I haven't been using DMT for long. Only a decade or so. I think I will become less fearful eventually.

Set, Setting, Intention, harmalas or changa (3:1 ratio in my case. Go in slow) can all help.

I've come to accept that I will go into hyperspace when I'm ready. When it's time. There are months where I will load the GVG and go up to my room, every day, and only end up taking a nap. There's no rush, in most cases.

Meditation is helpful.
You can try 'backtalk' to clarify if it is the right time to launch off or not.
This is how you do it:

1. Medtitate to calm down the voice in your head by focusing on your breath.

2. Adress your subconscious by talking to it mentally (It'll notice what you say/think/read or write anyway)

3. Keep on thinking the phrase 'It's ok to smoke DMT now' for several times. Make sure to leave a short break between the phrases and check if you feel any body reaction like tiny muscle twitches in your stomach area.

4. Keep on thinking the phrase 'I should postphone smoking DMT tooday' and check your body reactions again (It's benefical to avoid negations in your phrases).

Twichting/clearly noticable body reaction indicate, that your subconscious does not agree with your phrase and you might consider not smoking DMT. If there are no or noticable less twitches/reactions at point 3 compared to point 4: meditate a little with the loaded pipe right next to you and launch off, when you feel no/little anxiety. A little anxiety is normal I guess.
I advise to be self-critical with the interpretation of your body reactions to avoid lying to yourself.
Of course you can use that technique to narrow down problems or complexes in your life

During my last smoalk come down with harmalas, I realized that I was not paying enough attention to my wife and that I was not putting enough effort in at work. I resolved to work on these things.

Working on them has made the prospect of taking DMT again less daunting.

Maybe part of the fear is knowing that DMT is going to bring to the surface issues that you are ignoring. If so, and one works on such issues, fear may be reduced.

This is not my insight, I gathered this info from other posts. I do want to mention that in my experience it did seem to apply.

I also have that fear. You have to realy decide for yourself that you're either gonna do it, or you don't. The biggest problem is when you sort of keep hanging in that "i want to, but i'm afraid" kind of phase, because that's just paralizing and it leads nowhere. When you've decided to do it, you just have to bite through it. That's the only way.

I've recently been realizing that reading other's experience reports helps. I can't explain why, but I really think it helps to read about others going through the DMT rite.

antrocle's experience reports should be required reading.

The entheogenic tear and wear and fear is consumable like a sweet cookie.
Walking on eggs on how to deal with fear? Make an omelet of it.
If you can't beat it, eat it
It works on occasions

Before smoking DMT there is always fear and everyone deals with it in his own way.

I have learned to interact with it like going to the fitness center. You have to encourage yourself to go. But when going and finishing your training, you feel reborn and full of energy.

When the DMT fear arises, I remind myself about the feeling I have when it is all over. You are so glad you took the toke, that together with the experience, good or bad, it is all worth it. And you end up saying to yourself, ‘what the hell was I afraid of ?’

Fear is a survival promoting alarming system in our organism, which signals get misinterpreted pretty often. Especially because of its physical arousal, the adrenaline puts me in excitement by raising my pulse, blood preasure,.. it brings me to the here and now and makes me ready for fight (smoalk that spice) or flight (take a cup of tee).

Most important, fear does not say anything like: "Don't do it, you are going to be a mess!" or "Stop, it is going to be a nightmare!" but what fear does/says is: "Look at it!", "Be careful/mindful, now".

Go with it, this excitation helps me to focus, breath and smoalk all of the spice properly without missing and burning a single crystal! Do it and do it "true", give yourself all in, the best way you can!

tseuq

It's a strange thing that so many good healthy practices involve some kind of wear/tear/fear.
At the end of a good sauna session the cabin is full of moaning beaten subjects.

Then the cold water dip

If we are to avoid anything that discomforts us, we end up like an unhealthy blob which in time will cause a lot of effluent discomforts of another kind. So no escape to suffer, the Buddhists are right imho on that part. Choose your suffer wisely and make it work for you.

* * *

I believe like Tseuq that fear is a main survival reflex with a specific function, so nothing to not-want. An asset, often misplaced since it's an automated first line action response.

We love to dose ourselves with tuned amounts of fear in the movies we go see, books we read, the suspense, in the tensions of relationships with each other, some flavors ingrained in sexuality for many...
The general dependency, hunger and lust for a nudge of fear in the daily life is ubiquitous (overlooked), it's a hooked-on dish for many. Media constantly pushing your fear button repeatedly, not too little not too much, they know exactly what level you like: a nudge of fear, they know you're hooked, they're the "dealers".

It's a dead beaten thread subject but important, good to see many nice angles on it

Haha, I love sauna and do it (in your house sauna) once or twice a week and the cold bath afterwards plays an important part in the game. Beside of that, I recommend a cold shower after each warm/hot shower anyway, it boosts your immune system, makes you clear, fresh and ready for the next blast off. I have heared, that also the skin gets tight, for those who are interested in this topic.

Sometimes the feeling direct after a good sauna session reminds of a small 5-MeO or holotropic breathwork experience.

Back again to fear, what I want to add: During this physical arousal phase the blood is pumped from mostly irrelevant regions of the body to the heart and from there it's pumped into the important muscles and organs. One of those irrelevant looking regions seems to be the frontal section of our cortex, which is relevant for rational thinking, our executive functions, inhibiting and planing behaviour. This may also play a role when it comes to "how to navigate properly (smoalk the spice!)" while fear tries to shut down the rationality of the navigator.

Stay on track (focused), especially when the weather is stormy.

tseuq

I had never thought of it that way. Beautiful words Jees, I think I understand the fear a little better now. Many thanks.

You just nailed it 👍🏻

***UPDATE***

My thanks to everyone who has contributed. I will confess that I have not particularly made any changes and simply kept up a good Set & Setting.

I seems like familiarity IS the key to anxiety-free DMT, for myself anyhow.

Have tried taking very light doses, some incredibly heavy ones and after enough astonishing and positive explorations, fear simply becomes reduced to a vanishingly unlikely possibility.

Anxiety just makes less and less sense, as negative experiences simply do not seem possible when DMT is taken in a wonderful setting and in a happy, curious headspace.

I love the sub-breakthrough realm, being guided around by the little intelligences and beings I find in there.

I love the breakthrough experiences, where sense of self, ego and thought are ripped apart, I experience the feeling of death and the strange dimension past death.

I love coming back, recovering my mind and body and reflecting on the experiences I had in there and what memories I am able to bring back.

I love the challenges, the mystery, the completely alien experience of DMT, and the profound astonishment which always greets me in there.

***

One adventure i had somewhat recently i was told physical appearances mean nothing from a well creepy looking entity i cant even describe. Its changed alot for me when i go in and come across somthing intimidating. I don't know if it'll help you or anyone else but the phrase has certainly eased a bit of anxiety for me.

I trick myself sometimes, I just tell myself that I am going to take one scoop (15 milligrams), and then once I am in that space, if I want more, I then take more or not, but usually I do.

As others said too, smoke some syrian rue extract beforehand.

A microdose of Mushrooms also helps.

and pee....

Familiarity is definitely a good path. Just keep in mind, that everything you experience - even if frightening - just comes from your own mind.
Don´t get attached to it. Go with the flow instead.
One good thing with using DMT is, that you keep your waking mind while tripping which enables you to focus and make decisions.

Nitrous Oxide.

I don't know if it's just me, but I find it difficult to trip when it's cold. The effect is most pronounced with tryptamines. It's probably just a physical comfort thing, but I feel it's worth mentioning.

About 3 months ago I started doing the Wim Hof breathing techniques and cold exposure. I definitely felt a bit calmer when lifting that bong up to my face over a week ago after a few rounds of breathing and an ice bath. The experience itself was still completely bizarre, but at least I went in slightly calmer than usual.

The one-hit-wonder is a good way of not having a choice in the matter. The ego doesn't want to die and will easily make up excuses to back out.