Decision framework for solo vs. guided ceremony — when is solo appropriate?

Working framework I use in my practice: solo is appropriate when (1) you have 5+ prior moderate-to-high dose experiences with no significant difficult experiences requiring support, (2) you have demonstrated the ability to work through challenge states without escalating anxiety, (3) your set and setting are stable and controlled, (4) the dose you're taking is not significantly above your previous experience. Any one of these conditions absent = guide or sitter recommended.

The thing that changes the calculus is what you're working on. Curiosity or exploration at moderate doses: solo is fine for experienced people. Active trauma processing, grief, addiction work, or anything that predictably surfaces difficult material: a sitter isn't optional. The material that surfaces in trauma work at peak intensity is qualitatively different from curiosity work.

Six experiences is enough to understand your basic response pattern but not enough to predict every scenario. The argument for a sitter at your stage isn't about competence — it's about the fact that psilocybin will eventually take you somewhere you haven't been. A trusted sitter is insurance against the edge case, not a comment on your stability.