Taken with others it is a fun bonding experience, but I'm never able to go as deep as I'd like to "do the work." Taken solo it is a real healer/teacher for me, much like several good therapy sessions all crammed together. Solo is my strong preference.
I think it depends on what culture you grow up with that will determine which method is the most useful for you. My country has no entheogenic traditions (that is so sad!
), so there just isn't a large enough population of like minded seekers to get together for a group spiritual experience where everyone would be on the same spiritual page. We only know how to party here...
A scale is a wonderful thing. Everything else posted by CS is lunatic fiction.