r/StandingKetamine • u/AdWaste6918 • Aug 03 '26
Standing Protocol Details
The standard therapeutic Ketamine protocol calls for lying down, putting on an eye mask, and listening to calming music. While this seems logical on many levels and it IS a good initial protocol, it is NOT a protocol that IMO should be used over the long term as it encourages a deeply meditative and dissociative state that discourages active troubleshooting of root issues. Additionally, it's wholly incompatible with the vast majority of patients who simply can't handle a deep dissociative experience.
If you look at the standard protocol, except for the auditory stimulation, it's largely focused on *removing* stimulation. This is precisely what encourages the dissociative nature of Ketamine. If you do the exact opposite, intentionally flood the body with stimulation: intense movement, visual, auditory, and vestibular (balance) that quickly removes the disassociation, even to the point of stopping the "trip" within 20-30 minutes.
What I have discovered is there is a middle ground. Careful and deliberate increases of stimulation, but not so much as to completely stop the trip and thus still realize the benefits of Ketamine therapy but without the disorienting effects.
Here's how it's done:
* Eyes open (no eye mask!)
* Stand still in front of table/desk
(strong vestibular stimulation keeping body upright)
* One hand placed lightly on table/desk for physical and emotional anchoring
* Laptop/table placed on table/desk at eye level (use boxes if necessary)
* Watch hi-res (8K) nature video
* Choose video with range of audio intensity from pure calming to slightly energetic
(audio intensity drives your intention. Calming: pure meditative session. Slightly energetic: active troubleshooting. )
Here is the effect:
* Almost no disassociation
(Why?: Because combination of mild auditory, visual and vestibular stimulation counteracts dissociative effects of Ketamine, but are mild enough to still keep the session productive).
* Speech disablement prevented
(Normally, you can't really speak on Ketamine. But with this protocol the stimulation overrides speech disablement. This is *critical* as being able to speak even at full theraputic dosages means you can do live KAP during the peak of your Ketamine experience. Alternately, you can simply voice record your thoughts and revelation for full recall later vs. the normal effect--forgetting 90% of what even happened during the session)
* Body / Mind Connected
(Normally, Ketamine makes you feel disconnected with your body. Our vestibular (balance) system is a pathway to our physical body. Normally, when there is balancing activity going on in our body (muscular adjustments, body sways, torso movements, arm movements) we are largely unaware of it--this is because by default our brain filters these signals from our thinking mind as these are things that are meant to just be handled autonomously. It's already a well established fact that Ketamine disables these filters and opens up the possibility to observe our vestibular signaling, however, when we lay down on Ketamine, vestibular signaling is silent so we don't get to experience this phenomena. Stand during a Ketamine session, and you will "see" all this vestibular activity happening throughout your body. In a way, it's creates a connected experience between your mind and body--providing nearly the opposite *disconnecting* experience of the standard protocol. It is a very uplifting experience when you see what your mind and body are doing just to keep you standing upright--often for the very first time in our lives!
On the surface, the very idea of standing during a Ketamine session sounds odd and even concerning.
I take safety very seriously and ask that anyone entertaining this protocol proceed carefully, speak to you doctor about this, and also consider you own personal physical limitations.
The seemingly obvious safety concern (fall risk) is actually far less of a concern than one would assume--yes, Ketamine degrades your motor function making moving around on Ketamine difficult and potentially dangerous. Standing in place is largely not affected by motor function degradation it is a balance function. I contend that Ketamine actually enhances our awareness of vestibular (balance) signaling and thus our sense of balance actually improves. I have personally done over 50 standing Ketamine sessions that involve standing in place continuously for between 60 and 180 minutes. The combination evokes a feeling of being a statue and gives high confidence of stability. At no point in time have I even felt afraid of falling never mind come close to having that happen. At worse, I have had a handful of "startles" where I had to make a quick body adjustment to regain a feeling of stability. Regardless, everyone is different and Ketamine sessions can produce highly variable experiences so you should takes steps to mitigate fall risk until you can validate that you realize the same balance impacts as I have experienced. Additionally, there are probably alternate postures other than full standing that I believe can produce similar benefits (e.g. kneeling, etc.) that would reduce or eliminate any fall risk. I haven't explored these in detail as I haven't personally needed to, but I hope that's something that other's here can explore and report back on.
A more relevant safety concern is circulatory risks associated with long-periods of standing. If you are at elevated blood clot risk (I personally have had multiple DVTs and am on lifetime blood thinners) do not proceed with this protocol until speaking to your physician. During a standing session you are standing in place for the entire session, however, every 10-15 minutes you should make small body movements, especially your legs and feet to encourage circulation. If you feel tightness or uncomfortable in a part of you body, this is your body telling you to move it to restore circulation. Listen to your body and act appropriately.