Spirit Research

Ketamine-assisted mindfulness therapy was linked to greater body awareness in an opioid study

A new analysis found greater awareness of bodily sensations among people who received ketamine-assisted psychotherapy alongside mindfulness treatment for opioid use disorder, UC San Diego Today reports. Researchers also found improvements in participants' ability to respond to those sensations in relation to cravings.

According to Knowridge Science Report, the preliminary findings involve supervised therapy alongside existing medication, not ketamine alone or without medical care. The analysis examined a possible explanation for differences observed in an earlier randomized trial.

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The trial compared two treatment groups#

According to UC San Diego Today, the original trial enrolled 68 adults taking buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Random assignment placed participants in either mindfulness treatment alone or the same treatment combined with two ketamine-assisted psychotherapy sessions.

The eight-week program, called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, combines mindfulness with ways to reframe stressful experiences and appreciate positive ones, according to Knowridge Science Report. Mindfulness involves paying attention to present sensations, feelings and thoughts without judgment, according to Wikipedia.

Knowridge Science Report says participants receiving combined treatment in the original trial reported using drugs less often after treatment and experiencing reduced cravings at three months. The trial appeared in Nature Mental Health in March 2026, according to UC San Diego Today.

Researchers tracked sensations during daily life#

For the new analysis, participants received smartphone prompts three times a day during treatment and for a month afterward, Knowridge Science Report says. The prompts asked about bodily sensations in everyday life, giving researchers repeated reports rather than relying on a single clinic visit.

The sensations studied included breathing, muscle tension and heartbeat, according to Knowridge Science Report. Senior author Eric Garland told Medical Xpress that the findings suggest the combined approach may help people notice internal signals and respond to cravings less automatically.

A separate Mount Sinai trial examined the same mindfulness program alongside medication, News-Medical.Net reports. Approximately four months after treatment, a follow-up found that abstinence duration had increased more among program participants than among those given a comparison therapy.

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