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| Daime is a liquid made from the stem of the ayahuasca vine and the leaves of the chacrona bush. Mixed together, mashed and heated for days by South American Indians and drunk in ceremony by the community for spirituality and life. It has been used in South America for thousands of years and who knows before then.The Incas of Mexico who managed to escape from the ravages of the Spanish Conquistador also fled to the jungles of Brazil for their ayahuasca as well as their saftey. This remarkable drug is indeed a gift of nature. The Healers and Shamans went to remotest areas of the Amazon and used it themselves and in their communities. More recently, about 50 years ago, Portuguese Catholic Missionaries introduced Ayahuasca to the outside world from the area of Mapia in Brazil. As far as I know, there are dozens of broadly based beliefs who celebrate ayahuasca. One are the followers of Sante Daime, another are the Union de Vegetal Group who practice a different work. Both believe the ayahuasca is a treasured and important gift of nature. Users believe ayahuasca opens the door to knowledge, and the chacrona gives the voices. It’s as though a hand massages deep into your brain, your mind like a handfull of leaves is thrown into the air, settling in a different place. Followers of Sante Daime are a diverse group although most follow christian and universal beliefs of truth and justice. Many believe in the followings of the Catholic Church and conveniently, Catholisism offers a cloak of respectability and some ritual to the proceedings. Some followers believe in Astral forces and pray to the Sun the Moon and the Stars. Whatever your beliefs, the sounds in the ceremony are magical and if you can manage to drop any religious hang ups which we Brits especially have, the experience can be overwhelming. You can be honest to yourself and your beliefs and enjoy the benefits of the brew since followers believe ayahuasca should be available to anyone who wants it. The "works" in Europe have few rules but they include wearing white, respecting the ritual and staying with the ceremony until the end. The ritual of taking ayahuasca is used in one of many specific work – as a dance ceremony, a healing ceremony or a work to remember the dead. Each work include periods of reflection and meditation and most works include music and song and dance The ayahuasca is treated reverently although tastes foul and is drunk during the work which often last for several hours. From what I can gather, novice takers of Ayahuasca in a private setting often report deeply upsetting experiences. Experienced takers I guess use it when they feel the need. For the less experienced, the ritual certainly helps you stops you going into yourself too far. "It was one of most magical experience in my life" wrote John Simpson, the BBC World Affairs Editor when he sampled it among the Shananawa Indians of Amazonia. |
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