We know quite a bit about how they work, but there are still a lot of unknowns.

 

We know all psychedelics have their effects throughout the same brain circuits as anti-depressants. All psychedelics hit the same receptor as Prozac (5HT2a). 

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Usually 'cross-talk' from different parts of the brain is constrained, so that you don't get overwhelmed by unnecessary information. Psychedelics increase the conversation amongst different parts of the brain that usually don't talk to one another.

 

By increasing the amount and volume of chit-chat across different brain areas, it is possible to put 2 and 2 together, where perviously they did not seem to be connected. That's the basis for the aha! moment. Seeing something new, yet looking at something old. Seeing a connection between two things that previously escaped you.

 

Psychedelics also trigger learning through the same pathways as anti-depressants. We call it neuroplasticity. Basically they feed the brain allowing neurons to grow together.

But there's more.

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Psychedelics can perform another magic trick. They disconnect the usual circuits, allowing new circuits to connect. They turn off the, 'It's all about me, aren't I special' circuit (Default Mode Network, DMN).

 

Temporarily turning off the  DMN  allows you to see the world through different eyes. Psychedelics allow you to 'walk a mile in someone else's shoes', and that's exactly the part of the brain that lights up when you use psychedelics, the empathy circuits.

 

Psychedelics trigger insights that facilitate adaptation, learning and change, mysteriously allowing the brain to disconnect from unhelpful circular patterns of thinking that may be contributing to mental health distress.

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Taking psychedelics, is like shaking the snow globe. After the snow falls, all the old tracks are gone.

 

During the session, ketamine provides the opportunity for psychedelic exploration, which allows you to objectively and safely revisit past events, life experiences, and traumas.

 

When paired with the structure and support of talk therapy, there’s an opportunity to establish new tracks, new connections, stories, habits, thought patterns, and perceptions for better, overall mental health.

 

All of a sudden, you’re able to see the bigger picture. That allows you to process and integrate the old emotional attachments and belief systems that have been making you feel powerless all these years. It's a bridge to healing.