União do Vegetal
Encyclopedia
União do Vegetal is a Christian religion based on the use of Hoasca (or Ayahuasca
) in a program of spiritual evolution based on mental concentration and the search for self-knowledge. Among the Brazilian Ayahuasca Religions, the UDV is marked by its commitments to organized expansion, centralized authority, and recognition by world governments of legitimate religious practice. The translation of União do Vegetal is Union of the Plant.
in the fourth and fifth centuries BC. UDV as it is known today however was "re-created" on July 22, 1961 in Porto Velho
, Rondônia
, Brazil
by the rubber-tapper José Gabriel da Costa (now known as Mestre Gabriel
).
Mestre Gabriel was born in 1922 in Coração de Maria, a town near Feira de Santana
. Uneducated, he left home at the age of 20 to become a rubber tapper
in the Amazon region, thereby coming into contact with the South American Indians
of Bolivia
and Caboclos of Brazil, experiencing their Ayahuasca. Inspired by his visions
, he founded UDV. Mestre Gabriel died in 1971.
In Brazil, a number of modern religious movements based on the use of Ayahuasca have emerged, one of them being the União do Vegetal. These movements are considered to be animist, shamanist spiritism
mixed with Christian
imagery. The União do Vegetal uses the term Christian
Spiritism
to describe its religious denomination. The União do Vegetal has members and churches throughout the world. UDV has approximately 15,000 members in Brazil, the US and Europe. UDV members participate in ritual consumption of Hoasca in a group setting. The UDV states that Hoasca tea is not hallucinogenic but that it is drunk for the effect of mental concentration.
and Psychotria viridis
(the only two ingredients used in the UDV's preparation of Hoasca) was shipped to the American membership from Brazil.
U.S. Customs agents seized a shipment and raided a UDV member's office, finding over 30 gallons of Hoasca tea in 1999. The UDV sued in 2000, seeking exemption from the Controlled Substances Act and equal treatment under the law.
In 2001, the 10th Circuit Court of New Mexico granted a preliminary injunction preventing the Government from interfering with UDV's religious use of Hoasca. The Government appealed and the appeals court stayed the injunction of the lower court. In December 2004, the Supreme Court lifted a stay thereby allowing the church to use Hoasca tea in their Christmas
services that year. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case on 1 November 2005.
On February 21, 2006 the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the case. The court ruled, unanimously, that the lower courts had not erred in holding that the federal government had failed to prove the "compelling interest" in barring UDV use of hoasca required under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
. Chief Justice
John Roberts wrote the opinion in the case, in the second opinion he authored as a member of the Court. The case was remanded to a lower court for further proceedings. Eventually, in August 2010 the case concluded in favor of UDV.
One of the active compounds of Hoasca is DMT
, which is produced by the human body and in many plants. DMT is classified in the United States
as a Schedule I
drug. Plants containing DMT are not. Neither Hoasca tea nor Banisteriopsis caapi
nor Psychotria viridis
are listed in any Schedule of the Controlled Substances Act.
Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is any of various psychoactive infusions or decoctions prepared from the Banisteriopsis spp. vine, usually mixed with the leaves of dimethyltryptamine-containing species of shrubs from the Psychotria genus...
) in a program of spiritual evolution based on mental concentration and the search for self-knowledge. Among the Brazilian Ayahuasca Religions, the UDV is marked by its commitments to organized expansion, centralized authority, and recognition by world governments of legitimate religious practice. The translation of União do Vegetal is Union of the Plant.
Origins
Claiming roots as far back as the tenth century BC, members feel the movement then lay dormant before reappearing in Incan PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in the fourth and fifth centuries BC. UDV as it is known today however was "re-created" on July 22, 1961 in Porto Velho
Porto Velho
Porto Velho is the capital of the Brazilian state of Rondônia, in the upper Amazon River basin. The population is estimated to be 426,558 people...
, Rondônia
Rondônia
Rondônia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country. To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, and in the south is Bolivia. Its capital is Porto Velho. The state was named after Candido Rondon...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
by the rubber-tapper José Gabriel da Costa (now known as Mestre Gabriel
Mestre Gabriel
José Gabriel da Costa, later known as Mestre Gabriel, , is the founder of the União do Vegetal, a Christian religious sect that utilizes the entheogenic tea Hoasca as its main sacrament...
).
Mestre Gabriel was born in 1922 in Coração de Maria, a town near Feira de Santana
Feira de Santana
Feira de Santana is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 700,000 according to IBGE's estimate. It is located 115 km northwest of Salvador, Bahia's capital city. These cities are connected by BR-324, a four-lane divided highway...
. Uneducated, he left home at the age of 20 to become a rubber tapper
Rubber tapping
Rubber tapping is the process by which the sap is collected from a rubber tree. An incision is made in the tree's bark, which cuts through the planting cycle to optimise the latex yield....
in the Amazon region, thereby coming into contact with the South American Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Caboclos of Brazil, experiencing their Ayahuasca. Inspired by his visions
Vision (religion)
In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations...
, he founded UDV. Mestre Gabriel died in 1971.
In Brazil, a number of modern religious movements based on the use of Ayahuasca have emerged, one of them being the União do Vegetal. These movements are considered to be animist, shamanist spiritism
Spiritism
Spiritism is a loose corpus of religious faiths having in common the general belief in the survival of a spirit after death. In a stricter sense, it is the religion, beliefs and practices of the people affiliated to the International Spiritist Union, based on the works of Allan Kardec and others...
mixed with Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
imagery. The União do Vegetal uses the term Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Spiritism
Spiritism
Spiritism is a loose corpus of religious faiths having in common the general belief in the survival of a spirit after death. In a stricter sense, it is the religion, beliefs and practices of the people affiliated to the International Spiritist Union, based on the works of Allan Kardec and others...
to describe its religious denomination. The União do Vegetal has members and churches throughout the world. UDV has approximately 15,000 members in Brazil, the US and Europe. UDV members participate in ritual consumption of Hoasca in a group setting. The UDV states that Hoasca tea is not hallucinogenic but that it is drunk for the effect of mental concentration.
U.S. Supreme Court case
Hoasca tea made from Banisteriopsis caapiBanisteriopsis caapi
Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as Ayahuasca, Caapi or Yage, is a South American jungle vine of the family Malpighiaceae. It is used to prepare Ayahuasca, a decoction that has a long history of entheogenic uses as a medicine and "plant teacher" among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Rainforest...
and Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis is a shrub from the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has many local names, including Chacruna and Chacrona ....
(the only two ingredients used in the UDV's preparation of Hoasca) was shipped to the American membership from Brazil.
U.S. Customs agents seized a shipment and raided a UDV member's office, finding over 30 gallons of Hoasca tea in 1999. The UDV sued in 2000, seeking exemption from the Controlled Substances Act and equal treatment under the law.
In 2001, the 10th Circuit Court of New Mexico granted a preliminary injunction preventing the Government from interfering with UDV's religious use of Hoasca. The Government appealed and the appeals court stayed the injunction of the lower court. In December 2004, the Supreme Court lifted a stay thereby allowing the church to use Hoasca tea in their Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
services that year. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case on 1 November 2005.
On February 21, 2006 the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the case. The court ruled, unanimously, that the lower courts had not erred in holding that the federal government had failed to prove the "compelling interest" in barring UDV use of hoasca required under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-141, 107 Stat. 1488 , codified at through , is a 1993 United States federal law aimed at preventing laws that substantially burden a person's free exercise of their religion. The bill was introduced by Howard McKeon of California and...
. Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
John Roberts wrote the opinion in the case, in the second opinion he authored as a member of the Court. The case was remanded to a lower court for further proceedings. Eventually, in August 2010 the case concluded in favor of UDV.
One of the active compounds of Hoasca is DMT
Dimethyltryptamine
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound of the tryptamine family. DMT is found in several plants, and also in trace amounts in humans and other mammals, where it is originally derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, and ultimately produced by the enzyme INMT...
, which is produced by the human body and in many plants. DMT is classified in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a Schedule I
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain...
drug. Plants containing DMT are not. Neither Hoasca tea nor Banisteriopsis caapi
Banisteriopsis caapi
Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as Ayahuasca, Caapi or Yage, is a South American jungle vine of the family Malpighiaceae. It is used to prepare Ayahuasca, a decoction that has a long history of entheogenic uses as a medicine and "plant teacher" among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Rainforest...
nor Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis is a shrub from the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has many local names, including Chacruna and Chacrona ....
are listed in any Schedule of the Controlled Substances Act.
Health of UDV members
A study of UDV members by the psychiatrist, Charles Grob, of the UCLA School of Medicine, found them to be psychologically and physically healthier than average, and he has recommended ayahuasca as a treatment for depression.See also
- Freedom of thoughtFreedom of thoughtFreedom of thought is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, independent of others' viewpoints....
- Freedom of Religion in the United StatesFreedom of religion in the United StatesIn the United States, freedom of religion is a constitutionally guaranteed right provided in the religion clauses of the First Amendment. Freedom of religion is also closely associated with separation of church and state, a concept advocated by Thomas Jefferson....
- Santo DaimeSanto DaimeSanto Daime is a syncretic spiritual practice founded in the 1930s in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Acre by Raimundo Irineu Serra, known as Mestre Irineu...