How to Let Go During a Ketamine Infusion

Written by Deborah Tan. Medically reviewed by Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, CRNA, PhD, FAAN.

Learning how to let go during a ketamine infusion means allowing the experience to unfold without trying to control every thought, sensation, or emotion. Patients who approach treatment with openness often find it easier to relax into the temporary dissociative state and get more out of ketamine therapy. Letting go during the session can make treatment feel smoother, less tense, and more meaningful.

Key Takeaways

• Letting go is not the same as losing control. A clinician monitors you for the entire session, and you can ask for the infusion to be adjusted at any point.
• You do not have to do it perfectly. Treatment can still relieve symptoms if you stay guarded, though resistance tends to make the session feel more tense and harder to interpret afterward.
• Preparation does most of the work. Patients who arrive with openness, a clear reason for treatment, and one or two simple intentions report deeper and more meaningful sessions.
• Setting and trust matter as much as mindset. A comfortable room and a care team you trust make it easier to stop monitoring the environment and turn your attention inward.
• The effects are time-limited. The dissociative portion of an IV session generally runs about 30 to 60 minutes, and acute side effects typically resolve within about two hours of the infusion ending.

The Importance of Letting Go During Ketamine Treatment (& What it Means)

If you want to know how to get the most out of ketamine therapy, learning to let go during infusions matters. In a qualitative study of patients in esketamine treatment for treatment-resistant depression, the tension between holding on to control and letting go was one of the central themes patients described^[1]. Letting go means allowing the medication to shift your attention out of its habitual patterns and trusting the mental health benefits it may bring.

Letting go does not mean giving up control over your safety. It means allowing your mind and body to enter a temporary state of dissociation, or separation from thoughts and sensations. This feels different from ordinary waking awareness. These perceptual effects are a well-documented, short-lived, and well-tolerated part of treatment when a clinician is monitoring you throughout the session. The 2017 American Psychiatric Association consensus statement on ketamine for mood disorders sets out exactly what that monitoring involves, including continuous assessment of cardiovascular and respiratory status and of your level of responsiveness during the infusion^[6].

For many patients, learning how to let go during a ketamine infusion allows them to reach insights that would not have been accessible in a more guarded state.

Letting go during the session offers the following advantages:

• Letting go allows the session to interrupt repetitive mental patterns that often fuel depression and anxiety.
• Letting go reduces physical tension and anxiety, which helps the infusion feel smoother and more comfortable.
• Ketamine sometimes brings long-buried experiences to the surface. Allowing them to arise without resistance can support meaningful therapeutic progress.

What Happens During Ketamine Therapy

During ketamine infusions, you enter a temporary dissociative state that unfolds in stages as the medication builds in the body.

Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist^[2] that changes how brain networks communicate with one another. At low to moderate clinical doses, ketamine loosens your usual sense of mental command, reduces ordinary verbal thought, and creates a feeling of distance from your body, your surroundings, or your typical worries.

Before each session, your provider helps you settle in and reviews what to expect. After the infusion begins, the clinician monitors you as the medication takes effect. Within minutes, you may feel:

• floaty
• heavy
• deeply relaxed
• emotionally open
• mentally far away

Some people feel as if they are observing their thoughts from a distance. Others describe the dissociative experience through inner imagery, unusual memories, or a sense of movement. Lower-dose sessions may leave you more able to talk. Higher-dose sessions may pull you further inward.

For roughly 30 to 60 minutes, IV ketamine infusions feel less like ordinary thinking and more like watching your mind unfold from the inside. When the medication wears off, you gradually reorient. That is when many people begin putting words to what they felt or realized. In a study of a single dose of IV ketamine in treatment-resistant depression, acute side effects, which were predominantly dissociative, peaked within an hour and had resolved completely by two hours after the infusion^[7].

How Do You Take Ketamine?

The dissociative experience can feel slightly different depending on how the medication is administered. In clinical settings, providers give ketamine in several forms depending on your goals and mental health concerns.

Common clinical routes include IV infusions, intramuscular injections, nasal sprays, and oral lozenges. Every one of these is administered or prescribed by a licensed clinician.

IV infusion. A provider delivers the medication directly into a vein through a controlled drip. Onset is rapid, at roughly 10 to 30 seconds^[3], and the medication then accumulates gradually over the session. In our clinical experience at Avesta Ketamine & Wellness, the effects reach their peak at around 30 to 35 minutes. The slow delivery creates a smooth transition.

Intramuscular injection. Your provider injects ketamine into a large muscle such as the shoulder or thigh. Effects begin within 3 to 5 minutes, and peak plasma levels are reached within 5 to 30 minutes^[3]. The full dose enters the body at once, so the shift into the dissociative state can feel faster at the beginning.

Nasal spray (esketamine). A measured dose of esketamine is self-administered in the clinic while staff supervise the full session. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that side effects tend to peak at around 40 minutes and wear off within two hours of treatment, and that they are usually most noticeable during the first two sessions^[4]. You stay in the clinic under observation until those effects have passed.

Oral lozenges or tablets. Dissolving the medication in the mouth allows it to absorb through oral tissue. Effects usually begin within 30 minutes and peak around 60 minutes. The dissociative period generally lasts longer than with IV, IM, or nasal administration.

What Happens if I Can’t Let Go During Ketamine Infusions?

If you are worried about how to let go during ketamine infusions, you are not alone. Many people worry about what will happen if they resist. Ketamine therapy can still relieve your depression, anxiety, or PTSD symptoms even if you struggle to let go completely during a session.

Clinical observations suggest that resistance does not necessarily prevent ketamine from working, but it can shape the quality of the experience.

In the qualitative study above, patients who described holding on to control during treatment reported^[1]:

• A more guarded mental state. When the mind stays focused on control, patients may remain closer to ordinary awareness instead of entering the deeper inward state ketamine can produce.
• Reduced emotional access. Holding tightly to thoughts or fears can make it harder for memories, emotions, or insights to surface naturally.
• Heightened anxiety about physical sensations. Resisting the effects can make ordinary bodily changes feel more alarming than they are.
• A more tense or confusing session. When patients cannot relax defensive patterns, the experience may feel limited, uncomfortable, or harder to interpret afterward.

These experiences were usually temporary. As patients became more familiar with treatment and built trust in their care team, many reported feeling safer and more willing to approach the session with acceptance. That is also true of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, where the therapeutic relationship carries part of the work.

Tips for Letting Go During a Ketamine Infusion

Letting go during ketamine therapy is less about force and more about creating the right conditions for your mind to relax. Preparation, mindfulness, trust, and music can all help put you at ease.

Prepare your mindset before the session

A qualitative study by Stockwell and colleagues found that preparation of mindset supported therapeutic benefit, and that openness, clear therapeutic intentions, and mindfulness were what underpinned it^[5].

In practice, mindset preparation means reflecting on why you are pursuing treatment. You might write down a question you want to explore or an emotional pattern you hope to understand. The goal is to orient your mind toward what you want to feel, which increases the chance the session moves in that direction.

Many patients find it useful to bring two or three simple intentions to a session. These are not a checklist to work through during treatment. They are a starting point set beforehand, which the session may return to on its own.

Use mindfulness to stay present

Ketamine can feel unfamiliar at first. Mindfulness techniques such as slow breathing, observing sensations, or gently returning your attention to the present moment can help you stay grounded when the experience intensifies. Mindfulness was one of the three qualities participants in the Stockwell study identified as supporting the benefit they got from treatment^[5].

Trust the environment and the people guiding you

Feeling safe plays a powerful role in your ability to relax. Patients in the esketamine study described the care context and the treatment setting as central to whether they could stop managing the experience and let it happen^[1]. When you trust your ketamine care team and feel physically comfortable, your mind can shift from monitoring the room to noticing what arises internally. If you are still choosing a provider, our guide to choosing a ketamine clinic in Virginia covers what to look for.

Let music guide the experience

Participants in the Stockwell study repeatedly described music as shaping their experience, influencing the imagery, emotions, and memories that arose^[5]. Certain sounds evoked meaningful thoughts, while other pieces seemed to guide the emotional rhythm of the session. Instead of trying to steer their thoughts, many patients find it helpful to follow the music and let it carry the session forward.

What to Think About During Ketamine

You may be wondering what to think about during ketamine therapy. The research suggests the most helpful approach is to let your attention gently explore whatever emerges.

Think of a ketamine session like a meditation. Set your intentions beforehand. Create a self-compassion mantra. Then allow your mind to settle. Try not to force anything.

Hold supportive ideas lightly

You may find it helpful to keep simple concepts in the background of your mind as the session unfolds. Gently holding ideas like self-compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, or curiosity can create a softer emotional tone when difficult memories or feelings arise. These are not something you must repeat or force. They act as reminders that whatever arises deserves patience and kindness.

Let the experience unfold naturally

Once the medication takes effect, thoughts, memories, and images may arise without effort. You may revisit past events, view personal struggles from a new perspective, or notice uncomfortable feelings. Do your best to observe what appears rather than directing it. When difficult material surfaces, gently noticing it rather than resisting it can open space for processing.

Return to the present moment if you feel overwhelmed

Staying grounded in the present moment helps if the session becomes intense. If an anxious thought arises, try to notice it without getting attached to the content. Picture the thought inside a bubble and watch it float away. Returning to simple awareness allows the session to continue without feeling out of control. Your clinician is in the room throughout and can adjust the infusion at any point.

What to Listen To During Ketamine Infusions

What you listen to during ketamine infusions is personal. In general, soft, repetitive sounds help you settle into the early part of the session, fuller music can accompany the peak, and gentler tones help signal a gradual return to normal awareness.

Music styles patients find helpful

Most patients gravitate toward instrumental and ambient music. These styles support an inward focus without drawing attention to lyrics or sudden rhythmic shifts. Slow builds, sustained tones, and atmospheric soundscapes can help you relax and follow the emotional arc of the session.

Styles patients mention most often include:

• Ambient and minimalist instrumental. Long, slow-moving pieces with no lyrics and few abrupt changes.
• Japanese ambient and environmental music. Meditative soundscapes built around repetition and space.
• Drone and orchestral ambient. Expansive, sustained arrangements that hold a steady emotional tone.
• Instrumental post-rock. Gradual builds without lyrics, useful for the middle portion of a session.
• Nature and water recordings. Rain, ocean, or forest audio for patients who prefer no music at all.

If choosing is overwhelming, you do not have to. We maintain curated playlists built for the length and pacing of a standard infusion, and your care team will set one up for you.

How We Help Patients Let Go During Treatment

At Avesta Ketamine & Wellness, patients learn how to let go during an infusion before the first session. Every patient receives a comprehensive consultation in which our DC-metro care team explains what the experience may feel like and helps patients set intentions for treatment. This preparation reduces anxiety and encourages curiosity.

During the infusion itself, our patient-centered team focuses on creating a calm, reassuring environment. We monitor patients closely while also giving them space to explore their inner experience. We have provided monitored, in-clinic ketamine care since 2018, at five locations including Tysons, Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia.

We also maintain curated playlists that patients have found helpful during treatment.

For those who want additional support, we offer the option to have an integration coach present during treatment. Coach Naomi sits with patients, provides reassurance if emotions become intense, and helps people stay grounded.

We also work collaboratively with ketamine-informed therapists and mental health providers across Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland. Patients can coordinate care with their existing therapist, and in some cases therapists can join sessions in person. This integrated approach helps people feel safe enough to relax into treatment.

If you are preparing for a first infusion and want to talk through what to expect, book a free consultation with our care team.

FAQs

How do I let go during a ketamine infusion?

Letting go during a ketamine infusion means allowing the session to unfold without trying to manage every thought, sensation, or emotion. You might focus on your breathing, the music, or a gentle intention while the medication takes effect. Approaching the session with curiosity rather than analysis can make the dissociative experience feel smoother and easier to navigate.

Does letting go improve the ketamine experience?

Letting go often improves ketamine therapy because it allows the medication to shift your awareness away from thought patterns that may be worsening your symptoms. When you relax, insights, memories, and emotions may surface more naturally. Letting go can also reduce physical tension and make the infusion feel calmer and more comfortable.

How do you take ketamine?

In a clinical setting, ketamine is administered in several forms depending on your treatment plan. Providers commonly use IV infusions, intramuscular injections, nasal sprays, or oral lozenges and tablets. Each route produces slightly different timing, intensity, and duration. All of them are prescribed and supervised by a licensed clinician.

Do I need to let go to heal from depression?

You do not need to let go perfectly for ketamine therapy to help relieve depression. Many patients begin treatment feeling cautious or analytical, and benefits can still occur. Learning how to let go simply makes it easier for the session to unfold and may deepen the therapeutic process over time.

Can the ketamine experience feel uncomfortable?

You may experience moments of discomfort, confusion, or strong emotion during ketamine therapy. These sensations are usually temporary and occur in a monitored clinical setting where staff are present for the entire session. If you feel overwhelmed, tell your clinician. They can adjust the infusion rate, change the environment, or simply talk you through it.

How long do the effects of a ketamine infusion last?

The dissociative portion of an IV ketamine session generally lasts about 30 to 60 minutes, and you gradually reorient once the infusion ends. In a study of single-dose IV ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, most acute side effects, which were predominantly dissociative, peaked within an hour and resolved completely by two hours after the infusion^[7]. We monitor you until you are ready to be discharged.

---

References

1. Breeksema JJ, Niemeijer A, Kuin B, et al. “Holding on or letting go? Patient experiences of control, context, and care in oral esketamine treatment for treatment-resistant depression: A qualitative study.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2022. Accessed August 17, 2026.
2. Zorumski CF, Izumi Y, Mennerick S. “Ketamine: NMDA Receptors and Beyond.” The Journal of Neuroscience, 2016. Accessed August 17, 2026.
3. Rosenbaum SB, Gupta V, Patel P, Palacios JL. “Ketamine.” StatPearls Publishing, National Library of Medicine, updated January 2024. Accessed August 17, 2026.
4. Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Esketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression.” Johns Hopkins Medicine. Accessed August 17, 2026.
5. Stockwell G, Hoeh NR, Fogarty F, Clayden C, Reynolds L. “Understanding the Experience of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy and the Importance of Context.” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2025. Accessed August 17, 2026.
6. Sanacora G, Frye MA, McDonald W, et al. “A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders.” JAMA Psychiatry, 2017;74(4):399-405. Accessed August 17, 2026.
7. Acevedo-Diaz EE, Cavanaugh GW, Greenstein D, et al. “Comprehensive assessment of side effects associated with a single dose of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression.” Journal of Affective Disorders, 2020;263:568-575. Accessed August 17, 2026.