Journeys into the bright world

Even while I was aware that these same words were bound to sound remarkably trite in Flatland-like song lyrics stripped of their music-I could sense how they might be used in group formation. The chant would be intoned like a round by people sitting in a circle with the accented syllables "Love, Name, Game" resounding together in perfect harmony.

Love is the    Love is the    Love is the

Name of the  Name of the  Name of the

Game…          Game…          Game…

In this way the word-magic would bring the love energy down through the archetypal level of names and forms to the game-playing schoolground of planet Earth. No doubt other more poetically talented people could devise more esthetically satisfying mantras, but the experience did impress me with the need for modern day rites of communion which could be used in conjunction with the ketamine group encounter.

Afterwards I apologized to my neighbor for whispering the words aloud, fearing that they might have intruded upon her meditiation. "Oh, it was fine," she assured me. "I felt as though you were our cheer leader."

In conclusion it should be added that it is extremely important for at least one person to remain solidly grounded-like the stem of a plant whose flowers are waving in the breeze. Otherwise a sense of insecurity amounting almost to panic can set in. Always, at least one completely sober and responsible person should be in charge.

In the beginning we had thought that because our samadhi medicine was working so well for us it was also bound to benefit others, even with minimal guidance on the part of an external monitor. "You don't need a guru; you need samadhi!" Howard would exclaim, spreading his arms theatrically, and our friends would laugh. It seemed as though ketamine could be per se effective in raising the vibrations of the body and producing meaningful insights. To some extent we still find this to be true.

Gradually, however, it became apparent that if this substance is to find its proper niche in the pharmacopoeia of the mind it will have to have its own armory of specific procedures. Some subjects definitely do need to be directed, and all are profoundly influenced by the personality of the guide-therapist. On the whole our evolution in dealing with those who sought us out was away from "tripping" and toward the time-honored method of encouraging the subject to talk his problems out. In keeping with this trend we reduced our doses from fifty to twenty-five, or even twelve, milligrams.

At the same time, we found that increasing numbers of people were coming to us with problems that were not amenable to conventional psychiatric treatment. On numerous occasions we blessed our magic elixir for its ability to melt resistances that otherwise would have been impermeable. The extent to which it speeded up the therapeutic process is hard to exaggerate.

As we continued to experiment with various psychotherapeutic techniques it became apparent that our general methodology was falling into several categories, each of which was subject to variations. In their simplest form these overlapping classifications can be listed as follows:

1) Psycholytic Therapy: Individuals, couples and groups are given small doses of ketamine on a repeated basis in order to facilitate the release of unconscious material which needs to be aired, discussed and resolved. Except for the fact that the drug produces a much higher level of insight this approach bears all the earmarks of regular psychoanalysis, especially as practiced by the votaries of psychosyn-thesis and transpersonal psychology. Some, but not a great deal, of guidance is given.

2) Hypnodelic Therapy: Individuals, couples and groups who wish to incorporate hypnotic types of suggestions into their psyches can undergo one or more relatively low-dose samadhi sessions during which they are subjected to a flow of positive affirmations. Where psycholytic therapy draws something out of the mind of the patient, hypnodelic therapy puts something in. Records, tapes and music can also be used to produce designated effects.

3) Psychedelic Therapy: People individually or in groups who simply want to know how it feels to be in an altered state of consciousness are given relatively large doses of ketamine on a one-shot basis. No attempts are made to direct or interpret the experience while it is going on. The facilitator is supportive but not intrusive.