Back to NDE Page
Does Ketamine Produce NDEs?
Discussion of this topic can occur in the newsgroup alt.consciousness.near-death-exp
It is possible that Ketamine HCL (Ketalar, Vetalar, Ketaset) can induce NDEs. Dr. Karl Jansen has extensively researched this topic and links to his work can be found at the bottom of this page. The following is a summary of what I was able to find on the internet concerning Ketamine as related to NDEs.
Ketamine is an anaesthetic that is available only to physicians and is "scheduled" in several states. Since anaesthetizing levels of Ketamine "knock you out", the dose required to have an experience is 6 to 10 times smaller than what is given by veterinarians and physicians. "Ketamine is a prescription only medicine and so is not covered by the Misuse of Drugs
Act. This means that possession of ketamine is not a criminal offence. However, under the Medicines Act, unauthorised supply is illegal."
Tunnels, experiencing God (even if it is you) and oneness, meeting others, out-of-body experiences, life-changes (including "values"), sometimes frightening experiences, seeing the future, experiencing a true reality, believing that you have died, and experiencing things that words cannot describe are all common elements of Ketamine and NDE experiences.
The life-changing aspects of Ketamine are so strong that research in Russia claims that it is very effective in curing alcoholism, phobias, depression, and neuroses. Yale received approval to conduct a double-blind study to confirm the Russian research as it relates to alcoholism. The Russian researcher (Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky) has recently received $24,000 to study the effectiveness of Ketamine in curing heroin addicts.
Words from the Russian researcher Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky:
-
A dose of 50 mg (.7 mg/kg) induces a motion picture of colored images when eyes are closed. When eyes are open, ordinary reality remains but assumes an unusual air. Orientation is resolved. On 100-150 mg (1.4-2.1 mg/kg) ordinary reality disappears even when eyes opened. Perceptions of one's own body also disappear. The subject discovers himself as a point of consciousness which moves in very strange worlds yet the feeling of self remains. On doses higher than 150 mg (2.1 mg/kg) intramuscularly, the feeling of individual self dissolves. The process of losing one's individuality can be horrifying and felt as a real death. If the subject can relax and let go, this process may be ecstatic. After the loss of the feeling of one's individual self, the experience is indescribable. There exists only "That which is aware of Itself."
- The changes in the Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) after Ketamine Psychedelic Therapy (KPT) session testified to positive
personality changes. Changes in the Color Test of Attitudes after KPT testified to a
positive transformation of the unconscious emotional attitudes of our alcoholic patients
towards themselves and their significant others. Changes in our Spirituality Scale
testified to a significant increase in the level of spiritual development after the ketamine
session. All these psychological changes favored sober life. As a rule, we also
observed positive transformations in our patients' systems of life values, purpose and
meaning, but these changes had not been previously measured quantitatively with
psychological tests. Clinical impressions and indirect evidence from the Spirituality
Scale suggested these changes, but not a rigorous scientific proof.
Words from other Ketamine experiencers:
These comments were taken out of context, but it gives you a sense of how similar the experiences can be. I complained to Dr. Karl Jansen (the only researcher I am aware of that is concerned specifically with Ketamine as it relates to NDEs) that the Ketamine experiences have similar qualities, but my overall impression is that they are not as profound and centered on love. He replied that the setting of the experience makes a lot of difference. Taking a recreational drug in your house is much different from being in a hospital or other sudden situation where you may be in pain or afraid that you are about to die. I agree with Dr. Jansen on this point. Here are the excerpts:
-
Looooooovvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee, Reeeaaaalllliiiiittttyyyyyyyy,
Hoooommmmmeeeee.
I was God, I saw light and warmth. This is Home. Sooo familiar, where we
belong. Where we go. Everything is perfect, no words, just basic feeling. Love, Reality, Home. This was about the only words that I could bring back. Really no words there, but strong feelings. I Knew I was God and that I wasn't a little while before, but didn't have any idea what I was before. I was completely calm and comfortable, it was Home. Perfect. I wasn't alone either.
- (buzzing occured) Most of the time I felt like a
pure light that could flow like lava and make sweet
guitar-distortion sounds, I was burning very bright. I
could just "be" in this state, it felt beautiful. Other times
I would have conscious thoughts, I would note that I felt
godlike, I would love myself, it was great. When I'd
think of my friends I'd feel very warm, but the couple
times I tried explaining to them how I was feeling (I had
to get up and piss quite a few times, was still dizzy), I
felt the words totally inadequate, and I'd lose the
feeling.
- (Buzzing occured)Tunnel
vision and a feeling of 'being deep inside your own
body' occurs.
- . . .reality
as we normally experience it had crumbled into a
different form. It was as though the world broke up,
revealing another dimension. The subject was there,
and not there at the same time - there was no apparent
boundary between the subject and object - the world
and I became one. . . . Although it was certainly an extreme experience, it was
fundamentally unsatisfying. No real insight into the
world, or even the experience were gained,
- Bubbles, bouncing babies and bubbles, she kept
saying.
I can't feel my body anymore except this overriding
general fuzziness. The lines on the cieling become a
tunnel and I am flying down it faster than sound
approaching the speed of light.....
Oh no, the tunnel takes a big dive downwards! I am
facing straight down this big tunnel and I am falling. . . .
Now there are rules. I can see them all. I am outside my
room looking down at us and I know all the rules. There
is so much going on outside of us. Other people, other
rules, other things, that we are not allowed to see in
the day to day. More knowledge. Who is next to me.
What is next to me. I know it is something important. I
say who is there.
- One friend of mine
who took it thought he had died, but he wasn't
frightened or upset by this at all, which should give you
some indication of just how weird things can get.
- It sort of dissociates you from your live. I
drifted trough worlds of other dimensions from inside
the cosmos towards the outside of the circular thing
which is called the universe.(Sounds strange, but that
is what I felt) I also had the feeling that I have learned a
lot of spiritual things. It is perhaps truth, there was not
especially much fun. But I was satisfied and content as
I would be after a long adventure holiday.
- I realized then that I didn't travel between theses two
worlds but only shifted my attention in a different
direction. I always was and probably always will be in
this world I found there, but living different lives I will
enter different 'simulations'.
I floated back with a peaceful and content feeling. I felt
that I had experienced something good, something
special. I was slowly entering my body, like putting on a
garment: legs first, then arms, chest, head. At the same
time, my sight and hearing returned as I was shifting
my attention to these senses. Everything felt a bit
unreal at first, but this went away after a while.
This experience felt to me as real as
anything I know from this world. Now, 3 Months later
this hasn't changed. I consider this level possibly
dangerous for unexperienced users, because of the
strong impact it has on your life. In my case,
experiencing reality as 'just a game' could have easily
driven me into suicide, if I wasn't happy with this life.
- They have been reported as
spending a great deal of time analysing conversations that they
have held with the various Ketamine entities. These beings offer
great insights into life, the universe and everything. In the words
of one such traveller into the realm of the hyper-real, "It is no
great accomplishment to hear a voice in the head. The
accomplishment is to make sure that it is telling you the truth."
How Dangerous is Ketamine?
Although most of the comments on this page about Ketamine are positive, and it is routinely used as an anaesthetic in much larger doses, Ketamine is not a safe drug. For example, you can pass out, vomit, and suffocate. Depending on your source, you may not know how large a dose your are taking. If I understand some of the user's comments correctly, it seems that Ketamine may produce substantially negative and long-lasting psychological effects, bringing to mind fears of LSD trips that can ruin your life. Here are some of the negative comments I was able to find about Ketamine:
- "People who have taken the drug report a range of effects from the unpleasant, to the downright dangerous. Reports from
America offer numerous examples of users who get trapped in
repeated, compulsive administration of the drug giving rise to
incidents usually associated with bad acid trips, with people
believing that they can fly or attempting to get out of moving
vehicles. Others have suffered paranoia or severe delusional
states. In the last few months, it has been increasingly evident
that such incidents are no longer limited to the USA. Having the
Ketamine entities lie to us may be the least of our worries.
- In fact, though I may
be wrong on this, I would consider such an adventure
to be a high risk one. Please be careful.
- Not a bad idea to have a straight person
around while you're doing it, especially if there are
open flames nearby or anything like that. Like I said,
you'll be very out of it.
- After my
experience with ketamine, I was advised, and agreed,
to take a semester off from school. I was warned that I
might experience flashbacks. I did not.
I awoke from the anaesthesia to the the most petrifying,
unpleasant experience of my life. I experienced
hallucinations that were beyond description. I, also,
experienced severe memory loss ... I was unable to
recognize family and friends. I was, also, very anxious
and restless. I said things that made no sense.
According to the attending anaesthesiologist, I was
"insane" for five days. The attending, later, went to NIH
to brief the doctors, there, of my reaction.
My family and I were later told that my reaction was
worse than the norm, but certainly not atypical. I have
always been surprised that this drug is still available,
but I understand it does have positive pediatric and vet.
uses.
As a result of my experience,
though, I would would certainly wonder why anyone
would wish to experiment with ketamine. That is only
one persons opinion, though.
- I consider this level possibly
dangerous for unexperienced users, because of the
strong impact it has on your life. In my case,
experiencing reality as 'just a game' could have easily
driven me into suicide, if I wasn't happy with this life.
"It is significant that 30 percent of normal subjects given ketamine
insisted that they had not been dreaming or hallucinating, but that the
events had really happened."
Ketamine Pages related to the NDE
Major Ketamine Sites