I normally stick to the photo and writing corners of ‘Topia, but something quite interesting is going to be happening to a dear friend of mine. He is undergoing 6 sessions of psychedelic therapy using ketamine. The psychedelic therapy sessions will be monitored by appropriate healthcare professionals, and they will observe my friend’s state as he experiences controlled doses. From my understanding, he will be hooked up to monitors to record and brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.
I bring this to everyone here because, while I do believe it’s something he needs, he needs much guidance and preparation before he has his first session. And I’ve found many community members here to have great advice and guidance when it comes to many things—especially psychedelics. I have some questions for you guys. If you could take the time to answer one, two, or all of them, I’d greatly appreciate it. If you can’t answer the questions or don’t want to, please feel free to leave your thoughts about it here too. I want as many perspectives as possible to best guide my friend to a better quality of life.
1. If you’ve done ketamine, what physical, visual, emotional, or other sensational experiences stand out to you?
2. If you’ve done ketamine and other psychedelics, how does ketamine compare and/or contrast to the experience provided by other psychedelics?
3. If you’ve been the tripsitter, caretaker, or witness for someone else’s ketamine experience, what was that like? How did they act differently or similarly to their normal/sober status? Have they been different since?
4. Do you believe ketamine can only be therapeutic in a controlled, scientific environment? Do you think it possibly only increases the likelihood of good outcomes? Or do you think the experience is what you make out of it, regardless of healthcare supervision and observation?
5. Is there anything you would like me to pass on to my friend planning to undergo the therapy? To put it in context, he is a 21 y/o male who has been put through the shitter by life. He has many mental health issues that practically debilitate him at times. I’m keeping it vague because I’m sure he doesn’t want me airing his trauma out on the Internet. That’s also not entirely what this is about. The point is, he’s been through a lot, and I’d like to help him, but I haven’t done ketamine, so I’ve turned to the psychedelic sages on this magnificent forum
Again, thank you for your time, even if all you do is read this. I appreciate you. Also, attached you’ll find the picture he sent me to further elaborate on what he is either hoping to or expecting to experience. I think he googled “psychedelic ketamine therapy” and found a thread on Quora.
