Hallucinogenic ketamine resonates at raves

Jump to

OUR AFFILIATES

Hallucinogenic ketamine resonates at raves

Tuesday, August 3, 1999

By D. PARVAZ
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Everything at a rave is geared to trip you out: the digital displays on the walls, the way the repetitive beats are synchronized with the lasers and lights to put you in a trance state.

In fact, there are several hybrids of electronic dance music that fall under the umbrella of trance music -- deep trance, dark trance, Goa trance.

Young & High

This atmosphere explains the popularity of hallucinogenic drugs at raves, where the idea is to have an out-of-body, spiritual experience while having the energy to dance all night.

Hallucinogens -- a family of drugs made popular by '60s beatniks, hippies and musicians -- have more chemical edge to them now.

While it doesn't always cause hallucinations, ketamine (also known as "Vitamin K" or "Special K") has become increasingly popular among the high-school raver set.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic -- it can make users feel their mind is detached from their body. The drug blocks a certain neurotransmitter (glutamate) at its receptors.

Ketamine is used by veterinarians to sedate cats and monkeys. It's also used on humans in conjunction with Valium-like compounds (benzodiazepines) for anesthetic purposes. The combination of the two drugs suppresses the hallucinogenic effects of ketamine.

NOTE: This story was updated in February 2002

Ketamine -- a white, powdery substance often mixed in drinks, taken in pill form or administered through intramuscular injection -- also acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system.

Although ketamine seems innocuous -- especially with those cutesy street names -- it's not. It's in the same family as the animal tranquilizer PCP (a k a angel dust), although it's milder in its effects on the brain.

The damage

No conclusive information here, so you're flying blind.

Pre-existing risk factors

Pharmacology professor Wilkie Wilson says that if you suffer from epilepsy or any sort of mental health problems, including depression, you should avoid this stuff. This warning also stands if there's any family history of mental illness.

Dangerous combinations

Because ketamine works on the same receptor as alcohol, Wilson says combining these two increases the chance of dying through respiratory depression, which means your brain forgets to tell your lungs to breathe.

P-I reporter D. Parvaz can be reached at 206-448-8095 or dparvaz@seattle-pi.com