My 'friend' has never actually tried spice. So there was no 'keeping away' for so long. There was merely the onflux of serial time, ticking away, aging a body, maturing a spirit. There is no 'reverence for spice' here brother, this is merely an introductory essay on who my 'friend' is. When my 'friend' experiences spice, I will be sure to get back to you.

It is true in the meantime other substances were tasted and they had their benefits and drawbacks. The point of my essay is the need to re experience psychedelics because too much 'time' had passed in the interim. Approaching a 38th birthday, one tends to want to reconnect with the shamen's realm of one's youth, the realm one had ignored for 15 years in order to participate in the objective world and 'be successful' or 'make money', whatever society calls it. I've been there, done that, bought the T shirt.

Now I want to re experience infinity.

That's the best I can answer your question.