The Religion of Ayahuasca: The Teachings of the Church of Santo Daime

Ayahuasca plays a central role in the Santo Daime religion, where the sacrament supports spiritual communion through a blend of Christianity and Amazonian entheogen traditions. Alex Polari de Alverga recounts his personal path into Santo Daime, beginning with a transformative meeting with one of the founders, Padrinho Sebastiao Mota de Mela, and continuing through leadership in the Daime community centered around Mapiá. The book frames Santo Daime as a religious tradition with a distinct spiritual philosophy and community model, while addressing controversy about whether the experience is divinely meaningful or merely “artificially induced,” and situating the tradition within broader social and governmental scrutiny.