The Holotropic Mind: The Three Levels of Human Consciousness and How They Shape Our Lives (Paperback)

by Stanislav Grof (Author), Hal Zina Bennett (Author) "Within the past three decades, modern science has presented us with new challenges and new discoveries that suggest human capabilities quite be anything we previously..." (more)
Key Phrases: psychoid phenomena, psychoid experiences, oceanic ecstasy, United States, Native American, Esalen Institute (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Grof ( The Stormy Search for Self , LJ 4/1/90) offers this New Age book which purports to unravel the complexities of the human mind through the assessment of observations of "non-ordinary" states of consciousness (LSD-induced, etc.). The mind, according to Grof, is essentially "holotropic," that is, like a hologram wherein the whole can be reconstructed from a tiny part. The book's first part analyzes memories of life in the womb and the painful process of birth. This is largely a rehash of Grof's Realms of the Human Unconscious ( LJ 7/75, o.p.). The rest of the book is given to a discussion of our "infinite transpersonal consciousness," wherein we can transcend not only the time-space continuum but even visit other dimensions and parallel universes. Grof purports to be scientific--the word appears often throughout the book--but he is surprisingly short on validation. He accepts without question the spoon bending of Uri Geller and the mental photography of Ted Serios. This book is suitable for the New Age shelf if you don't have the author's earlier treatment.
- Dave Summers, Holly Twp. Lib., Mich.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
The psychiatrist whom many regard as one of the most brilliant thinkers in psychology today takes readers on a captivating expedition into the wonders of the human mind.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (May 28, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062506595
• ISBN-13: 978-0062506597
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,954 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

125 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For open-minded scientists and New Agers, October 27, 1998

By	Anthony P. Mayo "Tony Mayo" (Virginia near D.C., USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I recommend The Holotropic Mind to two audiences: the scientifically minded willing to follow solid research wherever it goes and the New Age enthusiast willing to explore a radical theory which seeks to explain a wide range of occult phenomenon, from pre-birth memories to ESP to life-after-death.

Dr. Grof is skilled psychiatrist and researcher with solid academic credentials in the US and Europe. He was one of the first to experiment with LSD--experiment in the laboratory sense, not in the adolescent escapade sense. His decades of research with thousands of subjects, including himself, has convinced the doctor that altered states of consciousness are the gateway to understanding the nature of the human experience.

P. 133 neatly summarizes Dr. Grof's approach, and his book's challenge to the typical Western reader: "The prevalent bias of the modern industrialized world is one of excluding all forms of spirituality as erroneous and misleading. ... While the existence of the experiences is a fact that can be confirmed by any serious researcher familiar with non-ordinary states of consciousness, there are various ways to interpret the same data. This is not so different from any other scientific question. After all the theory of gravity is not the same as gravity itself. Similarly, while we might refuse to take seriously past life experiences because we do not like the theories of reincarnations, we would not think of applying the same thinking to gravity, that is, denying that objects are falling because we do not like the theories of gravity that explain it. There are observable facts about reincarnation. ... It is important to remind ourselves that science never 'proves' anything; it only 'disproves' or 'improves' existing theories."

This book is an easy read because it is filled with compelling case histories and stays away from polemic or 'newage' (rhymes with 'sewage') cant. Grof presents his data, places it in the context of other's theories, for example, Jung, William James and Maslow, then leaves the reader free for his own explorations and meaning-making. I wished for more details on his experimental methods, but perhaps that is better covered in one of his many other publications rather than in this slim and brisk volume.

86 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Final Frontier is in Inner Space, October 4, 2000

By	renn butler (Victoria, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

Stanislav Grof's new book is a moving journey into the depths and heights of the human psyche. Based on thirty-five years of consciousness research-originally with psychoactive substances, then with a powerful non-drug technique, Holotropic Breathwork ™--this work represents the most extensive mapping of inner space compiled to date. Edited with the help of a professional writer this is also one of the most accessible of Grof's writing, appealing both to the interested beginner and the veteran explorer.

Grof's research suggests that profound healing happens automatically when people enter certain non-ordinary states of consciousness that are intrinsic to their own being. The process usually begins with a working through of emotionally charged memories from the lifetime. Eventually it deepens into a confrontation with biological birth and the inevitability of death, sequences that are intermixed with historical, karmic, and archetypal themes. Finally the process opens out into ecstatic transpersonal and spiritual realms, beyond the boundaries of individual consciousness. This book is full of fascinating case histories of people who have had the courage to look beneath the surface of everyday reality. Some of the accounts of healing and personal evolution described here will move and inspire you.

Self-exploration of this type is truly a kind of final frontier. Grof makes a solid case for the reintroduction of healing practises that use non-ordinary states of consciousness, techniques that have been used in non-industrial cultures for thousands of years. The documented effects of these suggest a potential for healing and transformation "undreamed of" in traditional psychotherapy.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars transpersonal experience accounts, not theories, August 28, 2004

By	Vo_ "vo_" (Canada) - See all my reviews

The book describes transpersonal and paranormal experiences, with anecdotal evidence of their validity. It's not really about the scientific theory about them. For example, it only briefly refers to the holography analogy and the relevant studies in quantum physics, and doesn't really explain them in detail as the title might suggest; that was a bit disappointing. From a psychological side, same thing - it doesn't talk about the why and when and how of the phenomena, just that they occur.

Still, a decent introduction to what's possible in non-ordinary consciousness, from a reputable scientist; it will make you open your mind a bit more to new age topics. If that's what you're looking for, then it's not a bad book.