Psychedelics, Ketamine Therapy, and Meditation: Opening Doors to Healing and Consciousness

Psychedelics, Ketamine Therapy, and Meditation: Opening Doors to Healing and 

Consciousness 

Psychedelics, Ketamine Therapy, and Meditation: Opening Doors to Healing and 

Consciousness 

In recent years, there has been immense public interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies. 

For many individuals struggling with severe mental health conditions—such as treatment- 

resistant depression, anxiety, and PTSD—traditional medications and therapies have not 

provided relief. This has prompted researchers, clinicians, and even spiritual seekers to explore 

how substances like ketamine, LSD, and Ayahuasca may alter consciousness and promote 

healing. 

Dr. Kyle Greenway, Assistant Professor at McGill University and researcher at the Lady Davis 

Institute for Medical Research, explained in a university press release: 

“There is immense public interest in psychedelic therapies, particularly for individuals suffering 

from debilitating mental health conditions like PTSD, depression and anxiety, which have not 

responded to existing treatments.” 

What Are Psychedelics? 

Psychedelics (also called hallucinogens) are substances that can temporarily alter 

mood, thought, and perception. Users often report emotions ranging from bliss to 

fear, along with profound shifts in how they perceive reality. 

Some psychedelics are derived from plants and fungi with a long history of use in 

spiritual and healing traditions: 

 Aztec shamans used psilocybin mushrooms in rituals. 

 Native American tribes have used peyote cactus in ceremonies for more than 

5,000 years. 

 References to psychoactive use appear in ancient Indian and Greek texts. In 

India, the opium poppy (also known as afeem locally) was used in both folk 

medicine and spiritual rituals, though it often led to dependency and highlighted 

the dangers of seeking shortcuts to altered states. 

 In the Amazon, Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew, continues to be used in 

community ceremonies for spiritual insight. 

Other substances, like ketamine, were developed as anesthetics but are now studied 

for therapeutic effects. Still others, such as MDMA (ecstasy), primarily enhance mood 

and sensations of closeness. Despite being grouped together, these substances differ 

greatly in effects and risks. 

Psychedelics, Ketamine Therapy, and Meditation: Opening Doors to Healing and 

Consciousness 

 Scientific Research and Modern Perspectives 

Dr. Jerrold Rosenbaum, Director of the Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at 

Massachusetts General Hospital, explains: 

“Psychedelics induce the brain to change transiently in ways that appear to allow a reset to take 

place and permit alterations in previously ‘stuck’ ways of feeling and thinking about things. It’s 

like rebooting your computer.” 

This “reset” occurs because psychedelics: 

 Disrupt the brain’s default mode network, loosening rigid self-referential patterns. 

 Promote neuroplasticity, encouraging new neural connections. 

 Provide novel insights, emotional release, and a loosening of ingrained thinking. 

A recent open-access review in Frontiers in Psychiatry highlights that psychedelic 

therapy—when structured with preparation, administration, and integration—can not only 

relieve symptoms but also foster long-term shifts in self-perception and emotional balance. This 

supports the idea that psychedelics, in clinical or sacred settings, can act as catalysts for inner 

change. 

John C. Lilly: A Pioneer ‘Psychonaut’ 

John Cunningham Lilly (1915–2001) was an American physician, neuroscientist, 

psychoanalyst, philosopher, writer, inventor, and self-described ‘psychonaut.’ He became well- 

known for his pioneering work with sensory deprivation tanks and his experiments with LSD and 

ketamine. He explored human consciousness under the guidance of Ram Dass, studied 

Patanjali and self inquiry teachings of Raman Maharishi. Later trained under the spiritual 

leader Oscar Ichazo in Chile. 

Lilly described experiences of traveling through multiple dimensions of consciousness, 

encountering intelligences, and even receiving guidance from what he called “the Echo.” Yet he 

also warned that these substances could destabilize or mislead without proper discipline. He did 

His journey reflects both the fascination, and the danger of pursuing altered states through 

chemicals. 

Bapuji Dashrathbhai Patel’s Perspective 

Bapuji Dashrathbhai Patel has explained in his discourses that even Shiva- Shankar form used 

certain substances to observe what was occurring in the celestial system (Brahmand) he 

Psychedelics, Ketamine Therapy, and Meditation: Opening Doors to Healing and 

Consciousness 

created. However, Bapuji emphasizes that for souls embodied in human form, such shortcuts 

are not the true path. 

 These experiences are short-lived and cannot sustain soul transformation. 

 True awareness comes only through inner work—self-purification and awakening of 

soul consciousness. 

 Gyan Yog meditation, rooted in divine knowledge and remembrance of the Supreme, is 

essential to stabilize in higher states of knowing. 

 Psychedelics may open temporary visions, but one may not know which entities are 

entering their subtle field, creating misleading or false impressions. 

In Bapuji’s words, “The work must be done within. Only then can the soul remain in that state of 

knowing permanently.” 

The Door vs. the Path 

 Psychedelics as the Door 

They may act as a doorway—briefly opening access to altered states of consciousness. 

For those in crisis, they can provide relief or breakthrough insights. 

 Meditation as the Path 

But a door is not a journey. Meditation, particularly as taught in the knowledge of the 

infinite or Behad Gyan, is the path to lasting transformation. It purifies subtle layers, 

dissolves karmic burdens, and connects directly with the Supreme Light, allowing the 

soul to stabilize in Paramshanti (Supreme Peace). 

The Better and the Negative Sides 

 Better Side: 

o Rapid healing for trauma and depression. 

o Expansion of scientific understanding of consciousness. 

o Glimpses of interconnectedness and divine realms. 

 Negative Side: 

o Psychological risks, including fear and destabilization. 

o Dependency or misuse. 

o False visions from external entities influencing perception. 

Psychedelics, Ketamine Therapy, and Meditation: Opening Doors to Healing and 

Consciousness 

Bapuji’s guidance clarifies: external catalysts may trigger experiences, but permanent 

liberation requires inner transformation. 

Towards Integration 

The way forward may be integration rather than conflict: 

 Science explores therapeutic uses of psychedelics under strict guidance. 

 Cultures preserve the sacred traditions of Ayahuasca, peyote, and psilocybin. 

 Spiritual wisdom teaches meditation as the eternal path of soul empowerment. 

Psychedelics may “reset” the mind, making one dependent on products, but meditation 

reprograms the soul transforming the Self, and becoming self reliant is automatically 

integrated. In Bapuji’s vision, the final goal is not temporary relief but awakening into infinite 

peace that is Behad Ki Paramshanti. 

References 

1. Schultes, R. E., & Hofmann, A. (1992). Plants of the gods: Their sacred, healing, and 

hallucinogenic powers (2nd ed.). Healing Arts Press. 

2. Wasson, R. G. (1968). Soma: Divine mushroom of immortality. Harcourt Brace 

Jovanovich. 

3. Rosenbaum, J. (2021). Interview with Harvard Gazette: Psychedelics as a reset for 

mental health. Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for the Neuroscience of 

Psychedelics. 

4. Lilly, J. C. (1972). The center of the cyclone: An autobiography of inner space. Julian 

Press. 

5. “Psychedelic Therapy: Bridging Neuroplasticity and Psychological Healing.” Frontiers in 

Psychiatry (2025). Open access. Link