The Way of the Psychonaut: Book Launch Event

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) invites you to a book launch, film screening, and addresses from special guests at the elegant Scottish Rite Masonic Center in San Francisco, Calif., on August 11, 2019.

This event is the official book release of The Way of the Psychonaut: Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys by Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D., the all-new two-volume compendium spanning more than 60 years of Dr. Grof’s work in transpersonal psychology, spirituality, psychedelic therapy, and Holotropic Breathwork, published by MAPS. Select tickets include the two-volume set which will be available for pickup at the event. Those seeking to pre-order the books only may find additional information here.

In celebration of the book release, the event includes a film screening of the not-yet-released Journey of Consciousness, a feature-length documentary that explores Stanislav Grof’s story, how he touched filmmaker Susan Hess Logeais’ life with his knowledge, and how Dr. Grof’s work could profoundly change the lives of many more—if they are allowed to access it.

The event includes an optional Very Important Psychonaut (VIP) reception and brief addresses from Dr. Grof and special guests.

The event begins at 6:30 PM, and will feature addresses from psychiatrist and psychedelic-assisted therapy pioneer Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D., MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., transpersonal psychologist Richard Tarnas, Ph.D., Brigitte Grof, and Diane Haug.

An intimate community reception will begin before the main event at 5:00 PM, giving you opportunities to connect with our special guests. The reception is open to everyone who registers at the Very Important Psychonaut (VIP) level.

The Way of the Psychonaut is one of the most important books ever written about the human psyche and the spiritual quest. The new understandings were made possible thanks to Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD—the microscope and telescope of the human psyche—as well as other psychedelic substances. This comprehensive work is a tour de force through the worlds of psychology and psychotherapy, Holotropic Breathwork, maps of the psyche, birth, sex, and death, psychospiritual rebirth, the roots of trauma, spiritual emergency and transpersonal experiences, karma and reincarnation, higher creativity, great art, and archetypes.

Written in his late eighties, at the height of his magnificent career, The Way of the Psychonaut is possibly Grof’s greatest contribution. The commanding breadth and depth of his knowledge is astounding, the tone of his writing easy and accessible, and his narratives brightened with amusing anecdotes, intriguing personal accounts, and brilliant case studies. Grof reviews the history of depth psychotherapy, the important revisions that are needed to make it more effective, and why the inner quest is such an essential pursuit.

As one of the fathers of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, its most experienced practitioner, and deeply deserving of a Nobel Prize in medicine, in these two volumes Grof has successfully unveiled a new and sweeping paradigm in self-exploration and healing. The vast and practical knowledge in this book is sure to be an invaluable and treasured resource for all serious seekers.

Event attendees have the option of purchasing books along with their ticket to be amongst the first to receive Stan Grof’s latest opus. Information about pre-ordering the books only can be found here.

JOURNEY OF CONSCIOUSNESS is a feature-length documentary that explores Stan Grof’s story, how he touched Susan’s life with his knowledge, and how this knowledge can profoundly change the lives of many more — but only if they are allowed to access it.

Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D., is a psychiatrist with over sixty years of research experience in non-ordinary states of consciousness and one of the founders and chief theoreticians of transpersonal psychology. He was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where he also received his scientific training: an M.D. degree from the Charles University School of Medicine and a Ph.D. degree (Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine) from the Czechoslovakian Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Grof’s early research in the clinical uses of psychedelic substances was conducted at the Psychiatric Research Institute in Prague, where he was principal investigator of a program that systematically explored the heuristic and therapeutic potential of LSD and other psychedelic substances. In 1967 he was invited as Clinical and Research Fellow to the Johns Hopkins University and the Research Unit of Spring Grove Hospital in Baltimore, MD.

In 1969, he became Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and continued his research as Chief of Psychiatric Research at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in Catonsville, MD. In 1973 Dr. Grof was invited to the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, where he developed, with his late wife Christina Grof, Holotropic Breathwork, an innovative form of experiential psychotherapy that is now being used worldwide.

Dr. Grof is the founder of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA) and for several decades served as its president. In 1993 he received an Honorary Award from the Association for Transpersonal Psychology (ATP) for major contributions to and development of the field of transpersonal psychology, given at the occasion of the 25th Anniversary Convocation held in Asilomar, California. In 2007, he received the prestigious VISION 97 lifetime achievement award from the Foundation of Dagmar and Václav Havel in Prague, Czechoslovakia. In 2010, he received also the Thomas R. Verny Award from the Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH) for his pivotal contributions to this field.

Among Dr. Grof’s publications are over 150 articles in professional journals and the books LSD: Gateway to the Numinous; Beyond the Brain; LSD Psychotherapy; The Cosmic Game; Psychology of the Future; The Ultimate Journey; When the Impossible Happens; Books of the Dead; Healing Our Deepest Wounds; Modern Consciousness Research and the Understanding of Art, The Stormy Search for the Self; Spiritual Emergency; and Holotropic Breathwork (the last three with Christina Grof). These books have been translated into twenty-three languages.

Since April 2016, he has been happily married to Brigitte Grof. They live together in Germany and California and travel the inner and outer worlds in tandem, conducting seminars and Holotropic Breathwork workshops worldwide.

Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife, two dogs, and empty rooms from three children, one of whom is in college and two have graduated.

Rick Tarnas is the founding director of the graduate program in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he currently teaches. Born in 1950 in Geneva, Switzerland, of American parents, he grew up in Michigan, where he received a classical Jesuit education. In 1968 he entered Harvard, where he studied Western intellectual and cultural history and depth psychology, graduating with an A.B. cum laude in 1972. For ten years he lived and worked at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, studying with Stanislav Grof, Joseph Campbell, Gregory Bateson, Huston Smith, and James Hillman, later serving as Esalen’s director of programs and education. He received his Ph.D. from Saybrook Institute in 1976 with a dissertation on LSD psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and spiritual transformation. From 1980 to 1990, he wrote The Passion of the Western Mind, a narrative history of Western thought from the ancient Greek to the postmodern which became a best seller and continues to be a widely used text in universities throughout the world. In 2006, he publishedCosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View, which received the Book of the Year Prize from the Scientific and Medical Network in the UK. Formerly president of the International Transpersonal Association, he is on the Board of Governors of the C. G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. In addition to his teaching at CIIS, he has been a frequent lecturer at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, and gives many public lectures and seminars in the U.S. and abroad.

Susan Hess Logeais brings her passion as a social activist to her work as a filmmaker, creating films that are thought-provoking and inspiring. Her background as a dancer, actress, and perpetual student allows her to craft stories that do more than entertain. She also blends the knowledge and understanding earned from over 30 years of spiritual exploration with her technical experience as a filmmaker, providing her with a unique perspective on building projects that draw the viewer into a heartfelt experience of the story. Holding a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Transformational Entertainment and Human Consciousness, Susan recognizes her responsibility as a creative to produce content that serves the human spirit.

Currently, Susan is working on a feature documentary highlighting the discoveries of psychedelic psychotherapy pioneer, Stan Grof. Working directly with Stan, she is weaving a story that incorporates her personal exploration of his techniques, revealing the extraordinary healing power of non-ordinary states of consciousness. Recent work includes Soar, a documentary focusing on two sisters – both dancers, one a quad amputee – that aired on PBS; and a project documenting the work of Spacial Dynamics founder, Jaimen McMillan. Past work includes writing and producing the award-winning indie feature, Not Dead Yet.

Brigitte Grof is a psychologist and a licensed psychotherapist with more than 30 years of experience in Holotropic Breathwork and holotropic states of consciousness. She trained at Esalen Institute in California with Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof and got certified in the first training groups in the USA and Switzerland. After 1989, she led workshops in Germany, Czech Republic, and France. Since the beginning of the Grof Training, she taught Holotropic Breathwork modules with Dr. Sylvester Walch and a complete training with Dr. Ingo Jahrsetz in Germany. Brigitte works as psychotherapist in her private practice in Wiesbaden, Germany, and offers workshops and retreats. Since April 2016, she is happily married with Stanislav Grof and they have conducted seminars and Holotropic Breathwork workshops in China, Chile, Argentina, Equator, Peru, France, Austria, Switzerland, and Czech Republic. The Grofs live alternately in California and Germany, and they also travel and work together worldwide.

Diane Haug, M.A., LPCC, is a licensed therapist and senior member of the Grof Transpersonal Training staff. Her background includes a decade of working with adults and children dealing with life-threatening and terminal illness. Since completing the Grof’s first three-year training program in the 1980’s, Diane has been involved with the international Holotropic Breathwork community offering training events in South America, China, Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Slovenia and Mexico. She has developed GTT training modules including Shamanism: An Exploration of Traditional Wisdom; The Art of Integration; Living with Dying; The World Within: Jung’s Red Book; and The Psychedelic Experience: Promises and Perils. Diane is an adjunct faculty member of the CIIS Center for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research (San Francisco, California), Southwestern College (Santa Fe, New Mexico) and the Academy for the Love of Learning (Santa Fe, New Mexico). She also served on the staff for MAPS’ MDMA Therapy Training Programs in March / April 2017.

All proceeds support MAPS’ non-profit psychedelic and medical marijuana research.

For more information, please contact the MAPS office at (831) 429-6362 or events@maps.org.

Where is the event located?

This event is hosted at the San Francisco Scottish Rite Center, located at 2850 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132.

What time is the event happening?

This event will take place on Sunday, August 11, 2019. Doors to the reception open at 5:00 PM for those purchasing the $200 ticket. Doors open at 6:30 PM for all other attendees.

When does registration close?

Tickets will be available for purchase online until 48 hours prior to the event or until tickets are sold out. Tickets may be available at the door. Space is limited and interested parties are encouraged to buy tickets promptly to secure attendance.

Is there parking at the venue?

Limited parking spaces are available in the venue parking lot and on the surrounding streets. Attendees are encouraged to carpool or utilize taxi services to ease transit.

Where is the book available?

Guests who purchased the $80 or $200 ticket can pick up their two-volume set of The Way of the Psychonaut at the event where Stan Grof will have limited availability for signings. Copies of the book will also be available for purchase onsite at the event. Those not attending the event may pre-order the book from the MAPS online store.

What is the cancellation/refund policy?

Refund requests will be accepted until 2 business days prior to the event. All refunds require a 3% processing fee. Please allow 5-10 business days to process your refund. To request a refund, send your email registration receipt to events@maps.org along with your name, email address you used to register, and the reason for your refund request.

Is my ticket purchase tax-deductible?

A portion of ticket prices may be tax-deductible. Please contact giving@maps.org for details.

Are there volunteer opportunities for this event?

Yes, a limited number of volunteer opportunities are available for this event. Please fill out or update your information on the MAPS volunteer form.

Still have questions?

Please write to us at events@maps.org.