The Religion of Ayahuasca: The Teachings of the Church of Santo Daime

A first-hand account of Santo Daime, the Brazilian church that takes ayahuasca — there called Daime — as its central sacrament. Written from inside the tradition by one of its elders.

The Religion of Ayahuasca traces Alex Polari de Alverga's path into Santo Daime and the teachings of its founders, from Mestre Irineu to Padrinho Sebastião. It describes the church's hymns, rituals, and cosmology, and the role of the sacrament within a structured spiritual community rather than a solitary or recreational setting. Part memoir, part testimony, the book lets a living tradition speak for itself — naming its lineage and its practices while leaving the experience to those who enter it. Originally published as Forest of Visions.

• Author: Alex Polari de Alverga
• Publisher: Park Street Press
• Published: 2010
• Pages: 272

About the Author — Alex Polari de Alverga

A Brazilian writer and former political prisoner who became a padrinho (spiritual leader) within the Santo Daime church, helping to establish its community in the Amazon. His writing is among the most widely read first-hand accounts of the tradition available in English.