Theory and Practi c e of Hol otropi c Breat hwork.

Stani sl av Grof, M. D.
In the last twent y year s, my wife Christina and I have devel oped
an approach to ther apy and self- explorati on that we call holotropic
breat hwork. It indces very powerfl holotropic st at es by a
combi nat i on of very simpl e means - accel er at ed breat hi n!, evocati ve
msic, and a techni "e of bodywork that helps to releas e residal
bioener !et i c and emoti onal blocks. In its theor y and practice, this
met hod brin!s to!et her and inte!r at es varios element s from anci ent
and abori!inal tradi tions, #ast er n spirital philosophi es, and $est er n
dept h psychol o!y.
The Heali ng Power of Breat h.
%he se of varios breat hi n! techni "es for reli!ios and healin!
prpos es reaches far back in hman hist ory. In anci ent and pre-
indst ri al cltr es, breat h and breat hi n! have played a very import ant
role in cosmol o!y, myt hol o!y, and philosophy, as well as an import ant
tool in rital and spirital practice. Since earliest history, virtally
every ma& or psychos pirit al syst em seeki n! to compr ehe nd hman
nat r e has viewed breat h as a crci al link bet ween the body, mind,
and spirit. %his is clearly reflect ed in the words many lan!a!e s se
for breat h.
In the anci ent Indian literat r e, the ter m prana meant not only
physical breat h and air, bt also the sacr ed essence of life. Similarly,
in traditional Chines e medicine, the word chi refers to the cosmi c
essence and the ener !y of life, as well as the nat r al air we breat he
by or ln!s. In 'apan, the correspondi n! word is ki . (i plays an
extr emel y import ant role in 'apanes e spirital practices and marti al
art s. In anci ent Greek, the word pneuma also meant bot h air or breat h
and spirit or the ess ence of life. %he Greeks also saw breat h as bein!
closel y relat ed to the psyche. %he ter m phren was sed bot h for the
diaphr a!m, the lar!es t mscl e involved in breat hi n!, and mind )as we
*
see in the ter m schi+ophr eni a ,s pli t mind-. In the old .ebr ew tradi tion,
the same word - ruach - denot ed bot h breat h and creative spirit, which
were seen as identical. In /atin the same name was sed for breat h
and spirit - spiritus . Similarly, in Slavic lan!a!es , spirit and breat h
have the same lin!istic root.
It has been known for cent ri es that it is possi bl e to inflence
conscios nes s by techni "es which involve breat hi n!. %he procedr es
that have been sed for this prpos e by varios anci ent and non-
$est er n cltr es cover a very wide ran!e from drastic interfer ences
with breat hi n! to sbtl e and sophisticat ed exercises of varios
spirital traditions. %hs the ori!inal form of bapti s m practiced by the
#ssenes involved forced sbmer si on of the initiat e nder wat er for an
ext ended period of time. %his reslt ed in a powerfl experi ence of
deat h and rebirt h. In some other !rops, the neophyt es were half-
choked by smoke, by stran!l ati on, or compr es si on of the caroti d
art eri es.
0rofond chan!es in conscios nes s can be indced by bot h
extr eme s in the breat hi n! rat e - hypervent il ati on and prolon!ed
withhol din! of breat h - as well as by sin! them in an alt er nat i n!
fashion. 1ery sophi sticat ed and advanced met hods of this kind can be
fond in the anci ent Indian science of breat h, or pranayama . Specific
techni "es involvin! int ens e breat hi n! or withhol di n! of breat h are
also part of varios exercises in (ndalini 2o!a, Siddha 2o!a, the
%ibet an 1a&rayana, Sfi practice, 3rmes e 3ddhist and %aoist
medi t at i on, and many other s.
More sbtl e techni "es which emphasi +e speci al awar enes s in
relation to breat hi n! rat her than chan!es of the respirat or y dynami cs
have a promi nent place in Soto 4en 3ddhis m )5 shikan taza 5- and
cert ai n %aoist and Christian practices. Indirectly, the dept h and rhyt hm
of breat hi n! !et s profondl y inflenced by sch rital artistic
perfor mance s , as the 3alines e monkey chant or (et&ak, the Init
#skimo throat msic, and sin!in! of kirt ans, bha& ans, or Sfi chant s.
6
In mat eri alistic science, breat hi n! lost its sacr ed meani n! and
was stripped of its connect i on to the psyche and spirit. $est er n
medicine redced it to an import ant physiolo!ical fnction. %he
physical and psychol o!ical manifest at i ons that accompany varios
respirat or y manever s, have all been pat hol o!i+ed. %he
psychos oma t i c respons e to fast er breat hi n!, the so called
hypervent ilation syndrome , is consi der ed a pat hol o!ical condition,
rat her than what it really is - a proces s that has an enor mos healin!
pot ent i al. $hen hypervent il ati on occrs spont aneosl y, it is rotinel y
sppr es s ed by admi ni st r at i on of tran"ili+ers, in&ections of intravenos
calcim, and applicati on of a paper ba! over the face to increas e the
concent r at i on of carbon dioxide and combat the alkalosis cas ed by
fast er breat hi n!.
In the last few decades , $est er n psychol o!i st s and psychi at ri st s
rediscover ed the healin! pot enti al of breat h and devel oped
techni "es that tili+e it. $e have orselves experi ment e d in the
cont ext of or mont hl on! semi nar s at the #salen Institt e in 3i! Sr,
Californi a, with varios approaches involvin! breat hi n!. %hese
inclded bot h breat hi n! exercises from anci ent spirital tradi tions
nder the !idance of Indian and %ibet an teacher s and techni "es
devel oped by $est er n ther api st s. #ach of thes e approaches has a
specific emphasi s and ses breat h in a different way. In or own
search for an effective met hod of sin! the healin! pot enti al of
breat h, we tried to simplify this process as mch as possi bl e.
$e came to the conclsion that it is sfficient to breat he fast er
and mor e effectively than sal and with fll concent r at i on on the
inner process. Inst ead of emphasi +in! a specific techni "e of
breat hi n!, we follow even in this area the !ener al strat e!y of
holotropic work - to trst the intrinsic wisdom of the body and follow
the inner cles. In holotropic breat hwork, we encor a!e peopl e to
be!i n the sessi on with fast er and somewhat deeper breat hi n!, tyin!
inhal ati on and exhal ati on into a continos circle of breat h. 7nce they
are in the proces s, they find their own rhyt hm and way of breat hi n!.
8
$e have been abl e to confirm repeat e dl y $ilhel m 9eich5 s
observat i on that psychol o!ical resist ances and defens es are
associ at ed with rest rict ed breat hi n! )9eich *:;*-. 9espirati on is an
at onomos fnction, bt it can also be inflenced by volition.
Deliber at e increas e of the pace of breat hi n! typically loosens
psycholo!ical defens es and leads to a releas e and emer !ence of
nconsci os )and sperconsci os- mat eri al. <nless one has witnes s ed
or experi enced this proces s personall y, it is difficlt to believe on
theor et i cal !ronds alone the power and efficacy of this techni "e.
The Heali ng Pot e nt i al of Musi c.
In holotropic ther apy, the se of breat h to indce holotropic
st at es of conscios nes s for healin! prpos es is combi ned with
evocati ve msic. /ike breat hi n!, msic and other forms of sond
technol o!y have been sed for milleni a as powerfl mind- alt erin!
tools in rital and spirital practice. Since time immemori al,
monot onos drmmi n!, chanti n!, and other forms of sond- prodci n!
techni "es have been the principl e tools of shamans in many different
part s of the world. Many pre- indst ri al cltr es have devel oped "it e
independe nt l y drmmi n! rhyt hms that in labor at or y experi ment s have
remar kabl e effect on the elect ric activit y of the brain )'ilek, *:=>,
?eher *:;*, *:;6-. %he archives of cltr al ant hr opol o!i st s cont ai n
contl ess exampl es of trance- indcin! met hods of extr aor di nar y
power combi nin! instrment al msic, chanti n!, and dancin!.
In many cltr es, sond technol o!y has been sed specifically
for healin! prpos es in the cont ext of intricat e ceremoni es. %he
?ava&o healin! rital s condct ed by trained sin!ers have ast ondi n!
compl exi t y that has been compar ed to that of the script s of
$a!neri an oper as. %he trance dance of the @(n! 3shmen of the
African (alahari Deser t has enor mos healin! power, as has been
docment e d in many ant hr opol o!i cal stdi es and movi es )/ee and
De1ore *:=;, (at+ *:=;-. %he healin! pot enti al of the syncr eti stic
reli!ios ritals of the Caribbean and Sot h America, sch as the
Cban sant eria or 3ra+ilian umbanda is reco!ni+ed by many
>
professi onal s of thes e cont ri es with $est er n edcat i on. In or own
tradition remar kabl e inst ances of emoti onal and psychos oma t i c
healin! occr in the meet i n!s of Christi an !rops sin! msic, sin!in!
and dance, sch as the Snake .andl er s, or the .oly Ghost 0eopl e, and
the revivalist s or member s of the 0ent ecos t al Chrch.
Some !reat spirital traditions have devel oped sond
technol o!i es that do not indce &st a !ener al trance st at e, bt have a
mor e specific effect on consciosnes s. .ere belon! above all the
%ibet an mltivocal chanti n!, the sacr ed chant s of varios Sfi orders,
the .ind bha& ans and kirt ans, and particl arly the anci ent art of nada
yoga or the way to nion by sond. %he Indian teachi n!s post l at e a
specific connecti on bet ween sonds of specific fre"enci es and the
individal chakr as. $ith the syst ema t i c se of this knowl ed!e, it is
possibl e to inflence the st at e of conscios nes s in a predict abl e and
desirabl e way. %hese are &st a few exampl es of the ext ensi ve se of
msic for rital, healin!, and spirital prpos es .
$e have sed msic syst e ma t i cally in the pro!r am of
psychedelic ther apy at the Maryland 0sychi at ric 9esear ch Cent er in
3altimor e, MD, and have learnt mch abot its extr aor di nar y pot enti al
for psychot her apy. Careflly select ed msic seems to be of particl ar
vale in holotropic st at es of conscios nes s , wher e it has sever al
import ant fnctions. It mobili+es emoti ons associ at ed with repr es s ed
memori es, brin!s them to the srface, and facilitat es their expr es si on.
It helps to open the door into the nconsci os, int ensifies and deepens
the ther ape t i c process, and provides a meani n!fl cont ext for the
experi ence. %he continos flow of msic creat es a carri er wave that
helps the sb& ect move thro!h difficlt experi ences and impas s es,
overcome psychol o!ical defens es , srrender , and let !o. In holotropic
breat hwork sessions that are sally condct ed in !rops, msic has
an additional fnction - to mask the noises made by the participant s
and weave them into an est het i c !est al t .
%o se msic as a cat al yst for deep self- explorati on and
experi enti al work, it is neces s ar y to learn a new way of list eni n! to
B
msic and relatin! to it that is alien to or cltr e. In the $est, we
empl oy msic fre"ent l y as an acosti c back!rond that has little
emoti onal relevance. %ypical exampl es wold be se of popl ar msic
in cockt ail parti es or piped msic )m+ak- in shoppi n! areas and work
spaces. An approach "it e char act eri sti c for mor e sophi sticat ed
adi ences is the disciplined and int ellect ali+ed list eni n! to msic in
theat r es and concer t halls. %he dynami c and element al way of sin!
msic that one finds at rock concer t s comes closer to the se of msic
in holotropic ther apy. .owever, the att ent i on of participant s in sch
event s is sally extrover t ed and the experi ence lacks an element
that is essent i al in holotropic ther apy or self- explorati on - sst ai ned
focsed introspect i on.

In holotropic ther apy, it is ess ent i al to srrender compl et el y to
the flow of msic, let it resonat e in one5 s entire body, and respond to
it in a spont aneos and element al fashion. %his incldes
manifest at i ons that wold be nt hi nkabl e in a concer t hall, wher e
even cryin! or co!hi n! mi!ht be a sorce of embar r as s me nt . .ere
one has to !ive fll expr es si on to what ever the msic is brin!in! ot,
whet her it is lod screami n! or la!hi n!, babyt al k, ani mal noises,
shamani c chanti n!, or talkin! in ton!es. It is also import ant not to
cont rol any physical implses, sch as bi+arr e !rimaci n!, sensal
moveme nt s of the pelvis, violent shaki n!, or intens e cont ortions of the
entire body. ?atr ally, ther e are except i ons to this rleC dest r ctive
behavi or direct ed towar d ones elf, other s, and the physical
environment is not per mi ssi bl e.
$e also encor a!e participant s to sspend any intellect al
activity, sch as tryin! to !ess the compos er of the msic or the
cltr e from which the msic comes. 7ther ways of avoidin! the
emoti onal impact of the msic involve en!a!i n! one5 s professi onal
exper ti s e - &d!in! the perfor mance of the orches t r a, !es si n! which
instrme nt s are playin!, and critici+in! the techni cal "ality of the
recordi n! or the msic e"i pme nt in the room. $hen we can avoid
thes e pitfalls, msic can become a very powerfl tool for indcin! and
spporti n! holotropic st at es of conscios nes s . Dor this prpos e, the
;
msic has to be of sperior techni cal "alit y and sfficient volme to
drive the experi ence. %he combi nat i on of msic with fast er breat hi n!
has a remarkabl e mind- alt erin! power.
As far as the specific choice of msic is concer ned, I will otline
her e only the !ener al principles and !ive a few s!!es t i ons based on
or experi ence. After a cert ai n time, each ther api st or ther ape t i c
team devel ops a list of their favorit e pieces for varios st a!es of the
sessions. %he basic rle is to respond sensi tively to the phas e,
int ensi t y, and cont ent of the participant s 5 experi ence, rat her than
tryin! to pro!r am it. %his is in con!rence with the !ener al philosophy
of holotropic ther apy, particl arl y the deep respect for the wisdom of
the inner heal er, for the collective nconsci os, and the at onomy and
spont anei t y of the healin! process.
In !ener al , prefer ence shold be !iven to msic of hi!h artistic
"alit y that is not well known and has little concret e cont ent . 7ne
shold avoid playin! son!s and other vocal pieces in lan!a!es known
to the participant s, which wold thro!h their verbal cont ent convey a
specific mes s a!e or s!!es t s a specific theme. $hen vocal
composi tions are sed, they shold be in forei!n lan!a!es so that
the hman voice is perceived &st as anot her msical instrment . Dor
the same reason, it is prefer abl e to avoid pieces which evoke specific
int ellect al associ ati ons and tend to pro!r am the cont ent of the
session.
%he session typically be!i ns with activati n! msic that is
dynami c, flowin!, and emoti onally pliftin! and reass ri n!. It is
import ant to avoid selecti ons that are &arrin!, dissonant , and anxi et y-
provokin!. As the sessi on contines, the msic !radall y increas es in
int ensi t y and moves to powerfl trance- indcin! pieces, preferr abl y
drawn from rital and spirital tradi tions of varios native cltr es.
Altho!h many of thes e perfor mance s can be est het i cally pleasi n!,
the mai n prpos e of the hman !rops that devel oped them is not
ent er t ai nme nt , bt indction of mind- alt eri n! experi ences.
=
Abot an hor and a half into the sessi on of holotropic
breat hwork, when the experi ence typically clminat es, we se what
we call 5 breakt hr o!h msic. 5 %he sel ections sed at this time ran!e
from sacr ed msic - mass es , orat ori a, and other powerfl orches t r al
pieces - to excer pt s from dramat i c movi e sondt r acks. In the second
half of the sessi on, the intensi t y of the msic !radall y decr eas e s and
we brin! in lovin! and emoti onally movin! pieces )5 hear t msic5 -.
Dinally, in the ter mi nat i on period of the sessi on, the msic has a
soot hi n!, flowin!, timel ess, and medi t at i ve "ality.
%he ad& acent tabl e provides repr es ent at i ve sel ections of msic
for the five cons ecti ve phas es of the sessionE *. openi n! msic, 6.
trance- indcin! msic, 8. breakt hr o!h msic, >. heart msic, and B.
medi t at i ve msic. %hese sel ections reflect or own experi ence over
the year s and also the reslt s of a poll that Steven Dinan, a certified
facilitat or of holotropic breat hwork, condct ed with the commni t y of
other practi tioner s who condct their own holotropic workshops. I
wold like to re- emphasi +e that thes e are simply typical exampl es
offerin! !ener al !idelines. #vent all y, each practi tioner will devel op
his or her own collection of favorit e pieces.

The Us e of Bodywork.
%he physical respons e to holotropic breat hwork vari es
consi der abl y from one person to anot her . In most inst ances, fast er
breat hi n! brin!s, at first, mor e or less dramat i c psychosoma t i c
manifest at i ons. As I menti oned earlier, the text books of respirat or y
physiolo!y refer to this respons e as the 5 hypervent il ati on syndrome. 5
%hey describe it as a st er eot ypi cal pat t er n of physiolo!ical respons es
that consist s primarily of tensions in the hands and feet )5 carpopedal
spas ms 5 -. $e have now condct ed the breat hi n! sessions with over
thirt y thos and persons and have fond the traditional nder s t andi n!
of the effect s of fast er breat hi n! to be incorrect .
%here exist many individal s in whom even very fast breat hi n!
carried over an ext ende d period of time does not lead to a classical
F
5 hyper vent il ati on syndrome, 5 bt to pro!r es si ve relaxati on, int ens e
sexal feelin!s, or even mystical experi ences. 7ther s devel op tensi ons
in varios part s of their bodi es and do not show si!ns of the
5carpopedal spas ms. 5 Moreover, contined fast er breat hi n! does not
lead to pro!r es si ve increas e of the tensi ons, bt tends to be self-
limit ed. It typically reaches a climactic cl minati on followed by a
profond relaxat i on. %he pat t er n of this se"ence has a cert ai n
resembl ence to a sexal or!as m.
In repeat e d holotropic sessi ons, this proces s of int ensificati on of
tensi ons and sbs e"ent resoltion tends to move from one part of
the body to anot her in a way that vari es from person to person. %he
over all amont of mscl ar tensi ons and of int ens e emoti ons tends to
decr eas e with the nmber of sessi ons. $hat happens in this proces s is
that fast er breat hi n! ext ende d for a lon! period of time chan!es the
chemi st r y of the or!ani s m in sch a way that blocked physical and
emoti onal ener !i es associ at ed with varios tramat i c memori es are
releas ed and become availabl e for peripher al dischar !e and
proces si n!. %his makes it possibl e for the previosl y repr es s ed cont ent
of thes e memori es to emer !e into conscios nes s and be int e!r at ed. It
is ths a healin! process that shold be encor a!e d and sppor t ed
and not a pat hol o!ical proces s that needs to be sppr es s ed, as it is
commonl y practiced in mainst r e a m medi cine.
0hysical manifest at i ons that devel op drin! the breat hi n! in
varios areas of the body are not simpl e physiolo!ical reactions to
hypervent il ati on. %hey have a compl ex psychos oma t i c strct r e and
sally have specific psycholo!ical meani n! for the individal s
involved. Somet i mes , they repr es ent an intensified version of tensions
and pains that the person knows from everyday life, either as a
chronic probl em or as sympt oms that appear at times of emoti onal or
physical stress, fati!e, lack of sleep, weakeni n! by an illness, or the
se of alcohol or mari&ana. 7ther times, they can be reco!ni+ed as
reactivati on of old sympt oms that the individal sffer ed from in
infancy, childhood, pber t y, or some other time of his or her life.
:
%he tensions that we carry in or body can be releas ed in two
different ways. %he first of them involves catharsis and abreaction -
dischar !e of pent- p physical ener !i es thro!h tremor s, twitches,
dramat i c body moveme nt s , co!hi n!, !a!!i n!, and vomitin!. 3oth
cat har si s and abr eact i on also typically inclde releas e of blocked
emoti ons thro!h cryin!, screami n!, or other types of vocal
expr es si on. %hese are mechani s ms that are well- known in tradi tional
psychi at r y since the time when Si!mnd Dred and 'oseph 3reer
pblished their stdi es in hyst eri a )Dred and 3reer *:8;-. %hey have
been sed in tradi tional psychi at r y in the treat me nt of trama t i c
emoti onal neros es and repr es ent an int e!r al part of the new
experi enti al psychot her a pi es, sch as the neo- 9eichi an work, Gest al t
practice, and pri mal ther apy.
%he second mechani s m that can medi at e releas e of physical and
emoti onal tensions plays an import ant role in holotropic breat hwork,
rebirt hi n!, and other forms of ther apy sin! breat hi n! techni "es . It
repr es ent s a new devel opme nt in psychi at r y and psychot her a py and
seems to be in many ways mor e effective and int er es t i n!. .ere the
deep tensi ons srface in the form of transi ent mscl ar contr acti ons
of varios drati on. 3y sst ai ni n! thes e mscl ar tensions for
ext ended periods of time, the or!ani s m consmes enor mos amont s
of previosl y pent- p ener !y and simplifies its fnctionin! by
disposi n! of them. %he deep relaxati on that typically follows the
tempor ar y int ensification of old tensi ons or appear anc e of previosl y
lat ent ones bear s witness to the healin! nat r e of this proces s.
%hese two mechani s ms have their parall els in sport physiolo!y,
wher e it is well known that it is possibl e to do work and train the
mscl es in two different ways - by isotonic and isomet ric exerci ses. As
the name s!!es t , drin! isotonic exercises the tension of the
mscl es remai ns const ant while their len!t h oscillat es. Drin!
isomet ric exercises, the tensi on of the mscl es chan!es, bt their
len!t h remai ns the same all the time. A !ood exampl e of isotonic
activity is boxin!, while wei!ht- liftin! is distinctl y isomet ric. 3oth of
thes e mechani s ms are extr emel y effective in releasi n! and resolvin!
*G
mscl ar tensi on. In spit e of their sperfici al differences , they have
ths mch in common and in holotropic breat hwork they compl eme nt
each other very effectivel y.
In many inst ances , the difficlt emoti ons and physical
manifest at i ons that emer !e from the nconsci os drin! holotropic
sessions !et at omat i cally resolved and the breat her s end p in a
deepl y relaxed medi t ati ve st at e. In that case, no ext er nal
int ervent i ons are neces s ar y and they remai n in this st at e ntil they
ret r n to an ordinar y st at e of consciosnes s. After a brief check with
the facilitat or s, they move to the art room room to draw a mandal a.
If the breat hi n!, in and of itself, does not lead to a !ood
compl eti on and ther e are residal tensions or nresolved emoti ons,
facilitat ors offer participant s a specific form of bodywork which helps
them to reach a bet t er closr e for the sessi on. %he !ener al strat e!y of
this work is to ask the experi ent to focs his or her att ent i on on the
area wher e ther e is a probl em and do what ever is neces s ar y to
int ensify the existin! physical sens at i ons. %he facilitat or then helps to
int ensify thes e feelin!s even frther by appropri at e ext er nal
int ervent i on.
$hile the at t ent i on of the breat her is focsed on the
ener !et i cally char!ed probl em area, he or she is encor a!ed to find a
spont aneos respons e to this sitati on. %his respons e shol d not
reflect a conscios choice of the breat her , bt be flly det er mi ned by
the nconsci os proces s. It oft en takes an entirely nexpect ed and
srprisin! form - voice of a specific ani mal, talkin! in ton!es or an
nknown forei!n lan!a!e, shama ni c chant from a particl ar cltr e,
or baby talk. #"ally fre"ent are compl et el y nexpect e d physical
reacti ons, sch as violent tremor s, &olts, co!hi n!, and vomitin!, as
well as typically ani mal moveme nt s . It is ess ent i al that the facilitat or s
simply spport this process, rat her than appl y some techni "e offered
by a particl ar school of ther apy. %his work contines ntil the
facilitat or and the breat her reach an a!ree me nt that the session has
been ade"at el y closed.
**
In holotropic breat hwork, we also se sppor ti ve physical
cont act . %his is bas ed on the observat i on that ther e exist two
fndame nt all y different forms of trama that re"ir e diamet ri cally
different approach. %his first of thes e can be referr ed to as 'trauma by
commi s si on. ' It involves ext er nal intrsions that had nfavor abl e
impact on ftr e devel opme nt of the individal, sch as physical or
sexal abs e, fri!ht eni n! sitati ons, dest rctive criticism, or ridicle.
%hese tramas repr es ent forei!n element s in the nconsci os that can
be bro!ht into consciosnes s, ener !et i cally dischar !ed, and resolved.
Altho!h this distinction is not reco!ni+ed in conventi onal
psychot her apy, the second form of trama, 'trauma by omission, ' is
radically different . It act ally involves the opposi t e mechani s m - lack
of positive experi ences that are essent i al for a heal t hy emoti onal
devel opme nt . %he infant, as well as an older child, have stron!
primitive needs for instinct al satisfacti on and secrit y that
pedi at rici ans and child psychi at ri st s call 'anaclitic' )from the Greek
anaklinei n meani n! to lean pon-. %hese involve the need to be held,
caress ed, comfort ed, be played with, and be the cent er of hman
at t ent i on. $hen thes e needs are not met , it has serios conse"enc es
for the ftr e of the individal.
Many peopl e have a history of emoti onal deprivati on,
abandonme nt , and ne!l ect that resl t ed in serios frstr ati on of the
anaclitic needs. %he only way to heal this type of trama is to offer a
corrective experi ence in the form of spportive physical cont act in a
holotropic st at e of conscios nes s . Dor this approach to be effective,
the individal has to be deepl y re!r es s ed to the infantil e st a!e of
devel opme nt , otherwi se the corrective meas r e wold not reach the
devel opme nt al level on which the trama occrr ed. Dependi n! on
circms t ance s and on previos a!r ee me nt , this physical sppor t can
ran!e from simpl e holdin! of the hand or tochi n! the forehead to fll
body cont act .
*6
<se of norishi n! physical cont act is a very effective way of
healin! early emoti onal trama. .owever, it re"ir es followin! strict
et hical rles. $e have to expl ai n to the breat her s befor e the session
the rational e of this techni "e and !et their approval to se it. <nder
no circms t ance s can this approach be practiced withot previos
cons ent and no pressr es can be sed to obt ai n this per mi ssi on. Dor
many peopl e with a hist ory of sexal abs e, physical cont act is a very
sensi tive and char!ed isse. 1ery often thos e who need it most have
the stron!es t resist ance to it. It can somet i mes take a lon! time
before a person devel ops eno!h trst towar d the facilitat or s and the
!rop to be able to accept this techni "e and benefit from it.
Sppor tive physical cont act has to be sed exclsively to satisfy
the needs of the breat her s and not those of the sitt ers or facilitat or s.
3y this I do not mean only sexal needs or needs for inti macy which,
of cors e, are the most obvios isses. #"ally probl emat i c can be a
stron! need to be needed, loved, or appr eci at ed, nflfilled mat er nal
need, and other less extr eme forms of emoti onal want s and desires. I
reme mbe r an incident from one of or workshops at the #sal en
Institt e in 3i! Sr, Californi a, which can serve as a !ood exampl e.
At the be!inni n! of or five- day semi nar, one of the participant s,
a post menopa s al woman, shar ed with the !rop how mch she had
always want ed to have children and how mch she sffer ed becas e
this had not happene d. In the middl e of the holotropic sessi on, in
which she was a sitt er for a yon! man, she sddenl y plled the pper
part of her part ner 5 s body into her lap and st art ed to rock and comfort
him. .er timin! cold not have been worseC as we fond ot lat er
drin! the shari n!, he was at the time in the middl e of a past life
experi ence that feat r ed him as a powerfl 1ikin! warrior on a
milit ary expedi tion.
It sally is "it e easy to reco!ni+e when a breat her is
re!r es s ed to early infancy. In a really deep a!e re!r es si on, all the
wrinkles in the face tend to disappe ar and the individal mi!ht
act ally look and behave like an infant . %his can involve varios
*8
infantil e post r es and !est r es, as well as hyper s alivati on and
sckin!. 7ther times, the appropri at ene s s of offerin! physical cont act
is obvios from the cont ext , for exampl e, when the breat her &st
finished relivin! biolo!ical birth and looks lost and forlorn. %he
mat er nal needs of the woman in the #salen workshop were so stron!
that they took over and she was nabl e to ob& ectivel y asess the
sitati on and act appropri at el y.
3efore closin! this section on bodywork, I wold like to addr es s
one "esti on that often comes p in the cont ext of holotropic
workshops or lect r es on experi enti al workE HSince relivin! of
tramat i c memori es is typically very painfl, why shol d it be
ther ape t i c rat her than repr es ent a retr ama t i +at i onIH I believe that
he best answer can be fond in the article <nexperi enced #xperi ence
by the Irish psychi at ri st Ivor 3rowne and his team )McGee et al. *:F>-.
.e s!!es t ed that we are not dealin! her e with an exact repl ay or
repeti tion of the ori!inal trama t i c sitati on, bt with the first fll
experi ence of the appropri at e emoti onal and physical reaction to it.
%his means that , at the time when they happen, the tramat i c event s
are recorded in the or!ani s m, bt not flly consciosl y experi enced,
proces s ed, and int e!r at ed.
In addition, the person who is confront ed with the previosl y
repr es s ed trama t i c memor y is not any mor e the helpl ess and vitally
dependent child or infant he or she was in the ori!inal sitati on, bt a
!rown p adl t. %he holotropic st at e indced in powerfl experi enti al
forms of psychot her a py ths allows the individal to be pres ent and
oper at e simlt aneosl y in two different set s of spaceti me coordi nat es .
Dll a!e re!r es si on makes it possibl e to experi ence all the emoti ons
and physical sens at i ons of the ori!inal tramat i c sitati on from the
perspect i ve of the child, bt at the same time analy+e and eval at e
the memor y in the ther apet i c sitati on from a mat r e adlt
perspect i ve.
The Cours e of Hol otropi c Ses s i on s .
*>
%he nat r e and corse of holotropic sessions varies consider abl y
from person to person and in the same person also from session to
session. Some individal s remai n entirely "iet and almost
motionl es s. %hey mi!ht have very profond experi ences, yet !ive the
impr essi on to an ext er nal observer that not hi n! is happeni n! or that
they are sleepi n!. 7thers are a!it at ed and show rich mot or activity.
%hey experi ence violent shakin! and compl ex twistin! moveme nt s ,
roll and flail arond, assme fet al positions, behave like infant s
str!!lin! in the birth canal, or look and act like newbor ns. Also
crawlin!, swimmi n!, di!!in!, or climbin! moveme nt s are "it e
common.
Dre"ent l y, the moveme nt s and !est r es can be extr emel y
refined, compl ex, "it e specific, and different i at ed. %hey can take the
form of stran!e ani mal moveme nt s eml ati n! snakes, birds, or feline
predat or s and be associ at ed with corres pondi n! sonds. Somet i mes
breat her s assme spont aneosl y varios yo!ic post r es and !est r es
)asanas and mudras - that they are not intellect all y familiar with.
7ccasionally, the at omat i c moveme nt s andJ or sonds resembl e rital
or theat ri cal perfor mance s from different cltr es - shamani c
practices, 'avanes e dances, 3alines e monkey chant , 'apanes e (abki,
or talkin! in ton!es remi ni scent of the 0ent ecos t al meet i n!s.
%he emoti onal "alities observed in holotropic sessions cover a
very wide ran!e. 7n one side of the spect r m, one can encont er
feelin!s of extr aor di nar y well- bein!, profond peace, tran"illity,
sereni t y, bliss, cosmi c nity, or ecst ati c rapt r e. 7n the other side of
the same spect r m are episodes of indescribabl e terror, consmi n!
!ilt, or mrder os a!!r es si on, and a sens e of et er nal doom. %he
int ensi t y of thes e extr aor di nar y emoti ons can transcend anyt hi n! that
can be experi enced or even ima!i ned in everyday st at e of
conscios nes s . %hese extr eme emoti onal st at es are sally associ at ed
with experi ences that are perinat al or transper s onal in nat r e.
In the middl e band of the experi enti al spect r m observed in
holotropic breat hwork sessi ons are less extr eme emoti onal "alities
*B
that are closer to what we know from or daily exist ence - episodes of
an!er, anxi et y, sadnes s, hopel es s nes s , and feelin!s of failre,
inferiority, shame, !ilt or dis!st . %hese are typically linked to
bio!raphi cal memori esC their sorces are trama t i c experi ences from
infancy, childhood, and lat er periods of life.
As I menti oned earlier, in some inst ances, fast er breat hi n! does
not indce any physical tensions or difficlt emoti ons, bt leads
directly to increasi n! relaxat i on, sens e of expansi on and well- bein!,
and visions of li!ht. %he breat her can feel flooded with feelin!s of love
and experi ences mystical connecti on to other peopl e, nat r e, the
entire cosmos, and God. More fre"ent l y, thes e positive st at es come
at the end of the holotropic sessions, aft er the trbl ent part s of the
experi ence have sbsided.
It is srprisin! how many peopl e in or cltr e, becas e of
stron! 0rot es t ant et hics or for some other reasons, have !reat
difficlties accept i n! ecst at i c experi ences, nless they follow sfferin!
and hard work, or even then. %hey mi!ht respond to them with a
stron! feelin! of !ilt or with a sens e that they do not deserve them.
It is also common, particl arl y in ment al heal t h professi onal s, to react
to positive experi ences with mistrst and sspicion that they hide and
mask some very painfl and npl eas ant mat eri al. It is very import ant
nder thes e circms t ance s to reass r e the breat her s that positive
experi ences are extr emel y healin! and encor a!e them to accept
them withot reservat i on as nexpect ed !race.
A typical resl t of a holotropic breat hwork session is profond
emoti onal releas e and physical relaxat i on. After a scces sf l and well-
int e!r at ed sessi on, many sb& ect s report that they feel mor e relaxed
than they have ever felt in their life. Contined accel er at ed breat hi n!
repr es ent s ths an extr emel y powerfl and effective met hod of stress-
redcti on and leads to emoti onal and psychosoma t i c healin!.
%his is the nder st andi n! that one finds in the spirital literat r e
of many cltr es and a!es. %he healin! pot ent i al of breat h is
*;
particl arl y stron!l y emphasi +ed in (ndalini yo!a. %here episodes of
fast er breat hi n! are sed in the cors e of medi t at i ve practice
)bastrika - or occr spont aneosl y as part of the emoti onal and
physical manifest at i ons known as kriyas . %his is consist ent with my
own view that similar spont aneos episodes occrrin! in psychi at ric
pati ent s and referr ed to as the hypervent ilation syndrome , are
at t empt s at self- healin!. %hey shol d be sppor t ed rat her than
rotinel y sppr es s ed, which is the common medi cal practice.
.olotropic breat hwork sessions vary in their drati on from
individal to individal and, in the same individal, also from session
to session. It is essent i al for the best possibl e int e!r at i on of the
experi ence that the facilitat ors and sitt er s st ay with the breat her as
lon! as he or she is in proces s and has nsal experi ences . In the
ter mi nal st a!e of the session, !ood bodywork can !reatl y expedi t e
emoti onal and physical resoltion.
7n the days folowin! particl arl y int ens e sessions, which
involved a ma& or emoti onal breakt hr o!h or openi n!, a wide variet y of
compl eme nt ar y approaches can facilitat e inte!r at i on. Amon! them
are talkin! abot the session with an experi enced facilitat or, writin!
down the cont ent of the experi ence, or drawi n! mor e mandal as. Good
bodywork with a practitioner who allows emoti onal expr es si on,
&o!!in!, swimmi n!, and other forms of physical exerci se, or
expr es si ve danci n! can be very sefl, if the holotropic experi ence
freed excess of previosl y pent- p physical ener !y. A session of
Gest al t ther apy or Dora (alff5 s 'n!ian sandpl ay can be of !reat help
in refinin! insi!ht s into the holotropic experi ence and nder s t andi n!
its cont ent .

Mandal a Drawi ng and the Shari ng Groups .
$hen the sessi on is compl et ed and the breat her ret r ns to the
ordinar y st at e of conscios nes s , the sitt er accompa ni es him or her to
the mandal a room. %his room is e"i pped with a vari et y of art
*=
sppli es, sch as past el s, ma!i c marker s, and wat er colors, as well as
lar!e drawi n! pads. 7n the sheet s of thes e pads are pencil drawi n!s
of circles abot the si+e of dinner plat es. %he breat her s are asked to
sit down, medi t at e on their experi ence, and then find a way of
expr es si n! what happene d to them drin! the session.
%here are no specific !idelines for the mandal as. Some peopl e
simply prodce color combi nat i ons, other s const r ct !eomet ri cal
mandal as or fi!rative drawin!s or painti n!s. %he latt er mi!ht
repr es ent a vision that occrr ed drin! the session or a pictori al
travel o!e with sever al distinct se"ences . 7n occasi on, the breat her
decides to docment a sin!l e session with sever al separ at e mandal as.
In rare inst ances, the breat her does has no idea what he or she is
!oin! to draw and prodces an at oma t i c drawi n!.
$e have seen inst ances when the mandal a did not illstr at e the
precedi n! session, bt act ally anticipat ed the experi ence from a
ftr e one. %his is in con!rence with C. G. 'n!5 s idea that the
prodct s of the psyche can not be flly expl ained from precedi n!
hist orical event s. In many inst ances , they have not &st a
retros pect i ve, bt also a prospect i ve aspect . Some mandal as ths
reflect a moveme nt in the psyche that 'n! called the individuati on
process and reveal its forthcomi n! st a!e .
/at er drin! the day, breat her s brin! their mandal as to a
sharin! session, in which they talk abot their experi ences. %he
strat e!y of the facilitat ors who lead the !rop is to encor a!e
maxi mm opennes s and hones t y in shari n! the experi ence.
$illin!nes s of participant s to reveal the cont ent of their sessi ons,
incldin! varios inti mat e det ails, is condcive to bondi n! and
devel opme nt of trst in the !ropC it deepens , int ensifies, and
expedi t es the ther apet i c process.
In contr as t with the practice of most ther apet i c school s,
facilitat ors abst ai n from int erpr et i n! the experi ences of participant s.
%he reason for it is the lack of a!ree me nt concer ni n! the fnctionin!
*F
of the psyche amon! the existin! schools. $e discss ed earlier that
nder thes e circms t ance any int erpr et at i ons are "esti onabl e and
arbitrar y. Another reason for st ayi n! away from int erpr et at i ons is the
fact that psychol o!ical cont ent s are overdet er mi ned and meani n!f lly
relat ed to sever al levels of the psyche. Givin! a sppos edl y definitive
expl anat i on or int erpr et at i on carries the dan!er of free+i n! the
proces s and interferi n! with ther ape t i c pro!r es s.
A mor e prodcti ve alt er nat i ve is to ask "esti ons that help to
elicit additional informat i on from the perspect i ve of the client who,
bein! the experi encer , is the lti mat e exper t as far as his or her
experi ence is concer ned. $hen we are pati ent and resist the
tempt at i on to shar e or own impr essi ons, participant s very often find
their own expl anat i ons that best reflect their experi ences . 7n
occasi on, it can be very helpfl to shar e or observat i ons from the
past concer ni n! similar experi ences or point ot connecti ons with
experi ences of other member s of the !rop. $hen the experi ences
cont ai n archet ypal mat eri al, sin! C. G. 'n!5 s met hod of amplification
- referrin! to par all els bet ween a particl ar experi ence and similar
myt hol o!ical motifs from varios cltr es - or conslti n! a !ood
dictionar y of symbol s mi!ht be very helpfl.
Therape ut i c Pot e nt i al of Hol otropi c Breat hwork.
Christina and I have devel oped and practiced holotropic
breat hwork ot side the professi onal facilities - in or mont hl on!
semi nar s and short er workshops at the #salen Instit t e, in varios
breat hwork workshops in many other part s of the world, and in or
trainin! pro!r a m for facilitat ors. I have not had the opport ni t y to
test the ther apet i c efficacy of this met hod in the same way I had
been able to do in the first twent y years of my professi onal career
when I condct ed psychedelic resear ch - in cont rol ed clinical stdi es
with a syst ema t i c follow- p.
.owever, the ther apet i c reslt s have often been so dramat i c
and meani n!flly connect ed with specific experi ences in the sessi ons
*:
that I have no dobt holotropic breat hwork is a viabl e form of ther apy
and self- explor ati on. $e have seen over the years nmer os
inst ances when participant s in the workshops and the trainin! were
able to break ot of depr es si on that had last ed sever al years,
overcome different phobi as, free thems el ves from consmi n!
irrational feelin!s, and radically improve their self- confidence and self-
est ee m. $e have also seen on many occasi ons disappe ar a nc e of
sever e psychos oma t i c pains incldin! mi!rai ne headache s and radical
and lastin! improveme nt s or even compl et e clearin! of psycho!eni c
ast hma.
In many cases, holotropic breat hwork sessi ons led to dramat i c
improve me nt of physical conditions tradi tionally seen as or!ani c
diseas es and belon!i n! to the domai n of medicine. Amon! them was
clearin! of chronic infections )sinsitis, pharyn!i tis, bronchi tis, and
cystitis- aft er bioener !et i c nblockin! opened blood circl ati on in the
corres pondi n! areas. <nexpl ai ned ntil this day remai ns solidification
of bones in a woman with ost eopor osi s that occrr ed in the cors e of
holotropic trainin!.
$e have also seen restit ti on of fll peripher al circlati on in
sever al peopl e sfferin! from 9aynad5 s diseas e, a disorder that
involves coldnes s and skin probl ems on hands and feet , and strikin!
improve me nt in a few cases of art hritis. In bot h inst ances , the critical
fact or seeme d to be releas e of exces si ve bioener !et i c blocka!e. %he
most ast oni shi n! observat i on in this cat e!or y was a dramat i c
remi ssion of advanced sympt oms of the %ayahas hi syndrome, a
pro!r es si ve occlsion of art eri es in the pper part of the body, a
condition consider ed incrabl e and lethal.
%he ther ape t i c pot ent i al of holotropic breat hwork was also
confirmed in clinical stdi es condct ed by practi tioner s who had been
trained by s and independe nt l y se this met hod in their work. $e
have orselves had on many occasions the opport ni t y to !et informal
feedback from peopl e whose emoti onal, psychosoma t i c, and physical
sympt oms improved or disappe ar e d aft er holotropic sessions in or
6G
trainin! or in or workshops. %his has shown s that the
improve me nt s achi eved in holotropic sessions are often lastin!. I hope
that the efficacy of this inter es t i n! met hod of self- explorati on and
ther apy will be in the ftr e confirmed by well- desi!ned clinical
resear ch.
6*