Professor Elias Dakwar at Columbia University has conducted research studies – supported by federal funding -- into the use of ketamine combined with mindfulness meditation to help people struggling with addiction and depression. I wanted to understand everything about this: Why is he among the very few researchers to receive funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for this sort of work? How does ketamine compare to psilocybin and other psychedelics? What is the experience of subjects in his studies? How does his approach to administering ketamine compare to others? What’s the added benefit of including mindfulness mediation? And what does he think about the future of psychedelic studies and his role in this burgeoning field?
