The Most Complete Derangement: William S. Burroughs and Ayahuasca

Words By Jana DeBusk, artwork by Elizabeth Lous.
“This is the most powerful drug I have ever experienced. Yage is not like anything else. It produces the most complete derangement of the senses.” - William Burroughs, The Yage Letters
In the beginning, it is quiet. The only sound is rain falling on the great, green savage land. Then the birds start to coo and call in hearty anticipation. “Are you ready?” they seem to say. “Are you ready for the change? Are you ready to look at yourself from the inside?” A chorus of Chicharras shakes and sings as nature’s symphony swells to a deafening hum.
“Are...