Spiritual emergency can be defined as critical and experientially difficult stages of a profound psychological transformation that involves one's entire being. They take the form of non-ordinary states of consciousness and involve intense emotions, visions and other sensory changes, unusual thoughts as well as various physical manifestations.
Episodes of this nature can be found in the life stories of shamans, founders of the great religions of the world, famous spiritual teachers, mystics, and saints. Mystical literature of the world describes these crises as important signposts of the spiritual path and confirms their healing and transformative potential. Mainstream psychiatrists do not differentiate psychospiritual crises, or even episodes of uncomplicated mystical experiences, from serious mental diseases, because of their narrow conceptual framework.
Academic psychiatry, being a sub-discipline of medicine, has a strong preference for biological interpretations, and uses a model of the psyche limited to postnatal biography and the Freudian individual unconscious. These are serious obstacles in understanding the nature and content of mystical states and the ability to distinguish them from manifestations of mental disease.
Here are some short videos that give some insight on Spiritual Emergency:
All the cultures in human history except the Western industrial civilization have held holotropic states of consciousness in great esteem. They induced them whenever they wanted to connect to their deities, other dimensions of reality, and with the forces of nature. They also used them for diagnosing and healing, cultivation of extrasensory perception, and artistic inspiration. They spent much time and energy to develop safe and effective ways of inducing them.
Stan Grof
Holotropic Breathwork® Association of Europe – a Network of GTT certified Holotropic Breathwork® Practitioners in Europe – is providing information and support for people interested in exploring the healing potentials of Holotropic Breathwork®, as well a platform for exchange and learning for GTT (Grof Transpersonal Training® certified Holotropic Breathwork® Practitioners.
Here you can find “Holotropic Events” all over Europe (incl. Russia and Turkey). You can either look at all events or filter your search by Holotropic Breathwork® Workshops, Grof Transpersonal Training® Modules and others such as lectures and conferences on Transpersonal Psychology and Psychotherapy. Furthermore, you can search events by date, location etc.
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Holotropic Breathwork® is a powerful technique for self-healing and self-exploration allowing for greater self-understanding, expansion of self-identity and access to the roots of emotional and psychosomatic challenges one might face. Holotropic Breathwork® comes from the Greek words ‘holos’ (whole) and ‘trepein’ (going to) meaning moving towards wholeness.
GTT is a program for experiencing and studying Holotropic Breathwork® and the transpersonal perspective. It is a two-track program that can be used either to become a certified practitioner or simply to experience this practice in a more in-depth format. It is the best way to spend time with HB co-developer and one of the founders of transpersonal psychology, Stanislav Grof. Although semi-retired, Stan still teaches at some of the six-day training workshops, also called modules.
Keep up to date with events, workshops and interesting information for Holotropic Breathwork® in Europe.