Aryana Libris

Author : Jansen Karl
Title : Ketamine Dreams and realities
Year : 2000

Link download : Jansen_Karl_-_Ketamine.zip

Preface to the Second Edition. Since this book first went to press at the end of the year 2000, the realization that ketamine is a fascinating substance has spread rapidly through several spheres. These include academic research, the dance culture, anesthesia and emergency medicine, psychonaut pioneers, and many others. This generated an unexpected demand for the book, and supplies were soon exhausted. We now find ourselves heading toward the second printing to meet the demand for Ketamine: Dreams and Realities, even though the book was rarely for sale in bookstores and never had a distributor. An important reason for the wider interest in this book may have been that it addresses considerably more than just ketamine: its scope includes fundamental questions about the nature of the psychedelic experience, drug-induced spirituality, and the near-death experience, while also addressing more practical issues, such as the true nature of ‘drug-induced psychosis,’ and the forces which drive drug dependence (and how to defeat them). Ketamine was invented in 1962. By late 2000, there were about 6,500 papers in the Medline/PubMed database about ketamine. Just three years later, there are 8,400 papers – an increase of almost 30%. This is mostly the result of a massive revival of interest in ketamine by anaesthetists, emergency doctors, and pain specialists, due to the excellent safety profile of the drug. Relatively few countries have chosen to follow the USA and Australia into making ketamine a controlled drug, although the World Health Organization/United Nations is continuing to mull the question. However, despite this avalanche of papers appearing since 2000, there are few truly new findings that require a mention. Many of the ‘new’ publications are covering old ground. So while I was originally planning an entirely new book called Ketamine Reconsidered, I have decided to wait until there have been more important advances and changes. I have included a list of some interesting new references below, which should be added to the 600 on which this book is based. Most of the research since 2000 has continued to emphasise the safety of ketamine, especially in children and in emergency settings. The key development in the dance culture has been a move internationally toward sourcing cheap ketamine from factories in China, and the rapid growth of ketamine as a recreational drug throughout Asia. A test of urine samples from a rave party in Taiwan found that nearly half were positive for ketamine (Lua et al. 2003). There is still no evidence that ketamine can cause ‘Olney’s lesions’ in primates. These experimentally-induced brain cell changes appear to be confined to small brains, such as those of rats, which have a high metabolic rate. Studies of memory and other cognitive functions in ketamine users still suffer from many methodological flaws, for instance failing to provide urine test results to prove that subjects were not affected by drugs at the time of the testing. However, the period since this book was first published has seen one landmark event in the history of ketamine: the passing of pioneer psychonaut and neuroscientist Dr. John Lilly in September 2001, aged 86. Dr. Lilly was the world’s most famous self-experimenter with ketamine and flotation tanks, and a saver of dolphins. He was the model for films such as Altered States and The Day of The Dolphin. Curiously, the ‘official’ obituaries in many newspapers entirely failed to mention the central role that self-experimentation with ketamine played in John’s life for thirty years. It is not clear what the future holds for ketamine research, but it is likely to be an exciting adventure. Once again, I would like to thank all of those who helped to make this book possible, particularly Bob Wallace of Promind Books, who sadly passed away recently, Rick Doblin and the staff at MAPS, and Jon Hanna. Karl Jansen, August 2004 12 Harley Street, London W1G 9PG K@BTInternet.com. ...