I've finally gotten my hands on the spice. I was so excited to try it. Sooo excited. I decided to try a non-breakthrough dose to get a feel for it first. When it first kicked in I was filled with a fear. I decided to try non-breakthrough doses a few more times but I keep getting scared when the spice starts to take hold. I want to breakthrough so badly, but I can't find the courage to just keep smoking. It's making me mad because I want to do this so badly. I know that I want this. Please help me out, guys. It's frustrating me so much.

I played around with low doses for quite some time. Change your set and setting up a little. Find what makes you the most comfortable. Its not going to be handed to you. Learn to displace your fear. This is the beginning of the lesson.

Consider Changa or sublingual harmalas.

Your method of smoking would really figure your dosage. There shouldnt be universal numbers handed out. The first time I did 20mg in a GVG it literally scared the absolute poop out of me because it came on WAY faster and harder than I was used to and everything was on fast forward and very glitchy, and that was with only having excellent 15mg sub-breakthru experiences AND it was was pure white xtals and zero NMT goo. I said ok, Ill bump up 5mg's to 20 since I had a great run with 12-15mg for quite some time. I was only expecting it to be a little more intense. I didnt just get a few chickens that day, I bought the whole farm hahah. It's pretty widely accepted after reading reports from other experienced GVG users that 25-30mg is WAY way deep into breakthru territory because you will absolutely get all of the dose.

So, if youre using a GVG, 10-15mg would suffice for a sub-breakthru and a, hopefully for you, pleasant first experience. I know it was for me. If youre bong'ing it, the 20-30mg range would better suit a first experience because DMT in a bong has a high risk of pyrolyzing (aka, breaking down to useless material from burning at temps higher than vaporizing temps) because of the fact that there is no element to properly control heat, like you get with the ceramic top filter of a GVG. You waste a lot of material in a bong. The GVG is extraordinarily efficient at vaporizing an entire dose of xtals in 1 or 2 tokes. Aim for 2-3. I believe part of the reason my 20mg experience was so different and more intense than I was expecting because I got all 20mg in one fell swoop. If it was spread out over 2-3, I think it would have been a smoother ride. You can shock your system though for sure, and Im sure I did. 20mg in one shot is A LOT regardless of your smoking tool, whether its a GVG or bong or machine. Thats light switch off to on, not a dimmer switch slowly coming up from 0% to 100% haha.

The feeling will/may be strange. Your body will become heavy and it may feel like youre not breathing. Thats always the one feeling that starts to freak me out a bit is the lack of breathing feeling. Just realize though it will all be handled by your autonomic nervous system, dont worry about that. Get yourself used to it by practicing holding your breath for 15-20 seconds and then letting the breath out nice and slowly. Once you take your 2 tokes and set your pipe and torch down, just close your eyes and KEEP your eyes closed, and you will begin to get transported to the point that you'll become so enveloped with what you see develop literally out of nothing and it is such an outstanding experience, you won't have any worries any more. Good luck!

I could definitely agree with HumbleTraveler,

I recently got a Vapor Genie, the first time was wonderful. But the second time was very shocking to my body.

I somehow felt like a lightbulb, if that makes any sense. But in a bad way, like I could have easily popped.

But then the next time after that, I had a moment of feeling that way and I recognized it. I somehow realized that I could just relax and then I moved into a very good space and the background silence started morphing into some alien language and I was being given really cool gifts

So def proceed. I felt like the really intense experience was nessecary to push forward into new and better/clearer experiences.

I spent a lot of time with low doses . No need to rush things .
Take your time . Better to work gradually make a changa with caapi leaf .
Enjoy the process no expectation when possible .

this.

you have your whole life to breakthrough.. why so hasty?

If I were you, I wouldn't focus too much on 'the breakthrough'; as others have advised, work your way up the dosage ladder slowly and appreciate what it is has to offer.

Its the nature of DMT that lower doses can make the anxiety/fear more tangible, but on balance working through this is probably best as the 'breakthrough' when it happens can potentially rip the heart out of the bravest.

I also think single inhalations via whatever method is utilised are best for 'standardising' the dose-response curve, as much as that is possible with a compound such as DMT. There's something literally compelling about single hits which transcends courage and leaves no room for backing out. As you can imagine, this can have its plusses and its negatives if the dose and delivery method are sufficient for breaking through.

For me sub breakthrough doses kind of took me to weird places. When I actually took a 40 mg dose I broke through so fast there really wasn't alot of time to be scared. It was like "Okay, am I coming back from this one? Most do..." Then hyperspace.
Take that big dose. You'll be glad you did. It may not be for you right now, but at least you'll know you gave it hell.