STANISLAV GROF, M.D., PH.D.,
is a psychiatrist with over forty years experience of research into non-ordinary
states of consciousness induced by psychedelic substances and various non-drug
techniques such as Holotropic BreathworkTM. He
was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where he also received his scientific
training - an M.D. degree from the Charles University School of Medicine and a
Ph.D. from the Czechoslovakian Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Grof's early research in the clinical uses of psychoactive drugs was conducted at the Psychiatric Research Institute in Prague, where he was Principal Investigator of a program systematically exploring the heuristic and therapeutic potential of LSD and other psychedelic substances. In 1967, he was invited as Clinical and Research Fellow to the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. After completion of this two-year fellowship he stayed in the U.S. and continued his research as Chief of Psychiatric Research at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center and as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Henry Phipps Clinic of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. In 1973, Dr. Grof was invited to the Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California, where he lived until 1987 as Scholar-in-Residence writing, giving seminars, lecturing and developing Holotropic BreathworkTM with his wife Christina Grof. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the Esalen Institute.
He was the founding president of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA). In this role, he has organized large international conferences in the U.S., the former Czechoslovakia, India, Australia, and Brazil. At present, he lives in Mill Valley, California, conducting training seminars for professionals in Holotropic BreathworkTM and transpersonal psychology and writing books. He also is Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and gives lectures and seminars worldwide. He will be retiring on July 1, 2001, after which he will be working only rarely.
He has published over 100 articles in professional journals. His books include: The Holotropic Mind; Cosmic Game; Realms of the Human Unconscious; The Human Encounter with Death (written with Joan Halifax); LSD Psychotherapy; Beyond the Brain; The Adventure of Self-Discovery; The Books of the Dead; Beyond Death; and The Stormy Search for the Self (the last two written with Christina Grof). He also edited the books Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science; Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution; and Spiritual Emergency (the last with Christina Grof). His newest book, Psychology of the Future which culminates 40 years of research, is now available.