Consciousness Medicine

We believe consciousness medicine* is a more precise description of what is currently referred to as psychedelic medicine. We predict that over the next 20 years, it will become the standard term to describe this therapeutic approach because psychedelic medicines heal us by amplifying our consciousness rather than restricting it. By courageously exploring what is in our consciousness and then integrating it, we begin to heal.

Depression, obsessive behaviors, anxiety, addiction, and trauma frequently share a similar experiential quality: a stuck, habitual, and painful repetition of thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories and behaviors. The repetitive and stuck nature of these experiences is essentially a narrowing or constriction of consciousness. This narrowing diminishes our openness and curiosity to all of our experience, and limits our experiential and emotional flexibility. Consciousness medicine can rapidly open us to all the parts of our inner world and support greater self-acceptance and healthy self-love. When we approach our depressed, anxious, obsessive, fearful, traumatized, addictive parts with compassion, curiosity, courage and clarity, and then integrate them, we begin to heal and become whole again.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is one method within consciousness medicine that is empirically researched, safe, and legal. There are other types of consciousness medicine that will soon be accessible in our progressive state of Oregon including psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapies. We intend to offer these medicines when they become legal.

*Ashland Consciousness Medicine would like to thank Francoise Bourzat for writing “Consciousness Medicine”, the inspiration for the name of this clinic and a fantastic synonym for psychedelic medicine.