dead: Guides for Life and Death."
1998 year. "Transpersonal Vision: The Healing Capabilities of Unusual States of Consciousness."
1998 year. "The Cosmic Game: Exploring the Frontiers of Human Consciousness."
1999 year. "The Revolution of Consciousness: A Transatlantic Dialogue," co-authored with Erwin Laszlo and Peter Russell. The book's foreword was written by Ken Wilber.
In just 24 years, the author has written as many as 15 books. Given the fact that he had a great many other important and time-consuming tasks, this seems incredible.
21st century: books of Stanislav Grof in chronological order
year 2000. "Psychology of the future."
year 2001. Call of the Jaguar.
2004 year. "Lilith's Dreams." The book was written by Melody Sullivan, and the role of illustrator went to Stanislav Grof.
2006 year. "When the impossible is possible: adventures in unusual realities."
2006 year. "The greatest journey. Consciousness and the mystery of death."
2010 year. "Holotropic breathing: a new approach to self-examination and therapy," co-authored with Christina Grof.
year 2012. "Healing our deepest wounds: a holotropic paradigm shift."
Most likely, to be continued ...
Achievements and contribution to the development of science
Stanislav Grof - known throughout the world as a modern reformer of psychiatry and the brightest representative of transpersonal psychology. His innovative ideas influenced the interpenetration of Western science and the spiritual dimension. Books authored by him are translated into several languages. Studies of the healing and transforming potential of expanded states of consciousness, conducted by him, have been going on since 1960.
In 1978, Stanislav Grof founded the International Association of Transpersonal Psychology. The goals for which it was created were to encourage education and research in this area, sponsoring global conferences.
On October 5, 2007 in Prague he was awarded the prestigious VISION-97 Prize. It was provided by the Dagmar and Vaclav Havel Foundation, created to support innovative projects of great importance to the future of mankind.
Stanislav Grof continues his professional career at the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco, as well as at the University of Wisdom in Auckland. He lectures and teaches vocational training programs in the field of holotropic breathing and transpersonal psychology. And also takes part in workshops, traveling around the world.