The experience of a ketamine infusion can be profound, but it usually isn’t, and it doesn’t have to be.
What does the ketamine Experience mean?
You might hope that your ketamine journey yields an epiphany of deep meaning and spiritual reflection. It might, but it usually doesn’t, and that’s ok.
As with any psychedelic medication, ketamine induces a kind of journey during each treatment. Most people describe the experience as ‘feeling floaty.’ For some patients, the experience may occasionally include visual components, or auditory components, or sensual components — like seeing colors, smelling familiar scents, or feeling some physical sensations. For others it may be a more inward experience. Your thoughts may be jumbled or dreamlike. The experience varies from person to person and from treatment to treatment.
We try to optimize the experience of a ketamine infusion to make it as comfortable as possible. We have adjustable chairs, private rooms, and uncluttered space. We encourage, and can provide, peaceful instrumental music. We work to set intentions and establish helpful thought patterns before a treatment.
Ketamine works well for many people regardless of the experience during a treatment — whether you are particularly comfortable or not, and regardless of how your thoughts come together, and regardless of whether you have a ‘good’ journey. If every patient had an amazing experience with an epiphany at the end, that would be wonderful! However, it is rarely the case, and the results of the treatments remain excellent across the patient population and their diverse experiences.
The benefits of ketamine seem to occur through blocking the NMDA receptor, creating a surge in brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) and a surge in glutamate, which causes growth of neural connections. The best information that we have suggests that ketamine works by promoting healthy neural activity — allowing, for instance, new and productive thinking and the ability to move past recursive thought patterns.
We know from research studies that the experience itself is not critical to good results. If the journey was the source of the greatest benefit from ketamine, we might notice those changes right after the ketamine infusion. However, its seems to take 3-12 hours for the benefits of ketamine to really lock in and to see changes in clinical depressive scores, both subjective and objective.
Setting an intention, meditating on it, and speaking with a professional before or after your infusion may help create the stage for an epiphany. You may be able to assemble experiences in to the form of coherent self-realization, or a breakthrough with issues you’ve been struggling with. However, this is rarely the case. The experience or journey of ketamine infusion is a lot like a dream-state at night — sometimes it means something, and sometimes it’s just a kind of Rorschach test where we can make meaning or not.
About Us
Wells Medicine is a Houston-based practice designed to provide meaningful care for mental health. Providing targeted interventional treatments for Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD and other conditions, with Ketamine Treatments, Stellate Ganglion Blocks, TMS, and Nitrous-Oxide Treatments. Focused on comprehensive care and integration with Psychiatry, Psychology, and Support Services. We are evidence-based, patient-focused and mission-driven.
The content here is for informational purposes and should not be relied upon for medical decisions. For the details of your specific medical conditions and treatments consult your doctors or other qualified healthcare professionals.
