'A year ago I never dreamed that I would be writing about two subjects, both of which are generally considered taboo. One of these is cancer. We avoid talking about cancer – “the Big C” – because it speaks of our fears of mortality and pain. When an office mate is rumored to have cancer, she is viewed differently. We avoid the topic, or speak in whispers about it. We wish it would go away.
For entirely different reasons, ayahuasca is talked about in muzzled tones. The Drug Enforcement Administration – the grand arbiter of all chemicals in America – is responsible for this taboo and has classified DMT, one of its constituents, as a Schedule I drug, thereby rendering it illegal and nearly unavailable for fascinating medical, psychological, neuroscientific, and spiritual research. Like cancer, we tend to talk about it in whispers, too.'
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