Quirky Guide

Think of a church. Now think of a church where powerful hallucinogens and explosive vomiting are as normal as hymns and prayers. Welcome to the bizarre doctrine of Santo Daime.

Begun in the 1930s, the church is founded on the idea that the visions induced from drinking hallucinogenic jungle brew ayahuasca can open up channels of communication with the spiritual world. The trippy six-hour-long ceremonies (called works) take place under the cover of darkness inside star-shaped churches across Brazil. Adults and children alike imbibe the bitter brew, dance, sing hymns and meditate.

An unfortunate but well documented side effect of drinking ayahuasca is ‘purging’, and vomiting out of windows is considered completely normal.

Photo courtesy of Stttijn.