Abstract
One research question guided the autoethnographic inquiry: “What is the experience of intuition and immersion in the Holotropic Breathwork community?” The experience of intuition and Holotropic Breathwork are subjective. An autoethnography is proposed to allow focus on personal and evocative narratives of the author. Specifically, Jones, Adams, and Ellis method for autoethnographic data analysis was followed to bring the reader into the experience while being vulnerable. Data analysis revealed (1) appropriate set and setting, (2) mutual support, and (3) self-trust as salient themes. Future considerations to inform possible alternatives and integrative methods for coping with anxiety, depression, and enhancing quality decision making given the experience of intuition and immersions in the Holotropic Breathwork community are discussed.
TopIntroduction
This author once was told and now believes in the importance of going to the feeling. Going to the feeling rather than the thought has much more power and efficacy. This is where intuition and Holotropic come together. Simply put: the breath is a vehicle to a feeling, an atmospheric space in which the author could shift his awareness, his feelings. Grof (2014) stated “it has been known for centuries that it is possible to influence consciousness by techniques that involve breathing” (p. 9). Similar methods using the breath or pranayama, used in a sophisticated fashion, have been well-documented in Indian science (Grof, 2010, 2014). Chinese medicine, Japanese practices, Greek philosophy, Hebrew tradition, martial arts, and native Hawaiian tradition all incorporated the breath and various breathing practices for the purposes of healing, spirituality, philosophy, religion, mythology, and cosmology (Grof, 2014).
Other scholars, such as Edwards (2008) asserted “holding our breath can suppress painful feelings and…restricting the depth of breathing reduces our intensity of feelings” (p. 132). These foundational perspectives on the breath inform us that the breath has profound influences on consciousness and the expression and processing of feelings. Thus, the breath is a psychospiritual tool known in many cultures and traditions utilized to resolve transpersonal conflict; uncharted, unknown, or unconscious content of the psyche conflict. As experienced by the author, when transpersonal conflict enters or arises in one’s awareness, the conflict can be worked with, processed, and released which could enhance wellbeing and promote satisfaction in one’s life. Indeed, when this author resolved such transpersonal conflict, he felt healthier.
Research on Holotropic Breathwork (HB) has identified therapeutic potentials. These include: fostering healing and changes in experiences of non-ordinary states of consciousness (Brouillette,1997); increasing self-esteem and significantly reducing death anxiety (Holmes et al., 1996); expanded identity and an authentic motivation and willingness to improve relationship quality with family members, specifically with parents (Landaeta, 2018); increasing life satisfaction and personal wellbeing (Puente, 2014); and experiencing transformation, conscious wholeness, and psychospiritual healing through an experience of at-one-ment (e.g. atonement) (Smirnova, 2013) to name a few. Such studies suggest Holotropic Breathwork is an effective experiential psychotherapy for individuals who have participated or immersed themselves in this community. Although scholars have pointed to the therapeutic potentials, Holotropic Breathwork induces such therapeutic potentials bolstered with a particular set, setting, and context.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Intuition: An emotion based decision-making tool which everyone has access to and can be best evoked through a synergy of an appropriate, set and setting; mutual support; and, self-trust.
Projection: An ego defense mechanism where undesirable and unacceptable personal attributes are attributed to another individual.
Psychospiritual: A term that advances the antiquated “biopsychosocial” term, which constitutes a holistic and fully integrated understanding and acceptance of the complexity and interconnection of the mind-body-spirit system, rather than a separation of such advocated by Cartesian dualism. The combination of the psychological and spiritual qualities of being human are accompanied and reinforced by rituals and practices that are learned and adopted to enhance the psychological and/or spiritual well-being of a person.
Holotropic Breathwork: A form of experiential psychotherapy and self-exploration developed by Stanislav Grof and his first wife which relies on the belief that each individual has an inner healer, an inner healing intelligence, that inherently knows what they need, in the moment, for their own positive transformation and healing.
Researcher Positionality: An authentic description of a researcher’s biases and preconceptions related to their assumptions of nature (e.g., social reality, knowledge) which are formed by political stance, age, gender, sexuality, marital status, geographical location, disability, parental influences, ethnicity, membership affiliations, work experience, education, creativity, spiritual and/or religious beliefs, social and economic status, citizenship, and any other aspects the self-as-subject researcher is open and willing to mention as it relates to a specific research study; reflexivity and self-reflection (introspection) are necessary for a researcher to situate and continuously understand themselves and their role in the research throughout the entire process.
Non-Ordinary STATE of Consciousness: Is experienced through sacred technologies, developed by ancient and aboriginal cultures, for ritual and spiritual purposes. This may include a combination of sound technologies (e.g., drumming, evocative music, chanting), dancing, shifts in breathing, sensory and social deprivation/isolation, stays in specific types of environmental regions (e.g., arctic, desert, high mountains, etc.), and psychedelic plant medicines. Non-ordinary states of consciousness can be experienced through various meditation techniques for awareness, Shamanic techniques, Rebirthing, neo-Reichian approaches, and Holotropic Breathwork.
Self-Trust: A way of being which involves the inherent belief that an individual can trust themselves, feels this trust, and can develop appropriate conditions to access and become aware of their human potentialities (e.g., intuition), insights, and processes which may be valuable for decision-making. Negative affectivity (e.g., negative mood) can disrupt or block access to intuition and hinder feelings of self-trust.