SPEAKERS

Ketamine, classified as a dissociative anesthetic and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist, was discovered in the 1960’s and used primarily in surgical anesthesia. As use increased, surgeons and anesthesiologists began noticing “emergence phenomena”, described as an “unwanted” side effect of the medicine and involving reports of non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC) such as out-of-body and near-death experiences. On the other hand, famed Mexican psychiatrist Salvador Roquet, described these phenomena instead as the “principal fascinating effect” of ketamine.

Interest in the use of ketamine for psychiatric indications has grown steadily since Zarate and team published their article in 2006. In March 2019, Janssen received FDA approval for esketamine (brand name Spravato) for treatment of depression, which is bringing more interest to the field and greater acceptance of this extraordinary medicine.

There is a growing body of evidence that this unique medicine is not only extremely safe and effective but can produce real and lasting changes in the mood, perceptions, and behaviors of depressed patients.

When used in a safe and supportive setting, ketamine has the potential to elicit profound transpersonal experiences and non-ordinary states of consciousness and is currently the only psychedelic substance that can legally be administered in a clinical setting. We will discuss our clinical observations in our ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) practice and provide case examples to illustrate elements of therapeutic change. It is our belief that healing and transformation happens through direct experience and we will highlight the unique qualities of experiential learning observed in KAP session.