The making of ‘Daime’ or Ayahuasca in Brazil
The making of ‘Daime’ or Ayahuasca in Brazil, where the imbibing of this hallucinogenic entheogen is one of the rituals of the Santo Daime religion.
A Santo Daime wedding during a “work” in Rio de Janeiro
A Santo Daime wedding during a “work” in Rio de Janeiro, Cefluris branch.
A Daime ritual in the Brazilian rainforest
A Daime ritual in the Brazilian rainforest, where this entheogen plays a central part in the religion.
Forest surrounding the Amazonian heart of Santo Daime, the village of Mapia.
The forest at the centre of Mapia.
Padrinho Sebastio, founder of Mapia
Padrinho Sebastião Mota de Melo , founder of Mapia.
After gathering jagube vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) in the forest, men pound it into fibres during the Batação.
After gathering jagube vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) in the forest, men pound it into fibres during the bateÁao.
Guy, from Southern Brazil, explains how the doors of perception open for him on daime.
Guy, from Southern Brazil, explains how the doors of perception open for him on daime.
Alchemical transformation of jagube vine and rainha leaf in metal vats to make the daime
Cooking the jagube-rainha leaf mixture Daime, this is brewed in pans.
Barquinha church in Rio Branco
Christmas Eve in Rio Branco. African healing spirits are invoked by the Barquinho Christian Church of Madrinha Chica. Daime churches have flourished in the poverty of the Amazonian frontier towns, providing an anchor, cementing community ties and fostering leadership.
After a first cooking the Daime is drained off and returned to the fire.
After a first cooking the Daime is drained off and returned to the fire.
Deep in trance at the sacred tree of Iemanja,
At the sacred tree of Iemanja, the “African Queen of the Sea”, a couple of kilometres from Mapia.
At 4.00am a tired child is carried by his father .
At 4.00am a tired child is carried by his father while the rituals continue. No one is too young to drink Daime in Mapia.
After a first cooking the Daime is drained off and returned to the fire.
After a first cooking the Daime is drained off and returned to the fire.
A jerry can of freshly-brewed Daime for the night’s second serving in Mapia’s church.
Cleansing bad spirits at the end of a Barquinho session in Rio Branco.
After a first cooking, the Daime is drained off and returned to the fire.
After a first cooking, the Daime is drained off and returned to the fire.
Uniformed members of the Barquinha church working with higher spirits to bring lost souls to the light.
Blue uniforms are de rigueur at this Barquinho church in Rio Branco; they are for symbolic protection during the “struggle between dark and light”. Barquinhos believe they are working with higher spirits to bring lost souls to the light.
Three Dutch ‘daimistas’ in standard ‘Queen of the Forest’ garb heading for their first dusk-’til-dawn ceremony in Mapia
Three Dutch visitors dressed as Queen of the Forest in preparation for their first work in Mapia. This is the Hinario ritual, a 12-hour dusk-’til-dawn “work” during which Daime is drunk four times.
Vomiting signifies purification
Vomiting signifies purification.
A session or “trabalho” at the Amsterdam church
Pia, from The Netherlands, at a session or “trabalho” at the Amsterdam church.
A young Daime is initiated in Mapia
A young Daime is initiated in Mapia
Ayahuasca ready to be served
A bottle of the finished product – ready to be used.
To start the ceremony, men and women line up separately to be served their liquid sacrament.
Adherents of the church during worship, Mapia.
One of the original spiritual leaders of the Santo Daime church, Padrinho Corrente.
Spiritual leader of the Santo Daime Church, Padrinho Corrente, dubbed “the conscience of Mapia”, who has since passed away.
5.00am and the end of a 12-hour ritual; happiness and exhaustion show on the faces of the initiates.
At 5.00am, at the end of a 12-hour ritual, happiness and exhaustion shows on the faces of the initiates.
The Purus River, highway through the rainforest and heading for Mapia
The Purus River.
A marriage ar the church in the hills of Rio de Janeiro
The church in the hills of Rio de Janeiro, administrative capital of the Cefluris branch of the Santo Daime religion. Lady on the left has just been married with her children present during a ritual.
Cleansing bad spirits at the end of a Barquinho “work” in Rio Branco.
Cleansing bad spirits at the end of a Barquinho “work” in Rio Branco.
Pyschedelic catholicism
Dalton AlenÁar, our first real source of negative information about Santo Daime, there – he said later he’d been “chastised for telling us.”
The jagube plantation close to Mapia
The jagube plantation at Mapia’s satellite community of Lua Branca.
A young child in Rio de Janeiro takes a glass of Daime
A young child in Rio de Janeiro takes a glass of Daime at the Cefluris branch of Santo Daime.
Behind the Christian church of Madrinha Chica, a backroom for African Umbanda spirit healing.
Behind the Christian church of Madrinha Chica, a backroom for African Umbanda spirit healing.
Unlike Brazilian rituals , western devotees may lie down if there going through a spiritual experience.
A two day ritual in Amsterdam attended by the two Dutch branches of Santo Daime. Unlike Brazilian rituals , western devotees may lie down on mattresses and blankets which are provided. Fardados take care of those going through the spiritual experience.
A Daime ritual at a small village church outside of Amsterdam
A Daime ritual at a small village church outside of Amsterdam.
One of the many ayahuasca churches scattered around the Amazonian rainforest.
A cross lights up the entrance to one of the many churches scattered around the Amazonian rainforest.
Amsterdam’s ceu da Santa Maria, famous even in Brazil for the vigour of its works
Amsterdam’s CÈu da Santa Maria, famous even in Brazil for the vigour of its works, led by Geraldine Fijneman.
A follower of the Daime religion during a ritual in the forest.
A follower of the Daime religion during a ritual in the forest.
Revelations from the Rainforest
Could hallucination be healthy or even spiritually rewarding? We visited the headquarters of a hitherto unknown religion, deep in the Amazonian rainforest, where the faithful brew and drink highly potent tea to tap straight into the forces of nature and the divine. The Brazilian church of Santo Daime advocates and practices the consumption of ayahuasca, one of the oldest and most powerful molecular mental agents for reaching heaven on earth. Even drug law enforcers accept its benefits.
Text Jules Marshall