This blog is a transcript of the above video, edited for readability and includes additional content.

How do you prevent a bad trip during ketamine infusion therapy? I've been thinking about this question a lot because bad trips can be challenging. As a ketamine doctor, I want to do my best to prevent that from happening to my patients.

Closeup of a map — When you know where you’re going, any hardships you face during your ketamine treatment can be more manageable.

Define Your Journey

One of the practices that I suggest for my patients is to know exactly where you are going. What I mean by this is setting an intention. Having it very clear in your mind's eye exactly where you want to go on the journey.

There's this old saying, "If you know where you're going, you won't have a bad trip." When you take that to heart and think about what you really want, that’s where the intention comes in. By knowing exactly where you're going, it will reduce the likelihood of a scary or bad trip.

Golden compass on top of brown paper with a dotted path leading to an X — Your intention acts as your compass because it keeps you focused on where you’re headed, even when things get tough.

Your Intention Is Your Compass

Of course this practice is not a 100% guarantee, but it can be incredibly useful when you are going through challenging experiences. When you know where you’re going, you have a destination to keep you focused no matter what happens. Think about a ship in the middle of a vast ocean. There can be thunderstorms and huge waves, and there’s no clear road that leads you somewhere. But with a captain that knows exactly where they’re going, they will be able to take that ship through those storms.

Your intention is just like your compass, so that even with the chances of a “bad trip,” you’ll be able to brace yourself through the storms and keep yourself heading in the right direction.

When you define how you want to be throughout your ketamine treatment, this acts as an anchor that keeps you focused during challenging experiences.

Your Intention Is Your Anchor

Not only is your intention your compass or GPS, but it’s also an anchor. Intentions may come in the form of not just the outcome you want to achieve from the infusion, but it can also be a way of being. Some examples can be “Be kind to myself” or “Surrender to the experience” and these simple, short phrases are there to keep you anchored as you go through challenging experiences.

Whenever things may seem difficult, take a deep breath, and anchor yourself back to your intention.

Blue steering wheel hanging on a white wooden wall — Although you define where you want to go with your infusions, trust that what happens is what you’re meant to experience.

You Are The Captain Of Your Ship

At the end of the day, no matter how effective ketamine infusions, your act of setting an intention plays an important role too. We encourage you to really think about what it is you want to get out of your ketamine treatment.

Our final words of advice is that although you define your intention and sail your ship, remember to still surrender and let go of the outcome. It may seem like a paradox of choosing where you want to go, but not being attached to your destination. But just like a captain who trusts their compass, believe that what you are going to experience is exactly what you need.