Christina Grof

In this interview, psychiatrist Dr Stanislav Grof, MD and his wife Christina explain holotropic breathwork, and discuss its uses in psychotherapy. Like hypnosis and psychedelic therapy, holotropic breathwork is a method for invoking non-ordinary states of consciousness for therapeutic purposes. Viewers see patients undergoing holotropic breathwork in a group session, and the patients themselves then report their experiences.

Holotropic Breathwork is arguably one of the most powerful and effective non-pharmacological methods of psychotherapy and self-exploration. It integrates in its theory and practice the findings from modern consciousness research, depth psychology, and mystical traditions of the world. Among the innovations of this revolutionary approach to therapy and self-exploration is the use of a vastly expanded model of the human psyche, new understanding of the architecture of emotional and psychosomatic disorders, and mobilization of the inner healing intelligence and new therapeutic mechanisms. The essential element in this treatment modality is utilization of the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness, induced by very simple means - faster breathing, evocative music, releasing bodywork, and expressive painting.

This documentary traces Stan’s phenomenal fifty-year career as consciousness researcher from his early research on psychedelics, to the birth of the transpersonal movement, to Holotropic Breathwork. Highlights include Grof’s first psychedelic experience and its impact on his life and career, his days at Esalen Institute as a Scholar-in-Residence, and his insights into non-ordinary states and their potential for healing and transformation. Included are interviews with Stan, his wife and partner Christina Grof, and UCI researcher Charles Grob, MD, and archival photographs with friends, colleagues, and prominent teachers and visionaries.