The need for man’s work in order to receive the Lishma from the Creator is only in the form of a lack and a Kli [vessel]. Yet, one can never obtain the filling by himself; it is rather a gift from the Creator (Baal HaSulam, Shamati, 5, “Lishma Is an Awakening from Above, and Why Do We Need an Awakening from Below?”).

Question: Does the taste of Lishma reveal itself only from within the darkness?

Answer: Yes that is correct.

Question: What should I do if I am afraid of the darkness?

Answer: See it as a gift from the Creator that He gives you the sense of evil within the darkness. Then you will want to escape the darkness because you will feel the evil within it.

But gradually, as you come to know the darkness, the evil, and the source of that evil, you will see that you need to escape not from the darkness itself, but from the distance from the Creator. Then everything will be fine.
[336337]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/27/24, “On the Verge of Lishma

Related Material:
So A New Day Has Come
Advantage Of Light Out Of Darkness
Darkness Intensifies The Light