I've participated in ayahuasca ceremonies in Santo Daime and have several friends who are 'fardados' (members). I also have criticisms to some of the practices or structures, and its not my own way but I'm glad to have participated and experienced what I did. I rather prefer indigenous rituals or the experiences I have by myself or with close friends.
I understand when some people have problems with santo daime and other similar religions (like UDV), but I think they also have their value. It was thanks to these churches that there were made so many scientific researches with ayahuasca and eventually made it legalized in Brazil (and increase the knowledge of the safety of regular usage for the international community). Also I've seen people who had been completely lost in life and through their participation in Daime and through the support of their community, where able to overcome addictions or other serious problems.
A few things that I personally dont agree with in daime:
- Use of uniform (I think it unconsciously creates a 'we who use uniform are superior' attitude)
- Too much lyrics and very little purely instrumental music (when I take psychedelics, I want to go beyond my typical language associations, and I feel lyrics can often hold one down by leading one's mind with these pre-existing words and concepts)
- Often people try to convince others that their way is right and others are wrong (though thats not for everybody in daime, some are very open minded people). Attempt at ownership of what can and cant be done with ayahuasca.
- Arbitrary rules with evidence-less arguments (girls and guys absolutely have to be separate, cant cross your arms and legs, cant walk around a bit if you feel like, etc, and all with bad arguments related to 'energy' which of course nobody can really explain or give evidence to except with falacious arguments, such as appeal to authority or generalization of subjective experiences)
- Way too much light during the ceremonies, I preffer dark or low indirect lighting
- etc
But again, while its not my way, as long as they are not affecting me negatively, telling me whats right or wrong and keep their faith to themselves, im fine with it. I knew some daime people that I've gotten in big arguments with because they were trying to 'convert' me, but I have a couple of friends from Daime who are some of the nicest people I've ever met, and they feel its their way and dont judge mine, so I can only respect it.
Personally I agree with malaclypse and polytrip in the sense that I dont fall for one belief-system but rather keep a more open perspective. I have a skeptic self and I doubt everything, try to be critical of everything including myself. I have learned a lot from psychedelic experiences but I dont blindly trust every realization I seem to have on psychedelics because I know it can also be wrong, or misinterpreted. Same for science, or my emotions, or whatever. I just make my own map of reality taking into account information from all these sources and trying to find a balanced and healthy self-critical fluid world view.
I know that no matter what explanations we give to the universe, there is always a Mistery behind existence, which manifests itself in me through a sense of awe, like looking into starry sky and almost losing breath from the unimaginable scales of our universe.
DMT didnt make me more or less religious, it just reinforces this 'open' perspective, and I know that whatever is or isnt 'out there', I still have to be pragmatic and live day by day, fulfill the duties I have. Since Im alive, gotta try to do the best I can with this opportunity I was given. We dont always get it right but we're trying, right?
