The doses we prescribe are psycholytic, a subanesthetic dose that does not produce the same intense, often overwhelming dissociative experience of higher doses. At psycholytic doses, patients report experiencing an immediate state of calm and ease, and a sense of mental spaciousness. Because the dose is low enough, patients can experience a relaxed, reflective state with heightened receptivity to therapy or self-care practices for the mind and body. Microdoses can allow patients to process triggers and difficult emotions that are often too overwhelming to access, making it a surprisingly effective partner in the therapeutic process.

Aside from the differences in mental state, there are a few key benefits of our microdose protocol:

1. Unlike psychedelic experiences, psycholytic ones are less likely to be intense or overwhelming.

2. Because psycholytic doses are much less emotionally draining, patients can take these doses regularly, and maintain a consistent level of medicine in their brain over time, which can lead to more stable results.

3. With higher psychedelic dosing, patients are often not coherent enough to engage in therapy, meditation, or other practices. Whereas with psycholytic-dosed therapy, patients are able to more effectively engage in these practices due to the sense of openness and calm. This may create an opportunity for greater impact of therapeutic or meditative approaches.

Ketamine’s effects in the brain are very complex, and are still being actively studied by many researchers around the world.

Ketamine is believed to affect neuroplasticity and mood regulation through its modulation of glutamate and its interactions with NMDA receptors. By blocking NMDA receptors, ketamine disrupts normal glutamate neurotransmission, supporting synaptic plasticity and contributing to the antidepressant effects found with ketamine treatment. Patients are able to make new neural connections and gain new perspectives over old triggers, beliefs, and experiences.