Moving the prejudice away In view of this questions, in 1995 the CONFEN
(Brazilian Narcotics Federal Counsel) once more analyzed and considered that the
denouncements had no base and countersigned the anterior decisions. In this counsel, the
CONFEN stated that the people involved have already been
presenting psychical order problems anterior to their adhesion to this sect, which they
have looked for as a treatment mean.
Dr Domingos Bernardo, an imminent jurist that during many
years was the main CONFEN's spokesman in relation to the ahyauasca's ritual use, has
resumed the issue in a 1996 text in this way:
"For more than 10 years the
use of Ahyauasca/Daime has been considered legitimate, since the 1985 interdiction,
suspended in 1996, and we had no notice of a single case, scientifically confirmed, of
mental problems effectively caused by or generated by the quoted use. Neither there is
reference of abuse or any other social-order disturbing behavior. There are, evidently,
cases of people that had already been porting problems, and used the tea, or that, without
apparent pathologies, has shown some self-injuring or anti-social conducts (behavior). In
first place, such cases are very few, as we can count then on fingers. Furthermore, it's
an absurd to take the part as the hole, or to confuse the institutions with the individual
behavior of its members.
What matters is the intransigent and constant search of the institutions, in the
sense of its integrity and improving (...)."
Actually that's what has been occurring. As a fruit of the
good understanding among the competent authorities and the usuary entities, much progress
has been run. The centers has become more and more careful in the attendance of the
spiritual emergency demand - as Grof has denominated some symptoms of legitimate spiritual
search, which can't be mistaken with psychotic symptoms. It was adopted more rigorous
control procedures in these cases. It's in effect an understanding that people with
serious psychiatric antecedents can't drink the tea, unless there is an agreement and an
unlimited accessory by part of the family and by the institution. |