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Bridging psychopharmacology with evidence-based spiritual care: Towards a mindfulness-based ketamine-assisted psychotherapy training curriculum
Abstract   Open access

Bridging psychopharmacology with evidence-based spiritual care: Towards a mindfulness-based ketamine-assisted psychotherapy training curriculum

Parameswaran Ramakrishnan and Thomas Brod
Indian journal of psychiatry, v 68(Suppl 1), pp S79-S79
01 Jan 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_58_26 (S79)
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https://doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_58_26View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY-NC-SA V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Conferences and conventions Conferences, meetings and seminars Crisis intervention (Psychiatry) Evidence-based medicine Medical colleges Patient compliance Social aspects Public Health
Background: Ketamine, a glutamatergic modulator, demonstrates rapid antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti-suicidal effects. In addition to neurobiological mechanisms, patients often report self-transcendent or mystical experiences, including ego-dissolution and encounters with the Divine. Neuroscientific evidence links these phenomena to gamma-predominant EEG activity, paralleling contemplative states described in mindfulness and chaplaincy traditions. Psychiatry lacks structured frameworks to therapeutically integrate these experiences. Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed database was conducted (n = 28,150 records). After screening, 487 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. Studies addressing neurobiology, dissociation, spirituality, and psychotherapeutic applications of ketamine were analyzed. Data were extracted on clinical outcomes, experiential phenomena, and integrative therapeutic approaches, with emphasis on evidence linking ketamine experiences to self-transcendence and their potential for curriculum development. Results: Findings confirm that ketamine exerts dual effects: (1) neurobiological (e.g., glutamatergic modulation, BDNF-TrkB signaling) and (2) experiential (self-transcendence, mystical states). Evidence suggests that validating and integrating these experiences enhances therapeutic outcomes. Empathic listening (EL) emerges as an effective non-pharmacological method to elicit similar states and provides a training scaffold. The proposed Mindfulness-to-Transcendence framework aligns psychopharmacology, phenomenology, and spiritual care, offering practical tools for clinician training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Conclusions: Systematic evidence supports integrating pharmacological and spiritual dimensions of ketamine therapy. A structured MB-KAP curriculum can equip clinicians to recognize and therapeutically integrate transcendent experiences, advancing psychiatry beyond symptom relief towards holistic healing, recovery of selfhood, and human flourishing.

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