Ayahuasca and the Vines of Politics

Would you like some more ayahuasca?

After bubbling and brewing away for millennia in the Amazon, ayahuasca began seeping out through the foliage at the turn of the 20th century. This powerful visionary tea was adopted by rubber tapper communities in what is now the Brazil-Bolivia-Peru borderland, and various sects emerged, including Santo Daime. A syncretic mix of Catholicism, Spiritualism, and indigenous shamanism, it spread to the rest of Brazil in the 80s, and today there are groups dotted around Latin American, Europe, and the US, as well as in Japan, India, Israel, and other places. This article focuses on the legal history of Santo Daime (SD), of which I am a member, though other lineages also have international profiles, the most widespread being the Uniao de Vegetal (UDV).

» more at: psypressuk.com

Posted By psypressuk at 2011-02-08 13:25:12 permalink | comments

Tags: drugs religion politics

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Anonymous. : 2011-02-10 07:59:43

"I think that what the author was trying to emphasize is to look toward the "silver lining" of legislation, and hope for just and rational drug laws."

The SD is laying pretty low -- and I think their wishes should be respected -- but as it has been reported in the news, I think it's ethical to mention that prominent members of the SD in the UK were busted and face absurdly stiff punishment as "international drug traffickers." The silver lining in this would be? Not spending 20 years in jail?

If the end result of this would be a legal opinion in favor of the SD (similar to happened in Oregon), this would be a good thing. But seeing the direction the UK has been heading in the past few years (e.g., firing those in the Misuse of Drugs council who advocated rational drug laws), all I can say is I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

potter. : 2011-02-09 14:48:12

You know, If I were handing someone a glass of ayahuasaca, I think I'd got for plastic sheets on the table, not good linen!

slay : 2011-02-09 14:25:24

"I try to be an optimist, but I have thus far failed," doesn't sound like optimism. I think that what the author was trying to emphasize is to look toward the "silver lining" of legislation, and hope for just and rational drug laws.

Anonymous. : 2011-02-09 07:34:36

I hope you're right.

I try to be an optimist, but I have thus far failed.

psypressuk : 2011-02-08 18:20:47

It's for these reasons that the article does not carry any details concerning the present UK situation; it is currently in the balance and the author, along with others, made a conscious decision to try and not rock any boats through New or Mass Media: but "there is some cause for optimism"

Peace

Anonymous. : 2011-02-08 15:34:57

A fine piece of writing but:

"The question of legality in the UK remains open, and there is some cause for optimism. "

Optimism? Seriously?

As a Daimesta, the author must surely be aware of what's going down right now with the arrests. I know the SD is being quiet and not talking to the news, but it's a small country, and surely the author is aware of the gross miscarriage of justice that is unfolding this very minute.

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Ayahuasca and the Vines of Politics

Posted By psypressuk at 2011-02-08 13:25:12 permalink | comments

Tags: drugs religion politics

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