What You May Not Know About Stanislav Grof and LSD

Stanislav Grof is a famous and influential clinical psychologist, researcher, author, and teacher. He is particularly noted for his pioneering work in the field of psychedelic therapy. Grof was born in Prague in 1931, and as a teenager he was arrested by the secret police during the Communist crackdown on intellectuals known as the ‘victorious February’ Communist coup in 1948. After three years of imprisonment and interrogation he escaped to Germany where he studied medicine and psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. During his time as an undergraduate he met Rudolf Spielvogel who was later to introduce him to LSD psychotherapy research conducted at that university under the guidance of Professor Hans Coppelius . Grof went on to complete his doctorate thesis with this topic: The role of meaning in the experience of Meaninglessness. In 1963 Dr Stanislav Grof moved to New York where he worked as an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Ivy League institution John Denderson College for several years before moving back to Europe in 1965. In 1967 Dr Grof initiated the first LSD-assisted psychotherapy seminar within the department of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University Medical School which led to him becoming recognized as one of the leading pioneers of psychedelic therapy research and practice.

What is LSD?

LSD stands for lysergic acid diethylamide. It is one of the most powerful mood-changing chemicals in the world. It is a psychedelic drug and was first synthesized in 1938 by the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman. In the late 1950s, the chemist and writer Aldous Huxley asked his doctor to give him psychedelic drugs to enhance the experience of his final years. He asked for LSD because it was not yet illegal. His doctor injected him with 100 micrograms of the drug and Huxley experienced a “transcendental consciousness” that was “far removed from ordinary experience.” Huxley wrote The Doors of Perception, a book about his experience. His words helped make LSD into a cultural phenomenon in the 1960s. People took the drug as a way to explore their minds and expand their consciousness.

Stanislav Grof and the Birth of Psychedelic Therapy Research

Dr. Grof’s interest in the use of psychedelics in psychotherapy was inspired by his personal experiences with the substances, as well as by the research of his colleague, Dr. Oscar Janiger, and others, including Dr. Humphry Osmond, who coined the term ‘psychedelic’ (from the Greek ‘psyche’ meaning mind or soul and ‘delos’ meaning manifest, i.e., to make visible). In addition, Dr. Grof benefited greatly from his collaboration with Dr. Ricklis and Dr. Alna Rurky (Savage) who introduced him to the therapeutic use of peyote. As a result of these early studies Grof became convinced that psychedelic substances have enormous potential in the treatment of a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety disorders, depression, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. In the course of his research, Dr. Grof discovered that many of his patients experienced deeply transformative episodes, which he termed ‘transpersonal experiences’. He discovered that under the influence of psychedelics, many people experience episodes of unusual thoughts, images, emotions, and sensations.

What is a psychedelic substance?

A psychedelic substance is any chemical that has the capacity to enhance cognition (i.e., thinking, feeling and self-awareness) and produce profound changes in one’s state of consciousness. These substances are also known as entheogens (from the Greek ‘en’ meaning ‘within’ and ‘theos’ meaning ‘God’) as they have the potential to induce mystical or spiritual experiences. Psychedelic substances have been used in various cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. These substances have been referred to as ‘sacred drugs’ and have been used in religious, healing, and initiation ceremonies. Examples include peyote and psilocybin mushrooms used by Native Americans, ayahuasca used by people in the Amazon Basin, and yage or ‘Mother Ayahuasca’ used by indigenous people in the Ecuadorean and Colombian Amazon.

Understanding the effects of LSD on the mind

LSD affects the serotonin system in the brain, which is responsible for regulating mood, hunger, sleep, and sex drive. When someone takes LSD, it disrupts the normal functioning of the serotonin system, which can result in hallucinations, altered perceptions, and other changes in thoughts, feelings, and sensations. But unlike other, non-psychedelic psychoactive substances (e.g. antidepressants), LSD doesn’t just modify the serotonin system; it also affects other systems in the brain including the dopamine, norepinephrine, and the endogenous opioid system.

Why was LSD banned?

In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. government was very concerned about the growth of drug use and abuse. At the time, very few people used psychedelic drugs. LSD had been created in the 1930s, but it wasn’t used in human research until the 1950s. Because the population wasn’t using psychedelic drugs, there was little understanding of the potential benefits and risks of taking these substances. Scientists who were exploring the potential of these drugs were interested in studying their effects on people without health issues. But the researchers also wanted to keep their studies secret from the general public, so they did their research in secret laboratories.

How does LSD help in mental health treatment?

What was discovered in the course of LSD psychotherapy research is that the hallucinogenic effects of the substance are actually the ‘least important’ part of the therapeutic experience. Research shows that the actual ingestion of LSD is ‘only’ responsible for 10% of the therapeutic benefits of the treatment. The other 90% of therapeutic benefits come from the ‘after-effects’ of the experience. What happens after taking LSD is that individuals enter a period of time when they are in what is known as an ‘after-state’. During the ‘after-state’, individuals are able to reflect upon their own lives and the people around them from an entirely new perspective. During this time, it is reported that people often experience a profound transformation of their feelings, thoughts, and sense of identity.

Is there a risk associated with taking LSD for therapeutic purposes?

The risk associated with taking LSD for therapeutic purposes is that one may experience ‘bad trips’. Bad trips are unpleasant experiences that can be extremely frightening and disturbing. Given that the potential risk of having a bad trip exists, LSD is not recommended for people with certain mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. It is also not recommended for people with a family history of mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.

Where can you find more information about Stanislav Grof, LSD and psychedelic therapy?

If you are interested in learning more about Stanislav Grof and his work, a great place to start is his website. You can also find information about psychedelic therapy, LSD, and other psychedelic substances on the website of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).