Endogenous Ketamine-Like Compounds and the NDE: If So, So What?
Journal of Near-Death Studies March 1, 1997 DOI: 10.1023/a:1025007226318 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine Near-death experience |
| Key points | Argues that Jansen's ketamine model raises important questions about self-experimentation, quantification of subjective states, and the significance of naturally occurring compounds in near-death experiences, and proposes future research to address these. |
Abstract
This commentary on Karl Jansen's ketamine model for the near-death experience expands upon and raises additional questions about several issues and hypotheses: self-experimentation as a source of data; ketamine's similarities to and differences from classical hallucinogens; the need for quantification of unusual subjective states; clinical research and toxicological implications of this model; drugs as gateways to “religious” states; and “evolutionary” versus “religious” significance of naturally occurring compounds released in the near-death state. I suggest future research that could help explicate several of these areas.