Course Recordings

​​​Over a highly productive and exciting career which has spanned seven decades, Grof made many fundamental discoveries into the deeper structures and therapeutic potentials in the human psyche. He realized that a purely biographical model of the psyche (i.e., an exclusive focus on events from infancy to the present) was woefully inadequate to account for the deep range of inner material encountered in sessions of psychedelic therapy.

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Grof proposed two additional domains of the human unconscious: the perinatal layer, which centers on a reliving of the stages of biological delivery along with powerful encounters with death and impermanence; and the transpersonal realms, which include verifiable experiences that transcend the usual boundaries of time and space. Carl Gustav Jung also documented many though not all of these transpersonal realms of the collective psyche.

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This course explores Grof’s pivotal contributions in the context of the larger history and field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. We review his expanded cartography of the human unconscious, the architecture of emotional and psychosomatic disorders, and effective mechanisms for healing them. We explore Stan and Christina Grof’s understanding of “spiritual emergency”: spontaneous eruptions of unconscious contents which, when supported, can lead to profound healing and transformation. We also discuss the Grofs’ development of the technique of holotropic breathwork, which Stan now refers to as Grof® Breathwork, a non-drug substitute for his early psychedelic research.

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We also introduce the profound discoveries of cultural historian Richard Tarnas into the correlation between planetary alignments and the activation of perinatal and transpersonal material in psychedelic healing sessions. Grof and Tarnas consider the emerging field of archetypal astrology as functioning like a “Rosetta Stone” of the psyche. Finally, we explore the powerful congruence between the world’s great mystical traditions and observations from psychedelic and holotropic research into the ultimate structure of the cosmos, examining questions such as “What is the meaning and purpose of life?” “Could our universe have evolved from random, purely physical processes or might it have been created by a higher cosmic intelligence?” and “And if there is a cosmic creative principle, what is our relationship to it?”

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At the core of Grof’s lifework is the revaluation and reintroduction of what he calls holotropic (“moving toward wholeness”) states of consciousness into human civilization. These states have played a central, highly valued role in all non-Western and preindustrial societies, including in the practices of shamanism, the rites of passage, aboriginal healing rituals, and mystery schools of the Mediterranean.

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Class One - The Inner Healer - Renn Butler and Jay Dufrechou

Stan and Brigitte say hello to the class. After reviewing the structure of the course, Renn talks about the intrinsic self-healing intelligence of the psyche and the rebirth of holotropic states in our time. Finally, Jay discusses the current state of psychedelic research around the world, focusing on the contributions of Stanislav Grof.

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Class Two - Grof’s Expanded Cartography of the Human Psyche - Renn Butler

We explore the principles of set (therapeutic, mystical, recreational, etc.) and setting in safe and effective psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Through an evocative slideshow, we then review Grof’s expanded cartography of the psyche: the biographical, perinatal, and transpersonal layers of the unconscious which emerge routinely in experiential sessions. This is followed by a Q&A.

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Class Three - Grof® Breathwork - Mari Castle, Amy Burrell, John Stockberger, and Renn talk about Grof Breathwork, a powerful non-drug technique for entering holotropic states developed by Stan and Christina Grof, which uses deep and rapid breathing, evocative music, focused bodywork, and mandala drawing in a supportive group setting. This is a stand-alone process for deep self-exploration, as well as being an excellent way to prepare for and integrate psychedelic experiences. Finally, we review some of the psychological patterns related to elective and emergency caesarean births.

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​Class Four - The Architecture of Emotional and Psychosomatic Disorders - Renn Butler

I present an extensive slideshow, based on Stan Grof's chapter “The Architecture of Emotional and Psychosomatic Disorders" in The Way of the Psychonaut (2018). We look at how the powerful uncovering effect of psychedelic substances combined with Grof’s expanded cartography can shed light on the deepest roots of phobias, obsessive-compulsive neuroses, depression, suicidal behavior, sexual dysfunctions, psychosomatic diseases, and psychoses. We also review Grof's insights and discoveries into the perinatal sources of greed and aggression. Many aspects of the characteristic symptomatology of the above disorders can be explained from a combination of biographical, perinatal, and transpersonal elements. This new understanding also has important implications for the therapy for these conditions. This is then followed by a Q&A, as people ask some great questions about the perinatal matrices.

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​​Class Five - Therapeutic Potential, Effective Therapeutic Mechanisms, Special Problems, and Interventions - Renn Butler

We review insights from Stan Grof's research in psychedelic therapy and breathwork regarding the powerful therapeutic mechanisms which emerge in holotropic and psychedelic states, the potential resolution of symptoms, and several major types of problems during the course of treatment with their effective interventions. These problems include the experience of choking and of pressure on the chest; experience of muscular tensions and spasms; problems related to blockages in the genital area, sex, and nudity; overactive, erratic, and aggressive behavior; working with demonic energy; excessive self-control and inability to let go; working with nausea and tendencies to vomit; standing and dancing in sessions; and reliving the memory of biological birth. We also talk about how our own inner work can help to heal the collective psyche of humanity.

 

Class Six - Spiritual Emergency: The Understanding and Treatment of Crises of Transformation - Jay Dufrechou, Mari Castle, and Renn Butler

Through an evocative slideshow, Jay discusses (with occasional input from Renn and Mari) a large and important group of spontaneous holotropic experiences that mainstream psychiatry incorrectly diagnoses and treats as manifestations of mental illness. Stan and Christina Grof discovered that if these conditions are correctly understood and properly supported, they have extraordinary therapeutic, transformative, heuristic, and even evolutionary potential. We review the phenomenology, the triggers, the differential diagnosis, and the therapy for these conditions. We also discuss the various forms that spiritual emergency can take, including shamanic initiatory crisis, the activation of kundalini, Abraham Maslow’s “peak experience,” problems with past-life memories, crisis of psychic opening, possession states, and others. We also review the importance of ethics in psychedelic and holotropic work.​ This is followed by a Q&A session.

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Class Seven - Archetypal and Holotropic Astrology

Renn Butler, Erica Jones, Becca Tarnas, Art Granoff, James Moran, Alex Stein, and Jon Waller present on archetypal astrology, including an introduction to Richard Tarnas’ important research and development of the field, the nature of archetypes, and a fun review of the major archetypal forces and world transits operative in the collective psyche from 1960 through 2023.

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​​​​Class Eight - The Cosmic Game - Renn Butler

Based on Stan's book, The Cosmic Game (1998), Renn presents a rich and extensive slideshow on how insights from psychedelic and holotropic sessions concerning the fundamental character and motivations of the cosmic creative principle are corroborated in the writings of the world’s great mystical traditions. Then we were honored to have Rick Tarnas join us. James Moran and Renn asked Rick questions about his early research with Stan, the astrologers and schools of astrology that had the most development on his understanding, his new writing projects, some brief comments about the Uranus trine Pluto, Jupiter conjunct Uranus, and Saturn conjunct Neptune world transits of the present time, and how astrology can help to heal the collective psyche of humanity.

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​​We know you will find this special course in Grof's breakthrough discoveries to be helpful, interesting, and inspiring.

$245 USD for all eight recordings of our Grof Studies: Stanislav Grof's Research in Deep and Effective Psychedelic Therapy and Self-Exploration course.​

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Or get both courses - Grof Studies and The Holotropic World View - for $345.​

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                                    For more info please email Renn at: rennbutler(at)shaw.ca.

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​This course is open to laypersons and professionals seeking to learn more about Stanislav Grof's research and discoveries, with a special focus on supporting clients in psychedelic sessions. We will also discuss how Grof's discoveries are confirmed by the most recent developments in modern science.

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​​​We explore in greater depth important issues of set and setting, critical situations in sessions and their effective interventions, long-term positive changes and healing of emotional and psychosomatic issues, effective therapeutic mechanisms on various levels of the psyche, the useful benefits of archetypal and holotropic astrology, consciousness research and the new paradigm in science, the field of psychohistory, and insights of the mystics into the nature of the cosmic game.

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Class One - Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy - Renn Butler, PhD

We review the structure of the course, then I share some of most interesting passages in the introductory sections and Part One of Grof's book, LSD Psychotherapy (1980).​

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Class Two - Critical Variables in Psychedelic Therapy, Principles of Successful Psychedelic Therapy, Complications, and Interventions - Renn Butler

Drawing from Grof's classic textbook LSD Psychotherapy (1980), ​I talk about the pharmacological effects of psychedelics, the personality of the subject and therapist, and important issues of set and setting, including preparation and integration. I also review the advantages and drawbacks of the psycholytic (low-dose) approach versus the psychedelic (higher-dose) approach to therapy. Finally, I review physical and emotional contraindications, critical situations in sessions, adverse aftereffects, and prevention and management of complications in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. These insights and discoveries can be applied to safe and effective work with all psychedelics and with breathwork.

 

Class Three - Consciousness Research and the New Paradigm in Science - William Keepin, PhD

Will Keepin gives an excellent and accessible presentation about the interconnected fractal nature of reality and consciousness, David Bohm’s concepts of the implicate and explicate orders, and parallel insights from the world’s great religions and mystical traditions. Will's fascinating examples from modern science suggest the universe is ensouled with higher consciousness, purpose, and meaning. He also talks about archetypal astrology, including some highly suggestive if not confirmatory statistical studies.

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Class Four - The Course of Psychedelic Therapy Sessions, Therapeutic Potential, Clinical Results, and Effective Therapeutic Mechanisms - Renn Butler

​Based again on Grof's textbook LSD Psychotherapy (1980), I review his discoveries around changes in the content of psychedelic sessions, emotional and psychosomatic changes in the post-session intervals, and long-term changes in the personality structure, world view, and hierarchy of basic values. I talk about his clinical results in the treatment of depression, neuroses and psychosomatic symptoms, alcoholism and drug addiction, character disorders, borderline personality, endogenous psychoses, and the emotional distress and physical pain of dying individuals. I review the various therapeutic mechanisms in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, including intensification of conventional therapeutic mechanisms, changes in the dynamics of the governing memory systems in the psyche, and therapeutic effects of death-rebirth and transpersonal experiences.

Finally, I present Grof's and others' research on the benefits of psychedelic sessions for training professionals, for artistic inspiration, for problem solving, for religious and mystical experiences, and for personal growth. These insights and discoveries can be applied to safe and effective work with all psychedelics and with breathwork.

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​Class Five - Pathways to Wholeness - Renn Butler

*We look at * and * upcoming sessions and how their transits might illuminate those sessions. By reading a number of evocative session reports correlated with transits, I review the potential of archetypal and holotropic astrology in helping us to choose good days for healing sessions, to understand the content that emerges, and to integrate it afterward.

 

Class Six - Science and the Akashic Field - Renn Butler and Mari Castle

​Mari presents a slideshow on the important work of Irvin Laszlo and I discuss his highly accessible Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything (2007). Grof considers Laszlo to be his mentor and emphasizes that Laszlo is the first and, so far, only theoretician to successfully connect all the important dots: integrating the various anomalous phenomena from science and consciousness research into a comprehensive new paradigm. We also discuss the basic principles of holotropic dreamwork.

 

Class Seven - Introduction to Psychohistory - Renn Butler

I present my summary on how the shadow qualities of the five outer planetary archetypes (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) manifest in the psychological complexes which underlie extreme conspiracy theories. I then talk about the field of psychohistory, drawing from Stan's The Way of the Psychonaut (Volume II) and his classic epilogue to Beyond the Brain. His discovery of the perinatal matrices can help us to illuminate and understand common psychological projections in modern society, especially violent mass movements inspired by inflated demagogues. I present my 2020-2021 slideshow on “Perinatal Influences in the U.S. Culture Wars”. We also review the insights from Grof's research which suggest that our personal healing can benefit the collective healing of humanity. Finally, we discuss Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey - an inner process that both women and men undergo - and its parallels with Grof's perinatal sequence. 

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                                                                                        *  *  *

​​We know you will find this special course in Grof's breakthrough discoveries to be helpful and inspiring.

$175 USD for all eight class recordings of The Holotropic World View: Avenues for Personal and Collective Healing course.​

​

Or get both 8-week courses - Grof Studies and The Holotropic World View - for $345.​

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                                  For more info, please email Renn at: rennbutler(at)shaw.ca.​​​​​​​​​​​

 

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                                                           Also Check Out

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Renn Butler's 22-Week Course in Archetypal and Holotropic Astrology 

Starts Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Noon Pacific time

This in-depth course explores the groundbreaking work of Stanislav Grof and Richard Tarnas, and my own research of more than four decades.

For information or to register: www.rennbutler.com/online-courses 

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The Power of Myth and Archetype - with Mari Castle, PhD

For information or to register: www.breathwork9.com/courses/

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