The Holotropic Mind

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Stanislav Grof, rational mystic and heretic of mainstream psychology, maps out the boundaries of the frontiers of consciousness exploration. Using the halogram (any part of which encodes the whole in its entirety) as a metaphor for consciousness, Grof proposes a new cartography of the psyche, his primary landmarks being those associated with "non-ordinary" states of consciousness, e.g., parapsychology, trance and draginduced states, shamanism, mystic visions, and "psychotic disorders."Grof was among the first (and became among the last) to seriously experiment with and map the effects of LSD-25. His most recent experiments bypass the need for LSD, using breathing and music to invoke experiences that emulate descriptions of neardeath and birth recall experiences.Editorial ReviewsFrom Library JournalGrof (The Stormy Search for Self) 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. 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. Product DescriptionThe 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.