Disregard Everything I Say

Dosage (insufflated)
Threshold : 10 - 15 mg
Light : 15 - 30 mg
Common : 30 - 75 mg
Strong : 60 - 125 mg
The K Hole : 100 - 250 mg

Duration (insufflated)
Onset : 5 - 15 minutes
Duration : 45 - 60 minutes
Normal After Effects : 1 - 3 hours

Dosage (oral)
Threshold : 40 - 50 mg
Light : 50 - 100 mg
Common : 75 - 300 mg
Strong : 200 - 450 mg
The K Hole : 500 + mg

Onset : 5 - 20 minutes (depending on stomach contents)
Duration : 90 minutes
Normal After Effects : 4 - 8 hours

Click here for a more comprehensive breakdown.

Ketamine is a hallucinogenic dissociative drug of the arylcyclohexylamine class of chemicals. It is used in human and veterinary medicine, primarily for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia (usually in combination with a sedative). Other uses include sedation and anestheticin intensive care (particularly in emergency medicine) and treatment of bronchospasm (a sudden constriction of the muscles in the walls of the lungs bronchioles).

This substance was originally developed as a medicine in 1965 as a derivative of phencyclidine (PCP), which was synthesized in 1926. It became popular among recreational users in the 1970s but remains a ‘core’ medicine in the World Health Organization’s “Essential Drugs List”, a list of minimum medical needs for a basic healthcare system.

Like other drugs of its class such as Methoxetamine and phencyclidine (PCP), it induces a state referred to as “dissociative anesthesia” and is used as a recreational drug.

In terms of its chemistry, Ketamine is classed as an arylcyclohexylamine drug. The Ar group is chlorobenzene in ketamine. The nitrogen has one substituted methyl group. There is an acetyl group attached at carbon R₂.

In terms of its pharmacology, Ketamine acts as a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist. NMDA receptors allow for electrical signals to pass between neurones in the brain and spinal column; for the signals to pass, the receptor must be open. NMDA receptor antagonists close the NMDA receptors by blocking them. This disconnection of neurones leads to loss of feeling, difficulty moving, and eventually the famous “hole”.

The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. The listed effects will rarely if ever occur all at once but heavier dosages will increase the chances and are more likely to induce a full range of effects.

Physical effects:

The subjective physical effects of Ketamine can be broken down into eight components all of which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. These are described below and generally include:

• Spontaneous tactile sensations - The Ketamine body high is a sharp, pleasurable tingling sensation which is location specific to the hands, feet and head.
• Tactile suppression - This partially to entirely suppresses one’s own sense of touch, creating feelings of numbness within the extremities. It is responsible for the anaesthetic properties of this substance.
• Motor control loss - A loss of gross and fine motor control alongside of balance and coordination is prevalent within Ketamine and becomes especially strong at higher dosages. This means that one should be sitting down before the onset (unless experienced) in case of falling over and injuring oneself.
• Euphoria - This results in feelings of physical euphoria which range between mild pleasure to powerfully all-encompassing bliss.
• Decreased bodily weight - This creates the sensation that the body is floating and has become entirely weightless. This effect is strangely stimulating and encourages physical activities at low to moderate dosages by making the body feel light and effortless to move.
• Dizziness - Although uncommon, some people report dizziness under the influence of Ketamine.
• Nausea - It’s worth noting that high dose ketamine trips can sometimes result in nausea and vomiting at the peak of trip. For most people, this is surprisingly not as unpleasant as they would initially expect due to the accompanying detachment from the physical senses.
• Tactile disconnection
• Physical autonomy

Cognitive effects:

In comparison to other dissociatives, the cognitive effects of ketamine are often described as particularly forceful towards introspection and with more analytical thought process when compared to that of DXM and MXE.

These effects can be broken down into 9 separate subcomponents which are listed and described below:

• Consciousness disconnection
• Ego suppression, loss and death
• Time distortion
• Introspection
• Deja-Vu
• Personal bias suppression
• Conceptual thinking
• Direct communication with the subconscious
• Unity and interconnectedness

It has been demonstrated that Ketamine, even if taken in small doses, is very effective for patients suffering from chronic depression and bipolar disorder. Studies have shown that the effect of the drug is immediate or within 2 hours and consistent in relieving a patient’s depressive and/or suicidal symptoms, lasting up to 3 days after a single dosage. In comparison, common antidepressents, such as Prozac, are entirely ineffective for 40% of the population and can take weeks to show effects. This gives Ketamine the potential to become an indispensable tool in the treatment of depression and bipolar, which is currently being held back by institutionalised drug prohibition.

The mechanism behind this has been shown by studies to stem from the way in which Ketamine triggers the release of glutamate, which is a neurotransmitter that immediately stimulates the growth of damaged synapses which have been damaged by stress and depression.

Visual effects:

Suppression

This substance does not enhance visual stimuli; instead it tends to degrade and decrease visual aptitude in a variety of ways which generally includes:

• Visual disconnection - This eventually results in the experience of the famous “K-hole” or, more specifically, holes, space and voids alongside of structures.
• Double vision - This component is prevalent at moderate to heavy dosages and makes reading impossible unless one closes an eye.
• Pattern recognition suppression - This effect generally occurs at higher dosages and makes one unable to recognize and interpret perceivable visual data.
• Visual acuity suppression

Distortions

Ketamine exhibits a full array of dissociative distortions and alterations in visual perception which generally includes:

• Perspective distortions
• Environmental cubism
• Environmental orbism
• Scenery slicing

Geometry

The visual geometry found within ketamine can be described as very brightly coloured in scheme when compared to that of MXE but not as complex or psychedelic as that of DXM. It does not extend beyond level 4 and can be comprehensively described through its variations as simplistic in complexity, algorithmic in style, synthetic in feel, unstructured in organization, dimly lit in lighting, multicoloured in scheme, glossy in shading, soft in edges, large in size, fast in speed, smooth in motion, equal in rounded and angular corners, immersive in depth and consistent in intensity.

Hallucinatory states

At high dosages, Ketamine can produce a full range of high level hallucinatory states in a fashion that that is less consistent and reproducible than that of many other commonly used psychedelic. These effects include:

• External hallucinations (Autonomous entities, Settings, sceneries, and landscapes, Alterations in perspective and Scenarios and plots) - In comparison to other dissociatives, this effect can occur at heavy dosages but is extremely infrequent in comparison to the same effect found within deliriants. It can be comprehensively described through its variations as delirious in believability, autonomous in controllability and solid in style. The most common theme for this effect to follow is one of experiencing and talking to friends around oneself when they are not actually present.
• Internal hallucinations (Autonomous entities, Settings, sceneries, and landscapes, Alterations in perspective and Scenarios and plots) - In comparison to other dissociatives, this effect can occur at heavy dosages, but is considerably less common than the same effect found within psychedelics and deliriants. It can be comprehensively described through its variations as delirious in believability, fixed in style, equal in new experiences and memory replays in content, autonomous in controllability and solid in style.

Auditory effects:

The auditory effects of ketamine are common in their occurrence and exhibit a range of effects which commonly includes:

• Enhancements
• Suppression
• Distortions
• Hallucinations

Health effects, addiction potential and tolerance:

The first large-scale, longitudinal study of ketamine users found that frequent ketamine users (at least 4 days/week, averaging 20 days/month) had increased depression and impaired memory by several measures, including verbal, short-term memory and visual memory. However, infrequent (1–4 days/month, averaging 3.25 days/month) ketamine users and former ketamine users were not found to differ from controls in memory, attention and psychological well-being tests. This suggests the infrequent use of ketamine does not cause cognitive deficits and that any deficits that might occur may be reversible when ketamine use is discontinued. However, abstinent, frequent, and infrequent users all scored higher than controls on a test of delusional symptoms.

According to a recent systematic review, 110 documented reports of irritative urinary tract symptoms from ketamine dependence exist.^[Urinary tract symptoms have been collectively referred to as “ketamine-induced ulcerative cystitis” or “ketamine-induced vesicopathy” and they include urge incontinence, decreased bladder compliance, decreased bladder volume and painful haematuria (blood in urine).

Fatal ketamine overdoses are particularly rare but not completely unheard of. The LD₅₀ for ketamine when injected into mice is 400mg/kg. As humans are generally more sensitive to drugs, we divide it by 2, making 200mg/kg the estimated human lethal dose. Assuming the human weighs a conservative 50kg, this would require the lethal dosage to be at least 10 grams – forty times the amount of 250mg necessary for a high dose K-hole experience.

In terms of ketamine tolerance, this can take weeks to build up for some, but for others it can take a single night of heavy use. Once a physical tolerance to ketamine has set itself in, it can often take a month or more to reset itself. Ketamine has a fairly high potential to be abused with addiction widely reported across the world.

Legal issues:

• Australia: Ketamine is a Schedule IV drug.
• Belgium: It is legal for medical and veterinary use and illegal when sold or possessed without a prescription.
• Brazil: The drug is legal for veterinary use and illegal when sold or possessed for human use.
• Canada: Ketamine is a Schedule I drug.
• China: Ketamine is a Schedule II drug.
• Czech Republic: It is legal for medical and veterinary use and illegal when sold or possessed without a prescription.
• Denmark: It is legal for medical and veterinary use and illegal when sold or possessed without a prescription.
• France: Ketamine is a Schedule IV drug.
• Germany: It is legal for medical and veterinary use and illegal when sold or possessed without a prescription.
• Hong Kong: Ketamine is a Schedule I drug.
• Malaysia: Possession and sale is illegal.
• Mexico: Ketamine is a Category 3 drug.
• New Zealand: Ketamine is a Class C drug.
• Norway: Ketamine is a Class A drug.
• Singapore: Ketamine is a Class A drug.
• Slovakia: Ketamine is a Schedule II drug.
• South Korea: Possession and sale is illegal.
• Sweden: Ketamine is a Schedule IV drug.
• Taiwan: Ketamine is a Schedule III drug.
• UK: Ketamine is a Class C drug.
• USA: Ketamine is a Schedule III drug.

Conclusion:

Ketamine and dissociatives in general are a truly fascinating experience which open up a whole new world completely unlike anything found with the world of psychedelics. However, they are not nearly as insightful and are something which I only try on a very rare basis due to their addictive potential and adverse health effects.