The Stormy Search for the Self by Christina Grof

The Stormy Search for the Self by Christina Grof

Many people are undergoing a profound personal transformation associated with spiritual opening. Under favorable circumstances, this process results in emotional healing, a radical shift in values, and a profound awareness of the mystical dimension of existence. For some, these changes are gradual and relatively smooth, but for others they can be so rapid and dramatic that they interfere with effective everyday functioning, creating tremendous inner turmoil. Unfortunately, many traditional health-care professionals do not recognize the positive potential of these crises; they often see them as manifestations of mental disease and repsond with stigmatizing labels, suppressive drugs, and even institutionalization.

In The Stormy Search for the Self, Christina and Stanislav Grof, the world's foremost authorities on the subject of spiritual emergence, draw on years of dramatic personal and professional experience with transformative states to explore these "spiritual emergencies," altered states so powerful they threaten to overwhelm the individual's oridinary reality. This book will provide insights, assurances, and practical suggestions for those who are experiencing or have experienced such a crisis, for their families and friends, and for mental-health professionals. It is also a valuable guide for anyone involved in personal transformation whose experiences, though generally untraumatic, may still at times be bewildering or disorienting.

Christina Grof grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and went to Sarah Lawrence College in New York for her education. Her original profession as an art instructor was cut short when she had a tremendous spiritual experience after childbirth, which led to years of emotional anguish subsequently described as Kundalini awakening manifestations. Swami Muktananda Paramahansa, the leader of the Siddha-Yoga lineage, had a profound influence on her; she was his disciple until his death in 1982. Her own odd experiences sparked a lifelong fascination with out-of-body experiences and transpersonal psychology. She co-created Holotropic Breathwork with her husband, Stanislav Grof, an experimental psychotherapy practice that blends controlled breathing, evocative music, and bodywork.

In addition, she and her husband have hosted international transpersonal conferences in Boston, Melbourne, Bombay, and Santa Rosa, California. Christina's research focuses on the connection between mysticism and psychopathology. She started the spiritual emerging network, an international organization that provides support to those going through transforming crises, in 1980. Her research has now expanded to include the spiritual components of alcoholism and addiction.

She has given talks and workshops across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia during the last ten years. She's also the co-author of Beyond Death.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780874776492
ISBN 10	087477649X
Title	The Stormy Search for the Self
Author	Christina Grof
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Putnam Inc
Year published	1992-06-01
Number of pages	288
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.