Non-Ordinary States
OverlapPsychiatrist Stanislav Grof's term for altered states — meditative, mystical, or psychedelic — that depart from ordinary, consensus-reality consciousness, which he called the "hylotropic" mode.
Example: Grof and his wife Christina built an entire drug-free method, holotropic breathwork, around reaching these states using only accelerated breathing, evocative music, and bodywork — no substance required.
What are "non-ordinary states" of consciousness?
Psychiatrist Stanislav Grof's term for altered states — meditative, mystical, or psychedelic — that depart from ordinary, consensus-reality consciousness, which he called the "hylotropic" mode.
Can non-ordinary states be reached without drugs?
Yes — Grof and his wife Christina built an entire drug-free method, holotropic breathwork, around reaching these states using only accelerated breathing, evocative music, and bodywork.