Santo Daime - Urban
Communities
José Murilo C. Carvalho Jr.
Possibilities
Since the purpose of my
presentation has been to describe an emerging cultural phenomenon, I will also try to
demystify much of what the national media has reported about the Santo Daime doctrine.
Thus, I will now discuss some of the possibilities the urban community Céu do Planalto
would like to foster in Brasilia, and I will try to describe the significance of having
them spread for the doctrines sake within the framework of a new emerging
consciousness.
Out of the heap of misinformation
repeatedly released by our media about the Daime issue, they always tend to emphasize the
tendency the doctrine followers would have to get away from their normal professional
activities and from their families, denouncing a process of alienation. They always accuse
the Daime doctrine of breaking down mainstream moral and social ideas, and of inducing
followers into fanaticism. For that matter, I think it would be wise to make a
clarification and warning about the features of an experience with such a substance (the
Daime beverage).
Since CEFLURIS was founded by
Padrinho Sebastião, efforts have been made towards disciplining and regulating the Santo
Daime use according to the standards traditionally prescribed by the doctrines
masters. We are aware that the transforming potential inherent in a spiritual rite with
the beverage demands the guidance of qualified people, experienced enough to smoothly deal
with the "alterations" deriving from individual and group cathartic processes.
Despite the notoriety the doctrine
acquired at the beginning of the decade, when some TV celebrities announced their
participation in the rituals, the CEFLURIS board of directors always made sure that
the beverage be strictly used in the rituals and new churches be authorized on the basis
of officially settled rules. This, along with the usual difficulties derived from this
kind of work, determined a quite slow pace of growth for the doctrine in terms of new
followers. The doctrine does not encourage or recommend proselytism (inviting is not
allowed), and whoever is interested in getting to know it has to first take part in
rituals without the beverage, and to attend a lecture of introduction (after which
newcomers have enough information to make up their minds as regards the doctrine).
Besides, an anamnesis interview is held by a qualified "fardado" (initiate) in
order to verify if the visitor is really ready to safely take part in a ritual with the
beverage.
Again, these measures bring about
a slow pace of growth for the doctrine in terms of followers. Besides, the process of
becoming a "fardado" member has also been improved toward granting the neophyte
a broad awareness of what this spiritual works entails, whereas, on the other hand, any
"fardado" member is free to discontinue his or her participation in the sessions
and to give up the doctrine at their own discretion.
Much of the criticism as regards
the doctrines alienating feature has to do with cases of individuals leading regular
urban lives who suddenly give up all their responsibilities to live in Santo Daime
communities, most of which were far from the great urban centers until a short while ago.
In fact, since this is just the doctrines beginning, its configuration possibilities
are far from being exhausted. Now we are presenting a new community model, which
reconciles the values pointed out by the doctrines principles with an everyday urban
life.
There is no contradiction,
therefore, in the fact that the Santo Daime can coexist with the city, but its essential
transformation feature is in no way excluded or overlooked - and hence the community is
important. Any member from our Daime community in Brasilia can easily enumerate the
changes brought about by their experience with the Daime and the community. However, being
in the city, we not only keep up with cultural and technological advances but can also
take advantage of their positive aspects. Practically speaking, the Daime urban
communities act as the means by which the Céu do Mapiá and other rural communities, in
their proposal of full ecological integration, get the information enabling them to update
their contact with the whole world.
In Brasilia, we have a quite
eclectic group, made up of university teachers, anthropologists, public clerks, artists,
journalists, businessmen, meditation and yoga teachers, psychologists, all kinds of
therapists, and so on. This rich diversity turns our group into a research laboratory
within the scope of personal development possibilities. The individual capacities as
regards group integration are taken advantage of in workshops held for the purpose of
integrating meditation practices, yoga and other modern therapeutical methods with the
special dimension provided by the contact with the Santo Daime. Such experience has
provided interesting fruits, showing us that we can make use of several tools to access
our self-realization and that these tools mould round specific dynamics and personal
circumstances.
Another interesting experience we
have been going through is the "enneagram" study of the psychological types, as
they are conceived by Dr. Cláudio Naranjo. ("Enneagram" refers to a nine-fold
geometrical figure.) Used as a self-realization tool among groups operating on a frequent
interactive basis, the "enneagram" study was introduced to some of the community
members who had heard about Dr. Naranjos work. Nowadays, many community members make
use of the nine psychological types for their inner research and for their interpersonal
contacts, creating new situations in which the material from the spiritual sessions can be
discussed in therapeutical terms.
Under any of these circumstances,
the Céu do Planalto community has developed a successful model for introducing the Santo
Daime transforming experience within the urban environment. The Céu do Mapiá, on its
turn, keeps its position as an authentic representative of both the Amazonian
rainforests magic power and the Daime in the whole world, distributing this
so-called eco-religious culture in Brazilian cities and abroad. Groups getting in touch
with such a power and identifying with it become naturally interested in the urban
community model described here.
Our aim here, however, is neither
to present a community proposal, for there is actually no officially organized project
model under elaboration, nor to invite our readers to take up this spiritual path. Above
all, I am glad to believe the experience and the process involved in the Santo Daime
doctrine can serve as reference materials for anyone identified with its fundamental
principles, namely: Harmony, Love, Truth, and Justice. |