OBEs can be attained with the aid of the
cyclohexamine Ketamine, a
dissociative anesthesic, used by
veterinarians in animal
surgery (as an anesthetic) or
restraint (as a
tranquilizer). Its
clinical use in
humans nowadays are more restrict to very young or old people, for it is the most safe of all anesthetics. The reason is that it is the only substance to produce anesthesia without
supression of the
respiratory and gag (swallowing)
reflexes.
A full anesthesic dose on a
human will produce loss of
consciousness, and a
confusing reemergence state, that often would
scare or
surprise the
patients. For that
reason, when anesthesia is the goal, it usually is admnistrated together with a
benzodiazepine, to nullify the
conscious reemergence into the
body.
The explorative
dosages, be they for
recreative use, or aiming OBEs (or
OOBEs, same thing, different node), or even NDEs (Near Death Experiences), are indeed much smaller than the anesthesic doses. An OBE can be reached with 1/10 of the amount used for anesthesia.
For more on this intriguing substance, see
the chapter about Ketamine on
D.M. Turner's
Essential Psychedelic Guide.