From: rcain@netcom.com (Robert Cain)
Subject: Re: KETAMINE
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 08:00:49 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

I've been sitting on this one hoping someone with more experience would
attempt it but....

kitsch@milton.u.washington.edu (Ted Fitch) writes:
: I just started reading this group yesterday, so forgive me if I am
: bringing up a subject that has been talked about before.
: 
: My question is this:
: 
: What experiences have any of you had with Ketamine?  I am curious
: about the effects of the drug.
: 
: What dose makes your body entirely catatonic?

I don't know.  I was given it by injection into my tricep.  The first time
it did not entirely anesthesize my body.  A woman next to me was panicking
and I missed most of my trip trying to get to my knees or crawl close enough
to her to calm her.  It was difficult at best.

: Do you remember things afterwards?

I remember everything from both experiences.

: What kind of hallucinations do you have on Ketamine?

The first time none because I was preocupied as I explained but I was
lucid, just incapacitated.  The second time I was able to just lay there
and let it happen and the hallucinations were more dreamlike than acid
like.  No particularly profound insights like LSD or MDA, just dreamy.
With more practice I could probably have taken that further into a more
lucid-dreaming type of state.  But you don't need Ketamine for that.

: What other drugs (Like AIR, I hear) have similar effects?

Hyperventilating continuously and seriously for a half hour puts you in
pretty much the same state.  I just did that and the similarity is really
remarkable.  I did Ketamine over 10 years ago but I think I have it pretty
well integrated.  Hyperventilating like that results in the same paralysis
which is what allows the freedom of mind.  It was explained to me by the
doctor that was experimenting with us that it severes the motor function
from the (I am hunting for a word) cognizant function. Your body is gone
and your mind is still there.  That leads to the mind doing some strange
seeking.  I'll bet it is what people that are completely disabled by a
stroke go through except there is no coming down.

: What are the side effects from using the drug.

None.  They aren't on the side they are square in front. The trip lasts
a couple of hours at most and then you come down and drive home wondering
what the hell that was all about.  It bored my former wife to yawns. She
couldn't figure why I went back a second time.  She was a pretty intrepid
tripper back then too. (Please don't tell our daughters ;-)

: And, finally, how long does the drug last?

About two hours with a single injection.

I have no idea where you get it but I would not do it without a physician.
And that kind is hard to find any more.  It is anesthesia and anesthesia
kills.  Do not try this at home.

I really wonder about the hyperventilation.  It is *really* heavy duty.
I think that anything that has that profound an effect must be having
a pretty profound effect if you know what I mean.  Is the body really
prepared to handle that?  I don't know.  At first mine didn't like it
at all.  It took some gritting of the teeth and saying yeah, yeah you've
been scared before, fuck it.  Then it got better and more interesting
about the time to come down, an hour in.  I really want to do more with
it but need to stop smoking first.

Your Intrepid Tripper,

Bob

-- 
Bob Cain    rcain@netcom.com   408-358-2007

"There are some strings.  They're just not attached."
                                                    Victoria Roberts