Chitta Vritti Nirodhah in Dissociation

Patanjali defines yoga as 'chitta vritti nirodhah'—the cessation of mental fluctuations. In ketamine and dissociative treatments, patients experience profound alterations in normal mental patterns, creating both therapeutic opportunity and disorientation. This framework reframes dissociation not as pathology but as a shift in consciousness that can be observed, understood, and integrated. Rather than fighting the experience, Patanjali's approach teaches practitioners to witness the fluctuations without identification. During and after ketamine sessions, this perspective helps patients develop non-reactive awareness of altered perceptions, memories, and emotional states. The therapeutic goal becomes not suppression but mastery—learning to navigate expanded consciousness states with clarity and purpose, transforming treatment into genuine psychological transformation rather than mere symptom management.