Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Ketamine Edition with Field Trip Health // Melanie Boling, Harvard University, Boling Expeditionary Research.

Ketamine is considered a disassociative anesthetic with psychedelic properties that has unique effects on the body and mind. Ketamine acts on receptors in the brain that can lead to the reduction of depressive symptoms. Currently, Ketamine is the only legal psychedelic medicine available to mental health providers in the United States for the treatment of emotional suffering.

“Psychedelic experiences to promote mental wellness and healing are the result of their ability to temporarily suspend the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain.

The DMN is a section of correlated parts of the brain consisting primarily of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and inferior parietal lobe (IPL). As the brain matures, the DMN starts to rely more consistently on certain pathways and algorithms that become habitual. This is our brain's way of optimizing energy consumption, by helping us to think more efficiently. This certainly has its benefits, but it also makes learning new behaviors or changing habits more challenging.

The DMN is thought to be responsible for our ego. The personality is comprised of three elements: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id consists of our primal desires and urges, while the superego is the moral compass that operates from internalized rules we acquire from our caregivers and society. The ego is the mediator between the urges of the id, the idealistic standards of the superego, and the demands of reality. The ego then forms the identity that helps us fit in the works, it defines who we are ourselves and how we project ourselves to the world.

During a psychedelic experience, where “ego dissolution” occurs, the DMN shuts down temporarily. This suspension of the DMN allows access to parts of the brain and functions that are not typically used and as a result, helps our consciousness access to new perspectives.

Through the lens of psychology, psychedelics suspend the ego’s grip, enabling you to get an objective view of your current definition of self, thus creating opportunities for change. In other words, it helps you get out of your own way.” - The Trip Journal

About the author:

Melanie began attending Harvard in 2020 to complete a Graduate Certificate in Human Behavior with a specialization in Neuropsychology. Boling’s research has examined extreme environments and how they can have a potential negative impact on humans operating in the extreme environment. During her time at Harvard, she has built a mental wellness tool called the psychological field kit. Implementing these tools will allow an individual to thrive in an extreme environment while mitigating negative variables such as abnormal human behavior which can play a role in team degradation. In 2023, she will also complete Harvard’s Graduate Certificate in Biology with a focus on Neurobiology and Neurophysiology. Melanie currently serves as Deputy Director of Communications for Harvard Veterans Alumni Organization, and in November 2022 she was elected as the Outreach and Communications Officer for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of The Explorers Club.

Melanie recently opened her Behavioral Neuroscience Field Research and Holistic Health Consulting Business, Boling Expeditionary Research. Melanie plans to return to the field to test her research before applying to a Ph.D. program in Behavioral Neuroscience.