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Paulo César Ribeiro Barbosa
spatiotemporal sense. The analysis consisted in the identification of themes that link each of the experiential dimensions in the three phases covered by the investigation: prior to the experience with ayahuasca, the acute effects (that is, experiences during the ritual), and the short-term, post-acute effects (that is, during the week following the experience). All novices to Santo Daime must go through a prior interview, conducted by the religion’s acolytes, aimed at evaluating the candidate and giving guidance about the procedures to be adopted during the ritual. Tanya’s recruitment for the study took place within an agreement with the CEFLURIS church that was to organize the ritual within which she would have her first experience with ayahuasca. The person responsible for the interview was to send the novice for evaluation. As happens with the majority of novices, Tanya tried ayahuasca in a CEFLURIS church, in a wooded area on the outskirts of São Paulo. The ritual began at 9:30 p.m. and ended at 9:30 a.m. the next morning. Tanya ingested four doses of the drink throughout the ritual, which, like the other rituals in this denomination, was marked by constant singing of songs, called hymns, in praise of God, Christian saints, nature, and moral virtues, and was accompanied by the synchronized movement of all the participants (called the bailado, or “dance”).
3. Results 3.1. Set: Motives for trying Daime and attitudes prior to the experience “I am going to try Daime to see if... It is a search for self-knowledge (...) to understand why I fight with people who have nothing to do with my problems.” This was Tanya’s response when asked about her motives for trying ayahuasca. Next, she related the situation that currently leads to her fighting with people who have nothing to do with her problems. There had been a recent romantic breakup, which involved a financial debt, incurred during the relationship, that her ex-boyfriend owed her. Her ex-boyfriend’s “run-around” in resolving the debt, and constant arguments about the situation, constituted a source of much irritation and frustration for Tanya, who could not bring the matter to a conclusion. This particular situation was linked with feelings of low self-esteem, as for some time she had been unable to bring about changes in her habits, such as dieting and stopping smoking.