MARINA A. SMIRNOVA, PhD

Saybrook University, Department of Humanistic and Clinical Psychology, Faculty Member

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My name is Marina A. Smirnova. I was born on Sakhalin Island (the Far East of Russia), and, well over twenty years ago, I made the U.S.A. my home. My journey has been enriched by earning a Bachelor degree in Music Education (Minsk State Pedagogical University, 1996), a Master of Arts degree in Counseling (Central Michigan University, 2003), and a PhD degree in Psychology, with Transpersonal Psychology Concentration (Sofia University, formerly Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, 2013).

I started my teaching path at the age of 18 as a K-12 music teacher. In 2013, I began my contribution to Saybrook University. In 2016, I became an Assistant Program Director for the Department of Humanistic and Clinical Psychology; in 2017-an Interim Psychology Chair. Currently, as a core faculty member of the Department of Humanistic Psychology at Saybrook, I serve as a Full Professor of Psychology and Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health (CSIH) Specialization Director. I am a recipient of two recent Saybrook University awards: Presidential Award for Excellence (November 2021) and Exemplary Humanistic Educator Award (August 2024). My interests are deeply humanistic and transpersonal in nature. Outside of the halls of academia, I help adults to fully integrate their deeply evocative dreams, potent visionary journeys, and reality-shattering UFO /ET /Alien encounters. I support them transpersonally in their quests for spiritual vitality, fulfillment, vibrant longevity, soulful sovereignty, and ascension.

I have a deep sense of appreciation for contemplative spirituality, mystical and esoteric traditions, and contemplative practices, and my current overarching focus is on exploring, potentiating, and integrating Exceptional Experiences (EEs) and Exceptional Human Experiences (EHEs), in general, and reality-shattering UFO /ET /Alien encounters, in particular. My heart-centered art and interests include: (1) intuitive spiritual support and guidance; (2) transpersonal ways of knowing, embodiment, ascension mentoring, and spiritual consultation; (3) extreme, deeply evocative, and visionary transpersonal states; (4) John E. Mack's transpersonal research on UFO / ET /Alien encounters and human transformation; (5) Stan Grof's expanded cartography of the psyche, holotropic states of consciousness, and Holotropic Breathwork; (6) C.G. Jung's transpersonal legacy, Joe Campbell's heroic journey, and James Hillman's acorn theory; (7) mythology and personal mythology, dreamwork, guided imagery, and alchemy of ascension; (8) consciousness calibration work by David R. Hawkins, (9) the biology of personal empowerment by Bruce H. Lipton; (10) Enneagram; (11) Gene Keys and Dream Arc (by Richard Rudd); (12) indigenous traditions and heart-centered spirituality; and (13) other embodied spiritual approaches that engage inner resources to optimize soulful sovereignty, fulfillment, vibrant longevity, joy, and ascension.

My son is a decorated U.S. Army Veteran. I live and create in Sedona, Arizona.

With Many Blessings and Joy of Joys,

Marina

Marina A. Smirnova, PhD

ASCENSIONORACLE.COM

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Papers by MARINA A. SMIRNOVA, PhD

ARTICLE by Marina A. Smirnova--"A Twenty-Year Retrospective and Tribute: Transpersonal Bestowals and Legacy of John E. Mack, M.D. October 4, 1929--September 27, 2004," the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology (JTP), 2024, 56(1).

The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 2024

BOOK CHAPTER by Marina A. Smirnova--"Holistic Benefits of Clinical Hypnosis;" Published in the Book "Holistic Treatment in Mental Health: A Handbook of Practitioners' Perspectives" edited by Cheryl L. Fracasso, Stanley Krippner, and Harris L. Friedman

McFarland, 2020

Since the time of Franz anton Mesmer, hypnosis has been igniting powerful fascination, galvanizin... more Since the time of Franz anton Mesmer, hypnosis has been igniting powerful fascination, galvanizing evocative reactions and responses, and inspiring disciplined theoretical, practical, and research inquiries and pursuits. "Hypnosis can reasonably be considered the original 'positive psychology'" (Yapko, 2008, p. 564) because those who apply it do so "with a firm belief that people have more resources than they consciously realize, and that hypnosis can help bring these resources to the fore" (p. 564). Paradoxically and unsurprisingly, until this very day, mental health and medical professionals, practitioners, and researchers continue to investigate, to unearth, to gain insight into, and to imbue with meaning the various layers comprising, arising out of, and surrounding hypnosis and multifaceted hypnotic phenomena. Being effectively "caught" and/or, in some ways, invited or summoned by the field of clinical or therapeutic hypnosis, propels the clinicians, practitioners, and researchers toward meaningful advances and pathways toward facilitating healing, health, and wholeness. Such pathways continue to honor the individual's fullness of being (mind-body-psyche-spirit), highlighting embodied, wholeness-oriented avenues toward health. at the very beginning of this essay about hypnosis, it is of essence to invite the reader to contemplate perceived and also factual differences between (a) stage hypnosis and stage/lay hypnotists (who, with some degree of proximity, are familiar to many) and (b) clinical hypnosis and licensed mental health/medical professionals, who hold respective professional degrees and also certification in clinical hypnosis. the sole purpose of stage hypnosis is amusement and/or entertainment, often at the expense of the hypnotic subject who agrees to participate in the stage hypnosis exercise. Unfortunately, (a) "there are very few restrictions placed on who can legally practice hypnosis" (Yapko, 2012, p. 219) and (b) "there are many nonprofessional programs that accept anyone who can afford the tuition as the sole entry criterion, and they provide their students with credentials and titles proclaiming their expertise" (p. 219). In contrast and by design, clinical hypnosis is facilitated by a licensed mental health/medical professional (who holds a graduate degree and is bound by the professional code of ethics) and serves solely therapeutic, healing aims (within therapeutic and/or medical settings and contexts, such as

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BOOK CHAPTER by Marina A. Smirnova--"Holotropic Breathwork in a Clinical Setting;" from the Book "Holistic Treatment in Mental Health: A Handbook of Practitioners' Perspectives" edited by Cheryl L. Fracasso, Stanley Krippner, and Harris L. Friedman

McFarland, 2020

is an experiential, deeply embodied biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to self-exploration, to ps... more is an experiential, deeply embodied biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to self-exploration, to psychospiritual growth and development, and to psychotherapy. It capitalizes upon, trusts, and engages the individuals' inner healing intelligence using a proper set, setting, and supportive context and container. to support the individuals' inner journey, Holotropic Breathwork makes use of circular, accelerated breathing of 124 evocative music; of focused body work that supports energetic and psycho-emotional release; and of creative expression . It is designed to harness and to galvanize the potentials of a particular sub-group of non-ordinary states of consciousness that can be described as holotropic states-states that offer support to individuals in their journeys towards healing, health, wellness, individuation, and wholeness . Holotropic Breathwork may be used by individuals who have some and/or extensive experience in navigating expanded states of consciousness, as well as by those who are new to the exploratory work that engages expanded states of consciousness. While Holotropic Breathwork shares some features with experiential approaches and therapies of humanistic psychology, the practice of Holotropic Breathwork cultivates holotropic states of consciousness-states of consciousness that differ qualitatively and may be distinguished from non-ordinary states of consciousness . Holotropic "literally translates as aiming for totality or moving toward wholeness (from the Greek holos = whole and trepein = moving in the direction of)" (Grof, 1988, p. 239). In contrast, hylotropic consciousness or matter-oriented consciousness, a state of mind, or a mode that is encountered as everyday consciousness and that allows individuals "to experience only the present moment and the present location ('here and now') in the phenomenal world of consensual reality" (Grof, 1988, p. 240). this is the mode of consciousness that Western psychology and psychiatry traditionally deems normal, proper, and permissible . Most importantly, however, "in contrast to the narrow and restricted hylotropic mode, the holotropic variety involves the experience of oneself as a

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BOOK REVIEW by Marina A. Smirnova--"Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof," edited by Richard Tarnas and Sean Kelly (2022)

The Humanistic Psychologist , 2022

As a Festschrift of thoughtfully crafted interdisciplinary essays, Psyche Unbound: Essays in Hono... more As a Festschrift of thoughtfully crafted interdisciplinary essays, Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof is a substantive hardcopy volume, which embraces, honors, and celebrates Stanislav Grof's transpersonal legacy-his psychedelic-and-breathwork magnum opus that stretches over six decades-as well as his 90th birthday. An aesthetically tuned, jubilant, and notably mythopoetic cover of this text is imbued with a mandala of Phoenix rising (a splendid, golden-crimson illustration completed by Grof himself), and the text itself opens with a Foreword by Rick Doblin (pp. ix-xi) and a thorough Introduction (xiii-xxvi) by Richard Tarnas and Sean Kelly. At the core of this volume are the vibrant voices-offerings of 19 contributing scholar-practitioners (including that of the editors), whose paths and professional journeys have been inspired; galvanized; informed; transformed; and, in some instances, simply restored and redeemed by Grof's sui generis, sustaining, and life-affirming transpersonal presence-and-lifework. The volume's organization is informed by the fact that its chapters not only reflect upon a wide range of highly disciplined and interdisciplinary transpersonal knowing, inquiry, and applications, but also, and importantly so, link together a memorable penned recognition of Grof's paradigm-shifting work that began half a century ago. The 19 chapters are thoughtfully arranged as three thematically clustered sections. Section I: Early Witnesses and Allies (pp. 3-117) opens the volume, offering essays by

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