I'm in your same boat -- I have used very little psychedelics with the exception of weird things like insufflated Zaleplon (the weirdest experience -- imagine seeing thousands of eyeballs come out of the wall and not giving the slightest care about it) and a subvisual dose of shrooms (which started with a panic attack, but I managed to calm myself down, after which it was beautiful). I also experimented with DXM once, but I had a terrible panic attack which caused such high BP that it did some damage to my kidneys (I think). I have yet to try any sizable dose of DMT.
All of my panic attacks (in addition to most other people's) are caused mostly from resisting the flow of life. Whether it be the fear of insanity, the fear of vomiting, open spaces, or a fear of simply having a panic attack or letting go, it's the fear and resistance that causes the feedback cycle which amplifies it.
The key is to be totally willing and able to let go of ego for a while, and thus all extension of ego -- the body, the mind, thoughts, beliefs, etc. Psychedelics tend to force ego-loss or ego-loosening at high doses, and if a person isn't ready, it's often interpreted as a "bad trip". They are so attached to this false egoic self that the thought of it going away is akin to death. For this reason, the Buddhists refer to enlightenment as the "little death" or the death before death. Indeed, most spiritual masters describe awareness of reality stripped of its illusory duality, a state of experience under which most people have lived under for their lives in memory. It can be shocking and outright frightening to let go of the self that one has spent their entire lives investing meaning into.
So my advice is this -- don't resist, welcome everything, don't judge or label the experience, and then let go of it all. Let go of everything and just
be the experience. Spinning skulls shooting out blood in every direction isn't inherently "scary" or "bad", those are just meaningless polar references used by the ego. If you let go of the need to explain it, interpret it, or understand it, there cannot be fear or anxiety.
Now obviously it's incredibly difficult to let go completely. If it were easy, we'd all be enlightened. I suppose the key is to just be willing to let go, even if you are unable to at the time. I think compounds like DMT make it easier, or much harder, depending on your intention.
And last of all, don't go in with expectations. Things that aren't congruous with expectations often induce a dissonance, which can amplify into something even less desirable.
And make sure the room is full of good vibes. A nice window to view the trees, natural lighting, incense, etc.
Best of luck!
-- Wanderer
Wandering back to the home I never left.
All posts made by this member (Wanderer) should be read and interpreted solely as fictional accounts of fantasy, and in no way represent or depict real events or the life of any living or deceased persons.