GTT Module: Buddhist Meditation and Expanded States of Consciousness, 14-19 July 2026, Luz Serena, Spain
Experience the Buddhist perspective on Expanded States of Consciousness
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A GTT module open to everyone — no prior experience in Holotropic Breathwork or Zen required, yet offering a profound and deeply experiential journey on the Buddhist perspective on expanded states of consciousness. The module led by Zen Buddhist Master Dokushō Villalba will take place in English and Spanish.
In modern Western tradition, consciousness is often defined as a person's capacity to perceive, feel, think, and know themselves. From a scientific perspective, it involves specific neural correlates and phenomenological dimensions. In contrast, from the perspective of transpersonal psychology and ancestral knowledge traditions, consciousness transcends the merely individual and manifests itself in symbolic, ritual, and cultural networks that modulate its collective expression.
Consciousness can be experienced in ordinary states and expanded states. Ordinary states are associated with wakefulness, everyday attention, discursive thought, and personal self-identity. They are the operational basis of the psychological ego. According to Stan Grof and Ken Wilber, these states constitute “levels of stabilization” in the subject's evolutionary experience: they allow for rational and social functioning but restrict access to transpersonal dimensions.
Buddhism describes these in seven planes —the six sensory consciousnesses and the seventh discriminating consciousness (manas)—, which establishes the distinction between “self” and “other.” This level of perception produces attachment, fear, and desire, sustaining the illusion of separateness.
Expanded states of consciousness (ESCs)—also called “non-ordinary” states by Grof—are altered, yet coherent, configurations of the field of consciousness in which the identity and notion of the self expands or is transcended. Grof states that these states allow access to perinatal and transpersonal dimensions of the psyche and can arise spontaneously or through practices such as holotropic breathwork, meditation, or the ritual use of entheogens. These experiences are not mere hallucinations, but legitimate manifestations of deep levels of the collective and spiritual unconscious.
Buddhism describes multiple levels of consciousness (vijñāna), ranging from sensory perceptions to pure, boundless awareness. In the Mahayana Buddhist model of the nine consciousnesses, the first seven represent ordinary states, while the eighth (alaya) and ninth (pure consciousness or amala - vijñāna ) constitute expanded states equivalent to the awakened mind.
Awakening (bodhi) involves realizing the non-dual nature of consciousness and overcoming the impulse toward separation that characterizes ordinary states. Buddhist meditation and Holotropic Breathwork are tools to access broader and more integrative states of consciousness.
This module combines the experience of Buddhist meditation with the experience of Holotropic Breathwork. During the week four Holotropic Breathwork sessions (two as breather and two as sitter) will take place.
In addition, Zen master Dokushō Villalba (https://dokushovillalba.com/en/) will present an expanded map of the spectrum of consciousness, integrating contributions from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, Zen Buddhism, Stanislav Grof, Ken Wilber, and Mircea Eliade, and will explore the profound historical relationship between archaic techniques of shamanic ecstasy and Buddhist meditation. Thus, it will include both study and intellectual understanding with experiential inquiry and the integration of both.
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MEDITACIÓN BUDISTA Y ESTADOS EXPANDIDOS DE CONCIENCIA con Dokushō Villalba, Maestro Budista Zen
En la tradición occidental moderna, la conciencia suele ser definida como la capacidad de una persona para percibir, sentir, pensar y conocerse a sí misma. Desde un punto de vista científico, involucra correlatos neuronales específicos y dimensiones fenomenológicas. En cambio, desde la perspectiva de la psicología transpersonal y desde las tradiciones ancestrales de conocimiento, la conciencia desborda lo meramente individual y se manifiesta en redes simbólicas, rituales y culturales que modulan su expresión colectiva.
La conciencia puede ser experimentada en estados ordinarios y en estados expandidos. Los estados ordinarios se asocian a la vigilia, la atención cotidiana, el pensamiento discursivo y la autoidentidad personal. Son la base operativa del ego psicológico. Según Grof y Wilber, estos estados constituyen “niveles de estabilización” en la experiencia evolutiva del sujeto: permiten el funcionamiento racional y social, pero restringen el acceso a dimensiones transpersonales.
El budismo denomina a estos planos las seis primeras conciencias sensoriales y la séptima conciencia discriminante (manas), que construye la distinción entre “yo” y “otro”. Este nivel de percepción produce apego, miedo y deseo, sosteniendo la ilusión de separatividad.
Los estados expandidos de conciencia (EEC) —también llamados “no ordinarios” por Grof— son configuraciones alteradas, pero coherentes, del campo de conciencia, en las que la identidad del yo se dilata o trasciende. Grof afirma que estos estados permiten el acceso a dimensiones perinatales y transpersonales de la psique y pueden surgir espontáneamente o mediante prácticas como la Respiración Holotrópica, la meditación o el uso ritual de enteógenos.
Estas experiencias no son meras alucinaciones, sino manifestaciones legítimas de niveles profundos del inconsciente colectivo y espiritual. El budismo describe múltiples niveles de conciencia (vijñāna), desde las percepciones sensoriales hasta la conciencia pura e ilimitada. En el modelo de las nueve conciencias del budismo Mahayana, las primeras siete representan los estados ordinarios, mientras que la octava (conciencia alaya) y la novena (conciencia pura o amala-vijñāna) constituyen estados expansivos equivalentes a la mente despierta. El despertar (bodhi) implica realizar la naturaleza no-dual de la conciencia, superando el impulso de separación que caracteriza a los estados ordinarios. La meditación budista y la respiración holotrópica son herramientas para acceder a estados de conciencia más amplios e integradores.
Este módulo combina la experiencia de la meditación budista con la experiencia de la Respiración Holotrópica. Además, el maestro zen Dokushō Villalba expondrá un mapa ampliado del espectro de conciencia integrando las aportaciones de la tradición budista Mahayana, el Zen, Stanislav Grof, Ken Wilber y Mircea Eliade, y presentará la profunda relación histórica entre las técnicas arcaicas del éxtasis chamánico y la meditación budista. De manera que el taller combina el estudio y la comprensión intelectual con la indagación experiencial y la integración de ambos.
Dokushō Villalba es maestro buddhista zen, fundador del templo zen Luz Serena y de la Comunidad Buddhista Sōtō Zen en España; creador del protocolo Mindfulness Basado en la Tradición Budista y director docente de la Escuela de Atención Plena. Escritor y traductor, entre sus obras destacan “Zen en la plaza del mercado”, “Atención Plena. Teoría y práctica”, “Vida simple, corazón profundo”, “Fluyendo en el presente eterno”, entre más de cuarenta obras publicadas.
https://dokushovillalba.com/en/
Guest Speakers
GTT Staff
Facilitators
Inoé Fernández Sarabia
Inoé is a certified Holotropic Breathwork Facilitator through Grof Transpersonal Training and a mindfulness instructor (Mindfulness Based on the Buddhist Tradition®) through the Escuela de Atención Plena since 2018. Passionate about expanded states... read more ..
Anatina Olschewsky Beltran
Anatina is certified as a Holotropic Breathwork facilitator by Grof Transpersonal Training. She is a certified Bowtech therapist and organizes trainings of this technique in Spain, where she lives. Anatina earned her "Maestria" in working with Master... read more ..
Eleni Kroupi
Eleni (PhD) is a certified Holotropic Breathwork facilitator (by GTT - Grof Transpersonal Training) and has facilitated workshops in Switzerland, Spain, Poland and Germany. She is also a certified Trance Dance facilitator organising and facilitatin... read more ..
Carlos Vega
Graduate in Psychology from the University of Barcelona (member no. 15233), Master in Brief Therapy Strategic Therapy, training in EMDR and Helping Relationship. Holotropic Breathwork Facilitator by Grof Transpersonal Training. Experience in the acco... read more ..
Location
Travel Information
The closest airport to Luz Serena is Valencia, Spain. We will provide a shared travel to coordinate taxi/car sharing opportunities among participants.
Payment Policy
The early bird price for the GTT Module is €950 including 24% VAT. EARLY BIRD DEAD LINE: 31st May, 2026
The regular price after the early bird is €1.150 including 24% VAT
Participants from non-EU countries are exempt from the 24% VAT, which will be deducted from the total. Registered EU companies with a valid VAT number will receive an invoice without VAT if the VAT number is provided during registration. Retroactive changes are not possible.
Participants from low-income countries who are experiencing verifiable economic difficulties are eligible to request a reduced rate. Kindly contact us for further details only if you fall in this category.
Please note that hotel accommodation is not included in the seminar fee and must be paid directly to the venue upon arrival. Accommodation rate per person/night including full board and coffee/tea breaks is € 75,-.
A non-refundable deposit of € 300,- will be required to secure both the hotel booking and the seminar registration. Further details and payment instructions will be provided after the registration process.
Extra nights before the module can be booked by selecting the appropriate option in the registration form. All necessary information will be included in the confirmation email after registration.
Cancellation Policy
The deposit of € 300,- is non-refundable.
