logo
Grof

Stanislav Grof

educatorscientistauthor

Stanislav Grof (born July 1, 1931) is a Czech-born psychiatrist and one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology. He is known for his early work in the use of LSD-assisted psychotherapy and his research into non-ordinary states of consciousness. Grof has written more than 140 scholarly articles and several books, including Beyond the Brain, The Adventure of Self-Discovery, and The Cosmic Game.

Grof received his MD from the Charles University School of Medicine in Prague in 1957 and later trained as a psychoanalyst. In 1967, he was invited to attend an international conference in San Francisco, where he met the psychedelic researchers Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later known as Ram Dass). At this conference, Grof received his first dose of LSD, which he said changed his life.

He began to explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and conducted extensive research on the effects of LSD and other substances on the human psyche. He developed a new psychological model based on the idea that the psyche is composed of multiple levels of consciousness and that these levels can be accessed through non-ordinary states of consciousness. This model, known as holotropic breathwork, is still used in therapeutic settings today.

In the 1970s, Grof moved to the United States and began teaching at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. He continued to conduct research into non-ordinary states of consciousness and developed a comprehensive cartography of the psyche. This model, known as the cartography of the psyche, is based on the idea that the psyche is composed of multiple layers, or levels, of consciousness.

Grof's research has been influential in the development of the field of transpersonal psychology, which explores the relationship between psychology, spirituality, and the human experience. He has also been an advocate for the use of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting and has served as an advisor to psychedelic research projects around the world. He continues to teach and conduct workshops around the world.