Guest guest Posted July 16, 2003 Report Posted July 16, 2003 hi Shwan, I am on the same page: pondering on the diffence between the Consciousness with capital C, which I understood NM talks about: the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent one and the collective unconscious mentioned here by Grof: into which we all born into: it's memory pool and the unconscious states avaible to us only in dream state vs the waking state where we are able to use only 15% of it Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Modern Consciousness Research > > Grof, Stanislava > > More than forty years ago, a powerful experience lasting only > several hours of clock-time profoundly changed my personal and > professional life. As a young psychiatric resident, only a few > months after my graduation from medical school, I volunteered for an > experiment with LSD, a substance with remarkable psychoactive > properties that had been discovered by the Swiss chemist Albert > Hofmann in the Sandoz pharmaceutical laboratories in Basel. > > This session, particularly its culmination period during which I had > an overwhelming and indescribable experience of cosmic > consciousness, awakened in me an intense lifelong interest in > nonordinary states of consciousness. Since that time, most of my > clinical and research activities have consisted of systematic > exploration of the therapeutic, transformative, and evolutionary > potential of these states. The four decades that I have dedicated to > consciousness research have been for me an extraordinary adventure > of discovery and self-discovery. (page ix) > > This book is an attempt to point out in a systematic and > comprehensive way the areas that require a radical revision and to > suggest the direction and nature of the necessary changes. The > conceptual challenges presented by consciousness research are very > fundamental and cannot be resolved by a minor conceptual patchwork > of a few ad hoc hypotheses. In my opinion, the nature and scope of > the conceptual crisis facing psychology and psychiatry is comparable > to the situation introduced at the beginning of the twentieth > century into physics by the results of the Michelson-Morley > experiment. (page xi) > > The observations from holotropic states seriously undermine the > fundamental cornerstone of materialistic thinking, the belief in the > primacy of matter and in the absence of the spiritual dimension in > the fabric of existence. They bring direct experiential and > empirical evidence that spirituality is a critical and legitimate > attribute of the human psyche and of the universal scheme of things. > This important topic is given special attention in the book. It is > argued that, properly understood, spirituality and science are not > and cannot be in conflict, but represent two complementary > approaches to existence. (page xii) > > Chapter 1. Healing and Heuristic Potential of Nonordinary States of > Consciousness > Forty years of intensive and systematic research of holotropic > states of consciousness led me to the conclusion that radical inner > transformation of humanity and rise to a higher level of > consciousness might be our only real hope for the future. I would > like to believe that those who are about to embark on the inner > journey, or are traveling it already, will find this book and the > information presented in it to be useful companions in this > challenging adventure. (page xiii) > > In this book, I will focus on a large and important subgroup of non- > ordinary states of consciousness which significantly differ from the > rest and represent an invaluable source of new information about the > human psyche in health and disease. They also have a remarkable > therapeutic and transformative potential. Over the years, daily > clinical observations convinced me about the extraordinary nature of > these experiences and about the far-reaching implications they have > for the theory and practice of psychiatry. I found it difficult to > believe that contemporary psychiatry does not recognize their > specific features and does not have a special name for them. > > Because I feel strongly that they deserve to be distinguished from > the rest and placed into a special category, I have coined for them > the name holotropic. This composite word literally means " oriented > toward wholeness " or " moving in the direction of wholeness " (from > the Greek holos = whole and trepein = moving toward or in the > direction of something). The full meaning of this term and the > justification for its use will become clear later in this book. It > suggests that in our everyday state of consciousness we identify > with only a small fraction of who we already are. In holotropic > states, we can transcend the narrow boundaries of the body ego and > reclaim our full identity. (page 2) > > In spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, mainstream > psychiatrists continue to view all holotropic states of > consciousness as pathological, disregard the information generated > in researching them, and do not distinguish between mystical states > and psychosis. They also continue using various pharmacological > means to suppress indiscriminately all spontaneously occurring > nonordinary states of consciousness. It is remarkable to what extent > mainstream science has ignored, distorted, and misinterpreted all > the evidence concerning holotropic states, whether their source has > been historical study, comparative religion, anthropology, or > various areas of modern consciousness research, such as > parapsychology, psychedelic therapy, experiential psychotherapies, > hypnosis, thanatology, or work with laboratory mind-altering > techniques. > > The rigidity with which mainstream scientists have dealt with the > information amassed by all these disciplines is something that one > would expect from religious fundamentalists. It is very surprising > when such attitude occurs in the world of science, since it is > contrary to the very spirit of scientific inquiry. More than four > decades that I have spent in consciousness research have convinced > me that serious examination of the data from the study of holotropic > states would have far-reaching consequences not only for the theory > and practice of psychiatry, but for the Western scientific > worldview. The only way modern science can preserve its monistic > materialistic philosophy is by systematically excluding and > censoring all the data concerning holotropic states. (page 16) > > Chapter Six: Spirituality and Religion > To prevent misunderstanding and confusion that in past compromised > many similar discussions, it is critical to make a clear distinction > between spirituality and religion. Spirituality is based on direct > experiences of nonordinary aspects and dimensions of reality. It > does not require a special place or an officially appointed person > mediating contact with the divine. The mystics do not need churches > or temples. The context in which they experience the sacred > dimensions of reality, including their own divinity, are their > bodies and nature. And instead of officiating priests, they need a > supportive group of fellow seekers or the guidance of a teacher who > is more advanced on the inner journey than they are themselves. > > Direct spiritual experiences appear in two different forms. The > first of these, the experience of the immanent divine, involves > subtly, but profoundly transformed perception of the everyday > reality. A person having this form of spiritual experience sees > people, animals, and the inanimate objects in the environment as > radiant manifestations of a unified field of cosmic creative energy > and realizes that the boundaries between them are illusory and > unreal. This is a direct experience of nature as god, Spinoza's deus > sive natura. Using the analogy with television, this experience > could be likened to a situation where a black and white picture > would suddenly change into one in vivid " living color. " In both > cases, much of the old perception of the world remains in place, but > is radically redefined by the addiction of a new dimension. > > The second form of spiritual experience, that of the transcendent > divine, involves manifestation of archetypal beings and realms of > reality that are ordinarily transphenomenal, unavailable to > perception in the everyday state of consciousness. In this type of > spiritual experience, entirely new elements seem to " unfold " > or " explicate, " to borrow terms from David Bohm, from another level > of order of reality. When we return to the analogy with television, > this would be like discovering that there exist channels other than > the one we have previously been watching. (pages 210-211) > > Spirituality involves a special kind of relationship between the > individual and the cosmos and is, in its essence, a personal and > private affair. By comparison, organized religion is > institutionalized group activity that takes place in a designated > location, a temple or a church, and involves a system of appointed > officials who might or might not have had personal experiences of > spiritual realities. ... > > Brother Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk and Christian philosopher, > uses a beautiful metaphor to illustrate this situation. He compares > the original mystical experience to the glowing magma of an > exploding volcano, which is exciting, dynamic, and alive. After we > have this experience, we feel the need to put it into a conceptual > framework and formulate a doctrine. The mystical state represents a > precious memory and we might create a ritual that will remind us of > this momentous event. The experience connects us with the cosmic > order and this has profound direct impact on our ethics - system of > values, moral standards, and behavior. (page 211) > > In visionary states, the experiences of other realities or of new > perspectives on our everyday reality are so convincing and > compelling that the individuals who have had them have no other > choice than to incorporate them into their worldview. It is thus > systematic experiential exposure to holotropic states of > consciousness, on the one side, and the absence thereof, on the > other, that sets the native cultures and technological societies > ideologically so far apart. I have not yet met a single European, > American, or member of one of the other technologized societies, who > has had a deep experience of the transcendental realms and continues > to to the worldview of Western materialistic science. This > development is quite independent of the level of intelligence, type > and degree of education, or professional credentials of the > individuals involved. (page 218) > > Chapter Seven. The Experience of Death and Dying: Psychological, > Philosophical, and Spiritual Perspectives. > Conversely, it became clear that experiential confrontation with > death in the course of therapy has important healing, > transformative, and evolutionary potential. This research also > revealed that the attitude toward death and coming to terms with it > has important implications for the quality of one's life, hierarchy > of values, and strategy of existence. Experiential encounter with > death, whether it is symbolic (in meditation, psychedelic sessions, > spiritual emergency, or holotropic breathwork) or real (in an > accident, in war, in a concentration camp, or during a heart attack) > can lead to a powerful spiritual opening. (page 220) > > ... Modern consciousness research has thus shown that the ancient > eschatological texts are actually maps of the inner territories of > the psyche encountered in profound holotropic states, including > those associated with biological dying. > > It is possible to spend one's entire lifetime without ever > experiencing these realms or even being aware of their existence, > until one is catapulted into them at the time of biological death. > However, some people are able to explore this experiential territory > while they are still alive. Among the tools that make this possible > are psychedelic substances, powerful forms of experiential > psychotherapy, serious spiritual practice, and participation in > shamanic rituals. For many people, similar experiences occur > spontaneously, without any known triggers, during psychospiritual > crises (spiritual emergencies). > > All these situations offer the possibility of deep experiential > exploration of the inner territories of the psyche at a time when we > are healthy and strong, so that the encounter with death does not > come as a complete surprise at the time of biological demise. The > seventeenth-century German Augustinian monk, Abraham of Santa Clara, > expressed in a succinct way the importance of the experiential > practice of dying: " The man who dies before he dies does not die > when he dies. " > > This " dying before dying " has two important consequences: It > liberates us from the fear of death and changes our attitude toward > it. This eases considerably our experience of actually leaving the > body at the time of our biological demise. At the same time, the > elimination of the fear of death also transforms our way of being in > the world. There is thus no fundamental difference between > preparation for death and the practice of dying, on the one hand, > and spiritual practice leading to enlightenment, on the other. For > this reason, the ancient books of the dead could be used in both > situations (pages 228-229) > > Psychedelic Therapy in Patients with Terminal Diseases > In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I had the privilege to > participate for several years in a research program of psychedelic > psychotherapy for terminal cancer patients, which was without a > doubt the most radical and interesting attempt to alleviate the > suffering of patients with incurable diseases and transform their > experience of dying. It was one of the most moving experiences of my > life to see how the attitude toward death and the experience of > dying of many terminal cancer patients was transformed by profound > mystical experiences in psychedelic sessions. (page 248) > > The most important and striking effect of LSD in terminal cancer > patients was a profound change in the concept of death. Deep > experiences of psychospiritual death and rebirth, cosmic unity, past- > life memories, and other transpersonal forms of consciousness seem > to render physical death much less frightening. The fact that these > experiences occur in a complex psychospiritual, mythological, and > philosophical context cannot be dismissed as momentary delusional > self-deception resulting from impaired brain functioning. > > Psychedelic experiences that reach the perinatal and transpersonal > level also typically have profound effect on the patients' hierarchy > of values and life strategy. Psychological acceptance of > impermanence and death results in realization of the futility and > absurdity of grandiose ambitions and attachment to money, status, > fame, and power, as well as pursuit of other temporary values. This > makes it easier to face the termination of one's secular goals and > the impending loss of all worldly possessions. Another important > shift occurs in time orientation; the past and future become much > less important than the present moment and " living one day at a > time. " > > This is associated with increased zest, as well as a tendency to > appreciate and enjoy every moment of life, and to derive pleasure > from simple things like nature, food, sex, music, and human company. > There is also typically a major increase in spirituality of a > mystical, universal, and ecumenical nature, which is not related to > any specific church affiliation. We have also seen instances where a > dying individual's traditional religious beliefs were illuminated by > new dimensions of meaning. (pages 255-256) > > Chapter Eight. The Cosmic Game: Exploration of the Furthest Reaches > of Human Consciousness > The preceding chapters of this book focused primarily on the > implications of the research of holotropic states of consciousness > for psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy. However, this work > also generates many interesting philosophical, metaphysical, and > spiritual insights. Irrespective of the initial motivation of the > person involved and his or her background, systematic disciplined > self-exploration using holotropic states in a good set and setting > sooner or later tends to take the form of a deep philosophical and > spiritual quest. I have seen on numerous occasions that people whose > primary interest in psychedelic sessions or in the holotropic > breathwork was therapeutic, professional, or artistic, suddenly > started asking the most fundamental questions about existence when > their inner process reached the transpersonal level. (page 269) > > The Ensouled Nature and the Archetypal Domain > If we feel embarrassed by our discovery, we might prefer to use > modern terminology such as numinous instead of sacred and archetypal > figures instead of deities and demons. But we can no longer dismiss > these experiences as mere hallucinations or fantasies. Deep personal > experiences of this realm help us realize that the images of the > cosmos found in preindustrial societies are not based on > superstition, primitive " magical thinking, " or psychotic visions, > but on authentic experiences of alternate realities. The research of > holotropic states has brought ample evidence that there are > transphenomenal dimensions of existence that are ontologically real > and that they often can withstand the test of consensual validation. > (page 271) > > ... When we are involved in systematic self-exploration or spiritual > practice, it is important to avoid the pitfall of making a > particular deity opaque and seeing it as the ultimate cosmic force > rather than a window into the Absolute. > > Mistaking a specific archetypal image for the ultimate source of > creation or for its only true representation leads to idolatry, a > divisive and dangerous mistake widespread in the histories of > religions and cultures. It might unite the people who share the same > belief, but sets this group against another one that has chosen a > different representation of the divine. They might then try to > convert others or conquer and eliminate them. By contrast, genuine > religion is universal, all-inclusive, and all-encompassing. It has > to transcend specific culture-bound archetypal images and focus on > the ultimate source of all forms. The most important question in the > world of religion is thus the nature of the supreme principle in the > universe. (page 271) > > Experience of the Supreme Cosmic Principle > Individuals involved in systematic self-exploration with the use of > holotropic states repeatedly describe this process as a > philosophical and spiritual quest. This inspired me to search the > records from psychedelic and holotropic sessions, as well as reports > from people who were undergoing spiritual emergency, for experiences > that would convey the sense that his quest reached its goal, its > final destination. I found out that people who have the experience > of the Absolute that fully satisfies their spiritual longing > typically do not see any specific figurative images. When they feel > that they have attained the goal of their mystical and philosophical > quest, their descriptions of the supreme principle are highly > abstract and strikingly similar. > > Those who report such an ultimate revelation show quite remarkable > agreement in describing the experiential characteristics of this > state. They report that the experience of the Supreme involved > transcendence of all the limitations of the analytical mind, all > rational categories, and all the constraints of ordinary logic. This > experience was not bound by the usual limitations of three- > dimensional space and linear time, as we know them from everyday > life. It also contained all conceivable polarities in an inseparable > amalgam and thus transcended dualities of any kind. > > Time after time, people compared the Absolute to a radiant source of > light of unimaginable intensity, through they emphasized that it > also differed in some significant aspects from any form of light > that we know in the material world. To describe the Absolute as > light, as much as it seems appropriate in a certain sense, entirely > misses some of its essential characteristics, particularly in the > fact that it also is an immense and unfathomable field of > consciousness endowed with infinite intelligence and creative power. > Another attribute that is regularly mentioned is an exquisite sense > of humor ( " cosmic humor " ). > > The supreme cosmic principle can be experienced in two different > ways. Sometimes, all personal boundaries dissolve or are drastically > obliterated and we completely merge with the divine source, becoming > one with it and indistinguishable from it. Other times, we maintain > the sense of separate identity, assuming the role of an astonished > observer who is witnessing, as if from the outside, the mysterium > tremendum of existence. Or, like some mystics, we might feel the > ecstasy of an enraptured lover experiencing the encounter with the > Beloved. Spiritual literature of all ages abounds in descriptions of > both types of experiences of the divine. > > The encounter with Absolute Consciousness or identification with it > is not the only way to experience the supreme principle in the > cosmos or the ultimate reality. The second type of experience that > seems to satisfy those who search for ultimate answers is > particularly surprising, since it has no specific content. It is the > identification with Cosmic Emptiness and Nothingness described in > the mystical literature as the Void. ... > > When we reach experiential identification with the Absolute, we > realize that our own being is ultimately commensurate with the > entire cosmic network, with all of existence. The recognition of our > own divine nature, our identity with the cosmic source, is the most > important discovery we can make during the process of deep > exploration. ... (pages 273-276) > > Chapter Nine. Consciousness Evolution and Human Survival: > Transpersonal Perspective on the Global Crisis > > Psychospiritual Roots of the Global Crisis > The task of imbuing humanity with an entirely different set of > values and goals might appear too unrealistic and utopian to offer > any real hope. Considering the paramount role of violence and greed > in human history, the possibility of transforming modern humanity > into a species of individuals capable of peaceful coexistence with > their fellow men and women regardless of race, color, and religious > or political conviction, let alone with other species, certainly > does not seem very plausible. We are facing the necessity to instill > humanity with profound ethical values, sensitivity to the needs of > others, acceptance of voluntary simplicity, and a sharp awareness of > ecological imperatives. At first glance, such a task appears too > fantastic even for a science-fiction movie. > > However, although serious and critical, the situation might not be > as hopeless as it appears. After more than forty years of intensive > study of holotropic states of consciousness, I have come to the > conclusion that the theoretical concepts and practical approaches > developed by transpersonal psychology, a discipline that is trying > to integrate spirituality with the new paradigm emerging in Western > science, could help alleviate the crisis we are all facing. These > observations suggest that radical psychospiritual transformation of > humanity is not only possible, but is already underway. The question > is only whether it can be sufficiently fast and extensive to reverse > the current self-destructive trend of modern humanity. (pages 296- > 297) > > We seem to be involved in a dramatic race for time that has no > precedent in the entire history of humanity. What is at stake is > nothing less than the future of life on this planet. If we continue > the old strategies which in their consequences are clearly extremely > self-destructive, it is unlikely that the human species will > survive. However, if a sufficient number of people undergo a process > of deep inner transformation, we might reach a level of > consciousness evolution when we deserve the proud name we have given > to species: homo sapiens. (page 324) > > > http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy/psychology_of-grof.html Quote
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2003 Report Posted July 16, 2003 Nisargadatta , " el_wells7_20033 " <elizabethwells8@e...> wrote: > . > > > > > > . > > > > > > > > > > > > > . > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > . > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > . ROFL I heard that! you are right Elizabeth I still think, that the notion, that 'cleaning' the pool of collective unconscious starts with one self as Grof says is the only hope to 'have' a future society Quote
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