Santo Daime church in the USA

[link to www.fiu.edu]

Introduction: the sect of Santo Daime



Although the Brazilian religious sect Santo Daime has been called a "new religion," it was actually founded back in the 1920s. A seven foot tall black rubber tapper living in the state of Acre named Raimundo Irineu Serra came into contact with indigenous groups (probably Tukano Indians) who used the ayahuasca vine for healing and for contacting the spirit world. Serra was probably influenced both by Catholicism and also the Spiritism which was prevalent in Brazil at the time. While using the visionary vine, Serra met with a personage he called the Queen of the Forest, a white woman clad in blue whom he identified with the Virgin Mary. (MacRae, 1992.)

The Queen of the Forest told Master Irineu (as many of the members of the sect know him today) to found a new religion with the ayahuasca tea as its main sacrament. He wrote (or "channeled," as some might put it) many of the hymns which make up the liturgy of the new religion. "Daime" in Portuguese is not actually the name of a saint, as some people have thought. Instead, it means the imperative "give me," and this appeal for divine illumination appears so much in Serra's liturgy that it has become synonymous with the sect and the plant itself, which is sometimes simply called daime . "Santo Daime" literally means "the holy give me herb."

The tenets of Santo Daime include ideas of reincarnation, salvation, and protection of the rainforest. The Queen of the Forest is worshipped as a teacher. But primarily its hymns and rituals are focused on the use of the daime for enlightenment and healing. By the 30s, Santo Daime was gaining many adherents among Serra's fellow rubber-tappers and other (primarily poor and black) rural Brazilians, and it spread to the town of Rio Branco. Eventually it even reached many of the major urban areas in Acre. The Catholic authorities looked askance at some of the aspects of the sect, and they often harassed its adherents, charging them with apostasy.

As a result, Serra's successor, a man named Sebastiao, moved the headquarters of the church in 1981 to a village named Ceu do Mapia ("the heaven of Mapia,") where 700 followers lived a communal existence centered around the daime, and sans many of the trappings of urban life. This move had the paradoxical effect of attracting the interest of many starry-eyed Brazilian celebrities and metropolitan sophisticates, and these people, often to the consternation of the mostly poor and illiterate members living in Mapia, founded churches in major metropolitan centers, including this time Brazil's capital. This in turn provoked the concern of the Brazilian federal government, who began investigating claims that the sect was duping people and swiping their money. (Saunders, 1996.)

The Brazilian Federal Drug Council investigated the group, and to the surprise of many Brazilians, released a report claiming that the use of ayahuasca by the group posed no danger, and in fact had "positive beneficial" impacts on the community and on social integration. The government explicitly permitted the use of the plant by the religious sect, much in the same way that the U.S. authorized the use of the peyote cactus by the Native American Church. What followed next in the late 80s was a dramatic expansion of the Santo Daime sect overseas, with churches opening in Europe (especially Holland and Portugal), the United States, and Japan, often being started initially by Brazilians travelling and living in those countries, but being joined by local New Agers and others.

This has caused some problems, again, because so far no other country besides Brazil has officially permitted the use of the ayahuasca vine for religious purposes, and in the U.S. and elsewhere harmine and harmaline (derivatives of the vine) are still controlled substances. Because it is a tropical woody liana, it's fairly difficult to grow in non-equatorial climates, except in climate-controlled greenhouses, so many of the international churches have to continue "importing" their sacrament from the mother country, which also runs into some thorny issues as well. Still, many countries like Holland have basically adopted a de facto policy of non-harassment of the sect, whose members often do a variety of good works for the surrounding community, and display little signs of violence or other anti-social behavior. In Europe, the churches also attract the occasional celebrity, who either observes or participates in their ceremonies, and professes that they are "harmless."

The Santo Daime sect got another boost in international recognition during the 1992 Earth Summit. In 1992, Mapia was made the center of a million acre ecological preserve, through the help of the international group Friends of the Amazon, and there are also efforts underway to create an international center there which will offer workshops in traditional healing, ecology, and consciousness studies. (Beyran, 1995.) During the Summit, Santo Daime members joined an inter-faith religious pavilion area, and set up their own tent where 600 people (observers and faithful alike) took part in their all-night ceremonies of tea drinking, rhythmic dancing, and singing hymns for the protection of the rainforest. One of those participants was Domingo Bernardo de Silva, head of CONFEN (the Brazilian Drug Council), who used the occasion to pronounce that "altered states of perception do not necessarily signify a harmful situation."

Santo Daime is not the only ayahuasca-using sect in Brazil. There is actually another well-organized group known as the UDV or Uniao de Vegetal. This group calls ayahuasca simply "Hoasca" or "the Vegetable." They were founded by a mestizo named Jose Gabriel Costa in 1961, and use a mythology based on both the Old Testament and ancient Andean civilization. UDV is considerably more low-key than Santo Daime, and prefers to work with researchers and government agencies behind the scenes. Beginning in 1993, they began quietly working with ethnobotanists on studies of their sacred plant, which they called the Hoasca Project. In 1995, they held their first annual Hoasca Studies Conference, inviting researchers from all over the world to discuss new insights about the pharmacology and botany of their sacred plant. Between the UDV and Santo Daime, there are now probably anywhere between 10 and 20,000 Brazilians participating in ayahuasca-based religions. No one is certain of the number of adherents abroad.

Have you read 2012 by Daniel Pinchbeck....he gives big cudos the this church and had some big revelations after attending services in Brazil....sounds cool.

I have not but I will look into it, also a big believer in a 2012 change.

This church is legal in oregon and possibly some western states under the 9th circuit of the supreme court, but I am unsure about other state rulings. Perhaps I should contact the church there to ask some questions...

I have also attended a Santo Daime ritual in Brazil. I had my reservations due to its overt Christian influence and I am anything but a Christian.

The "work" or "trabalho" in Portuguese, as they call the ritual, is very long and exhausting. I ingested a great deal of the "tea" and certainly felt some effects from it, but it didn't provide me any great spiritualistic break through.

What I hated most about the "work" was that I was under the control of the aides for at least 6-8 hours and had no freedom whatsoever. The aides were very respectful in their control however. Smoking was completely forbidden during the "work" although I feigned ignorance of this taboo and excused myself from the property and tried to have a cigarette outside their domain. I was followed and reminded that smoking was forbidden and "guided" back to the main ritual area.

If you would like any more details, just ask.

Good luck with your efforts!

i have some familiarity with the sacrament of the Santo Daime and would like to add a couple of points to the already good history mentioned.

one, santo daime like any religion or spiritual path is a process and one must be patient to receive the gifts. second, it is not a quick-fix and as a member for over 10 years, i am still going deeper and deeper with my process. and third, if you honestly search then you will find a community in the united states that you can Ask to attend.

some of the key points in the path is to avoid entanglements, ask for forgiveness, and to not gossip about others. so the path is full of discipline which gives form to the light that is within and that shines through us in a good way. i would say that i'm very grateful for this path and the progress i've made in the past 10 years.

good luck in your process . . .

it is only one way to GOD, and is not mascarating your sanity, or drinking,or eating, smelling, ingecting any drugs,
JESUS CHRIST TH SON OF GOD, HE is the only way.
i am Brasilian, did live trhi many sect, and wird religion, none of that took me close to GOD, but away from HIM.
what do you want to find? what are you looking for?
the answer sit on the GODS WORDS, not any translation of it, but HIS work and word from HIM.ooking for GOD, he is within you. want to learn about GOD and spiritual contact? pray,, that is the way, and if you are found worsth, He will bless you

It's allright brother. Its your first time around. We all go fundy fanatic the first time around or two.

Ultimately, there is no one "right" way for everyone. We all have to find our own path.

God gave us Free Will, remember?

Worry not, your soul will mellow with age, and a few more incarnations.

Is there a dmt focused church in texas? I heard there was a santo daime church in Austin, Texas and cannot find out where or any contact info.

I too am looking for a Santo Daime church in the Austin area. Any news would be welcome.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment hebrews 9:27

Jesus is Lord!

The church welcomes you. ;)

Hi and blessings to all.

The santo daime is not a church to come have an "altered state experience," but to have a genuine experience within yourself and with God. Those who remain in ignorance with a lack of genuine desire to be with God, will
NOT have the experience they seek by coming to the Daime. Do yourself a favor.... if you are not humble and true in the heart with your interest in this holy path... go seek to "trip out" else where.

Hello there-

This message is specifically to Raju or anyone else who happens upon this thread that has profound experience with Santo Daime.

I am basically seeking guidance in some way or a mentor of sorts to help assist me on my path.

There are several reasons for which I am seeking this assistance, and I am eager to discuss these with a person who already has some significant experience on their own path. I am not ill. I am not looking for a quick painless spiritual fix or to get "high" in any way. I am simply feeling 100% complete drawn to this ideology and in what I would consider some pretty extraordinary ways. I would have never in my wildest dreams have imagined myself writing this response even several months ago, but with each passing day, my need grows more.

I do not know what else to say - except for maybe that while I am very eager to begin my own path, I am quite fearful for some reason as well. I am trying to convince myself that it is simple fear of the unknown but for some reason and I have no idea why, I think it may be much larger than that.

I would GREATLY appreciate ANY guidance anyone could provide.

I have studied the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita (which I actually purchase at random nearly a decade ago for no apparant reason at the time - now I see why) and the Forest of Visions on my own, but clearly the time has come for a more guided approach.

I live in Florida and would love if I could find some members nearby, but would appreciate ANY guidance and/or go just about anywhere at this point.

Please advise if possible. Thank you very much for your time.

Mandy

[email protected]

Hi,

I have been studying practices of religion for 3 years now trying to make a decision for myself on what path is right for me.

After extensive research I have decided I am eager to join Santo Daime church here in Texas. I know of a location in Austin - unless somebody has been yanking my chain - however I can find no information on location, gatherings, etc. I am very eager to join in on this church to begin my path alongside others who are more enlightened than I.

I am not looking for a 'high' or a 'quick spiritual fix' or anything of that nature. If I were looking for something as shallow as that, I would extract my own drugs for that purpose. I am looking for the entire experience - community and all.

If there is a way for new people to join, please contact me. I would greatly appreciate it! Or if you are a member of the church and come across this please contact me. I would love to talk with you even if I am unable to join. Thank you so much, I look forward to chatting.

[email protected]

Dear brothers and sisters, sorry for my poor english, but i'm motivated due to the sinceruty noted in the messages here. This evolution path is a science based on the self-knowledgment, Existin many serious in the world to satifisfy all levels and trends.
I afirm Santo Daime as my religion because through the Santo Daime I received the understanding about too many important things in my life, thus now after 13 years fro the first time I recognize the Santo Daime doctrine, in fact the doctrine of " Nossa Senhora da Conceição" every day in my life. I kindly ask about your interst on it. Please revert at your earliest convenience.

Ah I am a Daimista in South Africa.
There are three different churches here.
We meet every second week.
I am so totally blessed to partake of this holy doctrine.

So you basically want to use dope under the guise of religion?

Yet the battle is with ones self.

If I seek heaven to be in heaven, then give me hell.

Hi,

My name is Cezar, I'm from Brazil and I'm 27 years old. In Brazil I used to participate in the works of Santo Daime. Now I am living in Las Vegas and I am looking for a Santo Daime Curch. In January I will move to San Diego. Could anyone help me, please? Contact me by e-mail: [email protected] Since now I thank you.

Best Regards,

Cézar Junqueira Reli

Jesus Christ and His indwelling Holy Spirit are all the "high" you need. When you really invest in a true relationship with Him, you will find He is all you need. He is more powerful than any drug!

Peace

I have been attending a Santo Daime church in rural south africa for a few years now.

I will not do other ayahuasca journeys as I feel there is too great a risk.
I love the Daime, the work, the connectedness and the effect it has had on my life.

My marriage which was why I initially decided to try it - has gone from a place of loathing to a place of much love and expansion.
Our twenty year old son also does the work.

Last weekend 5 of us had a ceremony in our home.
You can imagine how powerful that was .

I am so grateful for this path.
So very, very grateful.

Hi I am interested in a church in Texas. My husband and I are both over 35 years old and are serious about our evolution and expanding our consciousness. We practice healthy living in all aspects of our lives and are discreet mature adults ready to take the next step in our journey, in which is our paths have led us here. Please email or call me personally for information. [email protected] cell-817-323-7316

Did you find the info you were looking for?

I've spent the last few hours scouring the web, and I've come to the conclusion that Ayahuasca in the US is non-existent, or the folks in SD and other groups do not want to be found, because you can't find anything about how to contact them anywhere on the web. Even as it relates to the legal use of it. So if you're in a SD group and you're reading this message, here's a clue: grow up and stop being so damn paranoid of the rest of the world. Hiding it will eventually create new demand, and eventually it will trigger big pharma to jump in to create a new market, something that no one wants. javascript:doSmilie(':bump:');

Ayahuasca Texas? Ayahuasca New Mexico? Where fore art though Ayahuasca in the US?

Hello Yall! I am looking to find a Grandmother ceremony in Austin Texas?

Some people go for years seeing a shrink or turn to be alcoholics or do all sort of self sabotage. Yet with Aya you can drink from the sacred plants only once and heal deep within and receive incredible wisdom from the Crown Granny. If you are a light weight I suggest take a lighter dose and the spirit realm will be revealed. Come on Austin TX where's the Aya Shamanic gathering? Anyone?

I was a member of Santo Daime in South Africa for five years.
Any questions?

Also, UdV.

Union of the vegetables

I've had few sips of Santo daime tea before, and been to a song session without the medicine.

Some of the hymns are pretty good