"The biggest takeaway for me wasn't leaving my body. It was realizing who I really am."

For many people, the path to exploring consciousness begins with curiosity. For Monroe trainer Jorge Golvano, it began with a life-changing experience that completely reshaped how he understood reality.

"All my life, I had this feeling that there was more," he says. "But I never really went looking for it."

That changed in 2020 after the unexpected loss of his wife. While navigating grief, Jorge had a spontaneous out-of-body experience that became a turning point in his life.

"I saw my wife, and when I woke up that morning, my whole view of the world had changed. I understood that we're not trapped in this body. We're something more."

That single experience sparked a journey that continues today.

"I think I'll be on this path for the rest of my physical life."

As he searched for answers, Jorge discovered the Monroe Institute. He was immediately drawn to its practical approach to exploring consciousness.

"What I loved was that Monroe doesn't ask you to believe anything. It gives you the tools to discover it for yourself."

From Student to Trainer

Jorge first connected with Monroe through a local community group in Australia. During the pandemic, those monthly online meetings became an opportunity to connect with others who were asking the same questions.

Eventually, he stepped into a leadership role as a Community Group Leader and Outreach Trainer, helping others begin their own exploration.

One of the things he values most is creating a space where people realize they aren't alone.

"For many people, it's the first time they've been able to talk openly about these experiences," he says. "Finding like-minded people is incredibly important."

Although Australia has a growing interest in consciousness exploration, its vast geography makes building in-person communities challenging. Even so, participants regularly travel across the country to attend Jorge's workshops.

"Some people fly six hours just to be here."

Experience Over Belief

Ask Jorge what makes Monroe different, and his answer comes quickly.

"It's all about direct experience."

Rather than telling participants what they should believe or what they should experience, Monroe encourages each person to explore consciousness firsthand.

"We're not telling you what you're going to experience. We're giving you the tools. Then you go and have your own experience."

That philosophy resonates deeply with him.

"You can watch a thousand videos about someone else's experiences," he says. "But when you have your own, everything changes."

He often references one of Robert Monroe's central ideas: transforming belief into knowing through personal experience.

"When it's your experience, you know."

Small Steps Can Create Big Changes

At a recent Exploring Consciousness workshop in Australia, Jorge welcomed participants from a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels.

Some arrived with little knowledge of consciousness exploration, while others had spent years reading about these concepts but had never experienced Monroe's methods firsthand. Despite their different starting points, everyone left with something meaningful.

"I always tell people, 'I don't know what you're going to get out of this, but you're going to have an experience.'"

The workshop introduces participants to Focus 10 and Focus 12 while providing practical consciousness tools they can use well beyond the program itself.

"We give them tools they can use every day," Jorge says. "Many people come back later and tell me how they've applied them in their daily lives."

For many attendees, the greatest takeaway isn't simply learning new concepts. It's discovering that expanded states of consciousness can have a meaningful impact on everyday life.

"They realize that being more than a physical body isn't just an interesting idea," Jorge says. "It's something that can help you live your life."

There Is No Right or Wrong Experience

One concern Jorge hears often comes from participants who worry they're "doing it wrong."

His answer is always the same.

"There is no wrong way."

Every person's experience is unique, and that's exactly how it should be.

Another common question involves "clicking out," when participants briefly lose conscious awareness during an exercise.

Rather than viewing it as failure, Jorge encourages people to trust the process.

"Maybe that's exactly what your body needed."

He reminds participants that Monroe's exercises continue working even when they don't consciously remember every moment.

Why Monroe Sound Science® Matters

Jorge has also watched countless newcomers discover the difference Monroe Sound Science® can make.

Many arrive believing they can't meditate.

"They tell me, 'My mind never stops. I can't do it.'"

Instead of framing the exercises as meditation, Jorge encourages participants to simply allow the sound technology to guide them.

"By the third exercise, they're amazed. They realize they actually can do it."

For him, that's one of the greatest strengths of Monroe's approach: meeting people where they are and helping them discover what's possible through their own experience.

More Than an Out-of-Body Experience

Although Jorge's own journey began with an out-of-body experience, he emphasizes that extraordinary experiences aren't the goal.

"People often ask if I've had out-of-body experiences," he says. "I have, but that's not the most important thing."

What matters most is how those experiences deepen self-understanding and inspire personal growth.

"The biggest takeaway for me wasn't leaving my body. It was realizing who I really am."

That realization continues to shape every part of his life.

"I've become more comfortable with myself. I listen to my deeper self, and I understand that we're all connected."

Each program leaves him with a lasting sense of peace.

"Every time I attend a Monroe program, or even teach one, I come away feeling that everything is right. Life is beautiful."

Looking Ahead

Jorge is now training to become a Residential Trainer, bringing Monroe's signature Gateway Voyage program to Australia for the first time.

His goal is simple: make these life-changing experiences more accessible for people who may not be able to travel internationally.

Looking back on everything he's experienced, the message he hopes people take away is remarkably simple.

"You are more than your physical body."

But he quickly adds an important distinction.

"I don't want you to believe me. I want you to discover it for yourself."

Because, as Jorge has learned through his own journey, the most meaningful answers don't come from reading a book or listening to someone else's story.

They come from direct experience.