Interacting with hidden layers are considered advanced practice and I'm just entering these levels. To be able to cope with it you both have to be very experienced and very powerful. I still practice with my masters if I'm going to go that deep.
Also, tests of death and dissolution is not something you should experience alone. It can be because of many different reasons. Everybody's experiences are different, even when faced with the same thing. So you need to get familiar with yourself first, under supervision of a more experienced instructor.
My advice is not to mix meditation with substances and not try deeper practices without someone more experienced on the subject matter.
If you don't mind, could you mention what practices and substances are you referring to?
Every practice regimen has a bigger system in work so, mixing and matching can create havoc on your body.
Adding LSD and mushrooms on top of it is just lighting a big fire and calling storm on you.
I'm not against LSD, mushrooms or other practice systems, but never seen any positive outcome from these kinds of experiments.
Please, don't do it.
Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind has lots of stories of people having positive psychedelic therapy, which does require essentially a spiritual guide.
I personally changed a lot with the help of the practice I do. I've faced my phobias, solved a lot of self-confidence issues, found out what's wrong with me. I've also got therapy before starting Zen. While it helped me somehow, it failed to solve the underlying issue. Zen helped me to tackle the underlying issue and move forward.
To work with a good master, you don't need to always go to a monastery and, change your life temporarily. I left nothing behind. Still live in the city. Just go to see my master from time to time. Will continue when the pandemic ends.
I had an instructor in the city, who's also a student of the same master, but he passed away due to COVID-19.
Every tradition and way contains elements from each other, but these ways find the compatible combinations and way to build upon them. Also a master/student relationship helps to guide the student in the harder times. Internet doesn't provide the guidance and safeguards, unfortunately.
As an instructor, I keep track of my every student independently. Otherwise, there's no meaning doing what I do. They also call me when things go awry and we work through it together, and we both learn in the process.
Zen, Buddhism or anything is not the only way. There are many ways to do it.
I'm very curious on what was your main goal to achive?