Ketamine is a synthetic pharmaceutical compound, classified as a dissociative anesthetic. It is one of the most widely used drugs in modern medicine, and is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. In the last two decades, ketamine has been increasingly clinically applied at subanesthetic doses as an off-label treatment for chronic pain along with various chronic treatment-resistant mental health conditions, such as depression, alcoholism, substance dependencies, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other conditions.

At lower doses, ketamine can provide calming and euphoric effects, altered sensory perception, and heart-opening effects. Higher doses can produce psychedelic experiences that can assist in the healing and transformation of existential and transpersonal challenges. This retreat includes preparation for, participation in, and integration after a group psychedelic-assisted therapy session using ketamine via the oromucosal or intramuscular routes of administration. Participants will gain experience in both roles as supporter and journeyer. The skills and knowledge obtained can be readily applied to other psychedelic tools.