You must have heard about Santo Daime or maybe ayahuasca?! These names are commonly known to people seeking spiritual evolution or cleansing. The famous ayahuasca tea is the subject of numerous questions and taboos, but the subject is much more complex than you might think! Santo Daime doesn't just mean a ritual in which a specific tea is taken! It consists of a manifestation between religious or a religious doctrine that emerged in the XNUMXth century, in the Amazon. Keep reading and learn all about Santo Daime and ayahuasca!
Origin of Santo Daime
Santo Daime emerged in the 1920s, in the city of Basel, in Acre, and was founded by a rubber tapper from the region called Raimundo Irineu Serra. During his arid afternoons at work, Irineu first tasted ayahuasca, the most important component of Santo Daime tea in the Amazon. According to Irineu, while drinking tea from the plant, he had a vision of a female figure who introduced herself as the “Queen of the Universe”. She, in turn, told him that he should walk through the woods for eight days, and so he did. At the end of this brief journey, the queen said that, in fact, she was the Virgin Mary and that Irenaeus should preach the word of God using ayahuasca tea as the main means; the name of this drink should be “Daime”, because it is related to the verb “dar”.
As you can see, the origin of Santo Daime has some Christian roots: in Irineu's view, it was the Virgin Mary who asked him to wander through the woods and then preach the word of the Lord. In addition to Christian doctrine, however, spiritism has influences on Santo Daime, as its followers believe in a life together and that everyone teaches and learns through union.
Santo Daime tea
The Santo Daime doctrine is totally focused on the ayahuasca tea ritual, as followers believe that this plant has the power to expand consciousness, so that people can see events and areas of their life more clearly. According to some participants in the movement, Irineu also used the drink as a means of getting to know his soulmate.
The preparation of Santo Daime tea is also full of rituals. The women separate the chacronas, which are the ayahuasca leaves used in tea, the men cut the jagube vine, which is also an ingredient in tea, and both are boiled, which results in a drink with a high hallucinogenic content.
Note: In 2010, the Spanish government made official the rules of Santo Daime tea for religious purposes.
Although it is extremely famous and sought after, there are toxic effects of this tea that are still unknown. For this reason, practitioners avoid excesses and limit their consumption. Pregnant women, children and people suffering from mental illness cannot consume Santo Daime tea. Novices who wish to participate in the ritual need to fill out a document in which they are responsible for their physical and mental conditions.
How is the Santo Daime cult?
The Santo Daime ritual, which always takes place monthly on the 15th and 30th, is given by a man godfather (man who leads the service and is in front of the prayers and prayers). In this ritual, everyone is dressed in clothes of soft and light tones and, generally, they wear white pieces. All participants form a circle and the men are separated from the women. This also occurs when queuing to receive the tea and women receive half the dose that men drink. Each individual takes approximately three doses, but can choose whether to drink more or less. Then the participants meditate and get in touch with their deep consciousness, obviously under the hallucinogenic effects of ayahuasca tea.
Why do people look for ayahuasca?
As ayahuasca tea has a strong religious and cultural symbolism, it ends up being a great target for people who want to evolve or access their consciousness more broadly. It is not today that we know that those who suffer in some area of ​​life or who yearn to achieve something seek help, guidance or help in religious doctrines, which also occurs in Santo Daime.
The Santo Daime ritual is capable of providing an individual with a deep connection with one's own being from the ayahuasca tea and the entire religious and spiritual context that surrounds it. Many people who have attended this service say they felt clean, including some who vomit and feel that a great weight has been lifted from their backs.
Therefore, the act of drinking tea and accessing a part of consciousness that has been hidden until then expands a person's creative capacity, discernment and perception, as well as helping them to assume responsibilities. It is always valid, however, to emphasize the strong effects of this tea and the importance of being sincere when signing the disclaimer before participating in the ritual. Its correct consumption mixed with strength and spiritual search can significantly help a person on their own journey.
Shall we break the taboo on Santo Daime?
There are many taboos that hang over Santo Daime: some people see it as something negative because they do not know its spiritual and religious depth, while others understand the benefits and the true purpose of the ritual. The truth, however, is that even with so much speculation on the subject, there are scientific studies that prove the benefits of Daime. Check out:
- Antidepressant action
In 2016, psychiatrist Jaime Hallak and neuroscientist Dráulio Barros de Araújo published an article in the “Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology” about an experiment carried out with the use of ayahuasca in patients suffering from depression. After about eight hours of drinking the tea from the plant, Hallak's team performed imaging tests on the patients and found that there had been an evolution of activities in areas of the brain responsible for emotions and mood. Usual antidepressants also act on the same areas, but take longer to show results.
- Activates vision and memory
Tiago Sanchez, professor at the Department of Radiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the UFRJ, participated in research by Dráulio Barros de Araújo between 2007 and 2011 and proved that ayahuasca tea activates a brain region that is related to memory and visual ability, even if the individual did not have his eyes open.
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- Stimulates the formation of new neurons
Researchers from IDOR (Instituto D'Or de Ensino e Pesquisa) and ICB-UFRJ (Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) carried out a study in 2016 and found that ayahuasca is capable of increasing the formation of human neurons by more than 65%. Such research was published in PeerJ, a leading scientific journal in the field.
As you can see, there are published studies that prove the benefits of Santo Daime. Before that, however, we must respect the followers of such a doctrine, for each person has free will, as well as following the doctrine he prefers. The purpose of the use and rites of Santo Daime is not recreational, but rather totally spiritual and aimed at self-knowledge. Don't let lack of information and prejudice confuse you! There is a lot of history and a lot of context behind ayahuasca tea and Daime cults!
