I generally need to be comfortable, and usually physically clean and mostly sober. Candles are nice, music without vocals preferred.

If it works out coming down off a mushroom trip is ideal

But the one constant, the mantra that works best for me at that very last moment is a repeated phrase. Especially when I am needing reassurance I tell myself this: You are safe, you are home, you are loved.

It has never let me down thus far.........would love to hear about others last thought before the plunge.

I'll inevitably go to the bathroom 3x in between deciding I'm going to smoke the DMT, loading up the DMT, and actually smoking the DMT with bathroom breaks in between each step. Any intestinal discomfort is typically instantly and completely relieved as soon as the DMT is in the lungs.

I'll make sure I have a place to quickly and seamlessly put down the GVG and lighter preferably on somewhere that is sturdy and not too flammable in arms reach, and preferably in front of me so I divert as little attention from the plain surface of a wall or something of the like which will be the "launchpad" so to speak for hyperspace. I used to think of my eyes as projector with the blank wall for a screen, and my views have modified on that, but the core of the idea is there for how I can most coherently and effectively conjure hyperspace with the greatest complexity. This will also entail clearing any clutter or unnecessary visual distractions as I have found these things to disrupt the flow of energy, and minimize on hyperspace's ability to effectively and meaningfully coalesce.

I may take a couple deep breaths to slow my heartbeat down, and then it's "all systems firing". I used to take additional procedures with the toning of certain tuning forks, or other little things, but I since abandoned them for a greater desire to concentrate on hyperspace itself. If I've decided to journey with music (which I don't do much in the later part of my DMT career) I will have cued up whatever the music is which will also be within arms reach. There should be a strong impulse not to stop the flow of music until the song itself has ended.

I don't have much in the way of ritual: I fill up my water bottle, turn off anything that makes noise, then get my music ready, maybe go to the bathroom if I have to. Meanwhile, I run my electronic vape and fill up a bag of vapor, press play and then inhale. I prefer to take high doses and keep my eyes open and the lights on usually.

I try to make it spontaneous, like I could enter hyperspace at any time and still be ok. I try to clear all anticipation from my mind and breath deeply to calm pre-flight jitters. I must not fear, fear is the mind killer.

Arc: was reminded tonight again, I wish I was better at keeping my eyes closed...........maybe that needs to become part of the repeated message.

Global: Definitely agree on the pre-launch deep breathing to calm things down, that is part of every event and I forgot to mention it.

I prefer to not use music, ever... music can be a distraction... there is a sound, a humming vibration and varying tones that are always different, when i here a deep medium pitch (at first) i focus all of my attention on the sound and surrender to it, the pitch gets higher and higher until eventually, complete silence... there is a smile that i see, within the landscape before the sound stops, when i realise the landscape is smiling at me (at times its hard to fathom what is happening as it can be a bit much) i visualize pushing through it, and then, eternity

always at night, in complete darkness (maybe a candle) and always alone... this is very personal for me...and always in nature, never indoors... smudging myself and my surrounding with sage is always comforting, i welcome my guides to be with me to help me and show me what it is that i need to experience and realise, i will surrender but please be gentle...

Thats pretty much it for me...

love it...

I turn on the Christmas lights in my room, smudge my space and body, tell all negative energies they are not welcome, then welcome the light, then I'll relax with something lighthearted like an episode of It's Always Sunny while I drink my rue tea. Then I turn on my pharma playlist of music, comedy and Bukowski poetry, drink the dissolved DMT, lie down in bed and wait. Nothing fancy.

I used to practice TM a lot and I probably still should.... but I usually meditate for ten minutes or so with "aum namo narayanaya"

I too found Aom Nama Narayana to be an enchanting, calming Mantra.
What I have used to focus and calm/clear my mind before blasting off into hyperspace
is the wellknown Zen-Buddhist Mantra "Nam Yo Ho Renge Kyo"(meaning "I surrender to the Mystical Law of the Universe"

Endlessly and monotonusly repeating that Mantra I found to be very calming, soothing, clearing and even hypnotic
to the mind. Having done this sufficiently takes away the extremities of my pre-launch anxiety or any other restlessness inside of me.

This "Nam Yo Ho Renge Kyo"-mantra I have combined with Cannabis, Candles, Ravi Shankar music, Tibetan singing bowl-ambience & Tea, all in an effort to reduce anxiety & stress-levels before entering hyperspace. A ritual cleansing before entering the sacred temple I suppose. This works very well for me, allthough I am still looking for things to add to my ritual to make it even deeper and more healing/insightfull. There's allways room for improvement.

This is a good topic, because here we can learn from and be inspired by eachother's ritual practices.

I like to have my room perfectly in order, everything in their respective places, and by perfection i mean insofar as my own perception of the word, as I know perfection already exists and is innate to nearly everything, imo, so there is in turn, no perfection to achieve. The room being clean and in order in turn transposes consciousness in a clean and orderly way, ime.

Having eaten a light, fresh, locally grown meal a few hours prior, a couple glasses of water. You are what you eat, no? A series of simple asana/kriyas about an hour before smoking, allowing the vital organs, tissues to function in a relaxed, smooth, natural manner without much in the way of physical discomfort. A warm shower to relax the body getting the blood to flow near the skin, and the last 2 minutes being in relatively cold temperatures, causing vasoconstriction, pulling fresh blood from the vital areas of the body up through the capillaries to warm the body, eventually back through to the vital organs, essentially a flush of sorts, allowing great circulation. After getting out, the effects of the yoga followed by this shower put me in an incredible state of mental clarity and serenity.

I set up high energy music typically, as I find the DMT experience will take what you give it and weave message laden images through it's infinite tapestry, spinning magic before your eyes. Also, ime, music that strikes chords deep within, invoking strong heart-felt emotions will mesh into the experience as well, facilitating healing, unity, euphoria, peace, very beautiful, deeply personal, entheogenic experiences.

Lastly, I make a comfortable space that transposes a sort of supreme comfortability within myself. Dim lighting with several candles, and either an upright supportive posture or laying down comfortably. Either way I attempt to make my posture as symmetrical as possible - unity/stability of form.

This is the backbone of my ritual every time I smoke. Trust me when I say - this experience can profoundly propel you deep within things you never imagined and to depths of your Self that can only be known as divine. This experience takes what you give it, nothing more nothing less.

Some people might look at this as excessive, but trust me when I tell you -it's not, and invite you to do the same.

<3

I often spend my whole day in preparation and anticipation. I will exercise, enjoy a nice nature walk, clean my house, play soothing music, prepare the pipe, etc. Then I usually wait until right after nightfall and take a hot shower, light a candle, lie in bed and center myself with some meditation, then launch!

I agree with you on the music, although I find sometimes it doesn't matter what I have on the soundtrack is provided to me on the journey.

I don't find your approach excessive at all, thank you for taking the time to write it in such detail. This is an approach of experience, and that was what I was hoping for when starting this thread, to learn more and find other ideas to integrate within my own method.