Stanislav Grof & Christina Grof 
Holotropic Breathwork 
A New Approach to Self-Exploration and Therapy

In this long awaited book, Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof describe their groundbreaking new form of self-exploration and psychotherapy: Holotropic Breathwork. Holotropic means ‘moving toward wholeness, ‘ from the Greek holos ( whole) and trepein (moving in the direction of). The breathwork utilizes the remarkable healing and transformative potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness. These states engender a rich array of experiences with unique healing potential—reliving childhood memories, infancy, birth and prenatal life, and elements from the historical and archetypal realms of the collective unconscious. Induced by very simple means—a combination of accelerated breathing, evocative music, and bodywork in a safe and supportive setting, Holotropic Breathwork integrates the insights from modern consciousness research, depth psychology, transpersonal psychology, anthropology, Eastern spiritual practices, and mystical traditions. The Grofs’ work with holotropic states of consciousness has introduced revolutionary changes to psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy. Written in a clear, easily understandable style, this indispensable book summarizes their remarkable insights.

Table of Content

Foreword 

Preface

Acknowledgments



1. Historical Roots of Holotropic Breathwork



Sigmund Freud and the dawn of depth psychology

Humanistic psychology and experiential therapies

The advent of psychedelic therapy

Abraham Maslow, Anthony Sutich, and the birth of transpersonal psychology



2. Theoretical Foundations of Holotropic Breathwork



Holotropic states of consciousness

Dimensions of the human psyche

The nature, function, and architecture of emotional and psychosomatic disorders

Effective therapeutic mechanisms

Strategy of psychotherapy and self-exploration

The role of spirituality in human life

The nature of reality: Psyche, cosmos, and consciousness



3. Essential Components of Holotropic Breathwork



The healing power of breath

The therapeutic potential of music

The use of releasing bodywork

Supportive and nourishing physical contact

Mandala drawing: The expressive power of art



4. The Practice of Holotropic Breathwork



Use of Holotropic Breathwork in individual sessions and groups

Setting and interpersonal support system

Theoretical preparation of participants

Screening for physical and emotional contraindications

Practical instructions for breathwork sessions

Preparation for the session and the relaxation exercise

Conducting Holotropic Breathwork sessions

The spectrum of holotropic experiences

The role of the facilitators

Mandala drawing and the processing groups



5. Integration of the Breathwork Experience and Follow-Up Work



Creating conditions for optimal integration

Easing the transition to everyday life

Conducting follow-up interviews

Using various methods complementing Holotropic Breathwork



6. Trials and Tribulations of Holotropic Breathwork Facilitators



Encounter with the military junta in Buenos Aires

Competing with the exhibition of Doberman pinschers

Culture-bound challenges for Holotropic Breathwork facilitators

Technological ordeals in Holotropic Breathwork sessions

The pisspot, oinking piglets, and smoldering Kleenexes

Supreme ordeal Down Under

Conducting Holotropic Breathwork in adversarial settings



7. Therapeutic Potential of Holotropic Breathwork



Healing of emotional and psychosomatic disorders

Favorable effect on physical diseases

Effect on personality, worldview, life strategy, and hierarchy of values

Potential for healing of cultural wounds and historical conflict resolution



8. Therapeutic Mechanisms Operating in Holotropic Breathwork



Intensification of conventional therapeutic mechanisms

Dynamic shifts in the psyche’s governing systems

The therapeutic potential of the death-rebirth process

The therapeutic mechanisms on the transpersonal level

Healing as a movement toward wholeness



9. Physiological Mechanisms Involved in Holotropic Breathwork



Biochemical and physiological changes

Holotropic Breathwork and the “hyperventilation syndrome”

Psychodynamics of psychosomatic disorders



10. Past, Present, and Future of Holotropic Breathwork



Training of Holotropic Breathwork facilitators

Holotropic Breathwork and the academic community

Benefits of the holotropic perspective

Holotropic states of consciousness and the current global crisis



APPENDIX 1: Special Situations and Interventions in Holotropic Breathwork Sessions



The experience of choking and of pressure on the chest

Experience of muscular tensions and spasms

Problems related to blockages in the genital area, sex, and nudity

Overactive, erratic, and aggressive behavior

Working with demonic energy

Excessive self-control and inability to let go

Working with nausea and the tendency to vomit

Standing and dancing in the sessions

Reliving the memory of biological birth



APPENDIX 2: Holotropic Breathwork and Other Breathing Techniques



Bibliography 

Index

About Grof Transpersonal Training

About the author

Stanislav Grof, MD, is a psychiatrist who teaches at California Institute of Integral Studies and is the founder of the International Transpersonal Association. He is the author and editor of many books, including
Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Modern Consciousness Research;
The Cosmic Game: Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness;
Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution;
The Adventure of Self-Discovery: Dimensions of Consciousness and New Perspectives in Psychotherapy and Inner Exploration;
Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death, and Transcendence in Psychotherapy; and
Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science, all published by SUNY Press.
Christina Grof, Ph Dhc, is cocreator of Holotropic Breathwork, founder of the Spiritual Emergence Network (SEN), and the author of many books, including
Beyond Death: The Gates of Consciousness;
Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis;
The Stormy Search for the Self: A Guide to Personal Growth through Transformational Crisis (all with Stanislav Grof), and
The Thirst for Wholeness: Attachment, Addiction, and the Spirit. They reside in Mill Valley, California.