AYAHUASCA AND ITS EXPANSION IN BRAZIL: THE COSMOGONICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR AYAHUASCA RELIGIONS IN THE STATE OF PERNAMBUCO

Resumo

Keywords:  In recent years, traditional and new ayahuasca religions have expanded in Brazil and throughout the world. Ayahuasca, the DMT- containing drink used in these religions, induces deep mystical sensations, which attract people in search of religious experiences and new perspectives on life. This article describes the cosmogonical principles of the three major ayahuasca religions located in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, and provides a brief history of their origin in the region. As there are not references to pantheistic religions in the prior Ayahuasca related literature, this article presents a monistic religious concept and describe its epistemology and ritual aspects. Survey data regarding the sociodemographic information of followers of these religions was used to establish profiles ayahuasca followings. The results of this survey are discussed aiming to draw a preliminary picture of the characteristics of the members of these ayahuasca religions in the state of Pernambuco.

 

Keywords: Entheogens, Psychedelics, Pantheism, Mysticism, Monism