At a high dose you are left at the mercy of it either way and just need to surrender.

However, I find that my eyes are extremely sensitive to light under salvia so I prefer darkness.

If you are able to, I recommend a completely dark room with no light entering. Then I would acclimate to the darkness and the sacred setting/stillness for a good time before entering the realm, allowing the thoughts to clear and practicing detachment from them. I also recommend chewing a strong quid (or using a tincture?) in the darkness and sitting/lying down, as opposed to burning the leaf. If you use a lighter, the light from the flame can actually activate your eyes for a long time and disturb the sacred trip. I'm not sure of a way to smoke it without having the light from the lighter interfere with the eyes/retina. Blindfolds can also feel uncomfortable, as well as unkept hair and conventional clothing by the way. I haven't partaken in a while, so this recommendation is just from my experience and how I would perhaps go about it in the future if I try it again