Ketamine / Entheogens

There is no ideal term to describe consciousness altering medicines, whether natural or synthetic. We are most comfortable with the terms Psychedelic and Entheogen, despite the potential for stigma or confusion over definitions. And we prefer the term Entheogen with the understanding that consciousness shifting medicines are used: with the intention of alleviating distressing emotional, mental, and physical symptoms; with guidance from trained professionals; and without a requirement of spiritual or religious context. 

Ketamine is the only current, legal, psychedelic medicine or entheogen in the United States. The negative stigma of psychedelics comes from decades of recreational use, and misclassification of most psychedelics as having no medical benefit. The research clearly states otherwise, and new research supports the likelihood that other psychedelic medicines will be legal in the next 3-5 years (MDMA and then Psilocybin).

Ketamine is used regularly as an anesthetic for animals, children, and elderly, as it does not lower the heart rate and breathing rate, and it is short acting. It is used in most surgical settings requiring an anesthesiologist. At lower doses, Ketamine is highly effective for helping individuals with treatment resistant depression, at risk for self-harm/suicide, or a number of other symptoms and diagnoses. At higher doses it has dissociative qualities that do not appeal to every individual, but for those willing to take a higher dissociative, and psychedelic/entheogenic, dose the experience may lend itself to feeling more in touch, and accepting, of the mysteries of life, while improving outcomes for the same issues above.

While many medications and chemicals have the potential for recreational abuse, and potential for addiction, at Heartmind Medicine we screen for those with addiction challenges, and provide medication in a manner least likely to cause adverse events.