Birth and Awe

My doctoral research explores physiological birth as an experience of awe, initiation, altered consciousness, and the numinous. Through in-depth interviews, women described time dissolving, the self softening, and for some, an encounter with something mystical or sacred. In their own words, they speak of surrender, a kinship with everyone who has ever given birth, and a sense of embodied authority. The study closes with new ideas for postpartum care, including birth integration support modeled on the integration work that follows other expanded states, and asks what it would mean to tend these experiences with greater reverence and support.

You can access the abridged version of the research by entering your email below.