|
Since its development by Dr. Stanislav and Christina Grof at the
Esalen Institute in California during the late 1970’s, and
especially following the training and certification of the first of
many Facilitator Training Groups in 1987, Holotropic Breathwork has
been successfully experienced by tens of thousands of people in
public weekend workshops, therapeutic settings, and weeklong
retreats all over the world. Reports of its healing potential, from
both breathers and facilitators, have been numerous across many
conditions, and some research studies have been published in
peer-reviewed journals.
Evoked Potentials in Holotropic Breathing, by
L. I. Spivak, Yu. D. Kropotov, D. L. Spivak and A. V. Sevostyanov.
/Human Physiology,/ Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 17-19, 1994. (This is an
English translation of the original Russian.)
Holotropic Breathwork (HB), proposed by the American
psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in 1984, is successfully used for
treating neuroses (1-3). HB leads to a curative alteration of
consciousness which activates the mechanisms of physiological
recovery developed during evolution. Dr. Grof believes that the
therapeutic effects of HB activate subconsciousness and provide the
possibility for transformation of different emotional and
psychosomatic symptoms into the altered state of consciousness. The
literature on Holotropic Breathwork mainly describes the results of
monitoring the dynamics of a patient's consciousness. In this
process neither physiological nor electro-physiological examination
is conducted, as a rule. Moreover, physiological methods are
sometimes considered to be non-informative as the matter concerns
extremely fine alterations in the psyche, which are difficult to
study objectively (1-2).The present study is designed to analyze
the dynamics of brain evoked potentials (EP), which are correlated
with an altered state of consciousness in neurotic patients during
an HB session.
The Role of Hypocapnia in Inducing Altered States
of Consciousness, by P. I. Terekhin. /Human Physiology/, Vol.
22, No. 6, pp. 730-735, 1996. (This is an English translation of
the original Russian.)
External respiration function was tested (at the Russian
People's Friendship University, Moscow) during Holotropic
Breathwork sessions in the course of psychotherapeutic treatment.
Long-term voluntary hyperventilation was accompanied by respiratory
phenomena with distinct periodicity and a stable level of
hypocapnia throughout the whole treatment session. The role of
hyperventilation and hypocapnia in the mechanisms inducing and
maintaining altered states of consciousness is discussed.
Holotropic Breathwork: An Experiential Approach to
Psychotherapy by Sara W. Holmes, Ph.D., Robin Morris,
Pauline Rose Clance & R. Thompson Putney. Psychotherapy:
Theory, Research, Practice, Training, Vol. 33(1), Spring 1996.
pp. 114-120. 1996
ABSTRACT: The study investigated the relationship between the
use of Holotropic Breathwork and therapeutic changes in levels of
distress associated with self identified problems, death anxiety,
self esteem, and sense of affiliation with others. Two groups of 24
subjects were compared using a repeated measures design. One group
participated in a combination of experientially oriented
psychotherapy plus six monthly sessions of Holotropic Breathwork
(Breathwork Group), the second group participated only in
experientially oriented psychotherapy (Therapy Group). Dependent
measures were Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, the Abasement and
Affiliation subscales of the Personality Research Form-E, and a
questionnaire regarding self-identified problems. The
Breathwork Group showed significant reductions in death anxiety and
increases in self-esteem compared to the Therapy Group. No
significant differences were observed between groups on affiliation
or self-identified problems. Results suggest that experiential
approaches to psychotherapy may be useful in ameliorating some
types of psychological problems.
A copy of the report of this study for personal reading can be
purchased at the APA Journal Service for $11.95.
The Effect of Holotropic Breathwork on
Personality (English version) by Denisa Binarova, Ceska a
Slovenska Psychiatrie, (Czech and Slovak Psychiatry), 2003,
VOL 99; PART 8, pages 410-414.
Following is an edited version of the Abstract from the
English translation of the Study:
The paper investigates the effect of a single or repeated
Holotropic Breathwork session on certain personality properties,
attitudes, and values orientations. A total of 81 subjects
participated in the research (36 Breathers, 34 Non-breathers, and
11 First-breathers). The Breathers group comprised individuals
having participated in at least four Holotropic Breathwork
sessions; subjects from the Non-breathers group were comparable
based on the following criteria: gender, age, and education. The
experimental subjects from the First-breathers group were initially
tested prior to their first Holotropic Breathwork session and they
were retested following the initial session (approximately three
weeks later). The variables examined were measured by means of
Crumbaugh and Maholick's Purpose in Life (PIL) test; Harman,
Fadiman, and Mogar’s test of attitudes and values (Value-Belief
Q-Sort); and Shostrom’s Personal Orientation Dimensions (POD).
As for the First-breathers, a significant improvement in
satisfaction of the need for purpose in life and significant
reduction of rigidity and dogmatism were observed. The Breathers
were found to be less rigid and dogmatic compared to the
Non-breathers; they display a positive change in their attitude
towards unusual comprehension of reality, they profess conventional
values to a lesser extent, and they apply them in a more flexible
manner. In addition, their approach towards reality is more
appropriate, they are more able to enjoy the present moment, they
are more autarchic and more independent of other people’s
attitudes, they are more sensitive to their own feelings and needs,
they are more spontaneous, they express higher self-esteem, and
they show a better capacity to establish warm interpersonal
relations. All of the above differences are significant
statistically. The Breathers do not show a significantly better
satisfaction of their need for purpose in life compared with the
Non-breathers. Subjectively, all participants evaluated the
experience from the Holotropic Breathwork session as contributing
to better communication with people, to a deeper knowledge of the
surrounding world, and to a higher acceptance of previously
rejected opinions and thoughts.
A copy of the paper in the original language can be purchased
through the British Library Direct service at this link.
|
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
In addition to research articles, there have been various
peer-reviewed journal articles that address the healing potential
of Holotropic Breathwork including:
Use of Hypnosis and Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness
in Facilitating Significant Psychotherapeutic Change, by Linda
Edwards, PhD, published in The Australian Journal of Clinical
Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis in 1999.
This is a general article about the healing potential of
non-ordinary states in which Holotropic Breathwork's approach is
described. This article is also available from Dr. Edward's site -
www.drlindaedwards.com.au
Holotropic Breathwork: The Potential Role of a
Prolonged, Voluntary Hyperventilation Procedure as an Adjunct to
Psychotherapy, Joseph P. Rhinewine, Oliver J. Williams. The
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. September
1, 2007, 13(7): 771-776. doi:10.1089/acm.2006.6203.
Objective: This paper poses the question of whether Holotropic
Breathwork (HB), a prolonged, voluntary hyperventilation procedure,
might be useful in treatment of common psychiatric conditions such
as anxiety and depressive disorders.
Design: This is a hypothesis-posing paper pertaining to a potential
novel treatment.
Summary: The neurophysiology and psychology of hyperventilation are
reviewed, including findings demonstrating that hyperventilation
leads to significant changes in central nervous system activity as
measured by various technological means. Preliminary evidence
suggesting efficacy for HB is reviewed. A tentative biopsychologic
hypothesis is offered, suggesting a potential mechanism that may
underlie putative therapeutic effects of HB.
|
