New NYC wellness space is offering "customised ketamine journeys"

A new psychedelic wellness space, CARDEA, which offers customers “Customized Ketamine Journeys” has opened in Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighbourhood of Soho, RA reports.

After a medical consultation with a doctor, the drug is administered by trained physicians to participants via nasal spray, before they sit and listen to a playlist or a live performance that has been curated for their own experience.

Sessions range from three to thirteen hours depending on what package customers choose, with prices costing between $200-$450 per hour.

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Music is selected for each participant by something CARDEA calls the “Iso Principle”, which according to a statement on its website is “a concept from music therapy that is about matching the sound experience to each individual’s preoccupations, intentions, moods and somatic experiences”.

Soundtracks are curated by the company’s sound director John MacLean AKA The Juan Maclean, a longtime New York DJ and producer.

The design of the space was created by Randy Polumbo, an installation artist, which aims to place “the guest and their goals at the center of the experience”.

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While recreational use of ketamine is prohibited in the USA – it is classified as a Class III substance, meaning it has low to moderate potential for dependence. The team at CARDEA claim that its practice is legal because it uses racemic ketamine, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in medical procedures.

Guests are then allowed to take their prescriptions home with them afterwards along with instructions.

CARDEA also offers experiences for groups of up to seven people, for discounted rates, in case some participants are looking for a more sociable affair.

The company also runs psilocybin retreats in Jamaica – a seven day “journey” in a remote property in Treasure Beach.

For more information visit CARDEA’s official website.

Isaac Muk is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter