The 4 Types of Non-Ordinary Experiences Your Ketamine Patients Can Have
When providing IV ketamine infusions to your patients, you may already be well-aware that ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic. But it is important to know that there are different types of experiences that your patient can have during the treatment. It’s your job as the doctor to be aware of what these experiences or “states” are so that you can take care of your patients better.
Your patients may be wondering what the role of dissociative experiences is in order for them to get better. It is your job as their doctor to walk them through this and make them understand.
Why “Trip” Your Patients?
Your patients may want to know why these dissociative experiences are so important in treating depression, other mood disorders and chronic pain. A study by Lukenbaugh et al, demonstrated people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) had a more robust and sustained antidepressant effect in those who experienced dissociation during the infusion.
This dissociative experience during ketamine is also known as a “ketamine-induced non-ordinary state of consciousness.” Depending on the amount of ketamine given, the set and setting of the ketamine administration, and the mindset of the patient who is being treated, there are 4 types of non-ordinary experiences your ketamine patients can have.
According to Dr. Eli Kolp, there are 4 types of ketamine-induced states that the patient may experience during the treatment.
The 4 Types of Ketamine-Induced States
According to a study by Dr. Eli Kolp, et al., there are 4 types of experiences or “states"
EMPATHOGENIC EXPERIENCE
Awareness of body
Comfort and relaxation
Reduced ego defenses
Empathy, compassion, and warmth
Love and peace
Euphoria
Mind is dreamy with non-specific colorful visual effects
OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE (OBE)
Complete separation from one’s body
Significantly diminished ego defenses
Visits to mythological realms of consciousness
Encounters with non-terrestrial beings
Emotionally intense visions (e.g., deceased relatives, spirits)
Vivid dreams of past and future incarnations
Re-experiencing the birth process
NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE (NDE)
Departure from one’s body
Complete ego dissolution/loss of identity
Experienced physical (body) and psychological (mind) death
Experience being a single point of consciousness simply aware of itself
Reliving one’s life aware of how actions have affected others, with moral judgment of self
EGO-DISSOLVING TRANSCENDENTAL EXPERIENCE (EDT)
Ecstatic state of the dissolution of boundaries between the self and external reality
Complete dissolution of one’s body and self (soul)
Transcending normal mass/time/space continuum
Collective consciousness
Unity with Nature/Universe
Sacredness
Your role as the doctor to your ketamine patients is crucial in giving them a safe, supportive, and transformative experience during treatment.
You Set The Tone
Although the type of experience your patient will have depends on their mindset, you as the doctor also have a role to play in creating the right set and “setting” and determining the right dose. These 2 elements are very important and set the mood for the treatment.
We hope that you now have a deeper understanding of ketamine-induced non-ordinary state of consciousness.
If you want to know more about running a ketamine infusion clinic and creating the right environment for your patients, join our email list and be notified about the next free webinar and open registration for Ketamine StartUp.
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Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, so when you administer ketamine infusions, your patients will have non-ordinary experiences. In this blog post, we’ll talk about these 4 types of experiences which you should be aware of.
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