Importance of The Birth Process
One aspect of Grof's extensive theory is the belief that there is a connection between a person's life experiences and experiences in the birth process. In his book The Holotropic Mind, Grof (1992) separated this process into four stages known as the Perinatal Matrices:
- Amniotic Universe — The womb. The only world that life knows at this point. Blissful feelings of peace and joy, in a healthy womb.
- Cosmic Engulfment; No Exit — Equilibrium disturbed; contractions begin. Unbearable feeling of being stuck in hell with no way of escaping.
- Death versus Rebirth Struggle — Second clinical stage of childbirth; intense struggle for survival.
- Death versus Rebirth Experience — The child is born. Intense ecstatic feelings of liberation and love. New world begins.
Read more about this topic: Holotropic Breathwork
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