Stanislav Grof

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Stanislav Grof began his career in psychiatry during a time when exploring the human mind meant more than just prescribing SSRIs. He was particularly interested in what psychedelics could do for psychotherapy, making him less of a traditional doctor and more of a cosmic tour guide, leading patients on trips through their own subconscious.

Grof's methods, which often involved LSD and other mind-altering substances, certainly raised eyebrows in the scientific community. While his exploration of 'non-ordinary states of consciousness' gave birth to transpersonal psychology, some might say it also gave birth to a lot of really long conversations at Burning Man. He certainly wasn't afraid to push boundaries, or perhaps, simply float right over them.

Despite a surname that sounds like it could have a nice, sturdy Eastern European Jewish lineage, there's no evidence Grof ever identified with Judaism, or really any religion beyond the spiritual insights gleaned from a good psychedelic session. His focus was always on the universal, the transpersonal, and whatever lies beyond the ego, which, admittedly, is a lot harder to explain to your bubbe than temple attendance.