The definition of “to grok” is to know something profoundly and experientially—well beyond mere intellectual understanding. To understand why we chose the name Groking Wholeness for our website, please consider the following essay.

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Humanity is now facing a global polycrisis: the simultaneous occurrence of a complex web of interconnected and interacting global threats, including environmental degradation, economic inequality, food insecurity, geopolitical conflict, and democratic erosion, among others. These issues are not isolated but interdependent; they amplify one another, making the overall situation far worse than the sum of its parts. Together, they threaten the stability and sustainability of the planet’s living ecosystems, including those that support humanity itself (see polycrisis for more information).

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At the same time, many public and private institutions appear more concerned with protecting the status quo. Some even do so by spreading misinformation or disinformation to support their objectives—often at the expense of the well-being of the populations they were created to serve. This is especially true of large multinationals that directly influence public health and well-being, and it extends even to the regulatory agencies meant to oversee them.

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Our religions, our social and cultural systems, laws, and ethics are all rooted in ancient wisdom, much of it developed millennia ago when our understanding of the world was far less sophisticated than it is now. In addition, our interpretations of reality are often shaped by information, habits and beliefs formed or acquired early in life—through societal norms and conditioning by authority figures such as parents, teachers, religious leaders, and politicians, as well as through personal experience. Many of these beliefs were formed before we had the capacity to evaluate them as beneficial or harmful let alone as factual. Given the rapid pace of change, global population growth, and the power of modern technology, outdated habits and fixed beliefs are not only inadequate but can also be deeply destructive.

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The prevailing materialist understanding of reality—particularly regarding the nature of consciousness—is increasingly being questioned and may be fundamentally flawed. The materialist view suggests that consciousness arises when brain complexity reaches a certain threshold. While this may sound reasonable, it remains an assumption unsupported by definitive evidence. Correlation between brain activity and mental experience does not prove causation, just as a circuit in a television does not create the program displayed on the screen. Materialist science has yet to demonstrate how consciousness arises from brain function, despite this being a core tenet of the materialist paradigm. One implication of the materialist view is that when the body dies, consciousness ceases and all memory and experience of a lifetime is lost as well.

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Recent research and evidence now emerging across multiple disciplines suggests an alternative: that consciousness does not originate in the brain. Instead, the brain may function more like a receiver or filter for a more fundamental, eternal transcendent consciousness.

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This perspective implies that we are all deeply interconnected—with one another, with all living beings, with the Earth, and with the entire universe. In this view, we are expressions of a single, unified field of Consciousness. Each of us can be understood as an aspect of a Universal Mind that underlies and supports all existence. From this standpoint, when the body dies, the memories and experiences of a lifetime do not vanish but reintegrate into a larger, Cosmic Consciousness.

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Throughout history, humanity has recorded experiences of non-ordinary states of consciousness. These transcendent states are described as existing far beyond ordinary awareness. They are often characterized as egoless, formless, unbounded in space and time, and infinite in awareness. Many traditions describe this state as the source of all thought, intuition, creativity, and even physical reality. It is often referred to as a mystical state, the ground of being, or the Source—sometimes equated with Universal or Cosmic Consciousness (or God).

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In such states, the individual sense of self and the perceived external world may dissolve, revealing what is experienced as a deeper or more fundamental reality. Individuals often report a direct awareness of identity as part of an infinite whole.

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People may enter transcendent states through various means: sudden transformative experiences (such as Near-Death Experiences), serious brain trauma, disciplined meditation practices, psychedelics, or trance-inducing activities like rhythmic dancing or chanting (see transcendence). These methods can quiet ordinary mental activity and allow awareness to expand beyond typical cognitive boundaries. Regardless of the method, the process involves transcending habitual patterns of thought and perception to access a state of pure awareness and Oneness.

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Those who undergo such experiences often report profound feelings of interconnectedness, unity, love, and bliss. Many describe a loss of the ordinary sense of self (ego dissolution), which can initially be unsettling. Beyond this, they may experience a sense of timelessness, boundlessness, and deep connection to a Universal or Divine Presence. These states are frequently described as ineffable—difficult or impossible to fully express in words.

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Transcendent experiences are also characterized by an expanded sense of knowing and intensified perceptions of time and space. Many describe them as “more real than real,” sometimes involving both awe and terror—the overwhelming vastness of infinity.

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Experiencing non-ordinary states of consciousness firsthand can profoundly shift one’s perception of reality. Those who have undergone such experiences often describe them as journeys into a deeper understanding of self and the universe. Groking Wholeness offers workshops designed to facilitate these experiences (see Eagle’s Eye Experience).

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The Eagle’s Eye workshop facilitators are licensed practitioners who use safe and legal methods to guide participants into non-ordinary states of consciousness within a supervised setting. Techniques may include the use of ketamine, holotropic breathwork, hypnosis, deep meditation, and related practices.

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Meaningful change in our world begins with internal transformation. The transformative effect of changing oneself is a prerequisite to altering one’s surroundings and society in a positive way because personal growth creates the foundation for the broader impact. To impact society, global issues, or one’s environment, one must first work on their own mindset, habits, beliefs and behaviors. This process involves:

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• Shifting one’s thinking to envision a more complete view  and understanding of reality

• Adopting new mindsets and identities aligned with the change one wishes to see.

• Taking concrete actions to embody and integrate those changes in daily life.​

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​The threats we face in the 21st century are real but also present a great opportunity to move from entropy (chaos: disorder/ deterioration and destruction of civilization) to one of syntropy (emergence; harmony, love, equity and a flourishing of civilization). When we do this, we will evolve to a high state of being which we refer to as the evolution to Homo Noeticus.

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​The Groking Wholeness website, its affiliated YouTube channel (@grokingwholeness) , its educational outreach via online classes, its Eagle's Eye Workshops and its monthly newsletter are our small contributions to pointing the way to a better future and to a better understanding of reality. ​By fostering awareness, supporting conscious choices, and informing and empowering individuals, we can play a part, however small, in shaping a more harmonious, equitable, just, and sustainable world for all of humanity, and for the other beings with whom we share this beautiful planet. Humanity has never needed a shift in consciousness more than we do right now. 

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We also hope to increase awareness and inform people as to the eternal and everlasting nature of the fundamental aspect of our consciousness, our interconnectedness, our divinity and all that they imply. Please visit the major sections of our website to learn more. If what you see resonates with you please subscribe to receive our newsletters. Also please visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel: