In this episode, we explore spiritual emergence, through the lens of transpersonal psychology, and holotropic states of being. I love how Jay points out the play on words between Spiritual Emergence and Spiritual Emergency. The initiation into our own spiritual awakening is about what is coming in and through us, and often this embodied experience can leave us with a sense of emergency/urgency of how to live from this new way.
In the mid-90s, Jay followed experiences of spiritual emergence into the experiential doctoral program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Until transitioning into his roles for Grof Legacy Project, Jay has primarily worked as a lawyer/mediator while teaching and supervising dissertation research in transpersonal psychology. Jay has assisted the facilitation of holotropic breathwork in the US, Canada, UK, India and China and is a certified Grof® Breathwork Facilitator. He will act as a Director and Secretary-Treasurer for the Project and is particularly interested in developing the research branch of Grof Legacy Project, including projects using the lens of archetypal astrology to examine correlations between nonordinary state experiences and indications from transit and natal charts. Jay currently divides his time between Helena, Montana, and Los Angeles. Along with colleagues, Jay will assist in the development of Grof® Breathwork workshops and Grof Legacy Project training opportunities in southern California and various other parts of the United States, as well as developing online programs in Stan's work.
Episode Resources:
- Upcoming classes with Grof Legacy Project: https://www.grof-legacy-project-usa.org/
- Book: Moving through Grief, Reconnecting with Nature by Jay Dufrechou - https://www.amazon.com/Moving-through-Reconnecting-Nature-Muswell/dp/1908995106
- Resources for spiritual emergency -
- Finding community (nature groups, yoga groups, healing groups)
- Spiritual emergence Network - http://www.spiritualemergence.org/
- Developing an internal sense of safety and trust
Welcome to the Raising Wholeness podcast. I’m Jenn Reilly, your host and guide on a journey of deepening into the full complexity and simplicity of our human experience. As a coach, mentor, and advocate for women’s rights, I’m passionate about supporting women—especially those navigating the shifts of motherhood and leadership—on their path to embodied wholeness.
Through my own transformative journey, catalyzed by early motherhood and postpartum, I’ve learned that true wholeness means embracing every part of ourselves: the strengths, the challenges, and everything in between. It’s about honoring our cycles, aligning with our unique design, and cultivating self-trust and support as we move through life.
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