Then (1987), Storming Heaven
Holotropic Breathwork as Proof of Concept: Non-Drug Non-Ordinary States
Stevens documented Grof's turn to Holotropic Breathwork after the research program ended, a non-pharmacological technique using accelerated breathing and music to produce non-ordinary states similar to LSD. Stevens presented it as Grof's adaptation to the post-1968 environment.
confirmed
Holotropic Breathwork has a small and mostly uncontrolled evidence base. A frequently cited 2020 systematic review (attributed to Eyerman, Journal of Transpersonal Psychology) and a 2022 randomized trial (attributed to Brewerton and colleagues) could not be found (Source not found; under review). What can be found are uncontrolled clinical reports, such as Eyerman's 2013 report on breathwork sessions with psychiatric inpatients in the MAPS Bulletin. These do not show that breathwork produces the same therapeutic outcomes as psychedelic-assisted therapy. Fast breathing carries its own risks, including fainting, and is not advised for people with seizure or heart conditions. What the history does show is that Grof developed a non-drug method after LSD research was restricted.
Sources
- Eyerman, Journal of Transpersonal Psychology (2020) [Source not found; under review]
- Brewerton et al., Journal of Trauma & Dissociation (2022) [Source not found; under review]