How is it that psychedelics can change the way we think?

Some neuroscientists think of  the psychedelic experience biochemically; serotonin excitation creates an opening to question deeply held beliefs. That opening can lead to a dopamine-driven “wait, there are so many other possibilities” moment, which can shift how we think. This made me wonder: is the therapeutic change driven more by neural excitation and inhibition than by the experience itself?

There are ongoing studies looking at whether psychedelics still work without the psychomimetic component. I’m curious—if we remove the altered state, does the change still happen? Or is the intensity of the altered experience relative to the healing potential? 

Abraham Maslow spoke  about peak experiences—those moments that feel almost perfect. They can come from a mystical moment; drumming, dance, or an athlete catching a ball and weaving through the field in perfect flow. These are the moments that remind us that everything is possible, that we already have what we need. These experiences can shift our belief systems. Those moments are created in everyday life and have a sense of reality around them and the peak psychedelic experiences that we hear of in altered states tend to be more extreme. Are they therefore more transformative?

In considering mechanisms of change as we try to support clients with automated belief systems, what is the best way to support and understand the potential for change?

Here are just a few of the many different types of experiences that can happen:

  • Inner driven, spiritual or mystical experience.
  • Within a psychotherapeutic relationship – down regulation of the amygdala  (house of fear and rage) and up regulation of oxytocin (hormone associated with  compassion) allowing for greater access to our vulnerability
  • Experiential ex: Creating a felt sense of safety;  A full body knowing, not just cerebral, followed by psycho-education on how to create that for yourself without the altered state.
  • Perspective shift —experiencing different views and angles,  zoom in and zoom out; opening the door to question and update a belief system that no longer serves.
  • Neuronal excitation/inhibition coupled with therapy to amplify the psychotherapeutic process
  • Prediction error increase thereby reducing the certainty of our previously held belief system

Ketamine is the only legal medication that can be used to alter one states of consciousness

Whilst psychedelics are currently being used in research trials, Ketamine is the only legal medication that can be used to alter one states of consciousness and create a psychedelic like therapeutic experience,  this can create a sense of disassociation.     The word disassociation can be unsettling as we imagine this meaning disassociating from our known sense of ourselves.  Another way to think about it is disassociating our certainty of what’s going to happen in the next moment,  to create a softening of the assumption. Creating an opportunity for uncertainty whilst uncomfortable creates possibility for change. 

This is a lot to chew on and in true Socratic style may open up more questions than answers.  Please shoot us an email if you’d be interested in knowing more about the healing  potential of ketamine.