Stanislav Grof, LSD Pioneer : From Pharmacology to Archetypes

Celebrating the groundbreaking life’s work of Stanislav Grof, MD, pioneer in psychedelic research and transpersonal psychology• Features an extended interview with Stan Grof, exploring in great depth the full arc of his lifelong research in his own words as well as the history of LSD • Discusses his early experiments with LSD in Czechoslovakia and the USA during the 1950s and ’60s, his discovery of the perinatal matrices, the creation of holotropic breathwork, and his own LSD experiences • Includes testimonies from a number of luminaries in the psychedelic and psychological domains, including Jack Kornfield, Rupert Sheldrake, Ervin Laszlo, Richard Tarnas, Rick Doblin, Roger Walsh, David Steindl-Rast, and Fritjof Capra Created in honor of his 90th birthday, this book celebrates the profound life’s work of Stanislav Grof, M.D., pioneer in psychedelic research and transpersonal psychology. Featuring an extended interview between Stan and his wife, Brigitte, the book explores in depth the full arc of his research in his own words as well as the history of LSD. He discusses his early experiments with LSD in Czechoslovakia and the United States during the 1950s and ’60s and the cartography of the psyche that resulted. He describes his clients’ and his own experiences and the psychedelic approach he pioneered. He explains the four perinatal matrices, illustrated with the impressive paintings he made during high-dose LSD sessions. He discusses the creation of holotropic breathwork as a way to reach expanded states of consciousness without the use of drugs. He describes how he started work with LSD believing it was simply pharmacology and then went on to discover the perinatal, transpersonal, and archetypal levels of the psyche through his lifelong research. The book also features testimonies from a number of luminaries in the psychedelic, psychological, scientific, and spiritual communities, including Jack Kornfield, Rupert Sheldrake, Ervin Laszlo, Richard Tarnas, Rick Doblin, Roger Walsh, David Steindl-Rast, Fritjof Capra, and Cathy Coleman. Complete with captivating photos of Stan Grof with Albert Hofmann, Swiss painter H. R. Giger, Fritz Perls, Sasha Shulgin, and all of the book’s contributors, this special book presents an impressive overview of Stan Grof’s groundbreaking work and honors his importance as a psychedelic elder.