Stanislav Grof

In order to better cope with the pressures and stresses of the current day, modern psychology is anxiously seeking to find new therapies to address the increasing disorders within the human psyche. In the process new fields of research, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, curiously appear to borrow more and more from the wisdom of the ages. This volume, containing eighteen articles by noteworthy expositors of the perennial philosophy such as Huston Smith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Frithjof Schuon, presents the spiritual psychology of the wisdom traditions as a much-needed antidote to the current impasse in modern psychology.

Some Endorsements for Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy:

“[Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy] is more than an anthology. It is a wisely crafted collection of classic and contemporary scholarship noting that what many are seeking is what has always been, a perennial philosophy, that remains foundational. As one of the authors, Tage Lindbom, properly notes, ‘Secularization is a fish in troubled waters.’ This book claims the waters and is essential reading for all those who may have forgotten or are simply ignorant of the rich foundation provided by the perennial philosophy.”
—Ralph W. Hood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, co-founder of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and co-author of The Psychology of Religion

“A necessary and bracing critique of the assumptions and limitations of contemporary Western psychology, this generous volume is also a passionate call and learned guide towards a truer perspective that embraces man's spiritual nature.”
—Gabor Maté, M.D., and author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Knowing the nature of the mind is perhaps the most difficult undertaking, especially in today’s world. To comprehend the nature of mind one needs to turn to the domain of religion and spirituality. Yet the truth of the mind and its complexity cannot explicitly be defined in words. Inner or transcendent wisdom sees the mind’s own nature without the duality of the seer. Suchness (tathatā) of mind is only experiential and not expressible. The words used to describe thought are themselves a product of thought, which is conditioned and limited. Thus, differences and contradictions are unavoidable. Therefore, a comparative study of different viewpoints and commentaries is immensely important to awaken the inner intelligence to see the mind as it is. Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy: Studies in Comparative Religion edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is an outstanding effort in this direction.”
—Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, author of Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism and Today’s World

“The rise of psychology has impacted the study and practice of spirituality, the experiences and attitudes relevant to ultimate human values that transcend ordinary behavior. Each chapter of this remarkable book demonstrates this interaction in a unique and provocative way. But rather than using psychology to reduce and ‘psychologize’ spiritual topics, its authors demonstrate how directives from the spiritual traditions can enhance and even illuminate the enduring importance of psychology in the 21st century.”
—Stanley Krippner, Saybrook University, co-author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing

“The work at hand is a thinking and debating man’s delight. If you have any interest at all in attempting to include an educated and enlightened view of man’s higher functions in your purview of the world, you will learn from and enjoy this collection of essays. If you already have some knowledge in this area, brace yourself: you may see some of your favorites sharply criticized. A thought-provoking work.”
—Bruce W. Scotton, University of California, San Francisco, co-editor of Textbook of Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology

“This book, superbly edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, is a masterful critique of the field of psychology and its loss of the sacred ground in which it once was rooted. It offers depth psychologists an opportunity to contemplate timeless truths echoed through the centuries by perennial philosophers who have always claimed psyche is subordinate to Spirit. Although ignored in depth psychology’s early years due to prejudice and lack of understanding, this is a message today’s psychotherapists must take seriously. Human beings need a deeper and wider transpersonal vision of who and what we are, which the saints and sages of the world’s spiritual traditions have always pointed to. In psychotherapy with a therapist committed to such a vision, patients penetrate into their unconscious depths and not infrequently awaken to the Ground of all Being. Their suffering itself occurred because they had turned away from Spirit. Above all, this volume passionately calls upon depth psychology to remember its origin in the perennial wisdom at the core of the great religions. There is something of a polemic in these pages. It deserves to be considered by depth psychologists of all persuasions.”
—Bryan Wittine, Transpersonal psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst

“This anthology from Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is a must reference for anyone who is interested in psychology and its relationship to spirituality, and in developing an inclusive dialogue between disciplines that favor an integral outlook on the person and his or her potential. Selections in this anthology will inspire us to reexamine the metaphysical underpinnings of psychology, and remind us how important it is to rise above science’s attempt to reduce the human being to an epistemic object.”
—Sangeetha Menon, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore, India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Beyond Experience: Consciousness in Bhagavad Gita

“This anthology has some of the most discerning essays and reviews on spirituality and psychology, which provide much-needed care and caution to all those engaged in bringing them together or who wish to do so in future. Therefore, it is a must-read for all those who teach, research, consult, or study in such frontier areas as transpersonal psychology, states of consciousness, mind-body relation, holistic health, Indian psychology, and so on. It will be an invaluable textbook for courses in these and other related areas. I congratulate the editor of the book.”
—Kiran Kumar K. Salagame, University of Mysore (India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Psychology of Meditation: A Contextual Approach

“One of the finest collections of essays on the Perennial Philosophy—a must-read for all psychologists who are engaged with spirituality and transpersonal psychology. The essays which critique modern psychology (including transpersonal psychology, and the framework of Carl Jung), in the light of the Perennial Philosophy are a revelation and make compelling reading. The book serves as a corrective to the excesses of modern psychology, and to this end Sotillos has done a commendable job. I for one will include the book in some of the graduate courses that I teach.”
—Suneet Varma, University of Delhi, co-editor of Foundations of Indian Psychology

“To its credit modern science by-and-large is becoming more cognizant of the essential connection between spirituality and psychological health and well-being and most of all its positive implications within the field of psychology. While there is ample data to document this in a plethora of academic journals and books, this new book Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy adds a novel contribution to the dialogue between psychology and spirituality, which captures many nuances that for the most part go unnoticed within these discussions, and last but not least, it provides a keen eye of discernment to understand this intricate relationship on a deeper level that is crucially needed. This work will be a valuable asset to students and long term mental health practitioners and professors alike who seek to better understand the relationship between psychology and spirituality.”
—Harold G. Koenig, Duke University, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, co-author of The Handbook of Religion and Health

In his later years, Maslow divided self-actualizers into two levels, the ordinary self-actualizers and the self-transcenders.  This marks his movement into transpersonal psychology and his interest in LSD, particularly the work of Stanislav Grof.

This paper investigates the relationship between psychoactive substances and so-called paranormal phenomena falling within the study of parapsychology. It is primarily concerned with extrasensory perception (ESP)—telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance—as well as out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs). Psychokinesis (PK), aura vision, encounter experiences, and sleep paralysis only make a very limited contribution to this review as they are seldom related to psychoactive drugs within the parapsychological literature. The paper borrows widely, but by no means exhaustively, from parapsychology as well as transpersonal studies, anthropology, ethnobotany, phytochemistry, psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neurobiology, particularly neurochemistry. It is organized into neurochemical models of paranormal experience (section 1), field reports of intentional and spontaneous phenomena incorporating anthropological, historical and clinical cases, and personal accounts (section 2), surveys of paranormal belief and experience (section 3), experimental research (section 4), and a methodological critique of the experimental research with recommendations for further work (section 5).

... The past is resolving itself, allowing the meditator to live more fully in the present moment. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS I have not intended to suggest that all involuntary tremors and seizures which occur during meditation derive from the birth trauma. ...

Originally published in 2001 as Psychoactive Sacramentals then in 2012 as Spiritual Growth with Entheogens

All proceeds support the work of the Council on Spiritual Practices


More than 25 spiritual leaders, scientists, and visionaries examine how, through the guided use of psychedelics, we can return to the direct spiritual experience at the basis of all religions. With contributions by Albert Hofmann, Huston Smith, Stanislav Grof, Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, Brother David Steindl-Rast, and many others.

Expanding the set-and-setting idea, Hartogshon broadens it from its original meaning of indicating two major influences on each individual person's psychedelic experience; he applies "set and setting" to analyze how society's reactions to psychedelics arose from wider cultural sets and social settings. This proves a rich way to interpret a history of psychedelic ideas and provides a way to classify and organize America's 20 th and 21 st Centuries perspectives on these drugs and their complicated times. Starting by naming America's first psychedelic period last century as "The Experimental Psychosis Movement," Hartogsohn moves readers' attention to a series of cultural progressions that orders how we may see the many separate and conflicting events. Hartogshon's subsequent psychedelic periods are:

The purpose of this essay is to review the Grofs' model of spiritual emergencies. The authors ask: Has the model been useful for identifying and treating psycho-spiritual distress? Should it be amended? Spiritual emergency can be defined as a crisis involving religious, transpersonal, and/or spiritual issues that provides opportunities for growth. Spiritual emergence, meanwhile, lends itself to gentler transformation. The research methods include an archival literature review triangulated with an authoritative interview. The findings are that the Grofs' model of spiritual emergencies was ahead of its time and that the medical establishment needs to catch up. Adaptations and revisions that expand and refine it could help bring acceptance and further application of this useful model to people in psycho-spiritual crises.

Jelen dolgozat a pszichológiai tanácsadásba könnyen beépíthető, negatív érzelmi állapotokat módosító neuro-lingvisztikus programozás módszertanához tartozó technikát, az intrapszichés interakciót mutatja be esettanulmányokon keresztül. Az esetek bemutatását a módszer részletes ismertetése, valamint elméleti felvezetés előzi meg. Amennyiben hozzáférést biztosítunk belső erőforrásunkhoz, azzal képesek vagyunk felülírni, módosítani, viselhetőbbé tenni negatív érzelmeket, traumatikus élményeket, berögzült indulati mintákat. A módszer érdekessége, hogy a mindnyájunkban elérhető belső erőforráshoz az adott negatív érzelmen keresztül vezet az út. A technika emellett diagnosztikai eszközként is szolgál, mivel képes feltárni az érzelmi problémák mögött húzódó valós dinamikákat, elakadásokat, traumatikus élményeket. Mindezt biztonságosan teszi, mert nem elviselhetetlen tudattalan tartalmakat, hanem hozzáférhetőbb tudatos, vagy tudatelőttes tartalmakat mozgat és rendez.

Spiritual emergence is a natural part of the human developmental experience. The process is unique to each individual and may gradually unfold or suddenly arise. Yet, because there is no mainstream cultural framework to provide context for the broad spectrum of anomalous experiences that may occur within it, there can be resistance to the process. The purpose of this exploratory study was to elucidate the phenomenon of spiritual resistance within the spiritual emergence process. Using the heuristic method, 18 participants who self-identified as having experienced spiritual resistance were interviewed. Based on data gathered through this research, 5 types of spiritual resistance and 11 ways of overcoming it were named. Spiritual resistance has both a protective and inhibiting function. Although at times it may serve to stifle the progression of spiritual development, it may also be the intermediary in protecting the ego from the tumultuous process experienced during spiritual emergency.

From the moment they occur, crisis events involving personal loss can disrupt people's lives and irrevocably change how they engage with the world.
In this brief paper, an autobiographical account of tragic loss demonstrates how exposure to crisis can provide opportunity for significant personal transformation.

A novel published in 1933, describes the isolation of a hallucinogenic drug from an ergot-type fungus. It remarkably predates the discovery the hallucinogenic properties of the ergot-derived alkaloid lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) by ten years. It also identifies ergot as the secret psychoactive sacrament of the ancient mysteries forty years before this hypothesis became a matter of academic and scientific investigation. In the novel, a central character plans to use an ergot derived drug as an agent of popular religious renewal, prefiguring the New Age religious revival initiated by the popular use of LSD. The story involves the mass testing of a hallucinogenic drug on the unsuspecting inhabitants of an isolated village almost twenty years before the Pont St Esprit incident of 1951, which has been ascribed to the CIA's plans for experimental dosing of unsuspecting civilians with psychoactive drugs. This article investigates how the author could have managed to foresee these future events in such prophetic detail and reveals the sources that were available. In this article the history of psychoactive drugs is set in the context of the political, scientific, literary, and philosophical culture of the interwar period and shows that the cultural history of psychoactive drugs is enhanced by such context.

Many theoretical approaches to alcoholism consider this condition to be a disease, yet one of the best known methods of treatment for alcoholism, that of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), considers a higher power, or God, to be central in recovery from this affliction. The thesis of this work is to examine the phenomenological aspects of alcoholism through a historical analysis of the concept of disease, as well as its correlate, sin. It will also utilize the ancient notion of causality, as developed by the philosopher Aristotle, as a hermeneutic model of analysis for this elusive phenomenon. Continuing with this theme, I then examine the imago-Dei (“image of God”), as a historical phenomenon and hermeneutic means of interpreting, not only the phenomenon of alcoholism but also the contents of the unconscious in general. This will reveal a fundamental difference between the general orthodox approach to a higher power, as in Alcoholics Anonymous and most traditional approaches to addiction treatment, with an alternative perspective, using Jung’s depth psychological views on unconscious phenomenology.

Shamans and artists have been perceived as similar across a variety of dimensions. Nonetheless, these similarities have not been systematically explored and are poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate these similarities.

Stanley Krippner (personal communication, January 12, 2010) provided the initial definition of a shaman that, after minor modifications to more fully represent knowledge about shamans, became: A shaman is a socially designated spiritual practitioner who obtains information in ways not available to the shaman’s community through the voluntary regulation of the shaman’s own attention, which is used for the benefit of the shaman’s community and its members.  Defining constructs were operationalized and validated cross-culturally to support multidirectional comparisons between artists and shamans using archival data from psychology, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, art history, and creativity studies.

Previous publications about 24 well-known artists provided archival data for comparisons with shamans. The dimensions explored included familial influence, talent, neurological functions, calling to vocation, social support, personality, training, initiation, inspiration, positive disintegration, transliminality, imaginal realms, altered states, purported psi experiences, mental health issues, soul retrieval, spiritual emergence, transpersonal orientation, intent to benefit, and creativity. Tables, charts, and diagrams organized archival information that, supported by descriptive comparisons, explored the nature and extent of similarities between artists and shamans. The integration of visual art, poetry, and stories provided an emic artist’s perspective and alternate ways of knowing for the reader.

The study found that four artists from traditional cultures fulfilled all defining constructs of shaman, comprising a set of prototypical shamanic artists. In contrast, twenty artists fulfilled some, but not all, constructs defining shaman. These shamanlike artists were noncentral members in a fuzzy set where the shamanlike artists had family resemblances to traditional shamans and shamanic artists.

The study identified and articulated gaps in knowledge as well as establishing a broad, well-grounded theoretical model that can serve as a foundation for future research on relationships between contemporary artists and shamans, and, potentially, contribute towards transformation of art experiences in artists, art audiences, and art institutions.

The psychoanalytic viewpoint proposes that insight into one’s unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motivations can be helpful in understanding and changing personal constructs (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013). Conversely, anything that stands in the way of accessing that material may present a barrier to effective psychotherapy. Holotropic Breathwork, a process of rapid, deep breathing to evocative music, induces a non-ordinary state of consciousness (NOSC) (Taylor, 2007), which reportedly allows deeper access to the unconscious. Rhinewine and Williams (2007) offer a hypothetical, bio-psychological explanation of the disinhibiting mechanism of holotropic NOSC’s, which reduce the self-protectiveness of the logical/thinking part of the brain, and potentially result in opening to new insights. Ryan and Deci’s (2008) Self-determination Theory (SDT) model offers a current and accepted framework from which to explain the potential effectiveness of the therapeutic setting and practice of HB. SDT proposes that there are three universal psychological needs which are essential for the occurrence of growth toward psychological health and well-being: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This paper describes how Holotropic Breathwork fulfills those three needs, potentially resulting in therapeutic benefit. An overview of research on the healing benefits of NOSC’s, and in particular, on the use of HB as an adjunct to psychotherapy is included to support the argument that HB may be beneficial in this context.

Gustav Fechner, the German experimental psychologist, coined the term psychophysics in 1860, publishing the first mathematical equation to model human consciousness.  Fechner assumed that any future approaches to consciousness would include mathematical and physical underpinnings. In 1995, the cognitive scientist and philosopher David Chalmers coined the phrase "the hard problem" as being that of connecting consciousness with some physical substrate.  According to Chalmers, "The really hard problem of consciousness is the problem of experience. Most existing theories of consciousness either deny the phenomenon, explain something else, or elevate the problem to an eternal mystery."  As Chalmers points out, unfortunately, the modern scientific community has not yet produced a model of consciousness supported by mathematics and physics, thus no progress in Fecher's "psychophysics." 
However there is growing interest among the scientific community in string theory, the only branch of mathematical geometry that has successfully explained recent discoveries in high energy particle physics. The mathematical proof of string theory requires the existence of a ten dimensional universe.  But in trying to map consciousness, science continues to limit its data search within time and the three spatial dimensions, ignoring six of string theory's ten dimensions  Perhaps because mainstream science tacitly limits itself to four of the ten dimensions, progress has come to a dead end. Accordingly, the most widely accepted theory among neurophysiologists is that consciousness is somehow a "byproduct" of the electrical sparking of neurons, an accidental epiphenomenon of the activities of nerve-filled wet meat.
This paper considers data beyond the four dimensional constraints of the scientific establishment. It is my contention that many recorded accounts of philosophers, mystics, and shamans can and should be considered as data. My thesis is that these accounts express experience and observation within one or more of the additional dimensions predicted by string theory. Any advance in understanding consciousness must take into account not only the language and domains of mathematics, particle physics, and neurobiology, but also the experiential domains of philosophers and mystics. It is in regarding data from these multiple domains of inquiry that a new model of consciousness will emerge. In this paper I hypothesize a psychophysics of consciousness, woven of strands from mathematics, mysticism, and physics, as well as contemplative participatory practice, to address and solve "the hard problem."

Stanislav Grof's map of the mind offers transpersonalists — and further, humanists and all professions working with the human phenomenon — a new kind of intellectual effort. Just as Freudian and Jungian psychologies enriched 20 th Century intellectual life, Grofian is enriching the 21 st. Grof's psychedelic-derived theory promotes cultural interpretation, psychocriticism, curricular enrichment, and new methods of humanistic research. The theory's four-level map of the human mind has received moderate attention primarily by confirming other scholars' global findings — particularly in religion and mythology — while the theory's third, perinatal, level offers rich psychocritical concepts to understand the history and the rhetoric of war, Sartre's philosophy, cinema criticism, and interdisciplinary studies. This article challenges humanists to: (a) use Grof's theory to enrich their fields, (b) view the Consciousness Explorer as a Twentieth Century face of Campbell's hero with a thousand faces, (c) develop current leads to reignite interest in the humanities and enliven university courses, and by extension, (d) incorporate the findings of other psychedelic explorers into humanists' intellectual tasks.

prepublication online release. forthcoming information is on the text pages.

This study uses a model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy to illumine an enigmatic set of painful experiences that occur on the mystic's path known in Western circles as the "dark night." It argues that the dark night experiences described in John of the Cross's classic workDark Night of the Soul can be conceptualized in terms of Stanislav Grofs category of "perinatal experience." The discussion examines the implications of this reconceptualization in three areas: (1) our understanding and evaluation of mysticism, (2) assessing LSD's potential for fostering genuine spirituality, and (3) reassessing the ancient claim that the capacity to experience transcendental states of being is innate.

Plato’s story, as it appears in the Republic speaks of both the human desire for liberation, and our inherent need for transcendence. The fact that such a description of human existence still rings true for us almost 2500 years on is a testament to the enduring power and artistry of Plato’s philosophical method. It is however an ominous picture of the state of the human condition and one that immediately raises important questions for us as individuals. Where is my position in the cave? If I am a prisoner, how do I escape? What is the truth of what I see? Then there are the ‘others’ in the story. Who are the puppeteers? The analogy, as a method, succeeds in encouraging such questions and of course many more. However it does comparatively much less in supplying us with solutions to the philosophical problems it serves to highlight. To encourage the kind of critical self-analysis that catalyses transcendence is of course its central purpose, yet after almost two and a half thousand years of questioning and arguing are we, as a species, still in the cave?

Tibetan Buddhist Tantra and Jungian depth psychology represent two of the world’s most dynamic psycho-spiritual traditions. This study explores their respective insights, cosmologies, and sometimes striking similarities, with particular emphasis on the manner in which mythic imagery is employed in both disciplines as a powerful agent of healing and transformation. With spiritual transcendence serving as their primary impetus, both traditions emphasize the realm of dreams (e.g., dream analysis in depth psychology and dream yoga in Tibetan Tantra), meditative visualizations (such as the focus on wisdom figures in both disciplines), and an assortment of other practices that are designed to effect a reconciliation of opposites and the attendant union of masculine and feminine principles. The deeper meaning and implications of these precepts and practices are further explored through the lens of contemporary transpersonal theory, and the ontological status of mythic realms and entities is also examined. In the spirit of integral scholarship, a comparative methodology is employed that is elucidated by experiential accounts of mystical phenomena from the Jungian and Tibetan tantric traditions, findings from modern transpersonal research, and the author’s own highly transformative experiences.

This paper charts the development of transpersonal psychology as it grew out of and in relation to the main branches of psychology.  It contextualizes the need for a psychology that addressed aspects of lived experience often neglected by the materialist scientific paradigm yet coming to the fore in the countercultures of the 1960s.  An overview of the historical precursors provides interdisciplinary perspectives on the transpersonal school.  After defining and placing the transpersonal school within the postmodern turn against mono-logical orders, we consider the theories of Stanislav Grof and his LSD-therapy work with terminally ill patients.  The significance of transpersonal psychology as a truly integrative system of thought is discussed. It brings mythology, anthropology, psychology and the sciences together in order to rediscover the universe as a multidimensional experience that unfolds as we unfold.  We conclude with the missing dimension in the transpersonal:  social engagement.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of the present study was to explore the subjective effects of Holotropic Breathwork (HB), specifically looking at the incidence of mystical experiences or peak experiences , in a Russian sample in the context of a daylong workshop. A single group design was used. A total of 134 subjects, aged 18-64 years, participated in the study. The States of Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) was administered to determine the incidence of mystical or peak experiences. Thirteen of the 134 participants (9.7%) met criteria for a " complete " mystical experience. The higher scores were found in deeply felt positive mood, transcendence of time and space and internal unity subscales of the SCQ. We found similar scores in the CEC to those found in a previous study in people under the influence of 5mg/70kg and 10mg/70kg of psilocybin.

RESUMEN: El presente estudio tiene como objetivo principal explorar los efectos subjetivos de la res-piración holotrópica, centrándose específicamente en la incidencia de experiencias místicas o experiencias cumbre, en una muestra de voluntarios rusos obtenida en Moscú, en el marco de un taller de respiración holotrópica un día de duración. Se utilizó un diseño de un solo grupo. Un total de 134 sujetos, de entre 18-64 años, participó en el estudio. Se administró el Cuestionario de Es-tados de Consciencia (CEC) para determinar la incidencia de las experiencias místicas o experien-cias cumbre. Trece de los 134 participantes (9,7%) en el estudio cumplieron con los criterios para una experiencia mística "completa. Las puntuaciones más altas se encontraron en las subescalas " estado de ánimo positivo sentido profundamente " , " trascendencia del tiempo y el espacio " y " unidad interna " del CEC. Encontramos resultados similares en el CEC a los encontrados en un estudio previo en personas bajo la influencia de dosis de 5mg/70kg y 10mg/70kg de psilocibina.

There is a central human experience, which alters all other experiences ... not just an experience among others, but rather the very heart of the human experience. It is the center that gives understanding to the whole. Once found, life is altered because the very root of human identity is deepened. LSD and the Enlightenment of Zen Wilson Van Dusen ===========================================

This article explores the dynamic of death and rebirth in LSD therapy beyond ego-death. Drawing upon my experience in 73 high dose LSD sessions conducted between 1979 and 1999, it asks three questions: (1) Why does death become as large as it sometimes does in psychedelic therapy? (2) Why does death repeat itself so many times? And (3) what is actually dying and being reborn in this extended transformative process? It argues that death and rebirth is a cycle that repeats itself at different stages of initiation into the universe. While its core dynamic is always the same, the experiential texture of each death – its flavor, focus, and function – changes as deeper levels of reality open, requiring us to move beyond a model of individual transformation and beyond a focus on ego-death. Resumen Este artículo explora la dinámica de muerte y el renacimiento que tiene lugar en la terapia de LSD más allá de la muerte del ego. Basándome en mis experiencias en 73 sesiones con dosis altas de LSD realizadas entre 1979 y 1999, el artículo se formula tres preguntas: (1) ¿Por qué la muerte se convierte en algo tan grande como a veces sucede en la terapia psicodélica? (2) ¿Por qué la muerte se repite tantas veces durante la terapia?, y (3) ¿Qué es lo que está realmente muriendo y renaciendo a lo largo de este extenso proceso transformador? En el artículo se argumenta que la muerte y el renacimiento es un ciclo que se repite en diferentes etapas de iniciación en el universo. Mientras que su dinámica central es siempre la misma, la textura de la experiencia de cada muerte-su sabor, el enfoque y la función-cambia en la medida en que se van abriendo niveles más profundos de la realidad, lo que nos obliga a ir más allá de un modelo de transformación individual y más allá de un modelo enfocado en la muerte del ego.

The principal aim of this essay is to explore the influence of chemically-altered, or alchemical consciousness, not only on the founding and ongoing articulation of transpersonal theory, but on the origins of spirituality more generally. I attempt to support and expand Jorge Ferrer's participatory turn toward "a more relaxed spiritual universalism" in the context of Gregg Lahood's notion of psychedelically-induced cosmological hybridization and Robert Bellah's account of religion in terms of "non-ordinary realities." I also draw upon Richard Doyle's thesis that psychedelics have functioned as "rhetorical adjuncts" in the evolution of spiritual discourse, as well as Michael Rinella's study of the interplay between speech (the logistikon) and psychedelics (the pharmakon) in ancient Greek spirituality. Rather than seeking some form of authoritative disambiguation, as Lahood argues the first wave of transpersonalism did by turning to Perennialism, the anomalous, ineffable, and participatory nature of alchemical consciousness is affirmed as a fertile source of open-ended rhetorical strategies for both consciousness transformation and cosmological (re)construction.

The famous Romanian historian of religions Mircea Eliade presents in the novel "Nineteen Roses" a view on theatre less explored by his critics, in which we can find the seeds for a possible theory and practice of the sacred theatre. By Integrating this perspective in his theory about the sacred as an element in the structure of human consciousness, not in the history of consciousness, I'll argue, applying a cross-disciplinary approach, that theatre could have, as Mircea Eliade claimed, the role of a “path” to transcendence. The experience of the sacred, in terms of Stanislav Grof’s transpersonal psychology, could be considered a “holotropic” experience. How can we understand Eliade’s view on theatre using Grof’s theory? What is the role of anamnesis in Eliade’s theatre and in Grof’s theory and psychological experiments? What is the relationship between aesthetic and ecstatic in Mircea Eliade’s view on theatre? By using textual criticism and hermeneutics, I will propose an analysis of Eliade’s view on theatre which can re-configure the expressions of the sacred on stage in his fictional writings.

Journal of Near Death Studies, 1994: 25-45. ABSTRACT: While endorsing several of Kenneth Ring's conclusions in "Solving the Riddle of Frightening NDEs: Some Testable Hypotheses and a Perspective Based on A Course in Miracles," this study proposes a more comprehensive interpretation of frightening NDEs along perinatal lines. It criticizes Ring's interpretation of meaningless void NDEs as emergence reactions and argues that all three forms of frightening NDEs --inverted, hellish, and meaningless void experiences --are better understood as rooted in the perinatal level of consciousness. Ring's account of resistance to ego-death as the cause of these NDEs is expanded, and the broader implications of a perinatal reading of frightening NDEs are developed. Finally, parallels with the "dark night of the soul" experience are introduced and explored.

Proposes an understanding of the human being as inherently spiritual and thus
sketches a psychological treatment of spirituality that would be relevant to all religions

Spirituality has recently become an acceptable topic of popular discussion and even of academic interest outside religious circles--in psychology, philosophy, medicine, nursing, social work, education, politics. Yet most discussions of spirituality are loose and merely suggestive. Moreover, the frequent implication of God and differing religions complicates and befuddles this already difficult topic. This book, a companion to Religion and the Human Sciences (SUNY Press, 1998), sorts out these issues and presents a coherent understanding that could ground rigorous study of spirituality.

The basic argument is that spirituality is a human thing, grounded in the very make-up of the human being. To be sure, most spirituality expresses itself through religious belief and pious practice. Still, in essence, spirituality can be treated apart from religion and theology--and initially it needs to be if a coherent and accurate understanding of spirituality is the goal. And this is the goal here. This may also be what our contemporary, pluralistic world needs.

Part I teases apart the theological and the human facets of the matter and, bracketing the theological temporarily, focuses attention on the human. The key is an understanding of human mind as double. Mind entails two dimensions, psyche and spirit, so the standard bipartite models of the human as "body and mind" or "body and soul" gives way to a tripartite model: body (organism), psyche, and spirit.

Part II explains what the human spirit is and how its unbounded unfolding grounds spirituality. This explanation begins with a suggestive description, moves through an account of scientific definition, and then provides such definition for spirit in terms of Bernard Lonergan's four "levels" of consciousness: awareness, understanding, judgment of fact, and decision or judgment of value. This Part concludes by pointing out how spirit, so understood, can account for most of what people mean by spirituality. Though not banished, theology need never yet enter the discussion.

Part III elaborates the human psyche. Granted a delineation of spirit as a distinct aspect of human mind, this second aspect emerges in clarity. Psyche entails familiar things: emotions, imagery, memory, and personality patterns. Discussion shows how, for better or worse, psychological issues affect the functioning of the human spirit.

Part IV, turning finally to the biological organism, says what constitutes fully healthy humanity, namely, on-going personal integration that, attending to the needs of the organism and the psyche, is nonetheless ever respectful of the self-transcending dynamism of the human spirit.

A precise and careful exposition intertwines the recent wisdom of psychological studies and psychotherapeutic practice and the long-standing concerns of the spiritual traditions. Said in psychological terms, this book presents a new theory of personality, a theory that posits spiritual concerns as essential to healthy humanity. Indeed, the spiritual, the leading edge of human growth and development, becomes the prime determinant of what "healthy" means. Accordingly, comparison with major psychological figures--Freud, Jung, Frankl, Maslow, Grof, Premack--contributes to the exposition at various points. Finally, a discussion of sexuality summarizes the book, provides an extended example of what spiritual integration would actually mean, and also indicates what difference it would make to bring God, and then again concern for union with God, back into the picture. Religion and the Human Sciences elaborates the integration of theology with psychology in extensive detail.

This book itself represents in part the promised scientific treatment of spirituality. Emphasizing the significance of Lonergan's "human authenticity"--openness, insight, honesty, and good will--this scholarly presentation details an account of objective meaning and value, the true and the good, on which our pluralistic society is foundering.

Coherently treating spirituality as a matter inherent to humanity, this approach to spirituality challenges religion, human science, and secular society. This approach calls the religions to focus on what they share in common and, through interdenominational cooperation, to help heal the fragmentation of the human family. This approach calls social science to take seriously the universal human realities that it has tended to ignore as "religious." And this approach calls contemporary communities and nations to attend to the spiritual issues that undergird any human society, whether religious or fully secular.

"Michel Weber et Vincent Berne (sous la direction de), Chromatikon IX. Annales de la philosophie en procès — Yearbook of Philosophy in Process, 2012 (224 p., 23 €, ISBN 978-2-930517-44-5)

Jean-Marie Breuvart, À Xavier Verley, en forme de dédicace
I. Séminaires de recherche — Research Seminars
François Beets, Condillac et la recherche d’un nouveau schème catégorial
Jean-Marie Breuvart, Chaos et Non-Sens dans les philosophies de Whitehead et de Weil
Roland Cazalis, De l’organisme à la spiritualité : une trajectoire whiteheadienne
Michel Weber, Syntonie ou agencement ethnopsychiatrique ?
II. Études critiques — Critical Studies
Vincent Berne, Le transitoire, pour quoi faire ?
A. N. Whitehead, « Process and Reality »
Frédéric Bisson, Du bon usage des zombies
Ronny Desmet, On the difference between  physics and philosophical cosmology
Philippe Gagnon, Que reste-t-il de la théologie à l'âge électronique ?
Arran Gare, Ethics, Economics and Civilization
Leonard Gibson, A Whiteheadian Perspective on Psychedelic Experience and Research
Benjamin Schewel, Mathematics and Metaphysics
III. Comptes rendus — Critical Reviews
Jean-Marie Breuvart, Process Approaches to Consciousness
Jean-Claude Dumoncel, Mahler homéomère
Philippe Gagnon, Xavier Verley, Sur le symbolisme
Dimitri Ginev, Process Strategies on the Nexus Temporality-Continuity
IV. Informations réticulaires — Reticular News
Michel Weber, Le 11-Septembre entre mythe et grand récit
Oxford Centre for Mindfulness and Adaptation Practice
2012–2013 Séminaires — Seminars
2013 Whitehead Psychology Nexus Workshop
Publications
Abréviations — Abbreviations
Table des matières — Table of Contents"

This sludy uses a model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy to illumine an enigmatic set of painful experiences that occur on the mystic's path known in Western circles as the "dark night." It argues that the dark night experiences described in John of the Cross's classic work Dorft Night of the Soul can be conceptualized in terms of Stanislav Grofs category of "perinatal experience." The discussion examines the implications of this reconceptualization in bhree areas: (1) our understanding and evaluation of mysticism, (2) assessing LSD's potential for fostering genuine spirituality, and (3) reassessing the ancient claim that the capacity to experience transcendental states of being is innate.

Drawing from Alan Watts’s philosophy of paradox, this essay aims to articulate an integrative framework of ontological paradox (i.e., that all aspects of existence feature distinct and integral dimensions). The metaphysical tenet of separation, which undergirds scientific materialism and denies humanity’s embedded place in the world, is merely one pattern of participating in such a paradox. What then are the different types of ways, beyond a materialistic ontology, in which individuals can relate to and participate in the ever-evolving whole of existence (and whole of themselves)? Spanning the fields of philosophy, science, psychology, religion, and mysticism, this integrative inquiry seeks to reconcile and synthesize a broad range of orientations to ontological paradox into a greater frame of reference. The result is the limb and pillar matrix. Providing an alienation-integration spectrum that applies to both internal/micro paradox (i.e., the relation of one’s self to oneself) and external/macro paradox (i.e., the relation of self to the cosmic whole), the limb and pillar matrix consists of five key questions or “pillars” and seven “limbs” or patterns of participating in paradox. The pillars of paradox relate to (a) the existence and (b) resolvability of ontological paradox, as well as (c) access, (d) progressive resolution, and (e) stabilization of resolution (i.e., full integration). The limbs of paradox establish seven multivalent participatory patterns: ignorance, denial, deferment, bypass, transcendence, resolution, and dissolution.